DobiMigrate Ensures Data Security and Integrity Objectives Met During Migration; Cuts Months Off Project Timeline
Datadobi, the global leader in unstructured data management software, today announced that the CBX agency has migrated its entire distributed data storage infrastructure with DobiMigrate enterprise-class migration software for network-attached storage (NAS) and object data. In doing so, CBX now enjoys greatly expanded features and functionality, including greatly enhanced data security and support for cloud tiering.
Recently, the NetApp data storage platform and associated software on which CBX had long relied on was end-of-life. This meant that no additional firmware, patches, or upgrades would be made available. In addition, warranty support would soon come to an end. CBX decided that its best option would be to remain with NetApp and upgrade to the vendor’s newest platform. In doing so, it would not only remain with a brand it trusted but CBX would also benefit from increased capabilities and heightened security. With this decision made, the next critical consideration was how best to migrate the NAS data from its existing data storage environments to the new. The data migration would involve the entirety of CBX’s client and internal business production data housed across two geographically dispersed locations in Minneapolis and New York City.
CBX reached out to their technology vendor SHI, for a recommendation on how best to proceed. SHI highly recommended Datadobi, and its DobiMigrate enterprise-class migration software for NAS and object data.
“SHI assured us that DobiMigrate could be trusted to deliver in the most complex and demanding environments, while ensuring that we meet our data security and integrity objectives for migration to our new storage,” said Don Piraino, IT Manager, CBX. “The fact that Datadobi is also vendor-agnostic and has the ability to move data from any vendor’s platform to another heterogeneous platform on prem, remote, or in the cloud added to my comfort level. It is nice knowing that I am not locked into any one vendor. But more importantly for me, this spoke to Datadobi’s industry unique experience managing diverse migrations across many different platforms and environments.”
“We couldn’t allow even a moment of downtime or loss of data availability of any kind. The migration involved every single piece of CBX data – from client to CBX business data, spread across two geographically dispersed locations,” Piraino explained. “Typically, we use NetApp SnapMirror, but we knew it wasn’t the answer for this level of a migration. With DobiMigrate, we finished in weeks, rather than in months, with not even one hiccup.”
When asked what advice Piraino would offer others contemplating an enterprise class data migration, he replied, “We had a Datadobi Implementation Specialist dedicated to ensuring the success of our migration initiative… Having that level of expertise was invaluable. Nothing happened without Datadobi making sure it was being done correctly. It was such a load off my mind.”
Piraino concluded, “The final cutover was really smooth – with absolutely zero impact on any of our team’s work. We completed it on a Friday evening. And on Saturday morning, everything was up and running. When you, your internal users, and your boss feel zero pain, that’s always a good thing.”
To read the CBX case study in its entirety, please visit: https://datadobi.com/case-studies/.
I was lucky enough to sit in on a product demonstration of DobiMigrate last week and was thoroughly impressed by the level of thought and attention to detail that goes into dobiMigrate,
every migration planned to the highest degree in order to minimise the service window with rollback procedures in place.
Now with Added S3 support Datadobi represents a truly cross-platform solution for data migration which is easy to recommend, if you want to know your data is safe.
Attached is their press release.
Datadobi Offers Ultimate Unstructured Data Migration Flexibility with S3-to-S3 Object Migration Support
DobiMigrate 5.9 provides the ability to migrate or reorganize file and object storage data to the optimal accessible storage service
LEUVEN, Belgium – June 2, 2020 – Datadobi, the global leader in unstructured data migration software, today announced DobiMigrate 5.9 with added support for S3-to-S3 object migrations. The addition of S3-to-S3 object migrations offers the most flexible and comprehensive software suite for migration of unstructured data. Customers can move data in any direction between on-prem systems of different vendors, cloud storage services, or a mixture of both. All objects and their metadata are synchronized from the source buckets to the target buckets.
Together with existing support for all NAS protocols, DobiMigrate customers can now benefit from the ultimate flexibility to migrate or reorganize their file and object storage data.
“We have always been a company that can manage our customer’s most difficult migration projects and have been involved in a number of different types of object migration projects over the years,” said Carl D’Halluin, Chief Technology Officer, Datadobi. “In this release, we are incorporating everything we have learned about S3 object migrations into our DobiMigrate product, making it available to everyone. We have tested it with the major S3 platforms including AWS to enable our customers’ journey to and from the cloud.”
The ability to move unstructured data whenever needed allows customers to continuously optimize their storage deployments and data layout. This keeps data on the optimal accessible medium needed at any moment, enables users to decommission ageing hardware, and offers the freedom to reconsider which data belongs on premises and which data better lives in cloud services.
With its unrivalled knowledge of cross-vendor storage compatibility, Datadobi has qualified migrations for an ever-expanding list of storage protocols, vendor products, and storage services, including S3 object storage, SMB and NFS NAS storage, and Content Addressed Storage (CAS) and is a partner with most of the major storage vendors.
