When it comes to backup performance, every little detail counts. Unfortunately, some companies tend to oversimplify the discussion, focusing only on a handful of key factors. The reality is much more complex, and ignoring the finer points can put data protection at risk.

In a previous article (“Efficient Backup: Ready for the Black Scenario“), we explored backup methods, the importance of RTO and RPO, and the differences between data storage and backup. But that was just the tip of the iceberg. Now, let’s dive deeper and examine how storage media, network throughput, and data reduction mechanisms impact backup performance. What should you consider when choosing the best solutions for your business?

Storage Media: A Tough Choice

Not long ago, using SSDs in NAS systems (often used for backups) seemed unnecessary. Today, almost every NAS device supports them. One of the loudest voices advocating for ditching traditional hard drives is VAST Data, a U.S.-based company specializing in large-scale data management. Their solution relies entirely on flash storage, offering archive-level data retention at a cost comparable to HDDs. With proprietary technology that extends SSD lifespan to up to 10 years, their systems reduce the need for multiple devices to store and protect data. Perhaps in the future, businesses won’t have to choose between HDDs and SSDs – but for now, that decision still matters.

Flash storage significantly boosts backup performance. For example, a standard SATA SSD can be twice as fast as a mechanical SATA hard drive, while NVMe SSDs can outperform HDDs by a staggering 35 times. That’s a game-changer. Yet, many businesses still favor HDDs due to their lower cost. At the start of 2024, a 1TB NVMe PCIe 5 SSD cost around $150 – the same price as an 8TB HDD.

With the growing demand for storage-driven by explosive data growth and backup best practices (3-2-1, 4-3-2, 3-2-1-1-0) – choosing the right media is critical. Many experts argue that hard drives remain more reliable and predictable, while SSDs, despite improvements, can still experience unexpected failures.

But HDDs and SSDs aren’t the only options. Tape storage remains in play, offering a much cheaper alternative to HDDs for long-term archival. However, HDDs are far superior for short-term storage and incremental backups. Speed is also a factor – HDDs provide faster data access compared to tape, where retrieving data can take minutes due to loading and rewinding times. Restoring a large file system from 30 tapes could add up to two hours of delay, whereas HDDs work instantly.

Read more about Data Storage:

• Optimizing Data Storage Performance in Hybrid Cloud Environments
• Secondary Storage: Definition, Devices, and How It Can Support Your Backup Strategy

Network Throughput: The Silent Bottleneck

Backup performance isn’t just about storage; network speed plays a huge role, too. If backups run multiple times a day, high bandwidth is essential. But if backups occur less frequently – say, once a week or only after hours – the network load is lower. To pinpoint bottlenecks, companies should analyze their network’s data transfer speed. A simple formula can help:

Backup Data Size / Backup Window (time allocated for backup without disrupting operations)

For instance, backing up 5TB of data within a six-hour window requires a network capable of transferring 853GB per hour (5,120GB / 6 hours). On a Fast Ethernet (100Base-T) network, transferring 250GB takes about an hour, whereas a Gigabit Ethernet (1000Base-T) network is ten times faster. In this case, Fast Ethernet won’t cut it.

To improve network performance, businesses can:

• Extend the backup window
• Use dedicated high-speed networks
• Upgrade to Gigabit Ethernet
• Optimize data through compression and deduplication

Slimming Down Data: Deduplication & Compression

With data storage costs on the rise, companies are turning to compression and deduplication to reduce backup sizes.

Compression comes in two types:

• Lossy: Removes unnecessary data (e.g., reducing image quality slightly)
• Lossless: Keeps all data intact, essential for text files, executables, and spreadsheets

For example, a 50MB file with a 2:1 compression ratio shrinks to 25MB. However, compression can reduce network throughput while processing data. While a small quality loss in compressed images may go unnoticed, it matters for high-resolution projects.

Deduplication, on the other hand, prevents redundant data from being stored multiple times. It scans, divides data into blocks, and saves only unique ones.

A key metric here is the deduplication factor, which is often misunderstood. If a solution advertises a 10:1 deduplication factor, it doesn’t mean twice the reduction compared to 20:1. Instead, the percentage of data saved follows this formula:

% Data Reduction = 1 – (1/DD) x 100%

• 10:1 Deduplication: 90% data reduction
• 20:1 Deduplication: 95% data reduction

The difference between a 10:1 and 20:1 factor is only 5%, not double the savings as some assume.

Performance Optimization: It’s All About Balance

Reducing backup sizes is a smart move, but it must align with broader data protection strategies. Think of it like fuel efficiency in a car: a vehicle might have great mileage, but if the driver has bad habits – like underinflated tires or carrying unnecessary weight – it will still waste fuel.

The same principle applies to backup performance. Every component – from media type and network speed to compression and deduplication – affects the overall efficiency. The key is balancing cost, speed, and reliability to ensure optimal data protection.

By understanding these details, businesses can make smarter backup decisions—without sacrificing performance or security.

The efficiency and reliability of backups are becoming increasingly important. Statistics on incidents are staggering, and there are also internal infrastructure problems. The growing cryptocurrency market allows for the unpunished collection of ransoms. And companies themselves do not want to inform the public about problems, because they additionally expose themselves to image losses.

