Challenges of an LTO tape backup system
Butler University, previously relying on tape backups, had faced various pain points.
Three-tiered data backup for university
For institutions with a large amount of data spread across a number of devices, finding an efficient and compliant backup solution can be difficult. Learn how this university successfully implemented a comprehensive data protection workflow, complete with on-site, off-site, and cloud backup options.
About Butler University
Butler University is a nationally recognized university, ranked as the No. 1 most innovative school by U.S. News and World Report.
The university’s backup solution with Synology included:
- Backup for 30 virtual machines and 10 Windows servers
- Backup for 250 Microsoft 365 accounts
- Offsite backup to cloud storage
Limited backup capacity
Due to service costs and storage limitations, Butler could not back up all available systems, leaving a portion of their data unprotected.
Labor-intensive process
As tapes were housed offsite, data transfer required physical relocation. This involved excessive maintenance time and manpower.
Slow transfer speeds
While magnetic tape is a valid option for long-term data archiving, the transfer speeds were far too slow for the daily backups that the university performed.
A comprehensive 3-2-1 backup strategy with Synology
To address their storage needs, Butler University’s team chose a combination of Synology hardware, software, and cloud solutions to completely replace their tape backup system.
Saving money and IT resources
Reduced
operational overhead
Intuitive UI saves Butler University hundreds of hours of setup and maintenance time per semester.
Reduced
licensing costs
Through Synology’s license-free software, Butler backs up as many devices as necessary without per-device costs.
Increased
storage capacity
Deduplication saves Butler University required storage space so they can back up more data in the long run.
Local endpoint backup
Using Synology’s license-free backup software, Active Backup, the university is able to schedule automated backups for all their endpoints, which are stored on their local Synology NAS for quick and easy recovery.
What is Active Backup?
Active Backup protects data from various platforms — PCs, VMs, servers, and SaaS — to a centralized Synology server without required extra software license fees. Request a demo
Backups made easy
Consolidated, easy setup
Manage backup tasks for fleets of devices through a single console.
Quick deployment
Bulk-configure settings for entire departments with backup task templates.
Cost efficient
Save on subscription costs and reduce your storage footprint.
Recover quickly
Instantaneous
Spin up virtual machines or other systems without waiting for data to be transferred to replacement hardware.
Self-service
Employees can browse and recover single files without assistance from the IT team, speeding up the recovery process.
Full-system
Bare metal restoration allows users to get back to work without needing to completely set up replacement hardware.
Off-site backup and failover
Using Synology’s Snapshot Replication, Butler automatically sends snapshots of their data to an off-site Synology NAS. If on-site operations were to fail completely, Butler can quickly perform a failover to the off-site unit and get services running without waiting for data to be transferred.
What is Snapshot Replication?
Snapshot Replication leverages the modern Btrfs file system to create point-in-time copies of your data, which can be replicated on another Synology NAS and quickly restored in case of data loss or disaster. Request a demo
Adjustable schedules
Snapshots can be performed up to every 5 minutes, helping to reduce your recovery point objective (RPO).
Fast recovery
Quickly restore snapshots to your original Synology NAS or failover a replication task and restore data access on another NAS in seconds.
Storage efficiency
Snapshots use less storage and computing resources than traditional backups, which can take hours to complete.
Cloud Backup with C2 Storage
Finally, the entirety of that off-site NAS is backed up to Synology C2 Storage, a cloud solution that integrates with their Synology hardware to provide a third tier of redundancy and satisfy compliance standards.
What is C2 Storage?
C2 Storage is Synology’s cloud service, designed for Synology NAS. Add a layer of protection and ensure your data is available at all times by backing up NAS data to the cloud. Request a demo
Flexible, efficient backup
Configure retention policies and schedule backup tasks. Minimize storage consumption with deduplication.
HIPAA-compliant storage
With encryption-at-rest, Synology protects all data on C2 servers from breach or physical theft.
Transparent pricing
Avoid hidden fees or additional costs for data transfer or download.
“We now have the capacity to store much more data, while providing three tiers of backup protection and isolation with off-site and cloud-based copies.”
Jim Patrick, Infrastructure Architect
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