WHITE PAPER

Copy Data Leverage Use CasesAutomated DR, Test/Dev, DevOps, Analytics, Cloud

Catalogic Software’s ECX™ solution enables IT organizations to manage,

orchestrate and analyze copies of their data across their existing storage

and virtualized environment, providing full lifecycle management of their

copy data. With ECX, IT can harness the full power of the copy data in

their environment to significantly improve existing processes like backup

and DR, while enabling new use cases like Test and Dev and business

analytics. This paper explores several of the top business use cases

enabled by ECX.

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

2 of 13

Contents

Introduction � 3

Catalogic�Software�–�ECX�Overview � 3

The�Copy�Data�Challenge � 4

Copy�Data�Leverage� � 4

Manage�and�Orchestrate � 5

Use�Case�1:��Enhanced�Operational�Data�Access/Recovery � 6

Use�Case�2:��Automated�Disaster�Recovery � 6

Use�Case�3:�DevOps � 8

Use�Case�4:��Business�Analytics� � 9

Use�Case�5:��Hybrid�Cloud � 10

Integration�with�ECX�–�RESTful�APIs � 11

Technology�Benefits�Over�Time � 11

About�Catalogic�Software � 13

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

3 of 13

IntroductionStorage technologies have become extremely proficient in creating copies of production data during the last decade. Virtualization has simplified the process even more. Taking snapshots or creating VM clones in a modern IT environment is now a trivial event. But few IT organizations believe they are getting the most out of all of those copies, and they know that there is great value that could be unlocked. The ability to truly leverage copy data is a mandate for IT today, and a wave of innovation is now focused on this challenge. Copy data leverage allows IT to provide data access to a number of important use cases including automated DR, DevOps, analytics and hybrid cloud. The objective of a copy data leverage solution is to enable IT to provide automation and orchestration to the copy data allowing them to utilize the copies in support of these key functions, and to dramatically simplify their processes in order to reduce cost and complexity.

IT is constantly under pressure to supply different lines of business with copies of production data in order to solve multiple use cases. The stress and challenges in doing so creates compounding capital expenses, as well as operational expenses, along with the proliferation of copies of primary data. This data sprawl is causing geometric data growth that is out of control. Certainly IT wants to get a handle on this problem, in fact we have heard a consistent theme from IT professionals: “my data management problem has become too big for humans to handle!”

It is important to look at some fundamental questions when thinking about copy data. Where are these data copies coming from? Are they needed? Could they be utilized for other business purposes? And perhaps most importantly, how can this copy data situation be properly controlled now and over time?

This document is intended to discuss specific ways to manage, orchestrate and analyze copy data using Catalogic Software’s intelligent copy data management platform, ECX, for specific use cases. ECX provides IT organizations with the ability to get control over their copy data across the enterprise including the cloud, delivering the right data copy for the right business function, at the right time and in the right location--all within a single, simplified and automated platform. With ECX, IT organizations are able to dramatically reduce the number of data copies they make in the enterprise, streamline the business processes that make up the historically complex and out-of-control copy data quagmire, and simplify the complexity of the overall environment. In doing so, ECX not only significantly reduces CapEx and OpEx, but it also becomes a tremendous enabler for simplified and streamlined operations in support of multiple use cases, including enhanced operational data access, automated DR, DevOps and business analytics.

Catalogic�Software�–�ECX�OverviewAn effective copy data solution begins with a comprehensive view of the data in the enterprise across physical, virtual, and cloud-based environments. ECX is a data management application that delivers automation, orchestration and analytical tools for data in the IT environment by leveraging a comprehensive actionable catalog of that data.

At the core of ECX is a robust and infinitely scalable cataloging engine. ECX catalogs all of the primary data and copy data (snapshots, clones, mirrors, vaults, etc) across the storage and virtual environments, and then gives the IT team this valuable vantage point through a single, centralized management console. This allows IT to orchestrate, analyze, search, and report on all data, enabling IT to take advantage of its data assets for multiple business solutions. ECX provides detailed insights into the copy data environment through over 30 predefined reports, as well as through a powerful, Google-like search engine that allows for a range of search capabilities, from simple keyword searches to advanced query strings.

