Exagrid

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ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage

ExaGrid’s Tiered Backup Storage offers fast backups, instant VM recovery, and unparalleled ransomware protection. Its scale-out design ensures consistent performance and cost-efficiency, even as data grows.

ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage Protection with Retention Time-Lock for Ransomware Recovery

Ransomware attacks are increasingly jeopardising businesses. Attackers not only target primary data but also backups. ExaGrid introduces Retention Time-Lock (RTL) – a unique method safeguarding backups from malicious deletions while allowing for necessary retention purges. This balance ensures robust data protection without escalating storage costs.

ExaGrid uses a two-tier system:

Landing Zone: A “network-facing” disk-cache for immediate data.
Repository Tier: A “non-network-facing” section for long-term deduplicated retention data.

During ransomware attacks, while data in the Landing Zone may be compromised, the Repository Tier’s data remains safe, courtesy of the time-lock. If an attack is detected, switch ExaGrid to recovery mode and restore all backups to primary storage.

ExaGrid’s Retention Time-Lock isn’t perpetual to maintain feasible storage costs. With adjustable delete delays (from 1 to 30 days), ExaGrid ensures that your data remains secure and the storage cost remains predictable.

Key Features:

Swift Backups & Recoveries
Efficient Scale-out Architecture
Unrivalled Security & Ransomware Recovery

ExaGrid Appliances Stack

ExaGrid’s Tiered Backup Storage writes backups directly to a disk-cache Landing Zone for peak performance and minimal backup windows. It uses Adaptive Deduplication in tandem with backups, optimising disaster recovery points. Onsite data is ready for fast restores and VM recoveries, while offsite data is prepped for disaster recovery.

ExaGrid models can be combined in a single system with 1-32 appliances. Examples of EX84 configurations include:

ExaGrid’s turnkey appliances integrate effortlessly with top backup apps, installing within 3 hours max. Multiple models combine for up to 6.14PB raw capacity, ensuring backups of 2.7PB. Built with Intel® or AMD processors and enterprise features, each appliance is tailored for data size, ensuring consistent performance. This all-in-one design simplifies installation, management, and scaling.

ExaGrid’s scalable architecture lets multiple appliances virtualize into one system. Different models can be combined, offering up to 6.14PB raw capacity and backups of 2.7PB. Once integrated, they form a single capacity pool. Data is auto-balanced across all units, and systems can be expanded easily.

Recovery Process in 5- Easy Steps:

Activate recovery mode, halting all deletes until recovery is complete.
Contact your ExaGrid support engineer for assistance.
Pinpoint the time of the ransomware event.
Identify the last deduplicated backup before the attack.
Restore using that backup.

The Advantages of using ExaGrid:

Unified system for backup storage and ransomware recovery.
Hidden second Retention Tier only accessible to ExaGrid software.
Data remains intact due to delayed delete requests.
Regular purges manage storage costs.
Default 10-day delayed delete uses only 5-10% extra storage.
Controlled storage growth aligned with set retention periods.
All retention data is preserved.

Example Scenario:

If a ransomware event deletes data in the ExaGrid’s Landing Zone, the Retention Tier remains intact due to its delete time lock. Detect the attack within the set time lock duration, activate ExaGrid’s recovery mode, and restore. For instance, with a 10-day time lock, you get 10-days to detect and restore after an attack.

Data is encrypted either in ExaGrid’s Landing Zone or on primary storage before backup to ExaGrid. Once in the Landing Zone, it’s deduplicated into the Repository Tier. Though Landing Zone data is encrypted, earlier deduplicated data remains unchanged (immutable). ExaGrid retains backups from before any ransomware attack for immediate restoration. The system also maintains all backup data based on retention requirements.

ExaGrid Features:

Delayed deletion as per protection policy, adjustable from 0 to 30 days.
Encryption keeps previous backups in the repository untouched.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) ensures Time-Lock setting security.
Only Security Officer can modify Time-Lock settings.
Distinct passwords for primary and secondary ExaGrid sites.
Separate roles and passwords for backup and security staff.
Alarms triggered on significant data deletions (adjustable threshold) and deduplication ratio changes.
Point-In-Time-Recovery (PITR) available when RTL enabled.
Flexibility to modify thresholds to reduce false alarms.