Best Practices for Data Management

Best Practices for Data ManageMent

Iron Mountain Data Backup and Recovery Benchmark ReportData BackuP

anD recovery

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ExEcutivE Summary

Data Backup anD rEcovEry challEngES

Data Backup WinDoWS

Storing anD SEcuring Backup Data

rEtEntion anD DEStruction policiES

Data rEcovEry EvEntS

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thE BEnchmark rEport SurvEy procESS

full screenhomeIron Mountain Data Backup and Recovery Benchmark Report

BESt practicES for Data managEmEnt

Executive SummaryDid you know the US government estimates that 25% of businesses will not survive a disaster?1

The amount of information your organization has to manage is growing at an incredible pace, creating new challenges every day. On the one hand, youre tempted to retain as much data as possible for fear of losing critical information. On the other, theres the danger of maintaining expired information, which opens you up to operational and financial risks.

To uncover the unique challenges youre facing, we surveyed organizations just like yours. Our hope is that youll use this report to see how your data management practices match up. As you read it, dont be afraid to ask yourself if youre happy with where you are or if you could be better in specific areas.

Survey responders reported both successes and struggles. In the following pages, we look at responses to each question and discuss trends and best practices for individual data management topics.

We hope youll find this report helpful in validating your own data backup and recovery practices as well as in finding areas for improvement.

Yours truly,

Blaine RiglerSenior Vice President and General Manager, Data Backup and RecoveryIron Mountain Incorporated

1 How The Cloud Changes Disaster Recovery, Industry Perspectives, Data Center Knowledge, July 2011

Blaine Rigler

kEy finDingS

Data recovery, data availability and disaster recovery are the top three data management challenges

33% are routinely missing their data backup windows

48% store their backup data onsite

Only 17% have a formal, company-wide retention and destruction policy

45% successfully navigated their most recent data recovery event


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Data Backup and Recovery Challenges

(continued)

Data Recovery

Data recovery, data availability and disaster recovery are the top challenges when it comes to the backup and recovery of data within survey responders organizations. Its fitting that these three came out on top, since they all revolve around being able to access critical information when and where its needed. Whether its recovering a single file or getting an entire database back online after an outage, its clear that organizations put great value on their data recovery and availability practices.

SurvEy quEStion: Please rank the importance of the following challenges related to the backup and recovery of data within your organization (1 = least important; 5 = most important).

1 2 3 4 5

2%3%

12%

34%

49%

1 2 3 4 5

2%4%

14%

26%

54%

1 2 3 4 5

2%2% 7%

21%

68%

Data Availability Disaster Recovery


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Data Backup and Recovery Challenges (cont.)

(continued)

The top three challenges also share a relationship with data storage growth and data retention policies and practices. Data growth and retention pains can complicate data recovery, data availability and disaster recovery practices, says Chris Turnley, VP, Data Backup and Recovery, Iron Mountain. This could be why they were ranked a bit lower, as businesses may be apt to focus more on the effects than the causes.

Data storage growth was not ranked as a major challenge, perhaps because storage is cheap and easy to implement as volume increases. However, companies should consider the impact of growth on the performance of their backup and recovery processes they will likely see an inverse relationship there.

1 2 3 4 5

6%

13%

29%

32%

20%

Data Retention Policies

1 2 3 4 5

2%8%

30%

37%

23%

Data Storage Growth



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Data Backup and Recovery Challenges (cont.)information accessibility for litigation affects organizations differently depending on their size and structure. Large enterprises with established legal and compliance departments are more proactive about litigation preparedness because they have the resources and are likely more exposed to litigation. Even so, says Turnley, that shouldnt stop small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) from aligning their retention and destruction policies with established guidelines and regulations to avoid risk.

Finally, rapid growth of mailbox storage was only a moderate concern for responders. Companies that limit the size of employees mailboxes will likely not rank this challenge as important. Others who allow employees to keep everything forever, may rank mailbox storage growth low on the IT priority list and allocate little to no budget for it.

1 2 3 4 5

12%

20%

33%

23%

12%

Rapid Growth of Mailbox Storage

1 2 3 4 5

13%

16%

27%

24%

20%

Information Accessibility for Litigation



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Data Backup WindowsAt first glance, many responders seem to have a good handle on their backup windows, with 28% able to complete all backups without issue and 39% completing backups within their allotted windows most of the time.

