Enterprise Storage Forum content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.
IBM Cloud Backup is an automated agent-based backup system that provides users with a method to back up data between servers in one or more data centers on the IBM Cloud network.
With digital transformation, backup and restoration are essential components of the disaster recovery strategy.
The IBM backup system is managed through the Cloud Backup Portal browser-based management utility, and administrators can plan backups on a daily, weekly, or a custom schedule. It is an enterprise backup solution, where data is stored in an enterprise storage area network (SAN).
IBM Cloud Backup delivers scalable and affordable backup and recovery solutions that target full systems, specific directories, or individual files. Extra plug-ins ensure compatibility with several essential software services, such as MS Exchange, MS SQL, Oracle, and VMware vSphere. The backup solution enables users to complete a bare-metal restore on physical servers that run Windows OS, when necessary.
See below to learn all about IBM Cloud Backup and where it stands in the cloud backup sector:
The Cloud Backup Market
The global cloud backup market value was estimated at $10.61 billion in 2021, and it is expected to reach $24.53 billion by 2029, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.56% from 2022 to 2029.
IBM Cloud Backup Features
IBM Cloud Backup is a full-featured, and automated backup service that operates across multiple servers. Some of the features and benefits of IBM Cloud Backup are below:
Bare-Metal and Instant Recovery
Bare-metal backup backs up an entire computer or server in a way that allows it to be restored to bare-metal hardware. IBM Cloud Backup instant recovery maintains a continually-updated backup VM (virtual machine) for the production VM, and the system redirects the workload to the backup VM in real time.
It offers the advantages of zero recovery time objective (RTO) and recovery point objective (RPO), but the performance of the backup VM can be somewhat slower than that of the original VM.
Incremental and Differential
IBM Cloud Backup offers an incremental backup that starts with a full-image backup then performs periodic backups and saves backup time by allowing fewer full backups and speeds restore times for recently changed files.
A differential backup backs up all data that has changed since the last full-image backup, and backup time increases with each successive differential backup. To restore data requires applying just two backup files; the users first apply the most recent full-image backup.
Strategy and Planning
Typically, a backup strategy begins with determining recovery time objectives and recovery point objectives for each data source and application. RTOs and RPOs vary depending on the business and the individual applications and data in question. Mission-critical applications might require microscopic RTOs and RPOs.
Beyond RTO and RPO, other factors that determine user choice of backup and restore technology include the need for scalability, data security, and even physical distance. The scheduled backups allow users to plan backups for daily, weekly, or custom intervals.
Differentiators
Continuous Data Protection (CDP)
CDP, or real-time backup, instantly saves a copy of every change to data to a separate storage device and tracks each of those saves. IBM Cloud Backup CDP eliminates the interruption of discrete backups, since backup happens constantly, because it can restore data from the most recent change or from any specific point in time. It provides the most comprehensive and granular protection for data.
Plug-In Software
IBM Cloud Backup plug-in software support enables compatibility with many third-party software apps. Bare-Metal Restore and Exchange plug-ins can be installed at the same time as the agent, or they can be installed later by rerunning the installation with the Modify selection. SQL Server and Oracle plug-ins appear as an option on the Custom Setup page.
Data Protection
End-to-end encryption enables back door access to data with front-end encryption and ensures end-to-end encryption to protect data. IBM Cloud Backup features intelligent compression and front-end deduplication to reduce your data footprint by up to 99%. DeltaPro Deduplication helps to reduce front-end and back-end deduplication, and intelligent compression ensures the backup process is adaptive to data types.
IBM Cloud Backup Use Cases
IBM Cloud Backup is a secure, full-featured, and automated backup solution, where users can back up their data as frequently as they like, and it allows for data retention depending on where they want to roll back:
“To ensure the safety of our company’s data, we’ve used IBM Cloud Backup in a number of locations. As a result of IBM Cloud Backup, our company is protected in the case of a data loss. All of our vital data is backed up by the program and may be restored in a short period of time. The program is safe, and it is also simple to use and comprehend. It is also expandable, so we just pay for what we need now and may improve later.” -Kelly Peterson, system administrator, EXL
“Our organization uses IBM Cloud Backup for data management, storage, and even security, where crucial and sensitive information get the right treatment. Besides, IBM Cloud Backup makes it possible to recover any data loss, more so when there are breakdowns, ensuring that every business transaction is well handled. IBM Cloud Backup also makes it practical to work remotely, where we efficiently access different databases, either in the company system or in another external source, under security authorization.” -David Vlad, communications coordinator, Outdoor Pride
IBM Cloud Backup User Reviews
IBM Cloud Backup receives mostly positive reviews and recommendations from several user review sites. Users at TrustRadius rate IBM Cloud Backup 9.1 out of 10.
Users at Gartner Peer Insights rate IBM Cloud 4.3 out of 5, with 72% saying they would recommend it. Based on Gartner Peer Insights, users review IBM Cloud Customer Experience for:
- Evaluation and contracting: 4.3 out of 5
- Integration and deployment: 4.2 out of 5
- Service and support: 4.2 out of 5
- Product capabilities: 4.2 out of 5
IBM Cloud Backup Pricing
IBM Cloud Backup pricing is based on the amount of storage space the user’s backup data consumes. IBM Cloud offers security-rich backup for data between the IBM Cloud servers in one or more IBM Cloud data centers around the world at a monthly cost determined.
IBM Cloud Backup pricing starts from 20 GB capacity at a $15.00 monthly cost. There are eight pricing models between 20 GB to 250 GB capacities with pricing between $15 to $145 per month.
Conclusions
IBM Cloud Backup is an automated backup service that is managed through the IBM Cloud Backup WebCC browser utility, and users can more securely back up their data between IBM Cloud servers using multi-vault technologies.
It allows for backups of various applications; however, IBM Cloud offers software agents for some common software systems, such as bare-metal restore, Microsoft SQL, and Oracle. IBM Cloud Backup system state backups include COM + class registration database, registry, boot files, system files, and performance counter.
It provides a highly secure backup, by default. All encryption over the wire (OTW) is encrypted with AES 256-bit encryption, and users can also choose to store data in encrypted format using AES 256-bit.
IBM Cloud Backup is a good cloud backup option for any enterprise.
