6 Revelations on Zmanda’s MySQL Backup and Data Replication Technology for Business Continuity

6 Big Revelations on Zmanda Backup and Data Replication Technology

Businesses are turning to data replication software as part of a backup recovery plan.

No doubt, our reliance on large volumes of mission-critical data is ever-increasing. Our expectations for the data to remain intact, 24×7 available, 100% accessible, & reliably protected during a disaster event are also growing. It is all part of business continuity. 

Enterprises sometimes face unexpected disasters such as internet outages, database failover, natural disasters, etc. Unfortunately, such situations are almost inevitable within your business environment. Thus, organizations require high availability and quick data recovery to come out of these unpredictable instances without losing money and reputation.

What is Data Replication?

Data replication involves storing the data from the primary server or cloud to a secondary server or some other node. This process of replicating data continues so that the replica stays synchronized with the source. And since you duplicate the data on an ongoing basis, it is available to users and employees even during downtimes or outages.    

Data replication can help you with high availability, backup, and disaster recovery. The best part is that you can set up a full or partial data replication as needed. In full data replication, you can copy the entire database from all the sources. Whereas in partial data replication, you can replicate only some data. In this case, the data which is to be replicated is chosen on the basis of its importance. 

Data Replication | Zmanda

The right software can help you with data replication technology that perfectly fits your enterprise data recovery plan. You can learn how the Zmanda Recovery Manager (ZRM) provides near real-time data replication & backup for VMs in this blog. Zmanda has built this solution for customers to capitalize on full administrative access and control over VMware compute instances. Consequently, this makes the DR process much faster in case of data loss. Zmanda also addresses customers’ business continuity, disaster recovery needs, and global 24/7/365 support. 

Many organizations make data replication a part of the “do-it-yourself” (DIY) strategy of disaster recovery solutions. However, did you know that things can massively go wrong if specific considerations are not met? And these considerations might range from limitations of open-source data replication tools, application-specific agents, and snapshot storage requirements to virtualization.  

Also, the cost and risks of syncing several virtual workloads could be complex and expensive; if not managed properly. This makes it essential to find a data backup solution that can manage data replication easily for disaster recovery and business continuity plans.  

What Makes Zmanda Amazing in Backup and Replication for Business Continuity?

Here are the top six reasons to replicate your data to the cloud or on-premises using Zmanda Recovery Manager (ZRM):

1. Delivering low RPOs

ZRM’s approach to lowering RPOs to seconds makes the entire process of data recovery very easy. ZRM backup engine reads the data from the snapshot that appears at a specific moment to recover the MySQL database within a specific Recovery Point Objective. The continuous track of block-level changes of the VM data ensures real-time monitoring for consistent data backup. 

By employing robust data replication tools that include native code architectures, you can improve RPOs. Consequently, Zmanda leverages instant VMware backups to deliver 20 times faster storage snapshots to near-real-time RPO. Thanks to Zmanda’s vSphere backup and replication software that dramatically reduces the size of backup with the help of block-based incremental backups. 

2. Ransomware Protection With Air-Gap

Ransomware and cyberattacks are ruthless. So, crucial data can be protected using an air gap. Air-gapping technique works wonders in protecting your data. If data cannot be accessed, it cannot get infected. Zmanda’s solution with the air-gapped technology is a robust encryption system. The software includes multiple layers of security to protect your business-critical backed-up data. 

ZRM smartly isolates the backed-up data and streams it through the encrypted tunnel from storage targets to resources for data replication. The replicated data is then air-gapped by disconnecting the encrypted tunnel from the network. This makes the data isolated, thus making access difficult for hackers and intruders. 

3. Protection for Unlimited VMs

Protection for Unlimited VMs | Zmanda

Zmanda allows the users to back up and protect unlimited virtual machines on each of their hypervisors. 

For VMware data replication, ZRM employs vStorage APIs that directly communicate with the VMware ESXi host servers and vSphere. And VMware vSphere client is built into Zmanda Backup Appliance (ZBA). It is licensed and configured with Amanda Enterprise to help back up all virtual machines running on the same hypervisor as the appliance.

This is a cost-effective alternative compared to licensing each virtual machine in the environment. 

4. File-Level Recovery (FLR)

File-level restoration plays a crucial role in recovering data. This feature can come in handy if you want to restore the previous version of a file that has been deleted accidentally. Database files are enormous, and restoring the entire VM backup to recover a file is cumbersome and time-taking. 

In Zmanda’s 4.1, you can recover files and folders from the server’s temporary path to any custom location. This makes it possible to recover a file without staging the backup. You can also compare the versions or overwrite the existing file with its older version. 

5. Instant Recovery of Snapshots

In order to synchronize the data, ZRM creates snapshots for each point in time. Zmanda also lets you create a logical copy that includes a MySQL binary log. These snapshots & binary logs save all individual database events and store the last changed data, including full or incremental backup. Because of it, you can quickly recover data from incremental backups, thereby achieving a more granular recovery point without any downtime.

6. Near-Instantaneous Hot Backups for Multiple Platforms

Near-Instantaneous Hot Backups for Multiple Platforms | Zmanda

ZRM Enterprise for MySQL provides hot backup capability by taking advantage of Linux LVM, Microsoft VSS, Solaris ZFS, Symantec VxFS, NetApp SnapManager, and EMC SnapView technologies. 

ZRM can perform the backup by creating temporary snapshots. For example, you can back up a mission-critical MySQL database even before the user makes any transaction error. Besides, you can run instantaneous hot backups of live databases and rapid restores with minimal impact on the MySQL application. Thanks to the ZRM that integrates with EMC SnapView to facilitate rapid restores. With ZRM, you can have the backup of your choice.  

Final Thoughts

As your business expands, it calls for the virtualization of more workloads and applications. For enterprises, it’s crucial to minimize data loss for customers without sacrificing business continuity and productivity. In this case, hunting for a Synology backup and replication solution tailored specifically to your business is daunting. Again, relying on the IT team for replication also doesn’t guarantee that your sensitive data is protected. This is because human errors are inevitable. It also poses several additional concerns, such as:

  • Recognizing and setting the baselines of which backup or data replication software will work and which will not.
  • Determining the right tools that are unique to data backup and replication.
  • How could you narrow down the cost of each database backup and replication service for your business?
  • Or, how would you calculate the acceptable recovery time frames for each service?

There is no right or wrong answer to these questions. Instead, the key to a successful business continuity plan is to select the right backup and replication solution as per your enterprise’s needs. With Zmanda as your replication partner, you can have robust and reliable backup solutions that match the enterprise’s needs without compromising on anything. 

We are well-equipped with years of proven expertise in visibility & management control over data replication. If you need to have a backup and data replication solution to fit into your data recovery plan smoothly, Zmanda is the right choice for you. You can also get in touch with the Zmanda support team to get a customized backup plan for your business. A demo can also help you understand Zmanda and your business needs better.

Let’s get started with data replication for your business today with Zmanda.


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