Achieving Backup Retention Best Practices with On-Prem S3 Storage

By Matt Ninesling
Senior Director of Tape Portfolio Management, Spectra Logic

The protection of sensitive information, adherence to compliance standards and the fortification against dynamic threats like ransomware have become non-negotiable requirements. The need for robust backup practices isn’t a choice; it’s the safeguard that ensures operational continuity and compliance in a time when stringent regulations span diverse sectors.

Let’s dive into the essential practices and cutting-edge technologies that can propel your organization toward becoming an impenetrable fortress of data resilience.

Achieving Backup Retention Best Practices with an S3-Compatible On-Prem Tier

A proper backup retention policy identifies what data needs to be retained, for how long, and where it will be stored. Criteria like age, when the data was last accessed, and the data type can be used to determine which data should remain on primary storage and which data should move to secondary storage. Long-term retention is a cornerstone of an effective backup strategy, helping organizations implement data protection best practices and meet compliance objectives by keeping data secure and accessible for extended periods. Moreover, offloading long-term backup data from primary storage frees up space and improves access to critical data, making it easier to locate data by decluttering the servers.

Incorporating an on-premises S3-compatible long-term retention tier offers unparalleled advantages:

  • Alignment with Modern Backup Applications: By adding an S3-compatible tier, you’re ensuring compatibility with modern backup and archive applications and ensuring that data is accessible when needed.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Opting for on-premises long-term storage proves to be a cost-effective alternative compared to utilizing the cloud, ensuring your long-term retention needs are met while staying within budget constraints.
  • Reliability for Compliance Requirements: Your S3-compatible on-prem solution can integrate with object-based tape to reliably preserve data for decades, ensuring the immutability of critical data while complying with data protection regulations.
  • Air-Gap Data Protection: Adding object-based tape to your backup solution helps ensure data integrity and recoverability by physically isolating backup data from the network – providing protection against data loss, corruption from software issues, hardware failures or ransomware attacks.
  • Greater Control: Having an on-premises S3-compatible tier grants you greater control over your data, enabling faster access to critical information, reducing latency, and ensuring that your data remains within reach whenever you need it. This enhanced accessibility aids in streamlining operations and meeting the evolving needs of your organization more effectively.
Illustration of an object-based tape system for efficient data backup, featuring modern storage technology concepts.

Optimized Backup Efficiency and Security with Spectra Object-Based Tape 

The synergy between backup applications like Cohesity, Commvault, Rubrik and Veeam with Spectra Object-Based Tape enables you to create a comprehensive strategy that redefines data backup efficiency and security. The combination provides a user-friendly solution that enhances data protection, optimizes storage resources and augments overall operational resilience.

Spectra Object-Based Tape, in tandem with modern backup applications, can form the backbone of a highly efficient and secure backup strategy:

  • Scalability and Flexibility: Offering scalable storage options and adaptable configurations, the solution caters to varying data retention needs.
  • Compliance Adherence: Users looking to ensure compliance can take advantage of a robust infrastructure for preserving critical data long term.
  • Ransomware Resilience: Spectra Object-Based Tape enables holistic data protection by mitigating data loss risks with immutable and air-gapped storage options and bolstering recovery capabilities.

Data retention is essential for organizations to navigate the complex landscape of data protection, compliance, and resilience.

Innovative technology and time-tested best practices can help organizations fortify their data retention strategies.

It’s not just about shielding against unforeseen disasters; it’s about upholding the integrity of vital information and staying ahead of the relentless tide of evolving threats. Backup administrators, data management professionals, and IT operations managers should consider incorporating an on-premises S3-compatible tier to their data backup strategies to cost-effectively bolster the security and accessibility of data. This can help organizations meet their long-term backup retention needs and improve data management flexibility.