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A few years ago I was presenting to a large group of doctors and clinicians on the “Smaller World,” meaning the world connected by the internet, where you have access to people everywhere and distance is no longer a factor.

Since that time I’ve been introducing a new concept that has been championed as the “Always on World.” The “Smaller World” created the “Always on World” simply by existing, and now here we are, needing technology not just during working hours but every moment of the day.

Consider your newest allies – tablets and smartphones, they give you the ability to work anytime, anywhere and to be mobile whether at work or at play. This ability, coupled with virtualization has changed the face of Information Technology by demanding systems always be available and have virtually no data loss.

In this new world, data backup and recovery have become paramount and the need for proper Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) and Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) has gone from days to minutes. Years ago, a company could afford to be down for a day, now the dependence on systems at all times makes seconds imperative, and the need for redundancy or rapid recovery is crucial.

Two products that have stepped up in this age of “I want it right now” are Datto and Veeam. Both products are data backup and recovery solutions with a twist. Older solutions would back up, but not verify. Now customers absolutely have to prove that their data is not only safe, but rapidly available in the event of an outage or disaster. Both products can restore files and do the same data backup processes that so many have done before, but where they differ is in their ability to hit an outage head on, and prove they’re up for the task.

Datto does this by taking virtual snapshots of the system and replicating it to the cloud. In doing so they have an onsite copy and an offsite copy at any given time. Datto is unique in that in the event of a failure, the device can spin up the virtual system on its own hardware until the new system can be built, then the current Datto copy can be deployed to the new instance, giving the end user an experience as though nothing actually went down. For naysayers, if you need to be sure, Datto tests itself daily to verify the system it backed up works, and copies a screenshot to the console to prove it.

Veeam, using their “Always On” has come to the same place from a slightly different approach. Veeam has always been one of the better cloud backup solutions but their new product reduces RPO and RTO to minutes, allowing for a maximum uptime situation where data centers can be moved and migrated easily from a single console. This ease and flexibility gives Veeam an edge and allows end users to experience minimal, if any, interruptions in service by being able to deploy virtual copies quickly and efficiently. Veeam also creates a VM replica report to show that the system is completely viable in its state after data backup, taking a screenshot one step further.

Of course there are more solutions out there that offer RPO and RTO of seconds if you have the money to pay for it. Datto and Veeam have taken a leading role in my opinion, allowing our end users to experience their always on world, for now, and for the future. Want more information on how you can have an “Always On” solution, contact IT Resource today!

IT Resource is providing IT backup and recovery services to clients from Grand Rapids to Lansing to Muskegon, and everywhere in between. If you have questions on your business’ IT security procedures, contact us today.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]