Create a Game Plan to Implement Cloud Backup the Right Way
- Cloud adoption is frequently driven by hype rather than careful consideration of the best-fit solution.
- IT is frequently rushed into cloud adoption without appropriate planning.
- Organizations frequently lack appropriate strategies to deal with cloud-specific backup challenges.
- Insufficient planning for cloud backup can exacerbate problems rather than solving them, leading to poor estimates of the cost and effort involved, budget overruns, and failure to meet requirements.
Our Advice
Critical Insight
- The cloud isn’t a magic bullet, but it tends to deliver the most value to organizations with specific use cases – frequently smaller organizations who are looking to avoid the cost of building or upgrading a data center.
- Cloud backup does not necessarily reduce backup costs so much as it moves them around. Cloud backup distributes costs over a longer term. Organizations need to compare the difference in CAPEX and OPEX to determine if making the move makes financial sense.
- The cloud can deliver a great deal of value for organizations who are looking to reduce the operational effort demanded by an existing tape library for second- or third-tier backups.
- Data security risks in some cases may be overstated, depending on what on-premises security is available. However, targeting backup to the cloud introduces other risks that need to be considered before implementation is given the green light.
Impact and Result
- Understand if cloud backup is the right solution for actual organizational needs.
- Make an informed decision about targeting backup to the cloud by considering the big picture TCO and effort level involved in adoption.
- Have a ready strategy to mitigate the most common challenges with cloud adoption projects.
- Develop a roadmap that lays out the required step-by-step to implement cloud backup.
Create a Game Plan to Implement Cloud Backup the Right Way Research & Tools
Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
1. Understand the benefits and risks of targeting backups to the cloud
Build a plan to mitigate the risks associated with backing data up in the cloud.
- Storyboard: Create a Game Plan to Implement Cloud Backup the Right Way
2. Determine if the cloud can meet the organization's data requirements
Assess if the cloud is a good fit for your organization’s backup data.
- Cloud Backup Implementation Game Plan Tool
3. Mitigate the Challenges of Backing Up to the Cloud
Build a cloud challenge contingency plan.
4. Build a Cloud Backup Implementation Roadmap
Perform a gap analysis to determine cloud backup implementation initiatives.
Infographic
Workshop: Create a Game Plan to Implement Cloud Backup the Right Way
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
1 Evaluate the business case for targeting backup at the cloud
The Purpose
Understand how cloud backup will affect backup and recovery processes
Determine backup and recovery objectives
Assess the value proposition of cloud backup
Key Benefits Achieved
A high-level understanding of the benefits of moving to cloud backup
A best-fit analysis of cloud backup in comparison to organizational needs
Activities
1.1 Document stakeholder goals for cloud backup
1.2 Document present backup processes
1.3 Document ideal backup processes
1.4 Review typical benefits of cloud backup
Outputs
Documented stakeholder goals
Current backup process diagrams
Ideal backup process diagram
2 Identify candidate data sets and assess opportunities and readiness
The Purpose
Identify candidate data sets for cloud-based backup
Determine RPOs and RTOs for candidate data sets
Identify potential value specific to each data set for targeting backup at the cloud
Evaluate organizational readiness for targeting backup at the cloud
Key Benefits Achieved
Documented recovery objectives
Recommendations for cloud backup based on actual organizational needs and readiness
Activities
2.1 Document candidate data sets
2.2 Determine recovery point and recovery time objectives for candidate data sets
2.3 Identify potential value of cloud-based backup for candidate data sets
2.4 Discuss the risk and value of cloud-based backup versus an on-premises solution
2.5 Evaluate organizational readiness for cloud backup
2.6 Identify data sets to move to the cloud
Outputs
Validated list of candidate data sets
Specific RPOs and RTOs for core data sets
An assessment of the value of cloud backup for data sets
A tool-based recommendation for moving backups to the cloud
3 Mitigate the challenges of backing up to the cloud
The Purpose
Understand different cloud provider models and their specific risks
Identification of how cloud backup will affect IT infrastructure and personnel
Strategize ways to mitigate the most common challenges of implementing cloud backup
Understand the client/vendor relationship in cloud backup
Understand the affect of cloud backup on data security
Key Benefits Achieved
Verified best-fit cloud provider model for organizational needs
Verified strategy for meeting the most common challenges for cloud-based backup
A strong understanding of how cloud backup will change IT
Strategies for approaching vendors to ensure a strong footing in negotiations and clear expectations for the client/vendor relationship
Activities
3.1 Discuss the impact of cloud backup on infrastructure and IT environment
3.2 Create a cloud backup risk contingency plan
3.3 Document compliance and security regulations
3.4 Identify client and vendor responsibilities for cloud backup
3.5 Discuss and document the impact of cloud backup on IT roles and responsibilities
3.6 Compile a list of implementation intiatives
3.7 Evaluate the financial case for cloud backup
Outputs
Cloud risk assessment
Documented contingency strategies for probabe risks
Negotiation strategies for dealing with vendors
A committed go/no-go decision on the value of cloud backup weighted against the effort of implementation
4 Build a cloud backup implementation roadmap
The Purpose
Create a road map for implementing cloud backup
Key Benefits Achieved
Determine any remaining gaps between the present state and the ideal state for cloud backup
Understand the steps and time frame for implementing cloud backup
Allocate roles and responsibilities for the implementation intitiative
A validated implementation road map
Activities
4.1 Perform a gap analysis to generate a list of implementation intiatives
4.2 Prioritize cloud backup initiatives
4.3 Assess risks and dependencies for critical implementation initiatives
4.4 Assign ownership over implementation tasks
4.5 Determine road map time frame and structure
4.6 Populate the roadmap with cloud backup initiatives
Outputs
A validated gap analysis
A prioritized list of cloud backup initiatives
Documented dependencies and risks associated with implementation tasks
A roadmap for targeting backups at the cloud