Walters State Community College needed a secure and off-network data storage solution that would provide a redundant layer of data protection without breaking the bank. The college maintained onsite backups and a secondary backup at another campus but required a solution that would keep data off their network completely. The primary motivation was to find a cost-effective and reliable cloud storage solution that fulfilled their budget constraints. Wasabi's flat-rate pricing, with no additional charges for egress or API requests, made it an ideal choice for the college's financial considerations.
The implementation is an ongoing process, covering 25-30 servers initially, with critical servers prioritized for migration to Wasabi storage. Their end goal is to migrate 100-120 servers over time, and they have made significant progress, with about a quarter of the servers already transitioned as of late 2023.
Data Volume and Growth:
The college plans to store approximately 43-45 TB of data on Wasabi by the end of the migration process. The implementation proceeds in incremental steps, deploying 3-4 machines daily. The data growth is managed effectively, with daily, weekly, and monthly backups, utilizing 150 TB of purchased storage.
Disaster Recovery Strategy:
Walters State has integrated Wasabi into their disaster recovery plan alongside Veeam and Pure Storage. They’re using Veeam to manage the entire process, including local storage backups, offsite copying to another location, and air-gapping through QNAP devices. The goal is to eventually migrate from Dell San Storage to Pure Storage for enhanced data resilience. The use of Wasabi adds an extra layer of protection, especially considering the recent ransomware incident at a sister college.
Data Retention Policies:
Walters State adheres to a comprehensive data retention policy, including 45-day daily backups, 3-month weekly backups, and 6-monthly monthly backups. These policies align with compliance standards, providing a robust and organized approach to data retention.
Data Security Measures:
Multiple security measures are in place to ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data stored on Wasabi. Physical security includes storing storage devices behind secure doors, limited access to approved personnel, and secure locations. Multi-factor authentication is implemented on both Veeam and Wasabi to prevent unauthorized access. Additionally, Pure Storage's Safe mode ensures data immutability with a dual-approval requirement for any changes.
Integration with Backup Solutions:
The integration with Veeam was seamless, facilitated by Wasabi's detailed instructions. The user-friendly setup process, including visual aids, contributed to a successful integration with the backup solution.
Performance and Accessibility:
Wasabi's performance in accessing and retrieving data has met or exceeded expectations. The college, being new to cloud solutions, found the process as easy as traditional storage methods, with fast restore times comparable to local storage.
Cost Management:
The cost structure of Wasabi played a crucial role in the decision-making process. The flat-rate pricing and absence of egress fees proved to be a cost-effective solution, aligning well with the college's budget considerations.
Collaboration and Sharing:
While the college primarily uses Wasabi for disaster recovery, collaboration is not a common use case. Specialized accounts and secure practices ensure that data remains secure, limiting access to designated personnel.
Scalability:
It is too early to determine scalability challenges, but the college appreciates the flexibility of Wasabi's pay-as-you-go model. The ability to add more storage space when needed provides scalability without incurring unnecessary costs.
Walters State Community College's implementation of Wasabi for disaster recovery and data storage demonstrates a comprehensive and effective approach to safeguarding critical data. The integration with existing solutions, adherence to data retention policies, and the emphasis on security measures contribute to a robust and scalable system. The cost-effectiveness of Wasabi's pricing structure further solidifies its role in the college's data management strategy, positioning them closer to achieving their overall goal. Here at IE, we’d be happy to help you implement Wasabi in your environment. You can request a free trial from us below!