This document provides an overview of best practices for data protection at remote branch offices. It discusses how the modern data center has extended to branch offices through virtualization, modern storage solutions, and cloud strategies. It recommends applying the "3-2-1" rule to have 3 copies of data stored on 2 different media with 1 copy offsite. Both onsite backups and offsite replication are suggested to balance availability needs with budgets. Veeam software is presented as a solution that can provide backup, replication, visibility and control for branch offices to achieve the same availability levels as main data centers.

1. VeeamUP. Availability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives. Volume 06 Veeam Software
Page1
VeeamUPAvailability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives
Volume # 06
Maximizing availability
at the edge of the network
Enjoy reading,
Your VeeamUP editorial team
Remote and branch office data protection best practices

2. Introduction

3. Veeam Software
Page3
VeeamUP. Availability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives. Volume 06
We’ve all heard about fantastic new data-center technologies, but all too often it looks
like these technologies only seem to apply to the largest organizations with a wealth
of centralized resources. Because data doesn’t just live in the data center, we often face
daily challenges when data is put to use in the field at remote branch offices (ROBOs).
Business and IT leaders need to recognize the unique needs of ROBOs. For instance,
teams based in remote offices need constant, reliable and fast access to essential data,
without sacrificing data security and integrity. A challenge for IT leaders is how to
ensure that data is highly available, even without a dedicated local IT team to govern
and control it. The Veeam Data Center Availability Report 20141
reveals that, each quarter,
organizations only test an average of 5.26 percent of their backups. This means that
the vast majority of backups are not verified and could fail. It is even more so the case
at ROBO locations.
The good news for dispersed branch offices ROBOs is that it’s now easier than ever –
with the help of the right solutions – to extend data-center backup, replication and
availability capabilities all the way out to the edges of an entire organization.
In this edition of VeeamUP, we’ll explore how remote branch offices can achieve
excellent levels of availability without facing complexity.
1
Veeam Data Center Availability Report 2014
http://vee.am/availability2014
Introduction

4. VeeamUP. Availability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives. Volume 06 Veeam Software
Page4
The modern data center
extends to ROBOs
§01

5. VeeamUP. Availability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives. Volume 06 Veeam Software
Page5
The modern data center has three key attributes:
1. It is highly virtualized
2. It uses modern storage solutions
3. It has a cloud strategy in place
Each of these attributes is critical to a ROBO’s success. However, because of each ROBO’s
specific needs, there are no real roadmaps for building and implementing architecture
for a remote office.
Virtualization has had a huge impact on ROBOs. From reduced equipment footprints
and lower setup costs, to simpler management workloads and faster deployment of
new services, virtualized environments have become the natural choice for remote
branch offices.
Modern storage systems have also made life a lot easier for remote branch offices.
Whether it’s a new solution rolled out to serve every branch or a solution that’s just
deployed onsite, new storage solutions are helping ROBOs store – and more important,
backup and replicate – their data more intelligently.
The cloud is now a suitable option to move and store backup and replicated data,
despite leased private lines are often a significant performance bottleneck to
perform this.
The modern data center
extends to ROBOs

