Historically, many companies have endured the inadequacies of their backup systems because either they didn’t know there was a better solution or feared that making a change would be too expensive, risky and complicated. Over time, however, applying quick fixes to bolster insufficient data protection becomes a never-ending cycle, punctuated by unnecessary hardware acquisitions as well as higher overhead and maintenance costs.

Moreover, it becomes increasingly difficult to extract appropriate business value from information trapped in inflexible, flawed backup software. So, why do some IT organizations limp along with broken backups and restores while others gain full stride with more powerful, robust data protection solutions? What stops some companies from considering a “rip and replace” project is the cost of migrating to a new platform after they’ve sunk huge costs into the existing one. Another concern surrounds the volumes of archived information on tape media, which would need to be migrated to the new system. If archived information can’t be migrated easily and quickly, retention periods could be jeopardized.

Fortunately, switch-savvy IT managers know that replacing cumbersome, hard-to-manage legacy platforms with simple yet more robust solutions doesn’t have to be arduous and budget busting. By following a series of methodical steps, it’s not only possible to determine when to switch but also to facilitate a smooth, seamless replacement project that lives up to expectations, obtains quick ROI, and keeps pace with escalating corporate demands.

Assessing the ‘Pain Factor’

For some companies, unreliable backups, incomplete restores and inordinate administrative overhead are the driving impetus for change. Laborious backups typically are exacerbated by time-consuming restores, especially if a mix of older tape can’t be easily accommodated. Additional discomfort comes from not meeting increasing requests for legal discovery and compliance.

In many other cases, however, it’s not one particular issue that prompts platform replacement, but rather the culmination and continuation of inter-related shortcomings. The longer time it takes to switch backup providers, the more unnecessary costs are incurred. Assessing the “pain factor” is a good first step for determining whether it makes sense to switch rather than continue to fight a faulty enterprise-class software platform.

The best way to start is by looking beyond backup and recovery to other aspects of data management that aren’t being supported adequately. For example, insufficient reporting, archiving, data migration, replication and disaster recovery typically are among operational sore spots that place pressures on unstable data protection foundations.

Then answer these questions to isolate the greatest sources of data protection pain:

• How much is spent on labor to manage corporate data?
• What’s the budget for infrastructure tied to data management?
• Are quicker recovery times needed in event of planned or unplanned downtime?
• Is more effective data management needed at remote locations?
• Could your reporting environment be improved to allow for more effective data management?
• Are you spending too much on e-discovery and litigation support? 

Minding Your OPEX and CAPEX

When it becomes apparent a new solution is warranted, start calculating costs involved in switching platforms. Weigh ongoing costs for the data protection platform (OPEX) against capital expenditure (CAPEX) to acquire or upgrade the platform, which could necessitate additional hardware as well as new software.

With many legacy platforms, the cost of maintaining the existing environment exceeds the cost of switching. For example, lack of integration between point solutions, such as replication, data migration, archiving or reporting along with overall scale issues, can result in disparate hardware platforms that require different administrative skills and resources for daily operation. An inordinate amount of administrative overhead can cause OPEX to rise exponentially.

In defining the costs of changing vendors, calculate the cost of the new product as well as time and costs to train staff. Harder to quantify are costs for the staff to be trained on a new product along with the loss or devaluation of investments in proven processes as well as the need to forge relationships with a new vendor. Before embarking on a software switch, forecast a “payback horizon,” the point at which all costs associated with the investment are recaptured.

Depending on the size and scope of the new software deployment, it’s not uncommon to realize payback on initial CAPEX within four-to-20 months. Over time, however, ROI typically is boosted significantly by savings in maintenance, administration and media management.

Simple Steps to Switching

Once costs are calculated and it’s determined a switching strategy makes sense, develop a software migration timetable. A good time to consider a move is when there is at least six months remaining on maintenance contracts, especially since it’s advisable to keep the legacy system in place and run parallel platforms for a time, based on retention requirements.

Starting the software migration with least-critical servers is recommended along with performing system cutover in phases while testing the new solution with existing hardware to ensure smooth transition. In many cases, maintaining the legacy system with a significantly reduced footprint for up to a year provides ample time to install and get all aspects of the new platform running. For large organizations, indexing technology can speed migration of data that has been archived to tape.  

A methodical transition typically involves moving over a percentage of backup clients to the new system, starting with one management server and media agent. If two or three backup servers are used, hundreds of backup clients can be migrated in a day. If the storage infrastructure has been over-architected, some existing equipment may be decommissioned or repurposed during migration.

Switching strategies will vary, depending on the size, complexity and dynamic nature of the data protection environment. Following systematic steps can ease the transition while minimizing operational disruptions.

Racking up Rewards

Once cutover is complete, companies can fully leverage the reinforced data protection platform to realize almost immediate ROI, including multiple operational, cost and business benefits. Clearly, the rewards of switching outweigh the potential risks of converting from a legacy software environment.  A best-practices approach that identifies existing pain points and calculates vendor switching costs provides a feasible and highly achievable plan for moving from faulty backup and recovery software to a unified, comprehensive data protection platform.

David West is Vice President of Marketing and Business Development for CommVault.