Decision-makers are becoming aware that a cyberattack or failure can paralyze the work of a company or institution at any time. Nowadays, you have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario and have a proven plan on how to quickly return to normal work mode when something bad happens.

The definition of IT infrastructure downtime is not unambiguous. However, it most often refers to time not spent on productive work as a result of a cyberattack.

Of course, sometimes such downtime is the result of internal errors, natural disasters, or incorrect configuration of IT systems.

The activity of companies can be stopped for several hours, but sometimes the downtime lasts longer. This was the case, for example, with the well-known American brewery Moison Coors in 2021. The cyberattack halted the operation of the plant for several weeks, which made it impossible to produce almost 2 million hectoliters of beer. As you can easily guess, the financial losses were huge. Similar, though no less dramatic, examples can be multiplied endlessly.

In order to minimize the risk of a cyberattack, enterprises use various methods: they implement advanced security systems and introduce cybersecurity training. Prevention is important, but you must always be prepared for the worst-case scenario. Therefore, business continuity plans are implemented, which establish procedures for creating backups and recovering data after a failure.

More Data, Longer Backup Window

The constant increase in data means that the backup window is extended. Meanwhile, the business needs of companies and the allocation of resources are completely different. Backup, in an ideal world, should happen in the background and not interfere with the main tasks of the IT infrastructure. Is it possible to reconcile one with the other?

It seems that everything is a matter of scale. This depends on the company’s profile, its size, as well as the type and amount of data processed. In the case of small production plants, the efficiency of the backup is not so important. However, there are many sectors of the economy where even a short failure means a serious drop in revenue. In addition to operational delays, there are issues related to compliance, for which severe financial penalties are threatened.

At first glance, planning a backup process seems to be relatively simple – just enough storage media for storing data and some software. However, the larger the organization, the greater the scale of difficulties, because the efficiency of creating backups is influenced by a whole lot of factors.

The basic issue during planning is the identification of computers covered by the backup. And it is not just about their number, but also operating systems, network technologies, any connected disks or tape drives, as well as applications whose backups need to be performed, e.g. Microsoft Exchange.

You also need to consider the types of data, such as text, graphics, or databases. How compressible is the data? How many files are involved? Will the data be encrypted? It is known that encrypted backups may run slower.

What Type of Backup to Choose?

When planning a backup, one of the three available methods is selected: full, incremental, differential. Making the right decision has an impact not only on the amount of disk space needed, but also the time of restoring and saving data. However, the first backup will always be full (and usually its execution takes the longest).

Choosing the right variant is not an easy matter and there is no golden mean here. Each of the methods mentioned earlier has weaknesses and strengths.

Performing a full backup is time-consuming and requires a lot of disk space, but in return it provides full protection and the ability to quickly restore all data.

The alternative is an incremental backup: after creating a full backup, the process of creating incremental backups follows, in which information about data changes since the last backup is saved. The user does not consume too much space in the data store. The process of creating copies is fast. The downside is the slow data recovery time.

The third option is a differential backup, where only data that has changed since the full backup is considered. The process is repeated until the next full backup is performed. In this case, the full backup is the point of reference for creating subsequent copies. Thanks to this created backup, it is possible to quickly restore the complete set of data. This option is recommended for frequently used and changed files. However, the more time passes from the last full backup, the differential files grow, which can extend the time of creating the backup. Although a differential backup is more economical than a full one, it may take up more space than an incremental one if the data is frequently changed.

Choosing the right backup strategy is crucial, and the complexity increases with organizational size. Factors like data types, compression, encryption, and the choice between full, incremental, and differential backups all play a role. Solutions like Storware can help simplify this process by automating backup schedules, flexible backup types, and providing centralized management. This allows organizations to tailor their backup strategy to their specific needs and optimize for both efficiency and recovery time.

RTO (Recovery Time Objective)

The maximum allowable time for which a system, application, or business process can be down after a failure or disaster, before the consequences become unacceptable, is determined by the RTO (Recovery Time Objective) factor.

For example, a company provides project management software in a cloud model, and the RTO is 8 hours. If the servers in the cloud fail due to a technical problem or a cyberattack, the IT team has eight hours to restore the service before it negatively affects customers. If you do not meet the 8-hour RTO, customers may be cut off from access to critical project data for too long, leading to delays in their work.

RPO (Recovery Point Objective)

It is important not only the type of copies made and the time of their recovery, but also the frequency of their creation, which has a direct impact on the requirements for the carrier, the speed of data transfer and the ability to restore. In a large, modern factory, the loss of critical data can lead to the downtime of the entire production line. Consequently, the company is exposed to losses of many millions.

Financial institutions, which carry out a huge number of transactions online, or cloud service providers are in a similar situation. In such situations, the RPO (Recovery Point Objective) indicator, which determines when to make a backup so that the occurrence of a failure does not significantly affect the continuity of the company’s operational work, should be close to zero. As you can easily guess, this is not a cheap solution, requiring redundant creation of backups and data replication in real time.

