Axcient x360 Part 3: BCDR Convergence for Simple, Flexible and Provable Recovery
Welcome to part three! In this post I’m showing you how BDR convergence combines our three backup and disaster recovery solutions for one platform that truly protects everything. Discover how we’ve taken the best of our Replibit, BRC, and Fusion technologies and melded them into one BDR super solution we’re calling Axcient x360Recover!
Enjoy the entire series via the links below:
- Part 1: Sick of the Backup Status Quo? We’re Throwing it Out. – Discussion of common problems managed service providers (MSPs) are facing with the invitation to rethink backup for better results.
- Part 2: One Platform to Rule Them All – See how Axcient’s x360 platform provides a unified experience through a single login that integrates business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), Office 365 backup, and protected sync and share under one roof.
- Part 4: Secure by Design – Discover the unique security features included in the x360 platform, including AirGap™, “Air Cover”, AutoVerify™ and Auto Config
Replibit + BRC + Fusion = Axcient x360Recover
Your clients’ data is their lifeblood, and they expect their trusted MSP to keep it safe and to keep their business running, no matter what happens. This is easier said than done, with different backup vendors each having strengths and weaknesses on core requirements like supported environments, recovery point objectives (RPOs), recovery time objectives (RTOs), appliance-based versus direct-to-cloud, etc. It’s led MSPs to have an ‘alphabet soup’ of backup vendors.
We’re simplifying that soup through BDR convergence with the x360Recover solution. Here are the technologies we’re keeping from each product:
Replibit
+ 15 minute RPO
+ Chain-free image-based backups
+ Low cost of ownership, with zero reseeding, and self-healing backups.
+ Instant local virtualization and other comprehensive local recovery capabilities (BMR, virtual export, iSCSI mount, etc.)
BRC
+ Instant virtualization of cloud recovery points (1 hour cloud RTO)
+ Point-and-click cloud disaster recovery with Virtual Office, scaling to 100+ servers
+ Simple, wizard-driven cloud recovery experience for sites of any size through automated runbooks
+ Advanced virtual office connectivity options, including site-to-site and client virtual private network (VPN) with active directory (AD) authentication
Fusion
+ Direct-to-cloud backup and replication
+ Hypervisor-based backups for VMware
+ Wide-area networks (WAN)-optimized global deduplication technology
+ Automated scaling from petabytes to exabytes
Instead of MSPs having to patchwork their BDR solution from a variety of vendors, we’ve sewn together a cohesive new solution using the best aspects of each, while leaving the pain points of the past on the cutting room floor.
Enter x360Recover!
x360Recover allows you to consolidate your backup vendors into one, tailored solution to meet the unique needs of each of your clients:
Total protection, recovery, and business continuity:
- Chain-free image-based backups of servers, workstations, laptops, and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) instances, with 15-minute RPOs and near-instant RTOs. With chain-free technology, reseeding is never required!
- Agent-based or host-based protection for all small to medium-sized business (SMB) IT environments. (As this landscape continues to expand, we’re investing in protecting all of them, beyond Windows agents and VMware hosts, stay tuned!)
- Comprehensive recovery options, including file/folder restore, instant virtualization, bare-metal recovery (including to dissimilar hardware), virtual export (VMware, Hyper-V), and iSCSI mounting.
One-click instant cloud DR testing and failover:
- Instantly failover single servers or entire sites (100+ servers) using one click with full virtual office capabilities in the Axcient cloud, with a 1 hour RTO.
- Fully or partially failover in isolated test mode, or in live mode for actual emergencies.
- Runbooks ensure the configuration required to failover an entire site if setup and tested well in advance of a disaster.
- In a worst-case scenario, deploy the runbook from your mobile device to bring clients up with one click.
- Port forwarding, site-to-site VPN and client VPN with active directory integration ensure seamless connectivity to the failed over services without custom credentials
Flexibility and choice:
- “BYOD” (Bring Your Own Device): Lease or buy Axcient’s turn-key hardware appliances, bring your own BDR hardware, or use a VMware virtual appliance.
- “BYOC” (Bring Your Own Cloud): Leverage the turn-key Axcient cloud with flat-fee pooled cloud storage and retention, and/or replicate to your own private cloud (or your clients’ private cloud).
- “No-Hardware BDR”: Coming soon! A direct-to-cloud option, enabling you to provide affordable endpoint and server protection and business continuity for small clients and satellite offices without the expense of a BDR appliance.
Security and peace of mind:
- Our unique suite of technologies (AirGap™, “Air Cover”, AutoVerify™ and Auto Configure) that deliver provable recovery, air-tight protection against backup deletions from ransomware and hackers, and proactive support from Axcient for truly serious issues. More on these technologies in part four!
- Cloud-first multi-tenant management, with SLA-based health reporting and alerting. Easily see the health and provable recovery state for all of your clients, with clarity on what actions need to be taken to remediate those who are out of SLA.
- SOC 2 certified, demonstrating our commitment to security and operational rigor, and HIPAA compliance with the ability to sign business associate agreements.
Integrating existing Replibit, BRC, and Fusion deployments
Axcient’s approach to BDR convergence is the exact opposite of financial engineering, which results in a superficial integration of products and technologies. We’re committed to deep and full technology integration of our three BDR products to create a single market dominating platform, delivering the strengths of all three products and with none of the weaknesses.
Instead of a high-risk, multi-year product integration episode, culminating in one big reveal, we’ve been incrementally integrating in agile fashion. Since 2017, Axcient has been developing game-changing improvements to our existing BDR products as we iterate towards convergence. More critically, we’re not building a “panacea” new product from the pieces of the old. Partners don’t have to do any heavy lifting or conversion work, or manage forced conversions after a spec,ific launch date, to benefit from and use the new x360Recover platform.
Existing partners will not be required to do any work to convert to the comprehensive x360Recover solution. All existing installations will benefit from the new cloud-first management capabilities of x360Recover. All existing Replibit appliances that replicate to our cloud will be able to use x360Recover’s point-and-click cloud virtualization. All BRC partners will be able to leverage x360Recover’s 15-minute backup RPOs for newly deployed appliances (and if necessary, with existing appliances after some work).
We started with the end in mind and continue following a path that ensures all our partners, no matter what, receive best-in-class BDR on the x360Recover platform. But that’s not all this BDR super solution has to offer…
Join me for the fourth and final part in our Axcient x360 series to learn about that Axcient-specific technologies that make this platform Secure by Design, including AirGap, “Air Cover”, AutoVerify and Auto Configure. Sleep peacefully without worries over ransomware, data corruption, or irrecoverable backups – we’ve got that covered. See you for number four and thank you for following the series!
About the Author:
Kevin Hoffman // Founder & CTO, Axcient
Kevin is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Axcient. In 2002, John Williams, George Welborn and Kevin Hoffman saw the opportunity to reinvent data protection, and became pioneers bringing transformative cloud services to the IT channel. Kevin brings over 20 years of experience solving business challenges with software and cloud technology through a values- and team-centric approach.
He earned a B.S. in Computer Science from Brigham Young University and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Purdue University. His published research includes work on memory programming models, language theory & runtimes, aspect-oriented programming, software modularity, dynamic software analysis, automated debugging and reputation systems. Beyond work, he is a family man, and has avid interests in piano, cycling, skiing, and physics.
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