UK Construction Specialist

challenge

Data on the client’s physical and virtual servers is protected by two separate backup platforms, each managed by a different service provider. The client wanted an objective assessment of the effectiveness and efficiency of these data protection services.

Effectiveness:

• Is all data being backed up?
• Can specific data be recovered from backups within acceptable timescales?

Efficiency:

• Can the cost of delivering data protection be reduced?
• All backup technologies (hardware and software) were to be audited against latest options.
• All backup services were to be compared to industry best practise.

SOLUTION

Tectrade proposed our Helix Discovery consulting engagement to provide an independent audit of the client’s backup and recovery systems, including all hardware, software and services.

As part of the process, Tectrade’s data protection experts spent time with the client’s IT team reviewing the status of the technical deployment of backup systems as well as reviewing the managed services delivered by third- party service providers.

The ‘Discovery Show-Back’ phase presented the client with the state of hardware and software delivering data protection, areas of success where the existing systems were performing adequately, specific risks that should be addressed urgently as well as opportunities for improvement.

outcomes

Positively, the Tectrade Helix Discovery engagement concluded that all of the client’s critical data was being backed up successfully.

The investigation also identified opportunities for improvement which led Tectrade’s team to make recommendations to modernize and consolidate the data protection services, including:

• Hardware and software that are end-of-support
• Lack of visibility of the overall state of data protection due to separate third-party service providers
• Reporting and statistics lack detail and clarity
• Backup configuration is complex
• Storage capacity nearing recommended limits
• Backup policies not applied to data in public clouds

The client is now satisfied the group protects its data with improved effectiveness and efficiency.