Lasso Logic unveils continuous data protection
Rejoice! You have more choices for backup today than ever before. Perhaps backups may soon become so painless that the 60% of you who don’t back up regularly may actually start.
Did I just say that out of five small to midsized businesses, three of them don’t back up enough? Sad to say, but that’s the number, according to a recent survey by IDC. I’m actually surprised so many do a good job backing up, because it takes commitment, time and money.
Newcomer Lasso Logic aims to help make backups easier. The company’s approach meets what I consider the three important criteria for back-up systems: It’s automatic, reliable and offsite.
Lasso Logic is part of a new group of back-up vendors promising “continuous data protection” (CDP). I don’t know if Lasso Logic coined the term, but it is certainly implementing the idea.
Lasso’s network appliances use customized PC cases operated by the Lasso Logic software and controlled over a local network. I tested the smallest appliance, with 80G bytes of local space, and it worked quite well. It’s in a slim-line desktop case, about the size of a VCR player. Larger units move on up to tower cases, but function the same way.
The only way to get continuous data protection is to carefully monitor changes on each client. Lasso Logic requires client software, as do all systems that provide CDP. The client module only took about 20M bytes of system resources and never got in my way. In fact, it was a polite guest that never drew attention to itself, either on a Windows XP Pro desktop or on a laptop running Windows 2000.
Most client-side back-up utilities watch the file activity. Lasso Logic looks more deeply and watches block activity on the disk. There are two big advantages to this approach: smaller file transfers and the ability to copy open files, such as Outlook e-mail databases. Once the folders tagged for backup are copied the first time, which takes a few minutes, updates to any monitored files are archived quickly and quietly with no interruption on the client.
Multiple copies of revised files stay in Lasso Logic, so you can choose which version of a file to restore. Access to files for restoration goes through the client GUI and works much like Microsoft Explorer, as users drill down through folders to find the files they want.
Disk-to-disk backups on the network are great, but a complete back-up system needs an offsite storage option for files in case of a disaster, either natural or manmade, such as a fire or your office computer theft (including the back-up appliance). Lasso Logic allows you to tag which folders go to offsite storage (maintained by Lasso Logic in an updated San Francisco telecom facility). As they should, Lasso Logic allows remote users, such as traveling workers, to access the offsite storage with proper authorization.
I used my laptop to access my remote storage archives through a Web browser (Firefox worked fine, as did Internet Explorer). Finding the files and restoring them remotely took no more trouble and only slightly more time than it did over the local network.
All sales are through Lasso’s growing reseller channel (50 or so now, and the number should double soon). Prices start at $1,449 and go up, depending on how much storage is provided locally and remotely. Using resellers ensures companies will install the client software on every applicable machine, because the resellers will verify that installation in order to provide all users protection. No offense, but too many small companies try to bypass resellers to save a few bucks, and the finished system too often suffers from improper installation and configuration. Using resellers, at least early on, helps Lasso Logic help small businesses.
After installing Lasso Logic, my file changes replicate immediately to the local appliance and the offsite storage facility. Restoration is a simple point-and-click process. Files are redundantly archived, locally and remotely.
Three out of every five of you have no more excuses.
