ServicesBusiness Continuity with Virtual DR

Virtualisation Technology

What is virtualisation?

Virtualisation is a set of technologies that allow multiple computer systems to be run on a single piece of hardware, with every system effectively thinking that it’s running on a complete machine.

What is the advantage of a service based on virtualisation?

It useful for a whole bunch of reasons. Fundamentally, though, it allows us to run a large architecture, which can be sliced and diced as we need it to provide service on demand. It also allows our service to be very highly automated, and allows us to respond very rapidly to changing resource requirements.

Will my systems run the same way in a Virtual Machine?

In nearly every case, yes. Systems that attachment to specific hardware (GSM Modems, USB Security Dongles, etc) may need special attention, but for a normal server, it will run just fine.

Do I have to change my systems in any way to make them run on Backup Direct’s virtualised system?

No. You continue to run your own systems exactly as before. When Backup Direct update our rescue copy of your images, we make all the necessary changes to ensure they run properly.

How can I be sure that my system will work on the Backup Direct virtualised system in the event of a disaster?

Every time we update your rescue image, the systems are tested to ensure that they work. The images are updated every time new data is received, so this is carried out daily for the vast majority of the systems that we protect.

Aren’t there lots of other IT Business Continuity services based on virtualisation?

Virtualisation is certainly the buzzword of the moment, and because it offers some significant advantages for business continuity there are a few products have been launched onto the market recently that use virtualisation in one form or another. However, all the other offerings that use virtualisation effectively are all products which a customer must buy and use to produce their own business continuity provision, and are therefore the customers responsibility to make work in the event of a disaster. There are also a few which simply use virtualisation to provide a quick and easy way of provisioning a new machine, but with no effort made to have working images of systems in advance of a disaster. With these types of solutions all the hard work starts while you are in the middle of a crisis.

The Backup Direct Business Continuity service uses virtualisation to simplify, automate and radically change the cost structure of a business continuity provision. Ours is a fully managed service that needs no customer intervention or changes to their running systems and that delivers tested, working systems to customers quickly and calmly in the event of a disaster.

 

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