It also does not usually support a continuous journaling
mode, meaning the array-based snapshot RPOs are limited
to the last good snapshot, which may be hours old.
Using CDP to complement tape backup
An ideal CDP solution expands disk-based data protection to
enhance snapshot-based disaster recovery over an extended
period of time, and reduces the dependence on daily tape
backups for DR. There is no need to replace tape; rather,
CDP should enhance the effectiveness of tape backup for
data protection and DR. With CDP, DR policies can become
less dependent upon tape-based restores, vastly improving
the speed and efficiency of recovery.
It's important to reduce dependence on tape backup,
because most disasters are not major natural disasters.
Such events do occur, and a comprehensive plan to protect
and recover from them is required � but disasters are more
commonly granular problems such as accidental or
malicious deletion, data corruption, user error, viruses and
similar discrete events. CDP should complement tape
backup protection to provide DR capability that cannot be
accomplished with tape-based or snapshot-and-replication-
based DR methods alone. CDP lets tape backup provide
backup for long data retention and archiving and reduces or
eliminates tape's role in DR, a role for which it is not well
suited.
Eliminating the tape backup window
One of the biggest challenges facing IT departments is the
race to complete tape backups in the off-peak time available
in which to do them. E-commerce systems and 24/7 data
centre operation have elevated tape backup to a critical and
demanding business operation. Even the capability to
incrementally update tape backups stretches data centre
resources because of the reduced window of opportunity in
which to do the backups.
CDP eliminates this dilemma by providing data protection
for a much longer period of time than snapshot-supported
tape backup, reducing the required frequency of tape
backups. Enterprises that implement this kind of CDP will
be able to reduce their tape backup requirements from daily
to weekly or longer.
ITadviser Autumn 2009 37
data protection
The author
Fadi Albatal,
FalconStor
Software

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