Examples of RTO and RPO in Different Industries

Healthcare

• RTO: A hospital’s electronic health record (EHR) system might have an RTO of 4 hours, meaning it must be restored within 4 hours to avoid significant disruption to patient care.
• RPO: The same hospital might have an RPO of 1 hour for the EHR system, meaning that no more than 1 hour of patient data can be lost in the event of a system failure.

Financial Services

• RTO: A bank’s online banking platform might have an RTO of 1 hour, meaning it must be restored within 1 hour to avoid significant customer inconvenience and potential financial losses.
• RPO: The same bank might have an RPO of 30 minutes for its core banking system, meaning that no more than 30 minutes of transaction data can be lost in the event of a system failure.

E-commerce

• RTO: An e-commerce website might have an RTO of 30 minutes, meaning it must be restored within 30 minutes to avoid significant revenue loss and customer dissatisfaction.
• RPO: The same e-commerce website might have an RPO of 15 minutes for its product catalog database, meaning that no more than 15 minutes of product data can be lost in the event of a system failure.

Manufacturing

• RTO: A manufacturing plant’s production line control system might have an RTO of 2 hours, meaning it must be restored within 2 hours to avoid significant production delays and potential financial losses.
• RPO: The same manufacturing plant might have an RPO of 1 hour for its inventory management system, meaning that no more than 1 hour of inventory data can be lost in the event of a system failure.

Important Considerations

• The specific RTO and RPO values for a given system or application will depend on the organization’s business requirements and risk tolerance.
• Organizations should conduct a business impact analysis (BIA) to determine the potential impact of downtime and data loss on their operations.
• RTO and RPO values should be regularly reviewed and updated to ensure they remain aligned with the organization’s business needs.

Meeting stringent RTO and RPO targets requires a robust and reliable backup and recovery solution. Storware offers [mention specific Storware features related to RTO/RPO, e.g., fast recovery capabilities, near-zero RPO with replication, automated failover, etc.] enabling businesses to minimize downtime and data loss in the event of a disaster. By leveraging such solutions, companies can confidently meet their recovery objectives and ensure business continuity.

Data and Backup Storage

Some organizations do not distinguish between data storage and backup. The first process is usually dictated by legal requirements, which specify how long digital information should be stored. In addition, we have rules when and how to delete them when they are no longer needed.

Legal requirements for data storage include:

• Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX),
• European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),
• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS)
• and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).

On the other hand, storing backups determines how long an additional copy of the data must be maintained in the event of loss, damage, or disaster.

While data storage and backup are distinct processes, they are closely intertwined. A comprehensive backup solution like Storware can integrate with existing storage infrastructure and help organizations manage their backup retention policies effectively. This ensures compliance with legal requirements while optimizing storage costs and simplifying backup management

Most companies make the mistake of keeping backups for too long. Statistically, data recovery most often takes place on the basis of the latest versions, and not those from six months ago or older.

Therefore, it is worth realizing that the more data contained in the backup infrastructure, the more difficult it is to manage and the more it costs.

Summary

The issues mentioned in this article do not exhaust the issues related to backup performance. In the next material, we will take a closer look at carriers, network connections, deduplication and compression, as well as the most common errors leading to a decrease in backup performance.

When it comes to server virtualization, two prominent hypervisors are often considered: VMware ESXi and XCP-ng. Both platforms offer robust solutions for creating and managing virtual machines (VMs) but differ in several key areas, including cost, performance, features, usability, and support. Understanding these differences is crucial for organizations looking to optimize their virtual infrastructure.

What is VMware ESXi?

VMware created VMware ESXi as part of its virtualization solution. ESXI is known for its excellent performance, scalability, and efficiency, making it a favorite among enterprises. This bare-metal hypervisor installs directly onto the physical server, dividing its resources into several virtual machines. This direct installation makes it easy to manage hardware resources effectively.

Key Features and Functionality

VMware offers several industry-standard features, including;

• High Performance ESXi is designed to interact directly with the host hardware, delivering exceptional performance. Its lightweight architecture makes it ideal for running virtual machines efficiently. ESXi also minimizes resource overhead while maximizing physical resource utilization.

• Resource Management With ESXi, users can allocate CPU, memory, and storage resources to individual virtual machines as needed. It also uses advanced tools like Distributed Power Management and Dynamic Resource Scheduler to enhance system efficiency.

• Security ESXi protects virtual environments with features like secure boot, VM encryption, and role-based access control (RBAC). These measures help safeguard against unauthorized access and data breaches.

• Fault Tolerance and High Availability: ESXi ensures uninterrupted access to virtual machines, even during hardware failures. Fault Tolerance (FT) stores a live replica of the virtual machine for continuous availability. If the current one fails, the High Availability (HA) automatically restarts affected virtual machines on another host.

• Scalability ESXi can be seamlessly integrated with VMware solutions like vSphere and vCenter, enabling the management of thousands of virtual machines across multiple physical hosts. This scalability makes it well-suited for large, complex environments.

What is XCP-ng?

XCP-ng stands for Xen Cloud Platform—Next Generation. It is an open-source virtualization platform built on an Xen hypervisor. XCP-ng was created as an alternative to Citrix XenServer, solving the problems it faced. It offers a comprehensive range of tools for virtual environment management. As an open-source project, there are no licensing fees, making it a great choice for enterprises and small businesses.

