Cloud Data Protection

A company may choose to leverage cloud-based applications or local versions of the applications stored on-premises — regardless, the security and protection of the data stored or created within these platforms will always be a main concern.

On-Premises Data Protection

In an on-premises environment, the organization will own or license a local version of the software and keep data centers on-site. This is the traditional method of data protection and was the go-to method prior to the success and widespread usage of the cloud. Costs associated with owning and managing these resources, as well as security concerns, are the primary factors driving many organizations to opt for new cloud solutions.

Cloud-Based Data Protection

In a cloud-based environment, a third party — the cloud provider — hosts the environment for the organization. Virtual technology hosts the company’s applications offsite, and as such, there are no expenses for installation, upgrading, management, etc. Data is regularly backed up to storage that is, in general, more resistant to failures or breaches than those on-premises. Companies only pay for the resources they use and can scale at a global level with minimal effort. With instant provisioning, any time spent on installation and configuration is eliminated and users are able to access applications immediately, worldwide.

There is a difference between backup vendors that offer cloud-based vs. cloud-native backup and recovery, usually centered around how the product was originally architected. Cloud-based is generally sold as a customer-managed product, including software and possible on-site hardware appliances. Cloud-native backup and recovery is offered as-a-Service, with the customer only deploying backup agents in the devices to be protected. The SaaS vendor maintains the backup infrastructure in the cloud, offering subscription-based pricing for their services.

A cloud-based backup and recovery strategy can include components such as a software “agent” on the computers being protected, a backup appliance, and, in hybrid scenarios, local storage that caches cloud-bound data or serves as an on-premises repository for backups. It’s a good idea to evaluate vendors’ agent technology to ensure that it provides necessary capabilities without burdening protected computers with CPU and/or memory-intensive software.

Some vendors may supplement their cloud-backup capabilities with a local backup appliance, which often includes capabilities such as caching cloud-bound data, encrypting data, and facilitating the management of backup and restore processes, locally and in the cloud. Depending on the backup vendor’s appliance’s capabilities, it may also be possible to configure appliances to attach to multiple clouds, appliances in other locations, or local storage in hybrid-cloud architectures. 

• Lower total costs — Cloud-based data protection can significantly reduce the total cost of data backup infrastructure. Along with lower licensing costs and fewer expensive on-premises storage arrays, cloud backup and restore means less administration time and reduced demands on help-desk staff. Use our tool here to calculate your potential cost savings from switching to cloud-based backup.
• Ability to protect more data — Lower-cost cloud-based data protection gives companies that cannot afford on-premises data protection an affordable alternative. Companies can now protect end-user data, non-production server data, and other data repositories that were unprotected or inadequately protected previously.
• Self-service backup/restore — Cloud-based backup and restore is accessible to end users, making it viable for any size company. End-user restores have always been extremely time-consuming for help desks and backup admins. Cloud-based backup and restore lets users customize their backups and restore data on demand.
• Reliable, hands-off backup — Once configured, cloud-based backups continue on schedule indefinitely, allowing backup admins to focus on higher-value activities.
• Auto-scaling backup resources — As data volumes continue to grow, cloud-based backup and restore means that a backup vendor takes care of scaling, availability, and redundancy of cloud resources. Also, some cloud-storage vendors charge based on the amount of data backed up. Companies save by paying only for what they use, versus provisioning their own on-premises storage arrays. On-premises arrays are underutilized until the moment when they become oversubscribed, at which point more expensive storage resources must be purchased and implemented.
• Automated offsite backup — Cloud-based data protection offers offsite data storage as part of the architecture. Some vendors replicate data to multiple clouds, providing offsite replication in addition to storage, and an additional layer of data protection.
• Phased implementation — Moving to cloud-based backup does not have to happen all at once. Phased implementations are much easier than hard deadlines. The customer controls the schedule and which data has priority.

SMBs: Growing businesses need predictability and the flexibility to control costs based on needs. A lack of specialized IT expertise requires a highly automated and comprehensive solution that anybody can operate. 

Mid-sized businesses: Businesses poised for their next phase of growth need to scale quickly without hidden surprises. With more data and security needs, they can’t risk tying up capital and IT resources in infrastructure and integration. 

Large enterprises: With more expertise, systems, and data, larger businesses want to modernize quickly with a sustainable and predictable reduction in costs and complexity.

Legacy data protection exposes your business to ballooning costs and complexity as data grows. Leap to the cloud and eliminate management, cut costs, and secure key data from ransomware and other cyber threats. 

Druva provides industry-leading, 100% SaaS-based data protection for data center and hybrid-cloud workloads, as well as SaaS applications like Microsoft 365, and AWS. Stop paying for infrastructure and get back time spent managing it. Druva offers a simple and transparent consumption-based pricing model with no hardware, software, or maintenance costs — data management has never been so easy and customers receive over 250% ROI.

Try Druva for free and discover your ideal data protection solution. 

Now that you’ve learned about cloud data protection, brush up on these related terms with Druva’s glossary:

• What is ransomware?
• What is the 3-2-1 backup rule?
• What is a data resiliency?