Backup & Restore Pilot

Reliable data backup and recovery

SURF’s Backup & Restore pilot service allows you to create secure and reliable backups of documents and data. Critical data is transmitted securely and stored at SURF. The backup enables data to be restored to the most recent version or an earlier one.

Advantages

Always protected against data loss

With a data backup from Backup & Restore, your most critical data is protected against emergencies, malware, ransomware and unauthorised access by malicious actors, both internal and external.

The best encryption methods for storing and archiving data

Data is sent and received in encrypted form via the SURF network and then stored in an unalterable format on magnetic tapes. The data can only be accessed via SURF’s backup servers.

All data is processed and stored in the Netherlands

All data is stored within the Netherlands and processed by SURF’s systems. This is fully compliant with the GDPR.

Do you have a question about the Backup & Restore pilot? Please get in touch.

Why Backup & Restore?

In the past, backups were mainly used to recover from hardware failures. Nowadays, the primary function of a backup service is to protect against loss, theft or unauthorised access. Combined with the assurance of always having a recent backup to hand, Backup & Restore ensures that a data breach or other disruption is limited to a minor incident. Large-scale and permanent data loss is thus a thing of the past.

How does Backup & Restore work?

Together with SURF, you decide which data you wish to safeguard by means of backups. The machines on which this data is stored are linked to the Backup & Restore service’s backup server.

The service then ensures that, at agreed times – usually at least once every 24 hours – an automated backup process is initiated from the designated locations. During such a session, the system identifies which data has been added or modified since the previous backup. This data is then encrypted and sent to the backup server via the SURF network. On the backup server, the data is checked against existing data, encrypted, and then stored in duplicate in an unalterable format. The data can only be retrieved via these backup servers.

The backup server retains all relevant data blocks from all the different versions of the data until the specified retention period has expired. After that, older versions of the data are automatically deleted. The most recent version is always retained.

Data always available for restoration

Do you want to restore data from the backup? This can be done easily using the same client that creates the backups. Select which volumes, folders or files you wish to restore and choose how far back you want to go. In the background, the backup server will read your data from the magnetic tapes, reassemble it, and send it back in encrypted form to the client, which will then place everything in the correct location. Data can be restored to its original location or to another location of your choice.

Management system based on IBM Storage Protect

We use the IBM Storage Protect software suite for the installation, configuration and operation of Backup & Restore. Details on how the management system works can be found on our wiki.

Intended for data that needs to be restored quickly

Backup & Restore is designed for critical or sensitive data that changes frequently and needs to be restored quickly. It is not suitable for long-term data storage.

Suitable for large and critical datasets that change location frequently

The service works well for large and critical datasets that change location frequently and rapidly. It also functions well for more standard applications such as web servers, database hosts and administrative machines. SURF also uses the Backup & Restore service internally, for example for the systems of the national supercomputer Snellius.

Data never leaves the Netherlands; 100% GDPR-compliant

All data is stored within the Netherlands and processed by SURF’s systems. The data is guaranteed not to fall under the US CLOUD Act. This ensures we comply with GDPR legislation.

Maximum reliability because:

All data is stored at an external location, outside your own network. Malicious parties can never gain access to the backup machines via a hacked network.
No data can be altered or deleted on the backup servers. This ensures that a reliable backup of your own data is always available.
Full backups are created automatically every 24 hours. This ensures that recent backup data is always available for restoration.
Stored data can only be accessed in one way: via the backup client. This specific and controlled route minimises the potential for misuse.
Full integration with tools for backing up virtual machines. This allows full images to be stored centrally for consistent, fast and secure copies. Both physical hardware and virtual machines can be connected to this service.

Joint set-up and installation

SURF understands the key requirements for education and research and how Backup & Restore best meets the needs and technical requirements of educational and research institutions. When you sign up, we therefore assist where necessary with the installation and configuration of the backup client.

We then test the client’s functionality and the connection to the server. Together, we check that daily backups of the correct data are being made at the agreed time. We also verify that these backups are retained for the agreed period. And most importantly: we check that data can indeed be retrieved and restored.