Key Features and Functionality

XCP-ng comes with several modern features designed to enhance virtualization capabilities, including;

• Xen Orchestra Integration

XCP-ng works seamlessly with Xen Orchestra, a web-based, user-friendly platform for managing VMs, storage, and networking. It offers free and premium versions, both of which offer advanced features and professional support.

• High Availability (HA)

XCP-ng offers high-availability clustering. This feature ensures that if a host dies, the virtual machines on that server will be moved to another host.

• Storage Support

XCP-ng works with various storage options, such as Fibre Channel, NFS, and iSCSI. It also integrates with distributed storage systems like Ceph, allowing users to create strong and scalable storage solutions to handle their virtualized workloads.

• Live Migration

XCP-ng uses live migration to transfer VMs across hosts when transferring virtual machines. This method ensures that there’s load balancing and reduced downtime during maintenance

• Networking Features

XCP-ng offers advanced networking tools like virtual LAN (VLAN), network bonding, and Open vSwitch (OVS) integration. These features make it easy to build complex network setups that prioritize security, performance, and reliability.

What to Consider Before Choosing Between VMware ESXi and XCP-ng

An IT expert looking to choose between VMware ESXi and XCP-ng has a lot to consider, including;

Cost and Licensing

One of the most significant differences between VMware ESXi and XCP-ng is their cost structures. VMware ESXi operates on a proprietary licensing model, which is more expensive than XCP-ng. It, however, has a free version with limitations. The version provides fewer features, no centralized management, and a total of eight vCPUs per VM. Thus, advanced features like vMotion, High Availability, and Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS) are only available through paid licenses.

On the other hand, XCP-ng is an open-source hypervisor based on XenServer. It is a cost-effective alternative as there are no licensing fees. This open-source nature allows organizations to utilize a full-featured hypervisor without the financial burden of proprietary solutions.

Performance

Performance is another key factor for hypervisors. Fortunately, both VMware ESXi and XCP-ng are type-1 hypervisors. This means they work directly on the host’s hardware. Type-1 hypervisors generally provide superior performance compared to type-2 hypervisors. When both hypervisor performances were compared, they were nearly the same. However, some users have reported that, in certain scenarios, ESXi outperforms XCP-ng, while in others, XCP-ng holds the advantage. For instance, ESXi was faster in a series of tests in about 60% of the cases. Meanwhile, XCP-ng led in the remaining 40%. Thus, the better choice could depend on the circumstances, so always consider the specific workloads and configurations when checking performance. They could have varying performances based on the particular applications and environments in use.

Features and Functionality

Both hypervisors offer a range of features designed to enhance virtualization capabilities, but there are notable differences:

• High Availability (HA): VMware’s HA feature allows you to automatically restart VMs on another host when a host fails, minimizing downtime. XCP-ng also offers HA capabilities. Similarly, if a host fails in XCP-ng, the affected VMs are rebooted on another host, resulting in short downtime during the reboot process.

• Management Tools: VMware ESXi is managed through the vCenter Server, a comprehensive tool that provides centralized management of virtual environments and a paid product requiring a separate license. XCP-ng utilizes Xen Orchestra, a web-based open-source interface. It enables straightforward management of VMs, storage, and networking. Xen Orchestra offers both free and premium versions, with the latter providing enhanced features and professional support options.

• Backup Solutions: Both platforms support various backup solutions. VMware ESXi integrates with different third-party backup tools and offers snapshot-based backups and replication features. XCP-ng, with Xen Orchestra, provides built-in backup solutions, including full and delta backups. These solutions help to cater to different backup and recovery needs.In this field

  Storware Backup and Recovery can support data protection (disaster recovery, cyber resiliency, business continuity) for both hypervisors, within one license. Here are the example videos showing how Storware works with each platform:

Backup and Recovery for VMware

Backup and Recovery for XCP-ng

Usability

Usability is an important factor, especially for organizations without dedicated IT teams. VMware ESXi has an in-built web-based HTML5 GUI that allows straightforward single-host management without additional installations. This intuitive interface simplifies tasks such as building and managing VMs, configuring virtual switches, and handling data stores.

In contrast, XCP-ng doesn’t have a local web GUI for host management. Instead, users must deploy Xen Orchestra (XOA), which offers a rich feature set but makes the initial setup complex. However, once configured, Xen Orchestra provides a comprehensive management interface that is as good as VMware’s.

Support and Community

Support options differ significantly between the two platforms:

• VMware ESXi: VMware offers a high degree of professional support and a well-established knowledge base as a commercial product. It also caters to clients that require reliable and timely assistance.

• XCP-ng: As an open-source project, XCP-ng relies on a growing community for support. Vendors like Vates render professional services, but the ecosystem is still maturing compared to VMware’s long-standing presence in the market.

Conclusion

Choosing between VMware ESXi and XCP-ng depends on various factors, including budget constraints, specific workload requirements, desired features, and the level of support preferred. Organizations seeking a cost-effective, open-source solution with support may choose XCP-ng. However, those seeking comprehensive enterprise support and advanced features might opt for VMdetermine ESXi. You must evaluate your unique needs and resources to determine which is best.

