Remote backup service


A remote, online, or managed backup service, sometimes marketed as cloud backup or backup-as-a-service, is a service that provides users with a system for the backup, storage, and recovery of computer files. Online backup providers are companies that provide this type of service to end users. Such backup services are considered a form of cloud computing.
Online backup systems are typically built for a client software program that runs on a given schedule. Some systems run once a day, usually at night while computers aren't in use. Other newer cloud backup services run continuously to capture changes to user systems nearly in real-time. The online backup system typically collects, compresses, encrypts, and transfers the data to the remote backup service provider's servers or off-site hardware.
There are many products on the market – all offering different feature sets, service levels, and types of encryption. Providers of this type of service frequently target specific market segments. High-end LAN-based backup systems may offer services such as Active Directory, client remote control, or open file backups. Consumer online backup companies frequently have beta software offerings and/or free-trial backup services with fewer live support options.

History

In the mid-1980s, the computer industry was in a great state of change with modems at speeds of 1200 to 2400 baud, making transfers of large amounts of data slow. While faster modems and more secure network protocols were in development, tape backup systems gained in popularity. During that same period the need for an affordable, reliable online backup system was becoming clear, especially for businesses with critical data.
More online/remote backup services came into existence during the heyday of the dot-com boom in the late 1990s. The initial years of these large industry service providers were about capturing market share and understanding the importance and the role that these online backup providers were playing in the web services arena. Today, most service providers of online backup services position their services using the SaaS and PaaS strategy and its relevance is predicted to increase exponentially in the years to come as personal and enterprise data storage needs rise. The last few years have also witnessed a healthy rise in the number of independent online backup providers.

Characteristics

Service-based

  1. The assurance, guarantee, or validation that what was backed up is recoverable whenever it is required is critical. Data stored in the service provider's cloud must undergo regular integrity validation to ensure its recoverability.
  2. Cloud BUR services need to provide a variety of granularity when it comes to RTO's. One size does not fit all either for the customers or the applications within a customer's environment.
  3. The customer should never have to manage the back end storage repositories in order to back up and recover data.
  4. The interface used by the customer needs to enable the selection of data to protect or recover, the establishment of retention times, destruction dates as well as scheduling.
  5. Cloud backup needs to be an active process where data is collected from systems that store the original copy. This means that cloud backup will not require data to be copied into a specific appliance from where data is collected before being transmitted to and stored in the service provider's data centre.

    Ubiquitous access

  6. Cloud BUR utilizes standard networking protocols to transfer data between the customer and the service provider.
  7. Vaults or repositories need to be always available to restore data to any location connected to the Service Provider’s Cloud via private or public networks.

    Scalable and elastic

  8. Cloud BUR enables flexible allocation of storage capacity to customers without limit. Storage is allocated on demand and also de-allocated as customers delete backup sets as they age.
  9. Cloud BUR enables a Service Provider to allocate storage capacity to a customer. If that customer later deletes their data or no longer needs that capacity, the Service Provider can then release and reallocate that same capacity to a different customer in an automated fashion.

    Metered by use

  10. Cloud Backup allows customers to align the value of data with the cost of protecting it. It is procured on a per-gigabyte per month basis. Prices tend to vary based on the age of data, type of data, volume, number of backup copies and RTOs.

    Shared and secure

  11. The underlying enabling technology for Cloud Backup is a full stack native cloud multitenant platform.
  12. Data mobility/portability prevents service provider lock-in and allows customers to move their data from one Service Provider to another, or entirely back into a dedicated Private Cloud.
  13. Security in the cloud is critical. One customer can never have access to another’s data. Additionally, even Service Providers must not be able to access their customer’s data without the customer’s permission.