ECX is the storage industry’s only copy data management platform that is designed to take advantage of the storage services of an IT organization’s existing storage and virtualized environment. ECX installs as a virtual appliance and catalogs the virtual and storage environments without the need to deploy agents. After downloading ECX from the Catalogic Software web site (http://catalogicsoftware.com/en/products/demo-and-trial) and installing it, the solution runs in the background to create an actionable

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

4 of 13

catalog of the environment. With the catalog as the foundation of the architecture, ECX provides administrators with the ability to manage, orchestrate and analyze their copy data in order to meet the objectives of the business.

With an intuitive, point-and-click interface, IT can automate and orchestrate “copy data” and “use data” workflows. ECX’s automated workflows allow clients to streamline copy data operations for a number of business operations such as recovery, DR, Test/Dev or DevOps and analytics.

The�Copy�Data�ChallengeIT is faced with a number of challenges every day that require business solutions such as recovery, disaster recovery, DevOps, analytics, and archive. IT deploys a myriad of technologies to try to address these business solutions, such as backup software, backup & archive appliances, replication software and much more. In many instances, these technologies provide similar storage service functions; they make a copy of primary data (see figure 1), and make it available for use by a business operation. Not only do these extra copies cost money in storage capacity, they also add to cost in terms of additional infrastructure and personnel to create and manage them throughout their lifecycle.

Considering the massive data sprawl occurring today, any comprehensive copy data solution must provide better data management, not only data for copies created into the future, but also for copies that have been created already, irrespective of the tool used to create them. Such a solution requires the ability to assess and address the problem with the capability to Manage, Orchestrate and Analyze the enterprise’s copy data.

Copy�Data�Leverage�Every line of business requires a “copy” of production data in order execute their function. This paper focuses on the most prominent use cases for copy data in order to exemplify the impact that ECX can have on an IT environment: enhanced operational data access, DevOps, business analytics and hybrid cloud. Interestingly, today IT supports each of these use cases using data copies with similar (time-consuming and archaic) workflows that end up creating data proliferation. This paper will demonstrate how Catalogic’s ECX solution can provide automation and orchestration to these workflows, and allow IT to take advantage of a single copy of data for multiple use cases. ECX can bring up data copies to be used for particular use cases as well as tear them down in order to avoid data sprawl.

Copy data management is as much about controlling the creation of the data copies for the proper business solution in the first place, as it is about controlling the use of those copies in order to gain efficiency and agility. The primary foundation for all copy data use cases is “Copy Data Leverage”, or the ability to automate and orchestrate data utilizing a common set of storage services to create the right copy of the data, and then to be able to utilize that single copy of data for multiple business solutions. The quickest, most effective way to provide instant data access is through an instantly mountable snapshot. Catalogic ECX can orchestrate snapshots to be available, instantly, for any number of business solutions.

Figure 1 – Multiple Overlapping Storage Services

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

5 of 13

Manage�and�OrchestrateVisibility into the data is half the battle. The other half is the simplification of existing copy creation processes through automation, so that they align with the SLAs of the enterprise, and ensure compliance and auditability of the environment via exception based reporting.

ECX allows IT to create copy data workflow policies that are aligned with their existing best practices, for different data sets, all from one screen. (See figures 2 and 3.) The ECX policy engine enables IT to set up the data copy schedule, the retention policies and destination for individual snaps, mirrors and vaults. ECX also has the ability to tag the snaps to be application or crash consistent. These powerful capabilities of ECX simplify multiple use cases, including enhanced operational data access, automated DR, DevOps and business analytics.

Figure 2 – Retention Policy

Figure 3 – Destination

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

6 of 13

Once the copy data workflows are set, they are executed based on their schedule, and email-based reporting can be configured for the IT administrator (or anyone for that matter), providing daily insight into the success or failure of any of the snaps. The reality is that clients have already purchased snap functionality from their primary storage vendor. Clients chose their particular storage vendor for these storage services. Catalogic’s ECX enables IT to more efficiently take advantage of their storage services. Catalogic Software isn’t a replacement of the IT organizations existing storage platform. Rather, it acts as a valued-added layer as a control plane above the existing storage infrastructure that complements its storage services. Moving data protection closer to the storage and applications with the snapshotting capabilities enables better performance and more accurate data availability.

