DavsDisorder

This blog captures some of the observations of Tim Davoren, Data Engines' founder and Managing Consultant. Do not expect an especially coherent delivery here!

Approaches to Archiving - a cheatsheet for IT Executives

Tim Davoren - Monday, April 05, 2010

This is a little reflection I wrote some years back that I just uncovered. I think most of the key points are still relevant as they ought to be. Regardless of what technology is used archiving is a generic information managment technique (like backups) that should be approached from the high level, first principles before assessing what tools an organisation can leverage.

 

Why Archive Anyway? To Manage RISK & Manage RETURN

  • Reduce storage costs (acquisition and management).
  • Improve email/file server performance.
  • Manage unstructured information – security, business value, risk...
  • User accessibility and user expiration/termination
  • Simplify Discovery
  • Simplify Protection (backup)

What to Think About?

 

  • A long term perspective must be taken in considering an archive product. This product/mechanism/solution will be a strategic platform and is going to be there for a long time!
    • Growth – staff/data?
    • Mergers, multiple business unit integration?
    • Retention policies should match the vendor’s longevity!!
    • Data portability - can I move my archives around?
  • Manageability and Security and Reporting
    • Other applications that the archive may touch/be touched by
    • Role based administration of the archive application
    • Trending feedback – scale up before you hit the wall
  • Focus on Content Intelligence
    • Key organisational data types and storage locations
    • Where and how will data be created
  • Protect your archive application like a Tier 1 application
    • The archive application must be deployed as if it were a Tier 1 system...it now stands as a critical link in business data access.
  • Relate policy to Directory Services.
    • Don’t re-invent the wheel...you will already have IT governance policy in some basic form in Directory Services...ensure your solution can utilise and hinge from this.
  • IT Budget generally grows at about 2%, but Storage grows at about 7%...Stress that archiving is a ‘storage’ application not an email application.
Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

An age old question: backup or archive?

Tim Davoren - Sunday, December 06, 2009

I refer to the article Data backup vs. data archiving: Is data backup closing the gap? published on TechTarget's SearchDataBackup.com by Ron Scruggs.

I am amazed that still, after almost 60 years of data storage and backup on electro-magnetic media, people are still confused as to what a "Backup" is and what an "Archive" is. Before I pass on my very simple explanation let me just say that the article by Scruggs is relevant for those wanting to understand the 'vendor-speak' around backup and archive. It is focused on the differences between vendor's individual 'backup' and 'archive' products...but as I am sure you all know vendors are sometimes given to bluring lines, and likewise drawing strict demarcation lines, between technologies and technical practices where they ought not really exist (practically speaking)!

Ok, are you ready...this is the difference between a 'Backup' and an 'Archive'...drum roll:

A backup is a copy of a primary source of data, whereas an archive is an immutable primary source of data

Did you get it?

You see, people and organisations create data for all sorts of reasons. Think about your own 'personal data space'. You own note pads, photo albums, Foxtel IQ, white boards, phone directories, property deeds, etc, etc. Each of these pieces of data has characteristics you assign to it...hopefully you are getting the picture here...a photo album is an archive (i.e you would not wish to have the data contained therein changed in the future...unfortunately for some that is problem!), whereas a  phone directory is 'live data' (i.e it is suspectible to change...your friend may move house and get a new phone number...or you might even make a new friend heaven forbid). You would like to protect both forms of data I would assume?

You'll notice that another dynamic is entering the discussion here...archives need to be backed up...that discussion is for another time. Suffice it to say here that most IT departments have backup of 'live data' on their lists of "expected duties" and by-in-large the task is well understood. The decision to 'archive' data is generally not in the hands of IT departments; it should be treated as a business governance and workflow issue. Firm that understand DMS (Document Management Systems) probably already know this, for others out there please don't let vendors hoodwink you into buying a backup product simply because it archives nor an archive product simply because it backs up data too.

Consider the role of the humble 'archive bit', a file attribute common to most all file systems in existence. This switch indicated whether a file's contents have changed and thus whether a backup product should make another copy of that file. If the file had not changed, then the Archive Bit is turned off. If you (or your business stakeholders) are happy for that bit to forced to 'off' (i.e the file cannot be changed) then it ought to live in an archive and hence attract different consideration to you 'live data'.

Comments (0) | Trackbacks (0) | Permalink

1

RSS Feed

Subscribe

Recent Posts

Tags

web applications lists sales featured tidbits humour test 'Cloud'...cringe music M&A archive storage budgets HDS backup internal goings on EMC government vendor shenanigans NetApp redundancy frustrations VMware IT Management security generic musings

Archive

Search the Data Engines Site

Featured Content

Backup or Archive? An age old question - after almost 60 years of data storage and backup on electro-magnetic media, people are still confused as to what a "Backup" is and what an "Archive" is. See Tim's blog post explaining the difference. 

Do you "Splunk" ?? It's not a rude question, but it could lead you to some empowering insights into what's happening out there in your multi-vendor, multi-faceted IT infrastructure.

Data Engines have developed a set of field tested, vendor backed data-at-rest encryption solutions that can help organisations mitigate data security risks for removable storage media like tape. Ask us how to ensure your primary data storage or backup data is safely encrypted, but most importantly, how you can insure full recovery in the future.