So with data growing as it is, how can nearly 70% of responders be having such success with their data backup windows?

highlightS

Nearly 70% of responders are having some success with their data backup windows

Incremental disk- and cloud-based backups are lengthening backup windows

Some organizations sacrifice system performance to meet backup windows

33% routinely miss their windows, compromising their ability to recover data when needed

With a strategic retention policy, organizations can reduce the

amount of backup data

1 2 3 4

39%

28%

22%

11% We are able to complete our backups within our allotted backup windows most of the time.

None. We can complete all backups without a problem.

We are backing up inactive data that should be archived or destroyed, and that volume causes us to routinely miss backup windows.

Our volume of active data has grown to the point that we routinely miss backup windows.

SurvEy quEStion: What kinds of challenges are you experiencing with your data backup windows?

SUMMARY ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATIONS


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Data Backup WindowsanalySiSChanges in technology and investments in cloud- and disk-based backup solutions suggest that many organizations are trying to get ahead of this problem. Whereas a few years ago, they may have been doing full backups every night within extremely tight windows, its possible that many are performing incremental disk or cloud backups during the week and saving full tape backups for the weekend which would lengthen their windows and make backups easier to complete.

According to Blaine Rigler, Iron Mountains Senior Vice President and General Manager, Data Backup and Recovery, its also possible that some of these companies have set low expectations for themselves, and theyre basing their success on simply meeting those expectations. For example, there may be 6 hours during the week or 24 hours over the weekend when systems will run slowly due to backup processes it may not be optimal, but it works for them.

If a company has a 24-hour period when its systems are slow during backups, then the problems havent gone away, says Rigler. It has simply set a backup window it can meet and managed expectations accordingly but the process can clearly be improved.

Putting aside the 67% that reported success, that still leaves 33% of responders who are routinely missing their backup windows. In some cases, it could be the growth of active data that presents a challenge, while in others, the issue may revolve around backing up inactive data that should be archived or destroyed. Whatever the cause, being unable to regularly perform successful backups severely compromises an organizations ability to recover business- critical data when needed.

Being unable to regularly perform successful backups severely compromises an organizations ability to recover business-critical data when needed.



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Data Backup WindowsSUMMARY ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATIONS

rEcommEnDationS

organizations should think more strategically about their retention policies. By keeping only the information you need and destroying what you dont, the amount of data you have to back up shrinks and processes run more efficiently.

When you have a retention strategy that balances the need for readily accessible, legally required information against your own resource and budget constraints, youre able to reduce costs, protect your organization from unnecessary legal risks and increase overall confidence in your backup processes.

Blaine Rigler, Sr. VP, Data Backup and Recovery, Iron Mountain


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Storing and Securing Backup DataIn regards to storing and securing backup data, responders were split evenly between leveraging offsite services, such as cloud and tape, and keeping backup data onsite.

highlightS

Many organizations have concerns about the security and scalability of cloud backup

48% store their backups onsite, leaving them unprepared to recover from disasters

Trigger events and regulations are drivers to store tapes offsite with a third party

Finding a partner you can trust is key to successfully storing data offsite

The right partner can identify, restore and deliver your

information when its needed

SurvEy quEStion: How do you currently store and secure your backup data?

48%

28%

20%

4%

Onsite/on-premises utilizing tape and/or disk offerings

Offsite using offline services (e.g., tape vaulting)

Offsite utilizing cloud and/or other online services

Other


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Storing and Securing Backup DataanalySiSWith all of the buzz lately around cloud computing and outsourced services, 20% initially seems like a small number for companies using that technology. With deeper analysis of the statistics, we found that both companies with more than 1,000 employees and those with over 25 TB of data were less likely to back up to the cloud. In addition, many companies, regardless of size, still have concerns about the security, scalability and throughput capabilities of cloud solutions.

Despite these concerns, organizations in that 20% likely have peace of mind that, if a disaster event were to strike their location, their backup data would be protected offsite which may not be the case for companies in the 48% that store their backups onsite.

According to John Sharpe, Iron Mountains Senior Product Manager, Data Backup and Recovery, since its hard to show immediate ROI when moving backups offsite with a third party, many organizations choose to ignore this step in the backup process even if it creates exposure from a disaster recovery perspective.

On the other hand, companies in the 28% that use offsite, offline services like tape vaulting, typically do so because theyve gone through a trigger event (e.g., outage, natural disaster, audit, etc.) or they do business in a regulated industry (e.g., Finance, Healthcare, etc.). We also find that some companies move their backups offsite with a third party because one of their IT people did it at a previous job, and he or she now has a built-in appreciation for the value of offsite tape vaulting, says Sharpe.

