Veeam updates Availability Suite 9.5, N2WS platform
Veeam updates to its flagship product and AWS data protection include the ability to migrate old data to cheaper cloud or object storage.
Update 4 of Veeam Availability Suite 9.5 is scheduled to be released this month to partners. General availability will follow at a date to be determined. Veeam’s flagship Availability Suite consists of Veeam Backup & Replication and the Veeam ONE monitoring and reporting tool.
The new Cloud Tier feature of Scale-out Backup Repository within Backup & Replication facilitates moving older backup files to cheaper storage, such as cloud or on-premises object storage, according to a presentation at the VeeamON Virtual conference this week. Targets include Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), Microsoft Azure Blob Storage and S3-compatible object storage. Files remain on premises, but as only a shell.
The Veeam updates also feature Direct Restore to AWS. The process, which takes backup files and restores them into the public cloud, works in the same way as Veeam’s Direct Restore to Azure, said Michael Cade, technologist of product strategy.
A Staged Restore in the Veeam DataLabs copy data management tool helps with General Data Protection Regulation compliance, specifically the user’s “right to be forgotten,” Cade said. The DataLab can run a script removing personal data from a virtual machine backup, then migrate the VM to a production environment.
The Veeam updates also include ransomware protection. Also within Veeam DataLabs, the Secure Restore feature enables an optional antivirus scan to ensure the given restore point is uninfected before restoring. Veeam is not going to prevent attacks, but it can help with remediations, Cade said.
In addition, intelligent diagnostics in Veeam ONE analyze Backup & Replication debug logs, looking for known problems, and proactively report or remediate common configuration issues before impact to operations.
N2WS data protection tiers up
The Veeam updates include N2WS, a company it acquired at the end of last year. N2WS, which provides data protection for AWS workloads, released Backup & Recovery 2.4 last week, enabling users to choose from different storage tiers and reduce the cost of data requiring long-term retention.
The vendor launched Amazon Elastic Block Store snapshot decoupling and the N2WS-enabled Amazon S3 repository. Customers can move snapshots to the repository.
That repository saves up to 40% on costs, said Ezra Charm, vice president of marketing at N2WS.
“Data storage in AWS can get expensive,” especially if an organization is looking at long-term retention, for example at least two years, Charm said during the virtual conference.
Possible uses include archiving data for compliance in S3, a cheaper storage tier. Managed service providers can also use it to lower storage costs for clients.
In addition, the N2WS update features VPC Capture and Clone. That capability captures VPC settings and clones them to other regions, which eliminates the need for manual configuration during disaster recovery, according to N2WS. An enhanced RESTful API automates backup and recovery for business-critical data.
“Any of the data you store [in AWS] is clearly your responsibility,” Charm said.
AWS data protection is an emerging market. In June 2018, Druva acquired CloudRanger, another company that provides backup and recovery of AWS data.
While human error is the most likely scenario why AWS data protection is needed, Charm said, there are many other possible issues.
“Ransomware in AWS has been documented,” he said.
N2WS Backup & Recovery 2.4 is available now in the AWS Marketplace.