The reason is direct and straightforward, with an IBM iSeries setup, you must execute daily backups without any excuse. And backup is not just about data recovery in a disaster, but it will also help you to recover a file that is deleted accidentally.
If you think that you do not need daily backup, then you should re-think your decision. Duplication makes sure that your source data are synchronized, but you cannot get them back with repetition if you delete your business records. Business data is an asset, and backups protect this.
Many IBMi users use tape as their backup medium, and this is a perfect answer. However, some companies consider Virtual tape libraries. A VTL is a disk hooked to your IBMi, a fast and easy method to manage.
Reasons- Why companies consider VTL solutions over physical tape backup?
1. Shrink your backup windows
Time is money, and the businesses are asking you to reduce windows downtime. You may have a backup in advance, but that is not the issue. You can always invest in a fast tape drive and power system like Virtual tape libraries, which can reduce the backup windows. With VTL onboard, you will notice a significant reduction in the backup window.
2. Reduce tape handling
Tape handling is a difficult task, and to use the tape, you must know to handle it. Someone needs to take the recordings and take them offsite. Someone from a third-party organization or someone from your office should be assigned to do the task.
Virtual tape libraries eliminate tape handling with the use of duplication. The duplication of data ensures that your tapes have secured your data at any other location—what more vital reason you need than this.
3. Replicate your backups offsite
You are exposed if your backups are not stored on the second offsite. In case your office building caught fire, there is no other way to access backup and restore it, and therefore tape handling is an issue. VTL’s can produce duplicate copies between two units. Duplication is wholly automated and the best method for offsite backup.
Having deduplication is better with your VTL as it will improve the speed of your duplication and decreases the amount of space on your VTL. Since the virtual tape libraries only need to send the changed objects and the time it takes to replicate to reach the target will be reduced. With VTL, you won’t have 52 copies of the same file each week, you will have only one copy for each week, and that’s a tiny unit.
4. Encrypt your backups
Compliance is affecting more and more companies. As a result, more companies need to encode their backups to comply. Executing tape encoding can be more complicated and time-consuming than using VTL. Moreover, there is no need to use SKLM, unlike tape, which requires software to encode. The device can encode the backups at rest and encode every media file you create. This method streamlines the procedure of being able to encrypt your backups.
5. Reduce the time of data restore
Why do organizations need a backup – It may happen anytime that someone accidentally deleted the vital record or file. Then you need to struggle to get that file back. Moreover, it will take extra time than usual to restore a file. But virtual tape libraries can help you to fix the system in a fraction of the time.
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