Last week we discussed continuous data protection (CDP) and how it works. This week we outline eight key reasons why investing in CDP technologies will benefit your business.
1. Always-on replication
Because CDP uses change-block tracking, your data is replicated the moment it is written to storage. The CDP backup mechanism is always on, so every change is captured in real-time. Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) can be reduced to a matter of seconds, while recovery time objectives are also shortened to a few minutes – considerably faster than traditional backup tools.
2. Zero performance impact
Traditional backup tools use a series of resource-intensive snapshots to capture updated information. CDP instead relies on a journal – and even that is only used until committed to the selected point in time. This approach has a considerably smaller impact on performance than storing multiple snapshots on replica virtual machines.
3. Journal-based recovery
The journal approach used by CDP ensures that there is a log of every single change made to applications and data. The journal allows you to recover data from any point in time, simply by selecting a checkpoint and rolling back.
4. Scalable architecture
Snapshots on replicated VMs have a serious architectural flaw in that they offer no way to control the total space used for snapshots. If the datastore runs out of space, replication breaks and backups fail. CDP allows you to place your journal on any data store and to apply size limits and warnings that allow you to better scale and control your backup architecture.
5. Reduced storage demands
By replacing snapshots with a journaling system, CDP consumes no additional space in the source storage. CDP also offers significant space savings, consuming just &5 to 10% of the target storage – far less than the 20% to 30% required for storing snapshots.
6. Lightning-fast ransomware recovery
With a continuous stream of recovery checkpoints, you can roll back to any point in time. You can reliably restore data to mere seconds before the corruption took place, using a process that takes just a few minutes to complete.
7. Lower TCO
As a software-based solution, CDP is easy to install, manage and scale. Some CDP solutions are available on a subscription licensing basis, ensuring you only pay for what you actually use and offering greater control – and returns.
8. Modernised IT infrastructure
CDP converges backup, disaster recovery, and data mobility across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments – effectively all backups, everywhere, managed from a single management console. The system should also integrate with your existing IT infrastructure, eliminating the need for costly point solutions.
Time to act
Continuous data protection solves many of the challenges your business faces. Shortened RPOs and RTOs are welcome, as is the reassurance that every data change is captured and available for recovery whenever you need it.
To learn more about CDP and what it offers your business, please get in touch.