Clarkston Community School District Switched From Tape to Disk

To simplify backups and ensure easy and reliable access to critical data, Clarkston Community School District, located in Clarkston, MI, recently switched from tape to disk, transforming its data backup environment.

To backup data from 18 servers and across 2,500 computers housed in multiple buildings, the District had employed a legacy tape drive system. The result was a cumbersome tape library containing more than 68 tapes. While storage was an issue, the main concern for the District’s IT staff of seven was that the system never really worked as designed, which meant there was rarely a complete backup.

"If there was a data loss catastrophe, there was no way I could be confident we could recover from it," said Angela Harrison, CNE, MCP, network administrator at Clarkston Community School District. "If something happens and the data is gone, it is on me — if I can’t get it back, it is on me. We needed a dramatic change to a system that we could count on."

With a goal to completely eliminate tape in favor of a more reliable, easier to use solution, the District evaluated tapeless backup devices and selected the Revinetix, Inc.‘ Sentio HD4-10000. Factors behind this decision included that the Sentio Disk2Disk2Disk system proved to be more reliable, easier to manage, and more affordable to license.

"Revinetix offered us a complete solution," said Harrison. "Full backup, differential backup, web interface, and attentive customer service. It was the complete package."

Clarkston Community School District has transformed from antiquated stacks of tapes to a highly efficient mirrored backup environment. Now, after the backup runs at the high school, the data is replicated at the District office. This redundancy helps ensure there will be no disruption to business. Data will always be accessible, can be recovered easily and servers can be brought back online quickly.

The backup runs every night and the system generates an email to confirm the backup was completed.

"Having the Sentio in place provides such a sense of relief," said Harrison. "There are no more concerns about data recovery and we have confidence that our data is protected. The Revinetix Sentio gives me great peace of mind in my job."

"It is extremely rewarding to play a part in being the catalyst for transformation at Clarkston Community School District," said Revinetix president and CEO Thomas Hogan. "The Disk2Disk2Disk network backup solution is playing an integral role in helping the District reach its data backup efficiency and efficacy goals and we are pleased to have again earned the confidence of another of the nation’s education institutions."