SearchDataBackup: Continuous data protection backup could replace traditional enterprise data backup

Continuous data protection is very common in our client’s primary data centers and disaster recovery data centers. Risk mitigation is the reason CIOs are embracing the reliable, disk-based data replication technologies and eliminating tape media. Lower costs of communications in carrier neutral data centers, combined with the affordability and choices of replication technologies are driving more companies to implement disk-based replication, both on and off-site.

Continuous data protection (CDP) backup works to back up all of the data in a system whenever a change is made. So if your data backup system is hit with a virus or data loss occurs, you can go back to the most recent clean copy of the data and restore it. There are two types of continuous data protection: real-CDP and near-CDP. What are the differences between these? Can we consider continuous data protection a replacement for traditional backup systems? And who should consider using CDP in their enterprise? W. Curtis Preston, independent backup expert and executive editor for TechTarget, answers these questions and more in this Q&A. His answers are also available as an MP3 below.

Can you outline the differences between real-CDP and near-CDP?

The term continuous data protection really only applies to what some people call real-CDP. Real-CDP is basically data replication where the changes that occur on the system that is being protected are immediately replicated to another system. Replication and CDP are different because of what happens on the destination side. With real-CDP, there is something that’s continuously being updated on the destination site. In addition, real-CDP also stores a log of these changes, allowing the system to roll those changes back to a previous point in time. Essentially, with real-CDP you’re able to undo anything that happens to a system within the period of time that you’re storing data to it.

Alex Carroll

Managing Member at Lifeline Data Centers

Alex, co-owner, is responsible for all real estate, construction and mission critical facilities: hardened buildings, power systems, cooling systems, fire suppression, and environmentals. Alex also manages relationships with the telecommunications providers and has an extensive background in IT infrastructure support, database administration and software design and development. Alex architected Lifeline’s proprietary GRCA system and is hands-on every day in the data center.