With the evolution of virtualization technology, many businesses and individuals are exploring VMware alternatives that can offer unique features at more affordable prices. Today, different options are available, depending on your specific needs.

Whether you’re looking for a more budget-friendly solution, open-source flexibility, or specialized capabilities, the market has different alternatives that can provide excellent performance and a wide range of virtualization features. Here are five of the best options to consider.

Virtuozzo Hybrid Infrastructure

Virtuozzo Hybrid infrastructure is a cloud platform designed for service providers, enterprises, and software vendors, which OpenStack fully manages. The platform offers an efficient and secure solution tailored for cloud-native applications, artificial intelligence, and machine learning projects. Virtuozzo Hybrid integrates virtualization, orchestration, and storage technologies into a single hyper-converged platform, simplifying cloud management, ensuring rapid deployment, and saving capital.

The platform includes KVM-based virtualization, Kubernetes orchestration, storage based on software, and S3-compatible object storage. It also consists of an in-built load balancer, management tools that help streamline operations and are very easy to use, and a backup. It allows users access to resources through a self-service portal, allowing for quick provision and monitoring of computing, network services, and storage.

Key use cases include building private or public clouds, running cloud-native applications, and providing disaster recovery solutions. Virtuozzo Hybrid Infrastructure also supports virtual machines, persistent storage for Kubernetes, and high-availability configurations for critical applications. Integration with Storware Backup and Recovery adds a layer of security to data stored and processed on the Virtuozzo infrastructure.

This platform’s advanced features help businesses reduce complexity and operational costs. Its secure, software-defined networking uses VXLAN encapsulation for isolated environments, while built-in analytics and alerting enhance performance monitoring. A unified management console simplifies control of all infrastructure layers.

Virtuozzo Hybrid Infrastructure supports easy scalability, allowing businesses to grow incrementally by adding servers or disks. Data redundancy protects against hardware failure, supporting VM volumes, NFS, and S3 storage types. Compatibility with third-party systems, such as WHMCS and CloudBlue, offers flexible integration options. The multi-tenant architecture isolates shared environments while full Windows guests support adequate desktop and server deployments.

Virtuozzo Hybrid Infrastructure, designed with unimaginable hardware and software capabilities, provides users with ready-to-use cloud solutions that improve performance, enhance reliability, and lower the cost of ownership.

VergeOS

Verge.io, founded in 2010 and based in Clarkston, Michigan, is dedicated to simplifying the complexity and high costs often associated with modern IT infrastructure. Verge.io aims to revolutionize data center operations by providing a streamlined, efficient solution. Its primary offering, VergeOS, is an integrated operating system that combines virtualization, storage, and networking into a single platform. This system maximizes existing hardware use while ensuring high data resiliency and performance levels.

The company’s vision stems from a belief that IT infrastructure has become unnecessarily complex and expensive. Verge.io started by breaking away from the traditional, fragmented IT model that relies on separate, siloed components for each function.

Instead, they created VergeOS, a single piece of software that runs on standard, affordable hardware powered by AI and machine learning for self-management and optimization. This innovative approach allows IT generalists, even those without specialized knowledge, to deploy entire virtual data centers quickly and easily without costly hardware or time-consuming setups.

One key benefit of VergeOS is its ability to extend the lifespan of hardware. By removing the reliance on specific hardware compatibility lists and optimizing resources through AI, VergeOS helps businesses avoid the costly cycle of frequent hardware upgrades. This reduces capital expenditures and cuts operational costs, making IT infrastructure more accessible to companies of all sizes.

Verge.io is changing the IT landscape by providing a more straightforward, affordable solution that reduces the complexity of traditional systems. This empowers businesses to manage their data centers more effectively and efficiently.

Proxmox VE

Proxmox VE is a platform that manages virtual machines, VMs, and containers designed to help businesses and individuals set up and manage virtualized environments simply and cost-effectively. It is a completely integrated solution that combines virtualization and technology into a single platform, allowing versatility and a wide range of use cases.

Promox VE can manage virtual machines and containers using the Kernel-based Virtual Machine for VMs and LXC. It can also use Linux Containers for lightweight, faster, and container-based virtualization. This feature makes it an excellent choice for those who want to get the best of both functions. Promox VE offers a web-based interface for efficiently managing virtual environments. It is designed to simplify tasks that require a lot of manual effort and act as an interface for users who want more control over their systems.

The platform allows for high availability and clustering, which is crucial for companies looking to ensure that their systems are always resilient and online. You can integrate Proxmox VE with backup solutions to protect your data and setups. To learn more about Proxmox VE backup solution read Proxmox Backup Server vs. Storware Backup and Recovery.

Although Proxmox VE is a free platform, it provides subscription options and features for those who want a wider range of assistance. Proxmox is open-source. Therefore, it is a popular choice for companies looking for scalable virtualization solutions without paying exorbitant fees for proprietary software.

Nutanix

Nutanix is a technological company that has revolutionized IT infrastructure, particularly its hyper-convergence (HCI) solutions.

Previously, the traditional silo system was expensive and ineffective, not allowing the different parts of the company’s infrastructure to communicate. However, Nutanix has solved this by integrating the system, making it easier for businesses to manage their IT resources.

