27% of Respondents Lost Data Stored in Virtual Environment

While nearly 90 percent of IT professionals surveyed at VMworld 2010 reported their organizations are storing data in a virtual environment, a third of respondents admitted their organization has not updated or they do not know if it has updated its data loss and/or business continuity plan to account for new storage mediums such as virtual storage, as reported by Kroll Ontrack Inc.

This survey, conducted by Kroll Ontrack on the show floor at VMworld, Aug. 30 – Sept. 2, provided insight into if and how IT professionals are managing data in a virtual environment. Key findings indicate that of the 90 percent of respondents that reported storing data in a virtual environment, 27 percent have experienced data loss from that environment.

"Virtualization adds an extra layer of complexity, and when data loss occurs, it is critical to get the data recovery right because the amount of data stored in a virtual environment is exponentially more than the amount stored on a single, physical server," said Jeff Pederson, manager of Ontrack Data Recovery operations, Kroll Ontrack. "Ontrack Data Recovery experts have recovered data from hundreds of virtual machines around the world. We are uniquely positioned to help IT staff recover data from virtual disk drives because of our advanced Ontrack Data Recovery technology, in-house recovery software development and expertise in recovering files from all types of file systems."

When asked about how their organization responds to data loss, only 24 percent were confident in their organization’s response. The majority of respondents (71 percent) reported that their IT team handles all their organization’s data loss incidents, while only 8 percent seek assistance form a third-party data expert.

"In a large amount of cases, attempting a do-it-yourself (DIY) data recovery can prove fatal and render vital data irrecoverable," added Pederson. "Dubbed the ‘golden hour’ by Ontrack Data Recovery engineers, the initial post loss timeframe is particularly important, as it can make or break the chances of a successful retrieval. The best advice is to take a step back and assess the amount and value of the information stored in the virtual environment. Then, make an informed decision as to whether the best course of action is to contact an expert."

Nearly 150 IT professionals participated in this in-person survey, which consisted of separate questionnaires to capture the perspectives of virtual environment and non-virtual environment users.

Through its Ontrack Data Recovery products and services, Kroll Ontrack is a technologically provider of data recovery products and services worldwide. Using its hundreds of proprietary tools and techniques, Ontrack Data Recovery solutions help businesses and consumers recover lost or corrupted data from all types of operating systems and media and storage devices through its do-it-yourself, remote and in-lab capabilities. Kroll Ontrack offers a free initial consultation for customers experiencing a data loss.