DataGuard

 

DataGuard – Data Replication (Backup) & Verification

• Complete application/server environment images replicated to Data Centre hourly using Castle’s DataGuard Appliance, subject to Castle’s Replication Readiness Assessment
• Replicating incremental changes speeds up the backup/replication process
• Available for all Windows servers and Castle Applications including SunSystems, MS Dynamics, Pegasus and Exchequer
• Verification process included to validate integrity of application backup
• Recovery data is provided on Castle’s DataGuard Appliance, and if necessary, also on a loan server or hosted access to data from Castle’s data centre
• Castle’s Replication Readiness Assessment process collates all the required details in advance

Data Replication (Backup) & Verification – DataGuard

Castle’s DataGuard Appliance provides the best possible security for your precious financial data and systems. Utilising Castle’s unique Technical expertise in Data Centres and Business Continuity, combined with our Application Software experience, we have created a system that securely replicates your data via encryption, validates the successful back-up, and verifies your replicated data on a periodic basis at one of our UK hosted BS25999 accredited world-class data centres using our DataGuard Appliance.

Each server at the customer’s site will be replicated to a local DataGuard Appliance (one for each server) and DataGuard will replicate to the Data Centre from this Appliance to avoid interrupting the performance of the live server and allowing a fast recovery to another server if the original live server fails. Castle will deliver our Replication Readiness Assessment process prior to confirming your requirements.

Thinking about Replication? What to consider

• When was the last time you restored your back-up data into your Windows Server or Castle Finance application to test the integrity of the backed-up data?
• Do you retain a copy of your data off-site?
• In the event of a disaster, how long would it take your organisation to recover your systems, including the procurement and set-up of new hardware, if required?
• What would be the cost of downtime in financial value to your organisation?
• What would be the cost to your organisation if the data couldn’t be restored?
• If your systems were unavailable for a lengthy period, such as the response to Q2 above, what damage could this do to your organisation’s reputation?
• How long could your business survive without access to critical applications, such as no incoming or outgoing e-mails (how would your customers know you didn’t receive an e-mail?)
• How expensive would it be to implement a replicated system “in-house” that provides the level of protection provided by Castle’s DataGuard solution?

The DataGuard service provides peace of mind with:

Automated Replication - Taking automatic backups of your server or data either nightly or hourly (subject to Castle’s Replication Readiness Assessment) to one of Castle’s secure data centre facilities.

Data Validation – For Castle Finance Applications, on a periodic and pre-agreed basis (monthly, quarterly, annually), Castle will restore your data to your Castle application and produce a pre-agreed reconciliation report which will be sent to you for comparison with your live version of the report to validate the copied data. Castle will retain a copy of the validated data in archive for one year or until the next validation takes place.

Corruption Detection – When an Exchange server is protected by DataGuard, a mount ability check is performed on all Exchange databases after every incremental snapshot. DataGuard also performs an off‐host nightly attach to all the databases being protected on a SQL server. This process automatically validates the backups for application corruption eliminating failed recoveries.

Continuous High Availability – The standby features of DataGuard will allow Castle to deliver continuous high availability to a virtual infrastructure on an incremental approach which will keep the Recovery Point and Recovery Time to a minimum. This includes the ability to create a standby virtual machine by storing and automatically updating the snapshot on the SAN in an ESX format every 15 minutes!

Castle can retain the appropriate IT infrastructure at our Data Centre that can be made available to your organisation via remote access to invoke your disaster recovery plan and enable you to be operational within hours.

Alternatively, data could be delivered back to you on a hard drive for use on other hardware and / or Castle could deliver data and systems on a replacement loan server as an additional service.

The invocation options are agreed with the customer as part of the Hosting Readiness Assessment process prior to go-live with DataGuard.

Following a consultation process, Castle will provide a solution and price to accommodate your Business Continuity plan prior to going live. This will include any PC’s and other peripherals, if required.

The key service and support benefits are:

1. Nightly or hourly (subject to Castle’s Replication Readiness Assessment) off-site back-up of application data or server to Castle’s Data Centre
2. Validation a successful back-up has been completed
3. Periodic verification of your application or server data
4. It forms part of your Business Continuity Planning, thereby reducing insurance premiums, providing:

   • Peace of mind that if something happened to your live system, Castle would be able to provide a copy of your verified application database for recovery*.

   • Significantly reducing the risk of losing valuable data

   • Good governance

*Castle will agree in detail what server, data and databases will be backed-up

Additional benefits of Castle’s DataGuard Functionality

DataGuard Disaster Invocation:

Disasters can be both big and small, ranging from a simple flood affecting the electricity supply in your building to a full scale building fire and it’s important you have a Business Continuity plan that can be put into action should a disaster occur. Castle provides a full consultation service to help build an appropriate Business Continuity Plan for your organisation.

To find out more email us at info@castle-cs.com