Backing up on behalf of remote and mobile users

Today`s companies have highly mobile workforces, with a growing amount of staff members using computers as part of their everyday jobs. These computers typically include desktops, laptops and handheld devices. A further trend illustrates that more and more information is being generated and stored on these remote devices. This corporate information is often stored on the computer that it was created on for significant periods of time, in their single instance. While it is difficult to determine precisely how much orphan data exists in our own companies at any given time, we know that we are at risk of that data being lost.

Data loss is common and is typically caused by events ranging from human error to disk failures, hardware failures, software malfunctions, viruses, theft or even natural disasters. This all too commonly equates to missed deadlines, lost revenues and damage to the reputation of companies and individuals involved.

The accelerated penetration of digital devices into both the work and home environments has permanently changed not only the way we create and store data, but also our expectations as to its availability for recall anywhere at any time. Concurrent development of the wired world and the growth of resulting online applications, where assets lie primarily in intellectual property, has skyrocketed not only the amount of data being generated, but also the value placed on that data. The increasing complexities of data storage, manipulation, protection and availability have shifted these concerns beyond the core focus of many corporate IT departments.

Prior to PricewaterhouseCooper`s testing the Attix5 backup solution set, we conducted an internal survey. The results showed that over 55% of people surveyed waited longer than three months on average before backing-up their business data. In addition, 10% of people surveyed admitted to never backing up their data. This is despite everyone in the department having access to 100mb of network-attached storage to backup their business information. This survey illustrates the severity of the risk of data loss facing corporations.

Data loss is common and is typically caused by events ranging from human error to disk failures, hardware failures, software malfunctions, viruses, theft or even natural disasters

Anton Sinovich, e-business Gold Team manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers

When asked if their data was confidential, approximately one-third responded that their data was "somewhat confidential" while two-thirds responded that their data was "very confidential". Not a single person thought their data was "not confidential", further highlighting the need for a secure, automated backup solution.

Most global research organisations agree that the amount of business data and information generated and stored by today`s corporations is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years.

While a plethora of online technology solutions exist to address the high demand for data backup on servers and other large data repositories, very few usable solutions exist to adequately address the increasing amounts of business-critical orphan data residing on desktops, laptops and devices.

The development of the workstation from dumb terminal to media-rich PCs, mobile PDAs and smartphones has broadly defined this data into two somewhat blurry pools: data stored on large scale, high capacity corporate servers, and that stored in a distributed, temporary "network" of remote desktops, notebooks and mobile digital devices.

Pool A, data held on in-house corporate servers, is typically comprised of mission-critical applications, databases, archived and shared data. This data is typically stored in secure environments with regular backups performed by the IT department. The data is sensitive and would generally not be considered suitable for transmission over public data lines, whether encrypted or not. While it was previously feasible to regard all corporate data as falling almost exclusively within this pool, the changing nature of corporates, their clients, their workforce and their computing environment has initiated a ripple effect that has overflowed this data into the distributed environment.

According to a recent IDC study, revenues in the backup and archive software market are expected to increase at a CAGR of 11.8% over the next five years. The report also stated that the entire storage software market was expected to reach the $10 billion mark in 2005.

Storage software and submarkets forecast and analysis, 2001-2005, IDC - October 2001

Data in pool B is generated and stored on desktops, laptops and PDAs used by an increasingly mobile workforce outside of traditional corporate constraints and control. This includes remote workers, telecommuters, sales teams and executives as well as users working within environments that do not have reliable, secure systems in place. The security and availability of this data is dependent on procedures, whether manual or automated, designed to gather and secure this data within enterprise-level storage and backup facilities. The statistics relating to this exercise show a high failure rate, brought about by either a lack of procedures, a failure to adhere to them, a lack of equipment, or a combination of all.

This second pool of data is further swelled by two rapidly growing sectors. First is the data generated by small to medium enterprises, SoHos and high-end personal users that are rapidly adopting new economy technologies, and second is the data of the wave of technology businesses that do not have the time, resources nor corporate culture to invest in large in-house storage solutions.

Both these sectors are wary of expensive hardware storage systems with high maintenance costs and scalable only via further investment in technology and manpower. Included in this group are those businesses currently providing their own systems for storage and backup. These systems are typically expensive, inefficient and time-consuming, distracting from the core business focus, and businesses are increasingly aware of the advantages of outsourcing these functions.

The outcome is a growing need for specialist data storage companies and products that provide not only a sophisticated, scalable and secure environment in which to store data but also a reliable encrypted tunnel through which to provide secure 24x7 access from and to a variety of connected devices. Such companies need to draw on a wide spectrum of technologies including, but not limited to, physical storage devices, redundant storage techniques, hierarchical storage management, data encryption and compression, bandwidth utilisation, data portability and access and firewall standards. The provision of these services can be split into those catering for the data held within pool A and that in pool B, noting that there is both overlapping and continual migration between the two.

