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Storage: Despite Cloud Storage Options, Backup/Restores Remain a Thorn for Many IT
Data backup and restore is causing many IT department managers to lose sleep.
Many groups are grappling with the problem of growing data volumes. The Symform survey found that more than half of companies expect their data storage requirements to increase from at least 10 to 40 percent over the next year, while a significant number are even expecting their data to double.
Managing all this data has become unwieldy, and now only 15 percent of IT groups are satisfied with their current procedure for backing up data.
Over the past few years, cloud-based backup solutions for primary and secondary backup have become increasingly popular. Jonathan Siegal, senior director of product marketing for EMC’s Unified Storage Division, commented that “Storage technology is evolving rapidly to keep pace with the 24×7 demand for data access and reliability.”
Anil Desai, an independent IT consultant and writer based in Austin, said that “because of legal and regulatory compliance issues, the enterprise must store more data for longer periods of time. They need the additional capacity and performance that storage virtualization offers.”
Cloud backup and disaster recovery options are now available from a wide variety of vendors, including Amazon, AT&T, Nirvanix, RackSpace, Google, HP and OpenStack. The cloud-based solutions offered by these companies allow companies to augment or replace their traditional storage and backup environments.
40 percent of IT groups say they now use cloud storage as one element of their backup solution. But despite acceptance of cloud technology, a survey by cloud storage vendor Symform found that two-thirds of IT groups say that using the cloud for backups isn’t ideal, primarily because it tends to be more expensive and slower than competing options.
Margaret Dawson, vice president of marketing at Symform said that “small and medium businesses are turning to the cloud in increasing numbers to leverage the agility and ease of management; however, it’s clear there is room for improvement around overall costs and data restore capabilities.”