Nutanix has evolved to support hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Therefore, companies can manage their on-site infrastructure, cloud resources, and edge devices without using different platforms. Nutanix Cloud Infrastructure and Nutanix Prism help to manage and monitor virtual environments using machine learning, performance optimization, and security features.

Meanwhile, Nutanix is also flexible. Its software is not tied to specific hardware. Instead, it can run on equipment from different suppliers. This includes Dell and Lenovo and cloud providers like AWS and Microsoft Azure. Thus, businesses have the freedom to choose the best solutions for them.

In recent years, Nutanix has expanded its offerings. It now offers tools for database management, cloud cost optimization, and remote or edge environments. Thus, it plays a significant role in helping businesses simplify their processes and improve efficiency as IT ecosystems become more complex.

OpenMetal

OpenMetal is a technology company that provides cloud-based solutions and management services to businesses of various sizes worldwide. Its primary goal is to give users easier access to open-source technologies, empowering individuals and teams to contribute to tech communities. The platform aims to benefit users by positively impacting the future of IT.

OpenMetal’s key feature is its strong commitment to open-source technologies. It has made OpenStack and other open-source systems accessible for teams of different sizes. The platform helps grow the technological ecosystem built on collaboration and shared knowledge.

OpenMetal stands out by providing cost-effective solutions that combine the best of various technologies. These solutions combine the flexibility and power of bare metal, the ease of public cloud, and the security and control of private cloud infrastructure. Building and maintaining a private cloud had previously been costly and complex. Thus, only large enterprises with substantial resources could access this resource. OpenMetal changes this by offering hosted private cloud solutions, enabling organizations of all sizes to leverage the benefits of private cloud technology without heavy investments.

In addition to its hosted private cloud solutions, OpenMetal also provides dedicated bare metal servers. This ensures businesses have a wide range of options to meet their specific IT needs. Ultimately, OpenMetal’s mission is to empower organizations with high-performance, cost-effective infrastructure that competes with traditional public cloud services. It does this while simplifying cloud management and fostering open-source contributions.

Conclusion

The growing demand for VMware alternatives has led to the emergence of different solutions tailored to various business needs. Platforms like Virtuozzo Hybrid, Verge.io, Proxmox VE, Nutanix, and OpenMetal offer a range of benefits, from cost-efficiency and simplicity to robust scalability and advanced cloud capabilities.

Choosing the right option depends on budget, infrastructure requirements, and desired features. Businesses can enhance their IT environments by evaluating these alternatives. This would also help reduce complexity and improve companies’ overall performance.

For every option, including VMware, Storware provides reliable data backup. You can easily book a free session with our engineer and see how to protect your data from cyberattacks, accidental or intentional deletion or other worst-case scenarios.

Proxmox Backup Server and Storware Backup and Recovery are robust solutions for backing up Proxmox VE environments. However, they have distinct features, strengths, and target user bases.

Let’s delve into a comparison to help you make an informed decision:

Proxmox Backup Server

• Open-Source and Partly Free: This is its primary advantage, making it a cost-effective choice for many. However, the free version is recommended only for testing and non-production use.
• Simple and Intuitive: Offers a user-friendly web interface for easy management.
• Limited Features: While it provides essential backup and restore functionalities, it may lack advanced features like automated DR testing and granular recovery options.
• Community Support: Relies on a strong community for support and troubleshooting.

Storware Backup and Recovery

• Free, Trial, or Commercial License: This requires a license but offers professional support and regular updates. The free license comes with community support.
• Advanced Features: This product provides a comprehensive set of features, including automated DR testing, granular recovery, advanced backup policies, and robust security options against cyber threats. It’s also perfect for mixed virtual, cloud, and physical environments.
• Scalability: Designed to scale with your infrastructure needs, supporting multi-node deployments and large-scale environments.
• Enterprise-Grade Support: Offers professional support and maintenance services.
• Backup Strategies for Proxmox VE ↗
• YouTube ↗
• More ↗
• Solution PDF ↗

Key Differences

Here’s a detailed comparison between Proxmox Backup Server and Storware Backup and Recovery, focusing on key factors such as supported environments, backup functionality, scalability, security, and pricing considerations.

Supported Environments

• Proxmox Backup Server: Primarily designed to work within the Proxmox ecosystem, it is optimized for Proxmox VE (Virtual Environment) but can handle backup tasks for virtual machines, containers, and physical servers through API integration. It’s popular among Proxmox users for seamless compatibility.
• Storware Backup and Recovery: It’s a highly versatile solution that supports multiple environments, including virtual (e.g., VMware, Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV), physical, and containerized workloads. It also integrates with hybrid cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP) and offers comprehensive data protection for endpoints, databases, and applications.

Backup Functionality and Features

• Proxmox Backup Server: This server is known for efficient deduplication and compression to optimize storage. It provides full, incremental, and differential backup options for file- and VM-level backups. Proxmox emphasizes performance, leveraging open-source components for low-cost, high-speed backup.
• Storware Backup and Recovery: This product offers a wide range of advanced backup features, such as data deduplication, compression, and application-consistent backups. Its incremental-forever backup approach minimizes storage usage and ensures faster recovery times. Additionally, Storware supports role-based access control (RBAC), storage snapshot integrations, and granular recovery options for databases and applications.