6. Backup best practices
for the branch office
§02

7. VeeamUP. Availability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives. Volume 06 Veeam Software
Page7
Many organizations struggle to select the best solutions for onsite and offsite availability
because there really isn’t a“one-size-fits-all”approach for remote office architecture.
Organizations often end up choosing between taking onsite backups, writing backups
offsite or doing replicas both onsite and offsite – instead of considering how they could
utilize them all.
There is a long promoted“3-2-1”rule for availability, which states that there
should be:
• 3 copies of important data
• On 2 different media
• With 1 offsite
The 3-2-1 rule is highly versatile and can address just about any failure scenario
imaginable by ensuring that all data is both backed up in multiple locations, and also
quickly recoverable. This approach means that companies don’t have to worry about
getting locked into any particular technology or specific vendor and can stay flexible as
their IT environment evolves and expands.
Replicas are more suitable than backups in true disaster situations, when the RTO needs
to be reduced to a minimum and all production loads need to be moved to another site
in the least amount of time possible. Replicated VMs are inventoried and ready-to-run
VMs in their own right, so when the worst happens, they can be failed over very quickly
on dedicated and similar hardware that’s pre-deployed on the DR site. This is why
replication needs a higher investment when it comes to storage and computing power
at the DR site. Backups don’t offer the same speed for RTOs, but are more flexible and
portable and require lower storage consumption. Backups can be copied on different
support media and are much more manageable when addressing day-to-day recovery
scenarios typical in ROBO environments.
With a large number of sites and locations, companies need to make a choice about
where to do their backups and replication. This can be a challenge because some sites
may require replicas, others may need backups as well, and they all need to have their
individual specifications and requirements considered.
Having backups taken onsite provides some important benefits:
• Backup times are fast because no information needs to be sent offsite
• Restore times are fast because all data is very close to the host
• New replication features open up new options such as creating a backup file
and replicating a running VM at the same time
Backup best practices
for the branch office

8. VeeamUP. Availability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives. Volume 06 Veeam Software
Page8
Balancing budgets and
business requirements
§03

9. VeeamUP. Availability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives. Volume 06 Veeam Software
Page9
Unfortunately, the best solutions for a remote office rarely line up to what most
companies can afford to implement. It’s widely understood and accepted that
replication grants the greatest availability benefits for ROBOs because of the fast
recovery times, but budgetary constraints often just allow for the use of backups.
Generally speaking, setting up backups is a very versatile and cost-effective solution.
Setting up replicated virtual machines grants prompt business continuity, but requires
a higher infrastructure investment.
The real challenge is finding the right solutions for rolling out across diverse remote
office environments. No two locations ever look exactly the same; they often
are designed and deployed on different dates and include their own individual
requirements. This challenge can make it very difficult to roll out global backup
and recovery policies across an entire organization. It can also lead to increased
inefficiencies and longer restore times.
With a cost-effective hybrid solution in place that merges the advantages of onsite
backup with the high availability and security offered by offsite replication, IT leaders
can take control of this complex environment. They can ensure that everybody plays
by the same rules and, regardless of the location, can recover data as quickly as
the data center at headquarters.
Balancing budgets and
business requirements

10. VeeamUP. Availability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives. Volume 06 Veeam Software
Page10
Ensure availability
with Veeam
§04

11. VeeamUP. Availability for the Modern Data Center: Business & IT Perspectives. Volume 06 Veeam Software
Page11
At Veeam®, we understand the challenges faced by remote branch offices. We’ve worked
hard to help ROBOs achieve the same exceptional levels of availability as the main
data center. All of our experience has culminated in a comprehensive solution for both
backup and replication, which includes tools:
• to accelerate the transfer of backup and replicated files to a secure offsite location
• to enable anyone within a ROBO to effectively solve deleted files disaster
• to give the IT team complete visibility of all backup data stored across the enterprise
and manage it from a single dashboard
• to support for multiple backup media
• to provide role-based control to enable organizations to deliver the right capabilities
– and only to the right people
• on-site and off-site backup and replication support for total confidence and
maximum recovery speed
Veeam can help you maximize the availability of your remote branch office systems
and technology. Visit www.veeam.com to find more helpful information and examples
to show you exactly why Veeam is the perfect fit for any remote branch office
configuration.
You may also want to read the white paper Remote and Branch Offices: Availability made
easy with Veeam – please, visit http://vee.am/veeamup6 to download the PDF.
Ensure availability with Veeam

