Virtual protection gets real How to protect virtual machines from downtime and data loss
5 must-have features for VM backup Businesses virtualize to consolidate resources, reduce costs and increase workforce mobility. But failing to protect VMs with purpose-built protection could erase some of those gains. Here are five essential requirements IT managers should look for when deploying data protection for virtual environments. 1. Local copy Regardless of where your virtual site is hosted, there should always be a local copy of the VM in case you lose access to the virtualized systems. The local copy can be used for rapid recovery of files and folders, and to restore the VM. Access VM files and folders anytime Retrieve data from within applications like SharePoint and Exchange Eliminate latency for time-sensitive, critical servers 2. Cloud copy For instances where both the virtual environment and the local copy cannot be accessed, you should keep offsite backups for cloud-based disaster recovery. Cloud backups should mirror changes from the source at regular intervals to reduce the potential for data loss. Mirror files, folders and applications in the cloud Ensure data survivability for local site disasters Satisfy DR best practices by using secondary media 3. Frequency and performance Backing up VMs too frequently may degrade performance on the very systems you re protecting. But long intervals between backups puts important data at risk. A VM backup solution should be able to take snapshots every 15 minutes without causing performance issues. Make sure to test any solution in your environment to see how the frequency of backups impacts your systems. Shrink the window for potential data loss Reduce resource usage on your VM Eliminate VM backup performance penalties 2
5 must-have features for VM backup 4. Compression 5. Professional services and support By filtering out redundant data and white space, compression technology works to further minimize storage needs, which can lower storage costs significantly when protecting multiple VMs and VM clusters. Disaster recovery is not a native skillset for most IT departments. But getting help from DR experts who configure protection and perform recoveries on a regular basis can be indispensable. Decrease the amount of storage needed for backups Reduce TCO of long-term data storage Minimize network utilization Focus internal resources on core duties, help desk tickets and supporting users Learn how to configure protection and test recovery performance Get answers about VM protection and disaster recovery from the same team of experts 3
The case for purpose-built protection Here are several more reasons why the protection you deploy for VMs can really make a difference: Run virtual disaster recovery recover an entire VM from a virtual replica in a couple of minutes Increase uptime and availability of tier-1 applications Perform virtual test failovers anytime so you know it works Retain scheduled backups to create multiple restore points and roll back adverse events Use snapshots to test patches in an isolated environment without affecting production Save time during installation by using agentless protection 4
About Carbonite Carbonite offers a complete Data Protection Platform, designed to help businesses safeguard data in both physical and virtual environments. Contact us today to learn how Carbonite can help protect your critical business systems. Contact us to learn more Phone: 877-542-8637 Email: DataProtectionSales@carbonite.com 5