Replica: A Disaster Recovery Service that’s 100% Managed & Supervised
With so much potential for data disasters, managed service providers who focus on small business are turning to Replica, a full-image Backup and Disaster Recovery (BDR) appliance built by Canada’s leading value added cloud solutions distributor, IT Cloud Solutions (ITCloud.ca).
“It’s far easier to plan for what might happen than to recover from what did happen,” says David Latulippe, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for ITCloud.ca. “An investment in backup and disaster recovery will reduce the impact and costs related to data retrieval, work interruptions, tarnished reputation, and violation of legislation around data security.”
From endpoint data protection to cloud recovery, Replica standardizes on BDR products and technology available from StorageCraft, a market-leader in disaster recovery. The first BDR appliance in Canada designed for a network of MSPs and resell partners, it ties in fully to StorageCraft’s API sets and supports a broad range of Windows operating systems. Hybrid Cloud technology improves redundancy and AES-256 encryption protects data fully, both in transit and in the cloud.
More than a disaster recovery device, Replica is a 100% managed and supervised disaster recovery solution with five-star support provided by ITCloud.ca. The first line of defense against costly downtime, this totally supervised solution comes with proactive, 24/7 monitoring by skilled ITcloud.ca technicians, so there’s no danger of failing to recognize compromised data. If a problem occurs with the previous day’s backup, one of these expert technicians will call to rectify the situation.
By capturing a dynamic picture of everything from data and custom applications, to operating systems and configuration settings, Replica allows businesses to retrieve their data directly or virtualize their systems either within the Replica device or in a Canadian cloud in cases where the Replica device is no longer available. Attractions include quick access to files and folders from any location with an Internet connection, speedy restoration of entire systems, the ability to boot individual backups as virtual machines – either through Replica or in the cloud – and a Bare Metal Restore (BMR) process that’s easily managed onsite.
A proactive disaster recovery plan is essential for any business, but for small and medium-sized businesses, which comprise 98 per cent of the Canadian economy, it could make the difference between staying in operation and going under.
“Businesses must ask themselves two questions,” says Latulippe. “How much data can we afford to lose and how much downtime can we tolerate while a system is being repaired or replaced. “If the answer is ‘not much’, it’s important to take immediate steps to ensure business continuity in the event of failed infrastructure.”
Whether a business needs to recover a file, restore an entire system, or move to a new machine, Replica has the tools to recover from a data disaster. The first step is choosing the model of Replica and amount of storage that best meets the needs of businesses for local retention. Storage ranges from 1TB to 12 TB.
The next decision is whether to opt for either Cloud Plus or Cloud Premium. The former includes image storage in the cloud, file and folder recovery downloaded from the cloud, and unlimited Bandwidth for transferring information to the customer. Cloud Premium includes all the functionalities of Cloud Plus and also features instant virtualization of systems and data in the Canadian cloud and access to virtual machines.
True to its name, Replica completes an initial backup by replicating selected disk volumes and creating an identical copy of a business’s server and key workstations. Subsequent backups occur at a frequency determined by the user, starting with Tier 1 retention, which includes three daily recovery points and extending to Tier 3 retention, with seven daily recovery points, four weekly recovery points, and three monthly recovery points. Both the base image and subsequent backup images are stored in a Canadian cloud through StorageCraft, in Markham Ontario at the secure Centurylink data centre.
With data losses and downtime costing Canadian enterprises an average of about $1.2 million each year, full-image BDR is fast becoming the backup of choice. What better way to ensure peace of mind than counting on Replica to maintain an annual archive or lifetime snapshot of all your important data and recover everything you value in only a few minutes?
