Backing up virtual machines is one of the areas that requires special attention when optimizing a company's expenses. We explain how to configure cloud backups while saving on the budget.
Databases are a valuable asset for any company. This is largely why virtual machines have become so sought after. Users can work in a virtual environment that protects against the physical loss of data and leaks of confidential information.
Most large and medium-sized companies depend on VMs in one way or another. They store vast amounts of critically important information. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that backups are created to avoid a day when an 'oops' moment could mean that a database accumulated over years suddenly becomes corrupted or inaccessible.
Typically, companies create backups of their VMs and store them in separate data centers. If the primary data processing center fails, it will be possible to quickly recover from the backup. Ideally, the backup is stored in different data centers, just like . However, most providers cannot offer such a service or charge extra for it. As a result, the cost of storing backups can add up significantly.
However, reasonable use of cloud capabilities can reduce financial burdens.
Why cloud?
VM backups are conveniently stored on cloud platforms. There are many solutions in the market that simplify the process of backing up and restoring virtual machines. These solutions can organize seamless data recovery from virtual machines and ensure stable operation of applications that depend on this data.
The backup process can be automated depending on which files need to be saved and how frequently. The 'cloud' has no strict limitations. A company can choose functionality and performance that match their business needs and pay only for the resources they consume.
Local infrastructure does not have such an option. You have to pay upfront for all the equipment (even idle ones), and if there is a need to increase performance, you must buy more servers, which leads to higher costs. Cloud4Y offers 4 ways to reduce database backup expenses.
So how can you save money?
Incremental Backup
A company must regularly back up critical data. However, this data increases over time. As a result, each subsequent backup takes more space and requires more time to upload to storage. You can simplify the process by storing incremental backups.
The incremental approach means you back up only once or at certain intervals (depending on the backup strategy). Each subsequent backup contains only the changes made to the original backup. Since backups are performed less frequently and only new changes are secured, organizations do not have to pay for transferring large amounts of cloud data.
Limit Swap Files or Partitions
Sometimes the virtual machine’s RAM may not be sufficient to store applications and the OS data. In this case, the OS uses some part of the hard drive to store additional data. This data is known as a swap file or swap partition in Windows and Linux, respectively.
Typically, swap files are 1.5 times larger than RAM. The data in these files changes regularly. And every time a backup is made, these files are also backed up. So it’s better to exclude these files from the backup. They will take up too much space in the cloud, as the system will save them with each backup (after all, these files are constantly changing!).
In general, the idea is to back up only the data that is truly needed by the company. Unnecessary data such as swap files should not be backed up.
Deduplication and Archiving of Backups
Backups of virtual machines can take up significant space, which necessitates reserving more space in the cloud. Hence, it is possible to save by reducing the size of backups. Deduplication can assist in this. This process involves copying only the changed data blocks and replacing copies of unchanged blocks with references to the original blocks. Additionally, various archiving tools can be used to compress the final backup to save even more storage.
This topic is particularly relevant if you adhere to the '3-2-1' rule regarding backup storage. The rule states that to ensure reliable data storage, you should have at least THREE backups stored in TWO different storage formats, with ONE of the backups kept offsite.
This principle of achieving fault tolerance implies redundancy in data storage, so reducing the size of the backup is clearly beneficial.
GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son) backup retention policy
How is the backup creation and storage procedure organized in most companies? It's not! Organizations create backups and... forget about them. For months or even years. This leads to unnecessary costs for data that is never used. The best way to handle this is to implement retention policies. These policies define how many backups can be stored in the cloud simultaneously.
The simplest backup retention policy is explained by the 'first in, first out' principle. This policy retains a certain number of backups, and once the limit is reached, the oldest one is deleted to make room for the newest. However, this strategy is not very effective, especially when maximum restore points need to be maintained in the smallest possible storage volume. Moreover, there are legal and corporate regulations requiring long-term data retention.
This problem can be solved by using the GFS (Grandfather-Father-Son) policy. The "Son" refers to the most frequent backup, for example, daily. The "Grandfather" is the rarest, such as monthly. Each time a new daily backup is created, it becomes the son of the weekly backup from the previous week. This model gives the company more restore points with the same limited storage space.
If information needs to be stored for a long time, is abundant, but is rarely accessed, one can use so-called ice cold storage. The cost of storing data in it is low, but if the company requests this data, they will have to pay. It’s like a distant dark closet. It contains many items that will be safe even in 10-20-50 years. However, getting to any one of them will take a lot of time. In Cloud4Y, this type of storage is called "».
Conclusion
Backup is a mandatory security element for any business. Storing backups in the cloud is very convenient, but sometimes the service can be quite expensive. By using the methods we've outlined, you can reduce your company's monthly expenses.
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Source: habr.com