“The exponential growth in the creation, storage, and use of unstructured data can create serious migration bottlenecks for many organizations,” commented Jed Scaramella, Program Director for IDC Infrastructure Services. “Migration services that leverage automation will mitigate risk, accelerate the process, and provide insurance that data transfers will proceed without interruptions.”
About Datadobi
Datadobi, a global leader in data management and storage software solutions, brings order to unstructured storage environments so that the enterprise can realize the value of their expanding universe of data. Their software allows customers to migrate and protect data while discovering insights and putting them to work for their business. Datadobi takes the pain and risk out of the data storage process, and does it ten times faster than other solutions at the best economic cost point. Founded in 2010, Datadobi is a privately held company headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, with subsidiaries in New York, Melbourne, Dusseldorf, and London.
For more information, visit www.datadobi.com, and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Backblaze Case Study: AK Productions
Moving Precious Data at Record Speed
“I was spending between 30 minutes to an hour every day trying to figure out simple tasks on Google Cloud Platform. On Backblaze it literally takes me 5 minutes.”
-Aiden Korotkin, Director of Photography, AK Productions
Situation
Aiden Korotkin started taking on big clients with big projects when he transitioned from freelancing to open his own full-service video production company. Unfortunately, his existing storage solution, Google Cloud, took hours to manage-time he couldn’t afford to lose while growing his business. He also worried about the privacy of his clients’ important data on Google. With more at stake, he needed a simple, secure solution.
Solution
It was clear to Korotkin that he needed to transfer his data quickly and securely to a more user-friendly service, without disrupting his workflow. Backblaze, partnering with cloud migration company Flexify.IO, was able to move his data from Google Cloud to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage while also configuring his QNAP NAS to upload all new content directly to Backblaze B2.
Result
Backblaze and Flexify migrated Korotkin’s first 12 TB in less than a day and set him on a path to backing up a remaining 40 TB in real-time. Backblaze’s simple interface reduced the time Korotkin spends managing data backup by 83%, freeing him to focus on growing the business. He knows his files are safely stored, accessible when needed, and can confirm their status and fidelity any time.
Customer Profile
AK Productions is a full-service video production company based in Washington, D.C. They believe that powerful films begin with innovative storytelling. By combining engaging visuals, beautifully mastered sound, and intriguing stories, AK Productions crafts thought-provoking media for the D.C. and Detroit Metro areas. AK Productions has created multi-platform content for organizations such as the World Bank, the British Embassy, National Geographic Channel, and Discovery Communications.
Astonishingly Fast Data Transfer Enables Simpler Storage
Aiden Korotkin was a successful freelance videographer and photography director before he opened AK Productions in 2015. Moving from freelancing to full-service production meant bigger clients with bigger projects-documentaries, corporate video, commercials, and short films for international brands like National Geographic and the World Bank. Rather than simply shooting footage and delivering the files, he was responsible for the full project lifecycle, from pre-production through finished product.
As his business requirements evolved, he needed a better solution for backing up important client data. “At one point, I was using hard drives,” he confessed. “I wasn’t really backing them up. When I lost some project files, it was a wake-up call.”
Korotkin worked to implement a 3-2-1 backup philosophy using a QNAP NAS server that backed up to a RAID and Google Cloud Platform, where he kept the final copies of his projects. The 3-2-1 philosophy advises keeping three copies of data, storing it on two types of media, and keeping one off-site. “I knew Google had a cloud platform. It was a quick decision, and I didn’t really look into it,” he admitted.
At the time, Google offered a promotional credit. “That lasted about a year,” Korotkin said. When the credit expired, it forced him to take a closer look at the cost efficiency and security of the Google Cloud Platform. “I realized that it’s super confusing. You have a lot of options, but it seems like chaos unless you know exactly what you’re doing,” he noted.
Searching for Safe Storage
Frustrated with navigating the Google Cloud Platform, Korotkin started looking for other solutions. This time, he did his research. With privacy in mind, he turned to DuckDuckGo, a search engine that protects users’ personal data. “Their blog led me down the rabbit hole of security and privacy,” he said. “Backblaze kept coming up on different lists as more private, simpler, and more user-friendly. I also started to have some privacy concerns with Google.” Finding a steady drumbeat of news about the way Google collects and uses customers’ data solidified his decision to switch.
Choosing to transfer his data to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage was the easy part. “The Backblaze solution engineers were very responsive in helping me figure out if they were the best option for me,” he said. But then Korotkin and the Backblaze team turned to the harder aspect of the process: transferring 12TB of data from Google without disrupting his business.
“Backblaze kept coming up on different lists as more private, simpler, and more user-friendly. They were very responsive in helping me figure out if they were the best option for me.”
-Aiden Korotkin, Director of Photography, AK Productions
The Challenges of Data Migration
Transferring large amounts of data from one cloud storage service to another can be costly, time-consuming, and complex. Korotkin wasn’t even sure how much data he had stored on the Google Cloud Platform, so he struggled to determine the cost of egress fees. “Their costs conflicted, and I couldn’t contact anyone [at Google] for support,” Korotkin said.