Use�Case�1:��Enhanced�Operational�Data�Access/RecoveryOne of the biggest stress factors for IT is data access for operational recovery. The function of data backup always seems to be ‘broken’, environments are always in flux and need to be better protected, and hence, there always seems to be budget to try something new when it comes to data protection in order to better meet recovery point objectives (RPOs) and recovery time objectives (RTOs). Catalogic’s ECX helps IT to make data instantly available, in multiple ways, for operational data access for multiple use cases including recovery. ECX enables IT to leverage application consistent snapshots to provide full application recovery in VMware environments. ECX can bring up these snaps in any location for instant data access. Whereas application recovery from a backup image can take many hours of data transfer from the backup storage device to the existing or new production environment, instantly mounting a snapshot for use is immediate. By leveraging NetApp and VMware snaps for operational recovery, the IT team now no longer needs to go to backup copies for recovery. Traditional recovery processes are slow and labor intensive and rarely meet RTOs. The missing link to leveraging snapshots for operational recovery has been the lack of a catalog that provides visibility, searchability, and exception based reporting on all of the snapshots in the environment, . ECX provides the central catalog and exception based reporting, exactly like a traditional enterprise backup solution, except for snapshots. Over time, as ECX customers rely increasingly on ECX for operational recoveries from snapshots, they significantly decrease their use of the backup solution for recovery—even when all data is backed up locally to disk. This saves a tremendous amount of CapEx. In addition, the instant mountable access with the push of a button saves tremendous OpEx as well and allows IT to move on to more strategic activities within the datacenter to help make the business more competitive.

Use�Case�2:��Automated�Disaster�RecoveryOne part of the business no one likes to think about is “What happens when a disaster strikes?” and “How do I ensure uptime or access to my data?” Many IT shops try to enable some level of efficiency in their DR process, but more typically, DR environments are very manual in their processes. Clients utilize a number of scripts (that all too often fail) and/or run books that reference these brittle scripts. Catalogic’s ECX solution allows the IT administrator to create “Use Data” workflows that can bring up a SnapMirror or SnapVault in a remote location (shown in figure 4) for the sole purpose of automated DR. As previously mentioned regarding “copy data” workflows, the concept of location or destination is key to the orchestration of the use data workflows ensuring the data can be utilized offsite in the event of a disaster. Catalogic ECX can orchestrate data copies to any device that has been registered to the ECX software, regardless of location, including the cloud.

Figure 4 – Disaster Recovery Locations

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

7 of 13

IT selects the application, or combination of applications that need to be recovered in the event of a disaster and can bring these up individually or in a group. Commonly, dependencies between applications necessitate that they be recovered in a particular order. As an example, when recovering an email server, the directory server may need to be recovered first. With ECX, applications can be orchestrated to come up in any order allowing the recovery process to automatically accommodate these dependencies. The workflow process lets IT specify the precise order in which applications are brought up.

The advantages that ECX offers through the automation and orchestration of these workflows are even greater when considering DR testing. Typically, IT runs their DR tests over a weekend. All the appropriate personnel are assembled and must be on-site and available for the duration of the tests. Tasks often include:

• Find where all the data is

• Ensure all the data is in the right location

• Ensure all the scripts are prepared to execute

• Fence off the ‘test’ environment

• Execute the scripts in the proper order

• Test the applications to see that they were recovered properly

• When and if the test is successful, tear the environment down

This process can take all weekend and in many instances, these tests fail and more time is spent troubleshooting scripts that fail, than data actually being recovered.

With Catalogic ECX, all of the tasks are automated. No scripts are required. The copy data workflow put the data at the desired destination where it would be needed in the event of a disaster. Additionally, the use data workflow has the capability to bring up the data with three different methodologies: Test, Clone or Production. These methodologies bring data and applications up in a fenced environment, so it doesn’t mistakenly step on other production data during testing. Once testing is complete, the user has the ability to let ECX tear down the environment, avoiding unnecessary data sprawl, or to promote the environment to production, as IT would in the event of a real disaster. The workflow to test the DR environment can be scheduled to happen every evening, so that the IT team can come in in the morning to find that the DR environment is successfully running. If something failed, Catalogic ECX lets administrators know EXCATLY what failed, and why, through exception-based reporting. Error determination is simple and quick with the ECX GUI, as shown in figures 5 and 6.

