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Snapshot Technology Comparison
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November 12, 2010 - Every IT professional knows that having a comprehensive backup solution is crucial in a corporate environment. Snapshot technology is fast becoming a very popular and widely used method for data backups. In fact, snapshots have already revolutionized data backup methods for a lot of businesses. When thinking about adding snapshot technology to your backup plan, it’s important to understand all the differences between snapshots and actual copies, as well as make sure that snapshot technology is right for your environment.
The difference between a snapshot and a copy is that, unlike a physical copy, a snapshot is virtual – it is a static view of your data. The obvious benefit of snapshot technology is that a snapshot doesn’t take up as much space as a physical copy – it doesn’t need any space when it’s created, but it grows over time. However, when a physical copy is created, the data storage requirements double.
Snapshots can be used by all kinds of businesses, provided that the IT professionals and the end users are prepared to collaborate, use the right type of snapshots, and ensure the data is in the correct state before making a snapshot. The biggest challenge of all is choosing snapshot software that is right for your data backup environment. Here is an overview of the most widely-used snapshotting solutions currently available.
CA ARCserve D2D
Developed by CA Technologies, CA ARCserve D2D is a disk-based automated backup solution for business data protection and recovery on both physical and virtual servers. It has an intuitive Web 2.0 interface that provides proactive updates to help IT managers meet and manage recovery SLAs. One of the benefits of this product is that it has Bare Metal Restore to dissimilar hardware and uses block-level infinite incremental snapshots, based on CA’s patent-pending I2 Technology.
This single snapshot backup technology allows to move only the data that has been changed and quickly restores the entire disk to any previous backup point in time. This way the I2 Technology makes it possible to dramatically reduce the backup window, network traffic, used disk space and load on production software.
Here are the key benefits of CA ARCserve D2D:
- Block level I2 Technology allows you to use less storage space, perform backups faster, and decrease the load on production servers. In addition to that, this technology performs backups every 15 minutes to provide even more solid protection.
- Application-consistent snapshot backups ensure that the application is being backed up from a consistent state for rapid application recovery. This allows to support proper application management during the backup process.
- Virtual servers protection provides a single interface to help protect virtual servers, as well as physical servers. This allows to save training time and simplify the process.
- Single snapshot backup with four restore types.
- Bare Metal Restore provides a quick way to recover a crashed server to the same or dissimilar hardware.
- An option for the end users to search and recover file and folder level items from user data sets without administrator intervention.
- Dynamic documentation with Web 2.0 interface.
CA ARCserve D2D is also integrated with CA ARCserve Backup, which enables migration of the CA ARCserve D2D backup files to tape using CA ARCserve Backup r15 for off-site long-term retention. The software can also be used with any backup solution for non-disruptive backups.
Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Universal Restore
Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Universal Restore is an add-on that is used to enhance Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server and can’t be used separately. Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server is based on Acronis’ patented disk imaging and bare metal restore technologies, and is one of the most trusted disaster recovery solutions for physical and virtual environments. Universal Restore is a fully integrated module that can restore servers and workstations to new or different hardware, as well as to a virtual machine. The software provides flexible disaster recovery and migration options.
Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Universal Restore uses effective snapshot technology that allows to make a full disaster recovery without having to purchase and maintain identical spare systems. Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 creates an easily transportable system snapshot that disassociates all data from the old machine’s hardware. Then Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Universal Restore loads drivers of the new hardware configuration, so that the snapshot from the previous platform will allow to flawlessly restore the machine to the new hardware platform, complete with the operating system, applications, data, and all custom user settings. Recovery can be implemented to an existing system, to a new machine with different hardware, or to a virtual server in just a few minutes.
Here are some of the Universal Restore’s top features:
- The ability to recover a failed system to dissimilar hardware or a virtual server.
- An option to clone and deploy operating systems with complete hardware independence.
- Complete physical-virtual, virtual-physical, physical-physical, or virtual-virtual migrations for system recovery, testing, and other general purposes.
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery 2010
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery 2010 is a cost-effective backup and recovery solution for small and medium-sized businesses. It uses effective snapshot technology that helps to minimize system downtime and avoid disaster by quickly recovering both individual data files/folders or complete Windows or Linux systems to different hardware, virtual environments, or remote locations. Symantec’s snapshot solution allows you to capture and protect everything, including the operating system, applications, databases, all files, device drivers, profiles, settings, and the Windows registry, in one easy-to-manage recovery snapshot without disrupting user productivity or application usage.
Conclusion
Some of the software’s features include scheduled automatic or event-driven backups, recovery to dissimilar hardware with the help of Symantec’s Restore Anyware Technology, creation of offsite backup copies to an FTP location or a secondary disk drive, physical to virtual (P2V) and virtual to physical (V2P) conversions for VMware, Microsoft, and Citrix virtual environments.
Snapshotting is a breakthrough technology that makes data backup, cloning, and disaster recovery easier to implement and manage. The unique potential of snapshotting is the core of an ideal data protection and management solutions plan for both physical and virtual environments. Fitting snapshot technology into your backup plan can help you to greatly minimize the risks of data loss, speed up the recovery processes, and save a significant amount of storage space.
Keep in mind that your technology reseller can also be a valuable resource for you to use when navigating snapshot technology. Let your technology reseller do some of the heavy lifting for you when you are having licensing or technical support issues. As a specialized software reseller, Productive offers a unique approach when assisting their customers. When customers use Productive as their first point of contact, Productive is able to advocate on their behalf. Contacting Productive with an issue is very straight forward, simply call 800-726-4099, or email help@productivecorp.com
