Q&A with Henrik Rosendahl of Quantum

VSM: What are the challenges of cloud-based data protection?

HR: The biggest challenge: if you store data in the cloud, how easily can you recover it? If you look at the landscape of cloud solutions, there have really been two choices. On the high end there is private cloud data protection leveraging storage array-based replication. For larger companies that may be fine, but it’s expensive and not friendly to most businesses. On the low end you have the public cloud, which is more cost-effective, but with slow recovery times and no strict SLAs. What kind of hit are you willing to take to get your data back? We saw a gap for mid-sized customers. The Quantum-powered solution provided by Xerox fills that gap, combining cost-effective data-protection with business-class recovery times.

VSM: How is Quantum addressing these challenges?

HR: Quantum is taking an all-software, virtual approach to cloud-based data protection with the
vmPRO virtual backup appliance and DXi V1000, which is a virtual instance of the popular DXi backup and deduplication appliance. This is a streamlined, lightweight deployment which exploits the inherent simplicity and flexibility of virtual appliances. The combination is very easily integrated into an environment utilizing existing virtual infrastructure, simplifying and consolidating physical and virtual machine backups.

This technology platform is truly optimized for cloud data protection, with massive data reduction enabled by DXi V1000’s deduplication and vmPRO’s progressive optimization. The platform is designed to enable replication over smaller WAN connections and deduplicates locally before sending the data to the cloud. This approach is more secure and requires less WAN connectivity so it’s less expensive, but it still provides for fast local restores of data and native bootable VMs locally in the cloud. The combination can reduce a customer’s data set by as much as 95%.

We set out to create a platform that offers truly future-proof flexibility. With 2 TB of usable capacity, DXi V1000 scales to protect up to 40 TB of primary data. This platform offers flexibility suitable for private clouds, public clouds, or a hybrid model. It also provides compelling value for local or cloud connected VM data protection (backup as a service). In addition, a cloud provider can deliver application-specific SLAs for failover and continued operation of VMs (DR as a service).

VSM: What about companies that aren’t ready to adopt a pure cloud model? What options do they have?

HR: Those are exactly the kinds of customers who can benefit most from the flexibility of Quantum’s cloud software technology platform. Customers can create a private cloud, use a public cloud provider or opt for a hybrid model. We’re committed to helping customers transition to the cloud on their terms and timeframe, easily and practically.

VSM: What are the benefits of this new cloud-optimized data protection software platform?

HR: vmPRO is designed to optimize virtual backup data streams, reducing VM data by as much as 75%. This approach is highly synergistic with the deduplication capabilities of DXi V1000. With all of the inherent values of a virtual appliance model, the solution consolidates virtual backup, provides restores in a single step, and works with all the major third-party applications.