Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility Bought Two Quantum DXi7500

Quantum Corp. announced that Anchorage Water & Wastewater Utility (AWWU) has drastically improved data center efficiency since deploying Quantum’s DXi disk backup and replication solution with deduplication technology.

The Utility, which provides services to nearly half of Alaska’s population, has reduced weekly backup time from 72 hours to less than 24 hours, achieved average deduplication ratios of approximately 20:1, decreased restore times from hours to minutes and saved money on tape media and IT staffing costs.

The Challenge:
Long Backups, Slow Restores and Costly Tape Purchases
AWWU’s 290 employees operate and manage $700 million worth of infrastructure. The data the Utility generates – whether it’s customer payment records or quality assurance test results – is information that must be safeguarded both for instant access and for long-term retention related to compliance and disaster recovery requirements. Unfortunately, backing up this quantity of data became a challenge with the Utility’s previous tape-only setup. According to Howard Marsh, Ph.D., CIO/IT director for AWWU, its two tape libraries took up to 72 hours to run a full backup, meaning the backup could not be completed over the course of a weekend, and restores were also slow and labor-intensive.

Combination of Price, Capacity and Reputation
Leads to Selection of DXi Deduplication Solution
AWWU put together a Request for Proposals (RFP) that went far beyond comparing price and capacity. Marsh says he needed a solution that went beyond simply cost and size – it needed to be easy for employee training and system management. He also wanted to work with a vendor that would stand behind its product and be responsive with technical support. Structured Communications Systems, the largest infrastructure integrator in the American Northwest, selected Quantum to partner in developing a response to the RFP. Based on the first round of scoring proposals, Quantum was one of only two vendors selected for an in-depth discussion with Marsh’s staff and ultimately emerged with the highest rating.

Working through Structured, AWWU first purchased two Quantum DXi5500 appliances and soon added two DXi7500 Express systems to address its expanding data storage needs. Marsh and his staff instituted a DXi7500 schedule that includes daily incremental and weekly full backups, as well as regular data transfers for disaster recovery and long-term retention. They use the DXi7500 Express replication feature to transfer data between one DXi7500 system and the other at a remote site six miles away and Symantec’s NetBackup Vault Option to migrate data to a Quantum Scalar i500 tape library each quarter.

DXi7500 Express: A ‘Rock-Solid Solution’
The benefits of deploying the DXi7500 Express system have lived up to Marsh’s expectations. Weekly backups that previously took three days now take less than one. Deduplication has reduced backup data volumes by a ratio that ranges from 18:1 to 23:1, and restores that once took hours now only take minutes.

"The benefits include stability, lower cost, less time managing the system and a shorter backup window," says Marsh. "We’re able to use less power, buy fewer tapes and not pay overtime for operating a labor-intensive system. For me, I sleep better at night because I don’t have to worry about it."

According to Marsh, Quantum has also responded quickly to requests for technical assistance and resolved issues promptly. In sum, he says AWWU has been very pleased with its decision.

"We definitely feel we made the right choice in going with Quantum – from technical capabilities to customer support," says Marsh. "For organizations seeking a rock-solid solution from a true partner, I strongly recommend the DXi7500 Express."

For more information on the AWWU implementation