Scalability and Flexibility

• Proxmox Backup Server: Designed to scale well within the Proxmox ecosystem, suitable for small to medium-sized environments or organizations heavily reliant on Proxmox VE. Its open-source nature provides flexibility but may require customizations or additional tools for large-scale or hybrid environments.
• Storware Backup and Recovery: Built with scalability in mind, Storware can handle small and enterprise-level deployments across diverse infrastructures, including multi-cloud and hybrid setups. Its centralized management interface makes it ideal for large-scale operations with complex backup requirements across varied environments.

Security and Compliance

• Proxmox Backup Server: This server includes data encryption (AES-256) for backups, both in transit and at rest. While it has essential security features, compliance with enterprise-level security or regulatory standards may require additional configurations or external tools.
• Storware Backup and Recovery emphasizes enterprise-grade security with end-to-end encryption (complying with FIPS 140-2), air-gap backup, multi-factor authentication, RBAC, and advanced compliance reporting. Its robust security features align well with industry compliance standards, often essential for regulated sectors.

Integration and Compatibility

• Proxmox Backup Server: Highly compatible with Proxmox products and offers some REST API integration for third-party tools. However, its ecosystem is primarily tailored for Proxmox VE and may need more compatibility with broader infrastructures.
• Storware Backup and Recovery: Provides extensive integrations, supporting a range of hypervisors, storage solutions, and cloud providers. This makes it ideal for organizations using mixed environments and those looking to adopt a unified backup solution across platforms.

Pricing and Licensing

• Proxmox Backup Server: It is open-source and offers optional subscription plans for enterprise support. This makes it highly cost-effective, especially for Proxmox environments, although support options are limited compared to commercial alternatives.
• Storware Backup and Recovery: Licenses are priced based on storage or endpoint counts, offering flexibility for various business needs. Storware’s model includes support and feature upgrades, which can benefit businesses needing high-level support and regular updates.

Which One is Right for You?

• Suppose you’re primarily using Proxmox VE and have limited backup needs. The Proxmox Backup Server may be a great fit due to its cost-effectiveness, seamless integration, and efficiency within the Proxmox ecosystem.
• If you require a more robust, scalable, and versatile solution with extensive integration across multiple environments and need enterprise-grade security and compliance, Storware Backup and Recovery would likely be a better choice. It’s particularly suited for businesses operating in complex, multi-environment setups.

Each solution has its strengths, so the choice depends on the complexity of your infrastructure, regulatory requirements, and budget.

You can test Storware Backup and Recovery for free or book a one-on-one demo session with our engineer who will be happy to answer all your questions and concerns.

The new EU regulation, DORA, is set to significantly enhance the protection of customer funds and data within financial institutions.

DORA officially entered into force on January 16, 2023. Since then, financial institutions have begun preparing to meet the new requirements, although compliance was not initially mandatory. However, the regulation will become fully enforceable on January 17, 2025.

DORA consolidates various initiatives from different European regulatory authorities, including the European Central Bank (ECB), into a single document. Essentially, DORA impacts every participant in the financial market, including banks, investment firms, asset management companies, digital asset providers, insurance companies, and others.

In Poland alone, the regulation will apply to 29 commercial banks, nearly 500 cooperative banks, over 40 payment institutions, and notably, dozens of IT solution providers.

Under DORA, financial institutions are obligated to manage information and communication technology (ICT) risks, report incidents, test operational resilience, manage third-party (ICT service providers) risks, and share information with other entities in the financial sector.

Steeper Penalties and Greater Order

While banks are accustomed to regulations, DORA introduces several new elements. It all began in 2002 with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which increased the responsibility of boards in financial reporting and internal controls. Then came Basel I, II, and III, PCI DSS, and numerous other regulations. So, what new aspects does DORA bring to regulations for financial institutions?

Three factors are worth highlighting:

• DORA unifies digital security regulations in the financial sector. Regulations for the industry are scattered across various legal acts, and sometimes they simply do not align well with one another.
• The introduction of individual penalties for board members ensures that compliance cannot be ignored. The penalties are quite severe, with maximum fines reaching up to €10 million. In the case of serious or repeated violations, the fine can be doubled, and in extreme situations, imprisonment is not excluded. This personal risk emphasizes the need for top-level managers to be actively involved in ensuring compliance with DORA.
• For the first time, regulations include IT system providers. DORA changes the game, as financial institutions are now obligated to impose requirements on IT infrastructure providers. In practice, this means financial entities can only contract external ICT service providers that meet high and up-to-date information security standards. Moreover, certain oversights may result in penalties for infrastructure providers.

The regulation sets the bar quite high—not only for IT hardware and software manufacturers but also for cloud service providers and MSSPs (Managed Security Service Providers).

DORA and Data Protection

According to data from Check Point, banks operating in Poland must fend off more than 1,600 attacks daily. Hackers target only the military and public institutions more frequently in the country. A similar situation exists in the United States, where the financial sector ranks second in the frequency of cyberattacks.

