Information management is critical ROB WINTER Chief Engineer, Kroll Ontrack
Are you risking your company’s future by ignoring your historical data on old tapes?
A recent report by the Enterprise Strategy Group (ESG) found that 82 percent of organisations still use tape to support all or at least a portion of onsite backup processes. The report confirms that “there will be a shift as more companies use disk for on-site backup processes, but off-site tape capacity is expected to increase. This is largely due to primary data growth, representing more data that needs to be protected.”
As we come close to reaching one zettabyte of digital storage globally, it is easy to see that specific applications for tape, such as archiving, are here to stay, and that tape is likely to remain the predominant repository for historical business information. Thus, it is becoming increasingly important than ever before for companies to have a corporate information management strategy in place, and also ensure that only relevant information is stored for the correct length of time on the most appropriate media, i.e. disk or tape, in line with the company’s data retention policy.
However, many companies are still failing to practice good data management and are guilty of retaining all their data “just in case” on tape storage. Ignoring the way data is stored can prove costly – it inflates IT budgets unnecessarily and increases e-discovery risks and costs when an investigation, litigation, or merger and acquisition occurs. In short, too many organisations do not have a tested strategy for storing their data so are effectively gambling that their legacy data will not be an issue and will be accessible and usable if and when they need it – or in case of litigation, when organisations have a legal duty to preserve relevant data, including data stored offsite.
There are various threats to data accessibility and how flaws can arise in data systems including human error, storage media
36
failure (tape degrades with age), archive software failure and maintaining aging systems which cannot support legacy data. Companies often retire old systems and then discover that they cannot restore their legacy data from tape to their newer systems.
To avoid the tape archive ticking time bomb scenario, it is imperative companies put an effective strategy in place to determine what information is stored on tape. Organisations should be discouraged from relying on a false sense of security, but seek expert consultative assistance with proven experience.
These seven threats illustrate the potential risks associated with remaining reactive with your information management strategy, and they could affect the accessibility of your data as well as the long-term health of your business — especially if they are only discovered when your organisation is in a reactive, crisis mode. Even if you routinely backup and store information, your processes may not be strong enough to protect your data from issues including:
Volume of Data and “Findability:” The sheer volume of data and the ability to find specific content within the corporate memory can be overwhelming – particularly in
the case of large or global organisations.
Aging Systems & Obsolescence: Even in today’s world, the need to maintain legacy data, and convert old static systems to another format or newer technology can result in a loss of data. Backup Software Failure: Although your organisation’s backup software is set up correctly, the actual backup data itself is never verified.
Storage Media Failures: Regardless of the reliability of your
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44