Some companies move their backups offsite with a third party because one of their IT people did it in a past life, and he or she now has a built-in appreciation for the value of offsite tape vaulting.


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Storing and Securing Backup DataSUMMARY ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATIONS

rEcommEnDationS

organizations of all sizes and in all industries should find a partner they can trust to secure their critical backup data offsite and provide the auditable chain-of-custody, environmentally controlled facilities and accelerated recovery capabilities they require.

When you rely on a trusted partner for offsite backup, you gain confidence that you can quickly and effectively recover from any event, at any time, regardless of location. You can also protect your information in transit and at rest and benefit from a streamlined process for identifying, restoring and delivering the information you need.

John Sharpe, Senior Product Manager, Data Backup and Recovery, Iron Mountain

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Retention and Destruction PoliciesIn regards to data retention and destruction procedures, responders ran the gamut from keeping everything forever (25%) to following a formal, company-wide retention and destruction policy (17%).

highlightS

Organizations that keep data forever may not be aware of their legal exposures

Recovery objectives are jeopardized when you have to search through all data to recover

Reactively deleting data due to storage constraints has business and legal consequences

The 46% with retention policies need to make sure they are applied across all data formats

Companies should develop a universal records retention and destruction policy

SurvEy quEStion: How does your organization determine what data to save and what to destroy?

29%

25%

16%

13%We have a retention policy, and some areas of our organization use it as a guide for data storage and deletion.

We keep everything forever; its just easier.

We have a formal, company-wide retention and destruction policy that classifies data, considers regulatory and organizational requirements and is applied to all department/locations in the organization.

We informally delete information when someone determines we dont need it any longer.

If we run out of storage space, we delete information without a formal policy.

17%


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Retention and Destruction PoliciesanalySiSOrganizations that keep everything forever may not be aware that, in addition to increasing data storage requirements, some of that information may create exposures from a legal perspective. For example, if a litigation event occurs and all information is discoverable, lawyers can access records that may put such organizations at risk of penalties or fines which can be prevented if the records are disposed of according to accepted retention and destruction regulations.

When companies keep everything forever, they not only open themselves up to legal discovery risk, they also hurt their ability to recover information when they need it, says Turnley. When youre trying to recover a piece of information, you should only be searching through data you need to have, so you can more successfully meet recovery time objectives (RTOs).

Another group with legal and business exposure is the 13% that reactively deletes information when they reach storage capacity. These companies run the risk of prematurely removing data before its retention schedule has expired which has its own set of legal consequences as well as inadvertently deleting information that is vital to business operations. After all, reactive deleting is often done in haste and without careful consideration.

While organizations in the combined 46% that have either a formal or informal retention policy are on the right track, they should ask themselves if their policies are consistently applied across all formats. For example, if they employ a backup process that includes disk and tape, are records deleted from both formats when their retention schedules expire? If its only removed from one, that information is still discoverable, and the same exposures discussed previously come into play.

Reactive deleting is often done in haste and without careful consideration.


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Retention and Destruction PoliciesSUMMARY ANALYSIS RECOMMENDATIONS

rEcommEnDationS

organizations should develop a universal records retention and destruction policy that is applied across all business units and addresses all of its records, regardless of media, that are created or received by the organization in the conduct of business. This retention schedule should be updated every 12 to 18 months to reflect changes in regulations, industry and the business.

With a universal records retention and destruction policy, youll be better able to identify, classify and prioritize information, regardless of format or location. And by distinguishing more clearly between data that needs to remain secure and readily accessible and data that can be stored in lower tiers or even destroyed, youll speed up your backups and increase your ability to respond quickly to information requests.

Chris Turnley, Vice President, Data Backup and Recovery, Iron Mountain

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Data Recovery EventsWhile backup procedures and retention policies are important in and of themselves, it is their roles as data recovery engines that make them indispensable to any business continuity strategy.

highlightS

45% reported smooth sailing, but the types of recovery events were likely a factor

Disk backup supports RTOs, but it can absorb glitches and viruses in real time

22% were only able to achieve a partial recovery, if at all

Organizations should define a disaster recovery plan and test that it works

As data continues to grow, your recovery strategy

takes on more importance

SurvEy quEStion: What major challenges did you encounter during the last data recovery event at your organization?


45%

28%

15%

7% 5%

None. Its been smooth sailing.

We recovered the files we needed, but we didnt meet our recovery time objective (RTO) because it took too long to recover the files.

We achieved only a partial data recovery because some necessary files werent backed up.

Our attempt at data recovery failed because our files were not adequately backed up.