Figure 5 – Workflow Monitoring

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

8 of 13

Now, IT help desk individuals can get to the bottom of issues in the environment quickly and bring the environment back into compliance. Once the problems in the environment are fixed, the automated DR workflow can be run again, with the push of a button, to ensure that all the issues in the environment are no longer a problem. IT can have the confidence that their DR plan is solid and ready for anything that may hit them. Lastly, after a DR test is complete, the ECX software lets IT automatically tear down the test environment to ensure that there is no data sprawl.

Use�Case�3:�DevOpsDevOps, or a test-driven development (TDD) cycle, is a software development process that relies on the repetition of a very short development cycle: first the developer writes an (initially failing) automated test case that defines a desired improvement or new function, then produces the minimum amount of code to pass that test, promotes it to production and finally refactors the new code to acceptable standards.2

The traditional method of providing data access to the development organization is to take a full backup set of the production data and perform a full recovery of that data to the development location. This is a very time-consuming process, and as with traditional DR processes, tries to leverage scripts to accomplish it. Frequently changing environments, combined with IT personnel situations, can prevent these scripts from reliably doing the job. A full recovery process is run usually over the weekend and IT hopes that the recovery works so the development team can be fully operational come Monday morning. Because this process is so time-consuming and error-prone, providing the development organization with consistent access to current data sets becomes unachievable. Instead of having the most relevant data every morning, for example, the process may only happen once a month. This stale data drives down the quality of the new code being developed. In addition, in many global companies, testing of the new code may be performed by overseas personnel whose workday begins after the developers’ has ended. In these scenarios, at the end of the development workday, the development

Fig.�7�—�Catalogic�Software,�ECX�Resource�Registration��Interface

Figure 6 – Workflow Dashboard

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

9 of 13

team needs to “set up” the code they have worked on, such that it can be easily tested by these overseas resources. Inevitably, the test team has difficulty locating and setting up the proper data at test time. This causes huge delays, wastes time and money, and usually places some burden back on IT again, after hours, to help solve the data access challenge.

Catalogic’s ECX platform helps corporations distance themselves from these problems and utilize the same necessary data they were providing before, except with automation and instantly mountable snaps in any location. Taking advantage of the very same workflow capabilities outlined in the automated DR use case, IT can automate and orchestrate snaps, vaults and mirrors of the latest and greatest copy of the production data, as well as the newly developed code, to be instantly mountable in multiple locations, facilitating true DevOps efficiency, in a consistent and timely manner. The results:

• No more scripts that fail, nor the timely process of troubleshooting these failed scripts

• No more time wasted by test teams waiting for the proper access to the right code to test

• Automated workflows for accessing data globally

• Moves organizations closer to a DevOps model

• Continuous development enables higher quality code, faster

• Ability to implement new technology quicker – gain a competitive edge

Just like in the data access use case, these workflows also will provide exception reporting in the event that something about the environment changes. This is a benefit that scripts cannot deliver. The history reporting shown in Figure 6 will alert IT to where failures have happened and help to ensure that the issues are quickly addressed, maximizing the time for test and developments. ECX is the ideal solution to help build a bridge between Development and IT organizations, providing each group with the data it needs to move the business forward.

Use�Case�4:��Business�Analytics�The latest trend in driving competitive advantage is the use of analytics within the business. Gaining insight into the business through its data can help businesses make better decisions on where to focus, how to save money, and how to develop a competitive business strategy.

Traditional analytic operations utilize an ETL process, short for “extract, transform, and load.” These are three database functions that are combined into one tool to pull data out of one database and place it into another database.4 The purpose behind this is to put data in a common location (database), allowing analysis software to run against it.. Because this process can be time-consuming, it only grabs the parts of each data set that the analytics team believes they need at the time. Today, this data is typically loaded in exactly the same way that we outlined above in the DevOps environment, which again, is a very slow and painful recovery process.

