Virtual Data Centre Services Opts for Veeam, Maintained and Supported by Zadara

Highlights:

• Integration with Veeam backup technologies
• Storage-as-a-service enables a shift to 100% Opex model
• VCSPs can offer object storage without a large capital investment
• 100% SLA proactively maintained and supported by Zadara.
• Up to 10x lower costs than AWS, Azure, and IBM object backup

Many factors accelerated business adoption of cloud-based data protection in 2020. Data growth, increasing threat of ransomware attacks, and new remote working practices in response to the Covid-19 pandemic have led organizations of all sizes to prioritize IT flexibility and choose managed cloud solutions.

Veeam backup is at the core of such solutions, including those from Virtual Data Centre Services Limited (virtualDCS), a UK-based provider of backup, DR and infrastructure as a service.

Veeam Software, Inc. provides backup technologies that are used by more than 350,000 businesses worldwide. A long-standing Veeam Cloud & Service Provider (VCSP) partner, virtualDCS has leveraged Veeam backup technologies since it first opened for business in 2008. virtualDCS has utilized Zadara and Veeam technology to create CloudCover 365, a self-service portal that extends the Veeam platform with features such as browser-based data management and end-user self-service with full granular restores, for use cases such as Office 365 backup.

“Zadara storage-as-a-service gives us the ability to provide a great service without a large capital outlay,” said Richard May, managing director, virtualDCS.

To address customers’ post-2020 needs, virtualDCS needed to evolve its as-a-service data protection portfolio by offering object storage that was competitive with major cloud providers. Object storage is for low-cost backup, DR, and data archiving.

“We found two providers that could do the job,” recalls Richard May. “But we liked Zadara’s commercial model, and as we got more involved with them, we found the way they operate was far superior.”

Challenge
While virtualDCS could have offered its customers object storage via a major cloud platform, such as AWS or Azure, the company prefers to operate its own equipment in its own data center; this enables virtualDCS to be in control of its infrastructure, to optimize performance, and to create end-to-end solutions that are price competitive. However, buying object storage equipment at the scale required to service its growing customer base was potentially cost-prohibitive for the company.

“Our CloudCover 365 backup platform performs best with object storage,” explains May. “But we didn’t want to go to Amazon or Azure because we would be bringing the data into our data center and then pushing it back out to a third party. We wanted to give our customers an end-to-end solution that we manage all the way through.“

virtualDCS had also identified growing customer demand for immutable storage and air-gap architecture, which are approaches to managing risk from ransomware attacks and where an organization needs to prove that data has not been changed. Immutable storage devices can only be written to once; if a ransomware attack compromises a system, the immutable backup has protection. Air-gap architectures keep a backup on another network, where an attacker cannot physically reach it.

“We tell our customers: don’t forget the security and protection that was such a huge focus before your hand was forced on cloud,” says May. “On ransomware, we’re helping them understand how immutability, air gaps, and training can help.“

Solution
After discussing their requirements in detail with Zadara engineers, virtualDCS implemented a Zadara storage-as-a-service solution at its data center premises in Leeds, UK. The as-a-service element enabled virtualDCS to pay as you go for the capacity its customers needed, and then add more capacity as they grew.

As May explains: “Rather than having to invest hundreds of thousands of pounds buying storage when we don’t need it all yet, Zadara gave us the option to buy the capacity we needed and then pay for more capacity as we grow. There isn’t really anybody else doing it like that at the moment.“

The integration between Zadara and Veeam means that everything works.

“The Zadara solution is very useful for us as a VCSP, because it adds new capabilities to our Veeam-based services,” says May. “It backs our own CloudCover 365 service, it’s available for Veeam direct off-site repositories, and it’s also available for immutable backups of our Veeam Cloud Connect solution.”

The Zadara hardware is deployed on premises and connected directly to virtualDCS’s other hardware, but the solution is delivered as a service with 24/7 support and maintenance provided by Zadara. virtualDCS is able to deliver end-to-end solutions, controlling the customer data it manages without relying on external providers.

“With our solution we are the sole processor, we have no sub-processors,” says May.

Benefits 

Competitive Edge On Cost
The Zadara solution has enabled virtualDCS to operate its backup services at a lower cost than if it had leveraged a major public cloud platform. The company has been able to pass those savings on to its customers.

It ran tests that compared the cost of a large seeding backup job on its Zadara and Veeam-powered CloudCover solution, versus 3 leading platforms.¹ The cost with virtualDCS was more than 10x lower than the nearest competitor.

“Our competitors may offer a lower price per gig, but they also charge you every time you read and write to the storage,” May explains. “On a major public cloud platform, restoring a large backup could result in a bill of thousands of pounds. Our customers get a very predictable monthly bill, and they know where it’s coming from.“

Enabling Growth
While VCSPs often need to make a large capital investment to offer object storage to their customers, the pay-as-you-go model provided by Zadara has enabled virtualDCS to reduce capital expenditure and align storage costs with business outcomes.

“We haven’t had to go and spend £150,000 to £200,000 and then try to recoup it,” May explains. “We’re paying for what we use and we’re billing our customers as they use it. We haven’t got that headache some VCSPs are looking at how they’re going to get their investment back, while we’re focused on delivering great services for our customers.”

Simplified Operations and Services
Because it is delivered as a managed service, with hardware deployed on premises, the Zadara solution has made life simpler for both the virtualDCS team and its customers.

“It’s simple, because Zadara is responsible for making sure the storage is running,” says May. “We have the peace of mind that if things go wrong, Zadara will sort it out, while the storage is still in our data center and in our control. We’re also selling Zadara storage raw. For the customer, they use our self-service portal to say, I want to put data on the object store, and the software does it all for them.“

Delivering Veeam Backup Best Practice
Thanks to Zadara object storage and the partnership between Zadara and Veeam, the Zadara solution is helping virtualDCS customers to achieve the Veeam 3-2-1-1 backup strategy for data protection. 3-2-1-1 means having 3 copies of data on 2 different media, with one online off-site copy and one offline air-gapped off-site copy.

“Immutability is a bit like putting something on to a record,” says May. “Once you’ve put it on there, you can’t change it. If a customer gets hit with a ransomware attack, the ransomware wouldn’t be able to change the things you said were unchangeable. The air gap is another important part of our service, which keeps an unreachable backup on another network.“

Future
With a storage solution that has primed the company for growth, virtualDCS is focused on expanding and evolving its data protection portfolio. The company will continue to collaborate with Zadara in exploring new ideas and strengthening its offering as a VCPS.

“Working with Zadara is a true partnership,” says Nicola Towler, marketing manager, virtualDCS. “From technical support to sales and marketing, there’s always somebody to discuss ideas with.“

“I’ve been quite impressed with Zadara’s partnership approach,” adds May. “They get involved in marketing, we have checks with their technical team, and they actually listen and act on our suggestions. It’s quite refreshing compared to other hardware vendors.“

¹ Veeam, virtualDCS and Zadara. 2020. Storage Overview for Veeam 365.