SunGard Availability Services' new Secure2Disk backup and recovery solution, powered by EMC Data Domain deduplication storage systems, provides organizations with on-site operational restart capabilities and rapid, off-site recovery that seamlessly integrates with a customer's existing backup software.

Expanding SunGard's portfolio of backup and recovery solutions, Secure2Disk powered by Data Domain helps organizations improve business recovery time. The service supports production operations with onsite backup that provides quick retrieval of recently updated files, e-mails and other documents accidentally deleted or damaged. The SunGard service also helps speed up remote recovery by storing backup data at a secure SunGard recovery center, where it is available for restoration.

The SunGard offering includes Data Domain deduplication storage systems to help improve backup and recovery processes, and simplify local file restores. Data Domain technology deduplicates and compresses data (on average by a factor of 20:1) to minimize the replication bandwidth required in transferring it to a SunGard facility, as well as the storage required for maintaining data at both the local and the secondary site.

Data Domain systems integrate with major backup applications and most archiving solutions. Since it leverages an existing media server and backup application, Secure2Disk powered by Data Domain can co-exist with a customer's current tape architecture to help achieve faster recoveries without interrupting tape archives needed to meet regulatory requirements.

The Secure2Disk solution provides Data Domain systems at both a customer site and SunGard recovery center. The solution helps enable automatic transfer of backup data to a secure SunGard site, with no customer IT staff intervention required. By replicating backup data to a SunGard site, there are no backup tapes to be shipped which can delay disaster recovery operations or testing. This approach also helps enhance security because there is no physical media at risk during transit to a recovery site.

In addition, customers can take advantage of a suite of SunGard Managed Recovery Services that allows them to transfer design and execution of select (or all) steps in the testing recovery process to SunGard's operations staff.

"We turned to SunGard to help us ensure critical medical records would be available within 24 hours in the event of a systems crash or disaster," said Kevin Noel, manager IT risk at Halifax Health. "SunGard Secure2Disk powered by EMC Data Domain provided us a solution that includes backup software compatibility for easy implementation and a compelling ROI model of a monthly subscription avoiding capital expenses. During a recent test, a full recovery of data and systems was achieved in less than 24 hours, or less than half the over 60 hour recovery time we experienced using tape."

"Network-based replication of backup data sets to a secondary site is a best practice to improve disaster recovery preparedness," said Brian Biles, vice president of product management, EMC Backup Recovery Systems division. "EMC Data Domain systems automate and accelerate both the replication and recovery processes, helping deliver increased levels of availability for user data. Availability is in the genetic makeup of SunGard, and their services provide an ideal complement to Data Domain to help customers reliably achieve recovery time objectives."

"With SunGard's Secure2Disk powered by EMC Data Domain, customers can deploy an industry-leading data duplication solution to help protect their data and optimize backup and recovery processes locally," said Indu Kodukula, chief technology officer at SunGard Availability Services. "They can also mitigate data recovery risks by protecting and securing data at a SunGard location and have multiple recovery options to help get their business back up and running."

Secure2Disk powered by Data Domain is a valuable option for organizations that have a single data center or that are prohibited from locating a recovery site within the same geography of their primary data center. SunGard's Secure2Disk portfolio is designed to improve business recovery time capabilities for small businesses needing simple and economical solutions as well as medium to larger businesses requiring seamless integration and the ability to scale.