Once the data is brought up for the analytics team, they run their analytic applications against the data to gain the valuable insights they need to drive the business. Much like the DevOps environment, because the process of getting the data set ready for the analytics team is painful, this data can’t be refreshed every day. As a result, the accuracy of the data extracted from the analysis can become stale and less relevant. Not analyzing the latest and greatest data means the business may not be making decisions as fast as they could to stay competitive.

The ECX workflow now can enable a true DevOps approach to Test/Dev with the ability to bring data up, in a fenced environment, tested and promoted to production in a very quick manner, repeatedly with ease. DevOps is the next generation of Test/Dev and does require close working relationship between the IT and the development teams. The ability to automate the process of making data available for Test/Dev provides for very smooth interactions with development lines of business.

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

10 of 13

By taking advantage of Catalogic’s ECX software, IT has the ability to instantly mount any and all data sets quickly, whether file or block for analysis. This builds in a great deal of flexibility for the analytics team. Instantly mountable data access provides:

• No more scripts that fail, nor the timely process of troubleshooting these failed scripts

• Automated process that ensures data is where it needs to be, when it needs to be there

• Ability to bring up entire data sets so data scientists can make decisions on the fly about new analyses

• Daily updates to the latest and greatest data sets to analyze, yields higher analytic accuracy

• Higher accuracy drives a more competitive business

• Clean-up process in the ECX policy to ensure analytics do not generate data sprawl

• Snaps, vaults and mirrors can be run in multiple locations, enabling different analysis in different geographies

Use�Case�5:��Hybrid�CloudAs much a deployment method as it is a use case, the move to enable the hybrid cloud has been going on for a while now. So what is the best way to leverage the cloud? Most IT shops know that the economics of cloud computing is much more advantageous than their current environment, allowing them to “rent” processing power when they need it. The question is, what use cases make the most sense for them, given the tools they have to utilize the cloud?

There are many different ways to adopt the cloud or cloud services in an environment today, including public cloud, private cloud and hybrid cloud. A private cloud, perhaps the most popular, is as simple as an email server that provides email to a company worldwide. Public cloud examples include solutions like Dropbox or SalesForce, where a services company hosts a solution, and the client corporation has the ability to utilize services provided by the services company in a secure manner. The hybrid cloud, however, gives IT the greatest amount of flexibility, especially when utilized in the right manner. First, the scale and economics of a hybrid cloud environment can help IT to control their CapEx cost while being able to deliver vital services that the corporation needs. Additionally, ECX helps to control OpEx by allowing clients to orchestrate and automate services into the cloud, taking a lot of the burden off of IT.

Gigaom / Cazena did some research at the beginning of 2015 on the adoption of cloud. Cost and agility were sited as the top two reasons to have a cloud strategy. Interestingly, 23% of folks said that the biggest barriers to entry were complexity, expertise and data movement.

Catalogic’s ECX copy data management platform is the “killer app” for the hybrid cloud. ECX can orchestrate and automate getting the right data into the cloud for a specific business purpose. ECX also allows IT to create new (or manage existing) business process (DR, Test/Dev and analytics) into the cloud, driving control and ease of management, so IT can use the cloud for any and all use cases. With ECX, the corporation can leverage the flexible compute processing power the cloud has to offer, and IT only needs to pay for those resources when they are used. This warrants the need to have the appropriate data in the cloud that the processing power will utilize for the different use cases. As with the other use cases, the ability to mount a snapshot in the cloud to satisfy a particular business solution such as automated DR, DevOps or business analytics, provides the user with instant access to data.

By way of example, a common use for the hybrid cloud is for analytics. As outlined above, the ability to quickly mount all of the most recent data (not just extracted data), spin up a new analytic nodes to run analysis across this data, and spin these compute nodes down when complete, provides the business the answers it needs to be agile and competitive, and do all of it at a low cost.

