From data and applications to individual workloads: “Anyone thinking about business continuity often needs to reassess with regard to their own IT landscape,” says Dr. Christoph Dietzel, Head of Global Products & Research at Internet Exchange operator DE-CIX. Why various IT systems are more resilient, what IT service providers should know, and what role cloud connectivity plays in ensuring business continuity.
Whether accidents, natural disasters, cyber threats, or even pandemics: According to Gartner, only 12 percent of 1,500 US companies surveyed felt prepared to parry the potential impact of Covid-19 on their business operations. The survey, published by the analyst firm on 10 March 2020 (one day before the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic), can still be seen as a wake-up call elsewhere today. In times when digital technologies, data-based services, and interconnected networks are redefining IT-based value creation, companies are well advised to prepare themselves in terms of business continuity – and to do so before it’s needed.
Supply chains falter and factories come to a standstill: If IT systems fail, according to a study by Deloitte from the year 2022, medium-sized and large companies quickly suffer an average loss of around 1.2 million Euro – per week. “Anyone thinking about business continuity often needs to reassess the issue with regard to their own IT landscape,” says Dr. Christoph Dietzel, Head of Global Products & Research at Internet Exchange operator DE-CIX. Although the most sophisticated measures and plans are no guarantee against outages, they are the only means of maintaining operations and keeping business models productive. So, what do you need to consider in your own cloud backup strategy? Dietzel offers 5 tips:
Tip 1: Examine the IT ecosystem and identify dependencies
Today, managed computing, storage, and application resources are central to business continuity. On the one hand, these keep applications productive in the cloud if the worst comes to the worst. On the other hand, they also allow you to quickly outsource complete workloads if systems in your own server room come to a standstill. “Anyone defining their backup strategy should evaluate which data, applications, and workloads are crucial for smooth business operations,” says Dietzel. “It is important to examine the entire IT ecosystem and also identify the extent to which services, information, and infrastructures are interdependent.”
Tip 2: Combine classic backup approaches with hybrid cloud solutions
“Whether hot, warm, or cold data, classic backup strategies can usually be combined very easily with cloud solutions, also when it comes to hybrid scenarios and on-premise landscapes,” says Dietzel. Once you are in the cloud, you not only benefit from maximum availability, but also from maximum protection. Providers reduce risks by, for example, operating services redundantly, mirrored at different locations, and in a stable and secure manner.“ In addition, public clouds in particular often offer the latest and quite sophisticated technologies to fend off cyber invaders,” Dietzel adds.
Tip 3: Diversify IT landscapes and make them redundant
What is also crucial in this context is “building IT landscapes in a redundant and diversified manner,” says Dietzel. “Companies that distribute their back-up workloads across different systems and providers are also protecting themselves.” The same applies to the type of connection. In order to exchange and synchronize information and workloads at all times, it is advisable to redundantly interconnect your own and managed IT.
Tip 4: Plan connectivity precisely – not just for backups
From malfunctions and downtime to technical problems – to keep machines available and offices productive, it is important to plan the connectivity between the company and the cloud in diversified IT landscapes in an equally diversified way. “Cloud routing services are ideal for processing information and operating applications at any time,” says Dietzel. For example, the DE-CIX Cloud ROUTER allows the exchange of data between different cloud environments, separated from the public Internet. “Software-based routing services ensure interoperability at the network level in order to seamlessly merge in-house and managed infrastructure,” says Dietzel. An advantage with regard to hybrid IT landscapes – and not just in the case of backups.
Tip 5: IT service providers provide support from the server room to the cloud, and on to the network connection
Mirroring data in the cloud, diversifying landscapes, and designing redundant connectivity – IT service providers have a responsibility to provide their customers with advice on back-up strategies. “Small and medium-sized companies in particular need help,” says Dietzel. Here, too, it is crucial to look at the entire ecosystem and the complete technology stack, “from the server room to the cloud, and on to the network connection.” In order to support IT service providers in terms of connectivity, DE-CIX recently expanded its partner program to include managed service providers, systems integrators, and IT consultancies. With price advantages and an incentive system for premium partners, the program incorporates DE-CIX’s entire portfolio. DE-CIX is the only neutral Internet Exchange operator in the world to offer such a program.
One thing is also certain: “Anyone who believes that it is only about backing up data from A to B is on the wrong track with their backup strategy,” says Dietzel. Given how software and IT determine value creation today, holistic strategies for business continuity are needed. And beyond that: “Tests,” says Dietzel. “Companies should regularly check how effectively the measures already taken are actually working.”