Attackers have straightforward goals—they want money or data, and financial institutions have both. Banks and insurers handle vast amounts of personal and financial data, including bank accounts, transaction details, investment information, and credit histories. These organizations manage highly sensitive data, and breaches can result in severe consequences for both customers and the institutions themselves. For this reason, the financial sector pays close attention to the ever-growing body of privacy and data protection regulations.

The latest of these is the aforementioned DORA, which clearly defines requirements for financial institutions regarding data backup and recovery. Their obligations include configuring backup systems capable of withstanding cyber incidents, system failures, and disruptions. Notably, DORA emphasizes that creating backups is not just an IT issue but a management responsibility requiring oversight and approval from executive leadership.

Article 12 – Data Protection Guidelines

Article 12 of the DORA regulation provides detailed guidelines on the principles, procedures, and methods for data backup, restoration, and recovery. According to these provisions, financial entities are required to develop and document rules and procedures for backing up and recovering data.

The document must specify the scope of data to be backed up and the frequency of backups. When determining RTO (Recovery Time Objective) and RPO (Recovery Point Objective) for each function, it is essential to consider its criticality and the extent to which disruptions would harm the entity’s financial performance and service continuity.

In addition to regular backups of critical systems and data, DORA mandates periodic testing of backup procedures and recovery methods. Financial institutions are also required to establish clear procedures for both internal and external communication during incidents. This ensures timely and effective responses, including notifying relevant authorities and customers.

Financial institutions must conduct post-incident reviews to maintain the highest levels of data integrity. These reviews should also be carried out during the reconstruction of data from clients and partners to ensure the consistency of all data transferred between systems.

DORA also specifies requirements for central securities depositories, which must maintain at least one secondary data processing site:

a) A safe distance from the primary processing site to prevent the same event from affecting both locations.
b) Capability to ensure continuity of critical functions at the same level as the primary site or at a service level sufficient to carry out recovery processes.
c) Immediate access for financial entity personnel to ensure the continuity of critical functions if the primary site becomes unavailable.

Data Protection for SaaS

Cloud applications are the largest source of data breaches, according to 60% of respondents in The 2024 State of SaaS Resilience survey.

However, half of the respondents mistakenly believe that cloud service providers (CSPs) are solely responsible for data protection. In reality, CSPs operate under a shared responsibility model, meaning they are responsible for the security of the cloud infrastructure and the solutions they offer, while users are responsible for securing their own data and applications within the cloud.

Unfortunately, misunderstanding this principle often results in data loss caused by employee errors or cyberattacks. This issue affects banks, insurance companies, and fintech organizations alike. However, with the implementation of DORA, the situation is set to change. Financial institutions, when signing contracts with SaaS providers, will now inquire about the ability to obtain a complete copy of their data—questions that will be raised as early as the procurement stage.

If the service provider does not offer backup services, the responsibility will fall on the user. In such cases, backups must be stored in a separate local system or in the cloud of another provider.

How does Storware Backup and Recovery support Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA)?

Storware Backup and Recovery software aligns with the principles of the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) by providing robust data protection, ensuring operational continuity, and supporting compliance with regulatory requirements. Here’s how Storware helps companies meet DORA’s key principles:

1. ICT Risk Management Framework

• Centralized management console to monitor backup and recovery activities.
• Reporting and alerts for backup failures
• Supports enterprise-wide implementation of ICT risk strategies.

2. Incident Reporting

• Logs and audit trails for all backup and restore operations, facilitating incident detection and reporting.
• Detailed insights into data integrity issues or failures.
• Automated reporting features to notify of anomalies or recovery scenarios.

3. Digital Operational Resilience Testing

• Built-in recovery testing features ensure backup data is recoverable and operational.
• Non-disruptive testing capabilities to verify disaster recovery plans without impacting live environments.
• Tools to simulate different failure scenarios and measure recovery time objectives (RTOs) and recovery point objectives (RPOs).

4. Third-Party Risk Management

• Supports backup of data across diverse environments, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid setups, ensuring resilience against third-party failures.
• Vendor-neutral architecture minimizes dependency on any single third-party provider.
• Data encryption and access controls to secure data managed by external service providers.

5. Information Sharing

• Facilitates collaboration with IT and security teams by providing clear reports and analytics on backup-related events.
• Promotes a unified approach to managing cybersecurity threats through visibility into data protection workflows.

6. Governance and Oversight

• Role-based access controls (RBAC) and user activity tracking ensure accountability within the organization.
• Simplifies audits with detailed documentation of backup configurations and recovery processes.

7. Critical ICT Providers Oversight

• Works seamlessly with major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and ensures their data protection meets compliance requirements.
• Encrypts backups and ensures secure data transfer, reducing risks from third-party vulnerabilities.

8. Adaptation and Compliance

• Regular updates to the software ensure compatibility with evolving cybersecurity threats and regulations.
• Flexible deployment options enable organizations to adapt their data protection strategy as needed.
• Compliance-friendly features such as encryption, immutability, and detailed reporting support adherence to regulatory standards like DORA.

By delivering resilient, secure, and adaptive backup and recovery solutions, Storware enables financial entities to meet the stringent requirements of DORA, ensuring business continuity and safeguarding critical data in an increasingly digital and regulated environment.