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

11 of 13

Utilizing Catalogic’s ECX software, IT has a new, more powerful way of being able to harness the value of the cloud, without adding complexity or requiring added expertise. ECX can automate and orchestrate all of that for IT. In addition, as with other previously mentioned use cases, the ability to instantly mount any data sets quickly enables a great deal of flexibility for the business. ECX’s copy data management platform for the cloud provides:

• The ability to take advantage of the “liquid cloud” resources, lowering CapEx

• Automated process for getting the right data to the cloud, lowering OpEx as well as risk

• The ability to orchestrate and automate getting data into the cloud seamlessly

• Visibility as to what data is in the cloud

• IT with the control they need to ensure they are not creating data sprawl and not treating the cloud as just another device

Integration�with�ECX�–�RESTful�APIsThe Catalogic ECX platform also provides RESTful APIs that can accelerate time-to-value for administrators that want to manage, orchestrate and analyze copy data through their own portal, and enable ISV’s and MSP’s to create their own set of services for each of these different copy data use cases.

Technology�Benefits�Over�TimeThe impact of ECX is transformational; yet, implementing ECX is quick and easy. Within a few minutes of deploying ECX, administrators can start to see the return on their investment. The visibility and insight ECX provides helps IT understand where the data copies are getting out of control, and can help to bring them back in line. The ECX catalog is also the best way to understand where snapped, vaulted and mirrored data lives, allowing IT to better utilize those copies for multiple use cases. ECX helps eliminate the need for the expensive software licenses and disk targets associated with traditional data protection solutions and reduce the management overhead required to fulfill different use cases that are commonly done with traditional data protection technologies.

At Catalogic we also understand that IT tends not to deploy a technology in one fell swoop to solve one business challenge all at one time. That is not how IT works. Typically change starts when a business process that is not working well is identified. IT gets funds to solve the problem and IT purchases a solution to solve that problem. As shown in Figure 7, when deploying a copy data solution, IT can get more value over time with different use cases as they start to replace all of the different copy data services (shown in Figure 1) and utilize the copies and storage they have today.

Figure 7 – Copy Data Management Platform – Move Value Over Time

WHITE PAPERCATALOGIC SOFTWARE

12 of 13

ConclusionAccording to IDC, copy data accounts for as much as 65% of the data in today’s infrastructure. Primary data is copied repetitively to support a number of use cases. This paper demonstrates how Catalogic’s ECX brings significant improvements to four such use cases: Data Protection, Test/Dev or DevOps, Analytics, and Hybrid Cloud. At Catalogic, we understand that IT is constantly caught between the need to have copies of production data available for these use cases and the challenges associated with managing these data copies. As IT budgets continue to be squeezed, and IT personnel are asked to have a more flexible and competitive infrastructure, attacking the copy data issue head on with a solution that allows IT to take advantage of the data copies they are already creating with Snapshots, SnapMirrors and SnapVaults adds significant value to data center operations.

ECX takes a holistic approach to help clients take better advantage of the copies of their data. The ability to provide instantly mountable access to a copy of the latest production data, for multiple business operations, turns traditional technologies, such as backup and replication, from an insurance policy to a business opportunity. ECX helps clients address the inefficiencies within their current data management practices, avoid the geometric growth caused by copy data sprawl, and gain a competitive advantage.

© 2015 Catalogic Software50 Tice Boulevard, Suite 110Woodcliff Lake, NJ 07677201.930.8200U.S.A.catalogicsoftware.com

United Kingdom: +44 (0) 129 380 4734France: +33 (0) 1 46 67 46 10Germany: +49 (0) 2102 95460Singapore: +65 (0) 9777 1859Netherlands: + 31 (0) 20 347 23 88

WHITE PAPERCATLOGIC SOFTWARE

ECX-SC-002-0914US

Catalogic is a registered trademark of Catalogic Software Inc. ECX is a trademark of Catalogic Software Inc. All other company and product names used herein may be the trademarks of their respective companies. NetApp and the NetApp logo are trademarks of NetApp, Inc., in the United States and/or other countries.

About�Catalogic�SoftwareCatalogic Software is the only provider of software defined copy data management solutions that are designed to leverage the existing services of the customer’s existing infrastructure. Founded in 1996 and with thousands of customers worldwide, Catalogic’s mission is to enable IT organizations to leverage their copy data, enabling significant CAPEX and OPEX cost reduction while delivering superior business value. With its software products, Catalogic helps clients Manage, Orchestrate and Analyze their copy data across their enterprise and Cloud.