I certainly agree with Larry's vendor response :) that has worked fantastically for our iInTheCloud customers. Also, the SPHiNX emulates a backup device, so you can do a D mode IPL from the device for recovery.
But the cloud backup is a little different. We have our own iTech Solutions Cloud backup powered by Evault. We load software on the IBM I, which does the backup. If one record changes in a file, we only send that page of the changed record up to the cloud, not the entire file. The software handles the "de-dup" process, and is very very efficient on the backups. The compression in both directions makes it pretty efficient. It also encrypts the data as well both inflight as well as at rest. We can drop a unit in the customers location for local backups/restores that then replicates to our cloud. Or, you backup directly to our cloud, which then replicates to another cloud on the other side of the country.
http://info.itechsol.com/back-up-your-ibm-i-as400-iseries-for-less-than-the-cost-of-tape
I think the best thing is there are multiple options for people to choose from. I always tell my customers, its great that you are doing backups every night, but you need to take the tape out of the tape drive every night.
--
Pete Massiello
iTech Solutions
http://www.itechsol.com
http://www.iInTheCloud.com
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of DrFranken
Sent: Friday, July 26, 2013 7:14 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: Re: cloud backup services
<Vendor Response>
At iInTheCloud.com we offer two cloud based backup options.
1- Back up to a local Crossroads SPHiNX VTL which is then replicated automatically to our SPHiNX.
- Advantage is fast backups with a local copy for fast restores.
- Automatic off-site copy as soon as the backup completes.
2- Use PowerHA or Mimix or MaxAva or ... to replicate data to a partition in our cloud. Backups are then done on our system and you have no outage whatever.
- Advantage is data is ALWAYS off site and current there.
- Advantage is bandwidth is much less as only changes cross the wire and they do so all day long as they occur.
- Disadvantage is a local restore is hard because the backups are with us!
</Vendor Response>
Nathan's response pointed out one issue with backups to the cloud:
Bandwidth! You need a bunch in most cases unless you can really figure out what to back up each night. Change 1 row in a 500,000,000 row table and you get to send the entire table with that night's backup. If you were replicating to a remote server or partition ONLY that one change
goes across so its done instantly.
ALSO COnsider that until the ENTIRE backup has been copied off-site you got NOTHIN off site. Partial doesn't do you much good. With replication you're current off site almost continuously.
Just some points to ponder.....
- Larry "DrFranken" Bolhuis
www.frankeni.com
www.iDevCloud.com
www.iInTheCloud.com
On 7/25/2013 10:46 PM, Mike Cunningham wrote:
Is anyone using cloud backup services for iSeries nightly backups? If you are how much data are you sending nightly and what service are you using?
Mike Cunningham
VP for Information Technology Services/CIO Pennsylvania College of
Technology www.pct.edu<http://www.pct.edu/>
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