He was also concerned about the integrity of his data through the transfer process. Korotkin had lost some older projects to corrupted drives before he fully implemented his 3-2-1 backup system, so the files on Google were his only copies, some of which, he found out later, had not fully uploaded. “Because I had so many drive failures uploading to Google,” he explained, “I couldn’t confirm that some of my older data was still intact. The data in Google included some of my only copies. The transfer had to work.”
A Partnership for a Seamless Transfer
Backblaze developed a cloud-to-cloud data migration solution by partnering with Flexify to facilitate transfer of AK Productions’ data. Flexify leverages cloud internet connections, as opposed to client’s local internet bandwidth, to achieve significantly faster migrations.
Korotkin connected with a Flexify support tech who was with him throughout the process. Korotkin shared that the transfer failed at first because he had the wrong IDs from Google. But the Flexify tech followed up immediately to let him know the steps he needed to take to remedy the error.
By cultivating partnerships like this one, Backblaze enables more versatile, responsive storage solutions for clients. Integrations that make data easy to access via client’s go-to hardware and software mean that they don’t need to learn new tools or change workflows by switching to Backblaze.
Up and Running in One Day
Flexify transferred the 12TB of final project data AK Productions’ had stored on Google to Backblaze in just 12 hours. Transferring that amount of data via standard business connections can take weeks, months, or even longer.
Through Flexify, transfers happen so fast, they can be scheduled so there is zero downtime in production and no disruption to business workflows. With the ability to migrate data at 10 Gbps (up to 100TB per day) from other cloud providers like AWS and Google, large transfers can happen overnight or over a weekend with Flexify.
“It was super, ridiculously fast,” Korotkin marveled. “I don’t know what their voodoo magic is, but it’s great.”
With the ability to migrate data at 10 Gbps (up to 100TB per day) from other cloud providers like AWS and Google, large transfers can happen overnight or over a weekend with Flexify.
Stellar Support from People Who Care
At the end of the migration, some files didn’t transfer because they had not completely uploaded to Google. Flexify’s support team responded immediately. “They were more concerned than I was at that point,” Korotkin said. “Honestly, it was some of the best tech support I have ever received.”
Backblaze looks for companies with shared values for partnerships, and Flexify was a perfect match. They offer amazing technology and tech support from real people.
“It was very comforting,” Korotkin said. “Flexify cared that my data transferred correctly, which is refreshing. They had no idea that some files were the very last copies I had, but they treated them that way regardless.”
“Flexify cared that my data transferred correctly, which is refreshing. They had no idea that some files were the very last copies I had, but they treated them that way regardless.”
-Aiden Korotkin, Director of Photography, AK Productions
Simple Solution Saves Time, Cures Headaches
With AK Productions’ data safely transferred from Google, Backblaze worked with Korotkin to configure his QNAP-another long-time Backblaze partner-NAS to upload directly to Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage so Korotkin could back up the remaining 40TB of data stored on his NAS.
The most significant benefit Korotkin realized was the time saved by Backblaze’s simplicity. “If I had to estimate, I was spending between 30 minutes to an hour trying to figure out simple tasks on Google (i.e. setting up a new application key, or syncing to a third-party source). On Backblaze it literally takes me 5 minutes,” he estimated.
“I spent a good four hours or more trying to figure out how to make things work on Google’s end to do the transfer, only to fail and be left with an actual headache, cross-eyed from staring at my screen,” he estimated. “I don’t know what a Storage HMAC Key Administrator is or how it’s different than an Apigee Analytics Agent, but I also don’t need to know. More importantly, I don’t need to know the difference in order to make Backblaze work for me and my business.”
Fast Transfer Allows AK Productions to Enjoy Backblaze Benefits
Korotkin came to Backblaze with specific business needs. He wanted to get away from using Google, back up his on-site QNAP NAS in real-time, and archive his projects to the cloud once they’re complete. He found exactly what he needed in Backblaze B2 Cloud Storage. It offered a solution that met his desire for simplicity, security, and privacy.
Even with the cost of egress fees from Google, AK Productions will break even and start realizing significant cost savings in approximately six months. A simpler, more cost-effective storage platform that integrates seamlessly with his existing tools took Korotkin’s storage concerns off the table (and completely eliminated his Ibuprofen budget).
“I’m just so glad that Backblaze exists as a company. Backblaze is not only simple to navigate, but it seems to be designed to be user-friendly for those who aren’t in IT.”
-Aiden Korotkin, Director of Photography, AK Productions
George Jon Selects Datadobi to Deliver Data Migration for its Leading eDiscovery Platform
Datadobi Outperformed Alternative Solutions for Performance, Simplicity, and Reporting Capabilities
LEUVEN, Belgium–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Datadobi, the global leader in unstructured data migration software, has been selected by eDiscovery platform, process, and product specialist George Jon, to power its data migration services for clients across the corporate, legal, and managed services sectors. George Jon builds and launches best-in-class, secure eDiscovery environments, from procurement and buildout, and requires a data migration solution that provides clients with fast and reliable file transfer capabilities. They’ve managed projects for all of the ‘Big Four’ accounting firms and members of the Am Law 100, among many others.
