Object Storage
In this section, you will find information about object storage, its limitations if any and the process of configuring it as your backup storage using the BDRSuite Backup Server.
What is object storage?
Object storage is a data storage architecture that organizes and manages data as discrete objects rather than a traditional file hierarchy.
With BDRSuite, users have the capability to store backup data on object-based storage targets, including integration with cloud services. This integration empowers users to select their preferred cloud provider as their backup repository. By treating large unstructured data as separate objects and associating them with metadata and unique identifiers, the backup data can be efficiently stored, allowing for quick access and retrieval. This enables flexible restores during periods of downtime, disasters, or data loss, ensuring seamless data recovery and continuity.
Limitations
- The integrity check feature will not be supported for those backups stored in the Object Storage repository.
- The restore types such as Instant Boot VM, Disk Mount, and Microsoft Application item-level recoveries are not supported for image-level backup jobs (VMware/Hyper-V/Microsoft Windows) configured with an Object Storage repository.
- The tape archival is not supported if the primary backup data is stored in the Object Storage repository.
So, choosing the object storage repository as the primary storage target is entirely based on the RPO and RTO required. If you just want to store backup data for a longer period of time and do not require frequent or quicker recovery, then you can choose to store the backup data directly on Object Storage(AWS S3).
If your RPO and RTO are more stringent, it is advised to keep the primary backup data on block storage targets in your first site for instant recoveries and archive an additional copy of the backup data on object storage for long-term archival or disaster recovery purposes, either using the backup copy feature or Offsite DR.
Note: Hosting the Offsite DR on the MSP’s site enables them to provide DRaaS in addition to BaaS. You can store Offsite DR data on block storage as well as object storage targets to provide DRaaS. So, if disaster strikes your customer’s whole site or if certain VMs are lost, you may immediately boot those VMs from backup data on your datacenter using any hypervisor of your choice, such as ESXi, Hyper-V, or KVM. So, you can ensure your customers’ business continuity while also protecting their data.