    Enterprise-class cloud backup

An enterprise-class cloud backup solution must include an on-premises cache, to mitigate any issues due to inconsistent Internet connectivity.
Hybrid cloud backup works by storing data to local disk so that the backup can be captured at high speed, and then either the backup software or a D2D2C appliance encrypts and transmits data to a service provider. This adds protection against local
disasters. Recent backups are retained locally, to speed data recovery operations.
There are a number of cloud storage appliances on the market that can be used as a backup target, including appliances from CTERA Networks, StorSimple and TwinStrata.
Hybrid cloud backup is also beneficial for enterprise users who have security concerns. When storing data locally before sending it to the cloud, backup users can perform the necessary encryption operations, incl. technologies like:
Data encryption should additionally be applied when you choose a public cloud service provider.
The same is important for the compression of backup data. The local backup cache is used to compress the data before sending it to the cloud in order to lower the network bandwidth load and improve backup speed. This becomes critical for enterprises which backup huge databases like Oracle or MS SQL or huge files like virtual machine images or mail server databases.
Recent improvements in CPU availability allow increased use of software agents instead of hardware appliances for enterprise cloud backup. The software-only approach can offer advantages including decreased complexity, simple scalability, significant cost savings and improved data recovery times.

Typical features

; Encryption: Data should be encrypted before it is sent across the internet, and it should be stored in its encrypted state. Encryption should be at least 256 bits, and the user should have the option of using his own encryption key, which should never be sent to the server.
; Network backup: A backup service supporting network backup can back up multiple computers, servers or Network Attached Storage appliances on a local area network from a single computer or device.
; Continuous backup - Continuous Data Protection: Allows the service to back up continuously or on a predefined schedule. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages. Most backup services are schedule-based and perform backups at a predetermined time. Some services provide continuous data backups which are used by large financial institutions and large online retailers. However, there is typically a trade-off with performance and system resources.
; File-by-File Restore: The ability for users to restore files themselves, without the assistance of a Service Provider by allowing the user select files by name and/or folder. Some services allow users to select files by searching for filenames and folder names, by dates, by file type, by backup set, and by tags.
; Online access to files: Some services allow you to access backed-up files via a normal web browser. Many services do not provide this type of functionality.
; Data compression: Data will typically be compressed with a lossless compression algorithm to minimize the amount of bandwidth used.
; Differential data compression: A way to further minimize network traffic is to transfer only the binary data that has changed from one day to the next, similar to the open source file transfer service Rsync. More advanced online backup services use this method rather than transfer entire files.
; Bandwidth usage: User-selectable option to use more or less bandwidth; it may be possible to set this to change at various times of day.
; Off-Line Backup: Off-Line Backup allows along with and as part of the online backup solution to cover daily backups in time when network connection is down. At this time the remote backup software must perform backup onto a local media device like a tape drive, a disk or another server. The minute network connection is restored remote backup software will update the remote datacenter with the changes coming out of the off-line backup media.
; Synchronization: Many services support data synchronization allowing users to keep a consistent library of all their files across many computers. The technology can help productivity and increase access to data.

Common features for business users

;Bulk restore
;Centralized management console
;File retention policies
;Fully managed services
;Redundancy
;Regulatory compliance
;Seed loading
;Server backup
;Versioning

Cost factors

Online backup services are usually priced as a function of the following things:
  1. The total amount of data being backed up.
  2. The total amount of data being restored.
  3. The number of machines covered by the backup service.
  4. The maximum number of versions of each file that are kept.
  5. Data retention and archiving period options
  6. Managed backups vs. Unmanaged backups
  7. The level of service and features available
Some vendors limit the number of versions of a file that can be kept in the system. Some services omit this restriction and provide an unlimited number of versions. Add-on features, like the ability to back up currently open or locked files, are usually charged as an extra, but some services provide this built in.
Most remote backup services reduce the amount of data to be sent over the wire by only backing up changed files. This approach to backing up means that the customers total stored data is reduced. Reducing the amount of data sent and also stored can be further drastically reduced by only transmitting the changed data bits by binary or block level incremental backups. Solutions that transmit only these changed binary data bits do not waste bandwidth by transmitting the same file data over and over again if only small amounts change.

Advantages

Remote backup has advantages over traditional backup methods:
Remote backup has some disadvantages over traditional backup methods:
Some services provide expert backup management services as part of the overall offering. These services typically include:
There are three distinct types of backup modes: scheduled, manual and Event-based.