12. Main office
France
13/15 rue Jean Jaurès,
92800 Puteaux, France
Phone: +33 (0)1 75 61 27 45
Technical Support Phone:
+33 (1) 70 61 83 74
Poland
Ul. Domaniewska 39A, Wejście A,
02-672 Warszawa
Phone: +48 22 208 27 25
Fax: + 48 22 208 27 60
South Africa
Ground Floor Twickenham Building, The
Campus
57 Sloane Street Cnr Main
Bryanston 2021,
Phone: +27 (0) 11 575 0208
Technical Support Phone:
+27 (10) 500 79 63
Germany
Konrad-Zuse-Platz 8
81829 München
Phone: +49 89 207 042 800
Fax: +49 89 207 042 810
Technical Support Phone:
+49 (892) 109 49 62
Israel
P.O 2148
Hamanofim St.
Ackerstein Towers (A)
Herzelia Pituach
United Kingdom
The Annexe, Hurst Grove,
Sandford Lane, Winnersh
Berkshire RG10 0SQ,
Phone: +44 (0) 118 934 2982
Technical Support Phone:
+44 (845) 508 70 05
Italy
Piazzale Biancamano 8
Milan, 20121
Phone: +39 02 620 33 004
Fax: +39 02 62 03 4000
Technical Support Phone:
+39 (042) 604 75 05
Spain
Calle de la Ribera del Loira, 46
Madrid, 28042
Phone: +34 91 503 06 95
Technical Support Phone:
+34 (91) 182 97 60
Switzerland
Linden Park, Lindenstr. 16,
CH-6340 Baar
Phone: +41 41 766 71 31
Main office
USA - Atlanta
2520 Northwinds Parkway
Suite 600
Alpharetta, GA 30009
Phone: +1 678 353 2140
Technical Support Phones:
US Toll-Free +1 (800) 774 51 24
US Toll-Free +1 (800) 913 19 40
United States +1 (614) 339 82 52
EMEA region
If you’d like to learn more visit us at
www.veeam.com or call one of our offices
Global
Headquarters
Americas region
USA - Columbus
8800 Lyra Drive, Suite 350
Columbus, Ohio 43240
Phone: +1 678 353 2140
Fax: +1 614 675 9494
Argentina
Technical Support Phone:
+54 (115) 984 20 88
USA - Phoenix
303 West Elliot Road, Suite 101
Tempe, AZ 85284
Brazil
Technical Support Phone:
+55 (11) 3958 73 70
Canada
3773 Côte-Vertu Boulevard, Suite 210
Saint-Laurent, Québec
Technical Support Phone:
+1 (647) 694 09 22
Mexico
Technical Support Phone:
+52 (554) 741 14 93
The Netherlands
Evert van de Beekstraat 310,
1118 CX, Schiphol Centrum,
Phone: +31 (0) 20 654 18 05
Fax: +31 (0) 20 654 1801
Technical Support Phone:
+31 (858) 88 06 55
Sweden
Frösundaviks Allé 15
SE-169 70, Solna,
Phone: +46 (0) 8655-2624
Technical Support Phone:
+46 (10) 199 25 77
Main office
Australia
Office Building Address:
Level 4, 22 Darley Rd,
MANLY NSW 2095
Postal Address: PO Box 131
MANLY NSW 1655
Phones: +61 2 9191 7840,
+64 9 925 0456
Fax: +61 2 8088 6899
Technical Support Phone:
+61 (2) 6108 4305
India
#1356, 13th Flr, Platinum Tech Park ,
(Near Vashi Railway Station,
Sector 30)
Vashi, Navi Mumbai, 400705
Phone: +97 14 433 2150
Technical Support Phone:
000 800 100 87 69
Singapore
152 Beach Rd #04-08 Gateway East
Singapore, 189721
Phone: + 65 6653 1543
Technical Support Phone:
+65 3158 22 39
Asia Pacific Region
Chile +56 (22) 570 86 84
Colombia +57 (1) 381 90 78
Hong Kong +852 5808 28 70
New Zealand +64 (9) 974 95 94
Belgium +32 (78) 48 02 54
Denmark +45 (78) 77 54 76
Norway +47 (85) 40 43 85
Technical Support Phones for other countries
Saudi Arabia 800 814 66 59
UAE Toll-free 800 035 703954