We didnt meet our recovery point objective (RPO) because our backups werent completed within their scheduled time frame.

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Data Recovery EventsanalySiSAccording to Sharpe, it is encouraging that 45% of responders reported smooth sailing, but further research is needed to determine what types of recovery events these organizations experienced.

For example, if the event involved just a corrupted or deleted file, they would likely be able to recover it without difficulty, he says. However, an environmental or weather-related disaster would necessitate a more complex and challenging recovery process.

In todays world, being able to get back up and running quickly or recover a file in minutes versus hours is the rule rather than the exception, so its no surprise that the next biggest group (28%) reported having a hard time meeting their RTOs. This is an area where the type of backup media has a large impact, since recovery from disk is traditionally speedier than from tape. The downside of online disk backup, however, is that it can absorb glitches and viruses from the production environment in real time, which puts the integrity of the backups at risk.

When grouped together, an additional 22% of responders were only able to achieve a partial recovery, if at all. Organizations in this group should ask themselves if they have a defined data/disaster recovery plan in place and, if so, have they ever tested it to make sure it works. In other words, they should know their capabilities before a data recovery event occurs, rather than learn about them on the fly.

The downside of online disk backup is that it can absorb glitches and viruses from the production environment in real time, which puts the integrity of the backups at risk.


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Data Recovery EventsrEcommEnDationS

organizations should perform an assessment of their entire environment and develop a classification and retention plan that matches their backup and recovery procedures with the needs of the business. And, once this step is completed, they should also conduct tests to confirm they can meet all defined service level agreements (SLAs) and recovery objectives.


The ability to recover information quickly whether you are recovering an individual file, a whole laptop or server or a whole site due to an outage or disaster is critical for the continuity of your business. With data continuing to grow at a blistering pace and IT environments becoming more and more complex, its essential to get your recovery strategy right.

John Sharpe, Senior Product Manager, Data Backup and Recovery, Iron Mountain

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Next StepsMeasuring your companys concerns and information management strategy

against those of your peers can shed light on how you plan and prioritize data

management initiatives today and in the future.

At Iron Mountain, we understand the importance of secure, scalable and cost-

effective management of your organizations critical data. As a trusted partner,

weve helped over 140,000 organizations streamline their processes by providing:

3 Practical advice, best practices and advanced data management technologies3 Security measures to safeguard tape and other media in transit and at rest3 Solutions and services that help control the costs and risks of managing data

For more information about Iron Mountain Data Backup and Recovery solutions,

please visit www.ironmountain.com.

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The Benchmark Report Survey ProcessAt the beginning of the benchmark process, we started with two simple questions: How are current data management programs performing relative to best practices, and what are the implications for backup and recovery practices going forward?

In order to find out, we designed and executed a large-scale survey on the current state of data management. This study encompasses the responses of over 1,200 participants in a variety of organizations with employee-size ranges of less than 250 to more than 20,000. And, every responder either had a hand in the day-to-day management of data or was influential in making strategic data management decisions.

SurvEy quEStion: Roles and Responsibilities

26%

31%

43%

I am involved in the day-to-day management of my organizations data.

I am responsible for making all strategic decisions regarding data management, and I oversee a team of people who manage my organizations data.

I have influence in the decision-making process, and I am responsible for the day-to-day management of my organizations data.

(continued)

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concluSion




The Benchmark Report Survey Process (cont.)The size of a company and the amount of data it has to back up are two factors that greatly impact the types of data management practices it will employ. So to get an accurate picture of just what these impacts are, we surveyed small, medium and large organizations in equal measure. In fact, companies with fewer than 250 employees accounted for 49% of responders, and those with more than 250 represented 51%. As for the amount of data to be backed up, 5 TB represents the midpoint, with 48% of responders backing up less than 5 TB and 52% needing to back up 6 TB or more.

SurvEy quEStion: How much data do you need to back up?

18%

30%

24%

14% 14%

Less than1 TB

1 TB to5 TB

6 TB to25 TB

26 TB to100 TB

More than100 TB

SurvEy quEStion: Number of Employees

49%

26%25%

1 250 251 5,000 5,001 20,001+

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aBout iron Mountain. Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) provides information management services that help organizations lower the costs, risks and inefficiencies of managing their physical and digital data. Founded in 1951, Iron Mountain manages billions of information assets, including backup and archival data, electronic records, document imaging, business records, secure shredding, and more, for organizations around the world. Visit the company Web site at www.ironmountain.com for more information.

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Best Practices for Data Management

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