The focus of Attix5, a local software development house, is the provision of secure online backup solutions for the data held in pool B. Subscribers to the service will be those who work outside the boundaries of corporate IT departments and whose data resides on devices that operate independently of centralised data. These users, and the companies and organisations to whom they are responsible, require an effective, reliable medium through which to backup that data to an environment that is secure, trusted and available around the clock, around the world.

The Attix5 solution

Backup5 - Enterprise Edition

Critical data store for desktops and laptops.

Overview:

Backup5 delivers industry-leading data backup, recovery and remote access solutions for desktop and laptop computers. By automating intelligent online backup and recovery, Backup5 enables you to better protect corporate information in a distributed environment while reducing support costs and relieving the burden of backup and recovery on IT personnel.

While many organisations have desktop and laptop backup procedures in place, the overwhelming majority of IT managers will admit that these procedures are either too clumsy to implement or just not enforceable.

Anton Sinovich, e-business Gold Team manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers

While many organisations have desktop and laptop backup procedures in place, the overwhelming majority of IT managers will admit that these procedures are either too clumsy to implement or just not enforceable. Backup5 is a client-server system that puts this data back under the control of the IT department without burdening either user or IT staff. Intelligent, automated file gathering and transfer is key and Backup5 provides this securely and transparently.

Backup5 includes system monitoring and individual user status reports from a central command interface. IT managers can customise departmental file filtering and backup schedules as well as manage and track individual account usage. Users can restore damaged, lost or archived files with no help required from IT staff and can securely access their data set from any connected device. Simply put, Backup5 maximises employee productivity, improves IT management, and enables businesses to regain ownership of their most valuable asset - their data.

In Backup5 Enterprise Edition, Backup5 Deploy is installed onto the administrator`s workstation and allows one to customise the Backup5 client for particular departments or groups. Default fields such as backup windows and file types and exclusion can be set prior to deployment.

Backup5 Monitor allows the administrator to monitor backups and upgrade account sizes if needed. A secure Keystore is also provided to track user details on the system.

Backup5 Client is installed on every workstation or laptop. Backup5 Client will automatically schedule backups according to the default settings set up by the administrator. For laptop users, Backup5 will automatically detect network connections and backup while online. Backup5 is a 100% Java application.

Backup5 WebAccess is a lightweight browser-based interface that allows a remote user to securely log on and access his files from any connected computer without having to install anything. WebAccess can be linked from the corporate Web site and gives users the freedom to access and update their file set from anywhere in the world.

Backup5 Server is the authentication and file storage system that is installed on a server connected to the network. Files are transmitted and stored encrypted.

Backup5 - ISP Edition

Online backup attracts new clients, retains existing ones and differentiates you from the competition.

Anton Sinovich, e-business Gold Team manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Data loss has massive financial implications for any company, and small to medium businesses seldom, if ever, have the staff or resources to properly protect their critical information. Online backup attracts new clients, retains existing ones and differentiates you from the competition.

Backup5 features:

• Download and install directly from the Internet.

• Easy install wizard simplifies client set-up.

• Intelligent file selection using pre-configured and customisable filters; sorts and tracks business-critical data.

• Proprietary JET data extraction and compression reduces typical daily transfer size to less than 5% of original file sizes. All file additions, modifications and deletions are tracked.

• Automatic scheduling removes human error. Auto dial and disconnect uses existing Internet dial or LAN connection.

• Encrypted transmission and storage of all data using 448-bit blowfish encryption and RSA key exchange.

• Stored files can be rolled back to any point in time. Complete directory structures are rebuilt automatically.

• Easy online point and click restore of any file at any time.

• Complete logs and error tracking.

• Files can be securely accessed from any connected computer anywhere on the planet - without installing software.

• System can be run as ISP service and hosted elsewhere or within an ISP environment.

Backup5 is built on Attix5`s secure file transfer technology. Backup5 has been independently tested to provide for secure and efficient file storage and transfer around the globe, around the clock.

A quick overview of Freedom5 shows that it provides clients with a secure online storage folder where valuable documents can be stored electronically for convenient access and retrieval from any connected computer, at any time, from anywhere on the planet. This is a very significant application for mobile users.

Freedom5 features:

• No downloads or software installation.

• Sign-up and access directly from your Web site. Account creation and authentication using bank grade key transfer.

• Easy uploading of data from anywhere including simultaneous multiple file uploads.

• Encrypted storage of all data using 448-bit blowfish encryption.

• Secure access to files from any Web-enabled computer.

• View files online or download them and update or print them from where ever you are.

• Organise files by creating new folders or deleting redundant data.

• Share files with colleagues directly from Freedom5.

• Access your backups when used with Backup5.

Freedom5 is a proprietary product of Attix5. Freedom5 has been independently tested to provide for secure and efficient file storage and transfer around the globe, around the clock. File storage can be within your own infrastructure or outsourced to one of Attix5`s global Data Centre partners.