Backup Requirements for Open Source Clouds
TrilioVault’s approach to vendor-unlocked cloud data protection
Avoiding Lock-in Issues
How can a business overcome these concerns? The short answer is to avoid entering agreements that lock you in. But the actual solution can get much more complicated.
Contractual obligations to remain with a certain company or use a particular platform or service can be challenging to negotiate away. So, it’s crucial to remove the language before a deal is struck.
The best way to avoid a contractual lock-in is to negotiate not only how you and the vendor begin your relationship, but how you end it as well. If the vendor believes in its ability to provide the best service, then it should not fear leaving the exit door open.
Beyond negotiating terms, be mindful of the terms you agreed upon. Auto-renewal can hit unexpectedly if you do not know when the term is up.
Eliminating Lock-in Due to Technology
Your business may be contractually independent and able to move on to another vendor, but still have inflexibility due to a technology lock-in. To avoid this problem, put more thought into how you craft your vendor agreements.
When you are listing all the items on your wish list for a particular service, be careful of over-customization. The resulting tailored solution may be completely useless on another platform or incompatible with other services.
In addition, make sure that you have the compatibility you’ll need before finalizing a vendor relationship. Once you do, connect with a backup vendor for services, such as data storage or backup. For example, TrilioVault stores backup files in an open QCOW2 format that is non-restrictive and does not require an active license to access and utilize.
Open formats, including Linux-based QCOW2, work well with growing cloud services and level the playing field with universal common infrastructure. You’ll never need a license to access and use your own data. The growing trend, however, is not just toward open source, but open standards that ensure interoperability.
By negotiating and planning with knowledge of the risks of lock-in, and with a forward-thinking view of technology needs, lock-in can be minimized.
Trilio provides backup solutions that can be used on any platform. Trilio backs up your entire enterprise to a private cloud or hybrid cloud using native APIs to take point-in-time snapshots incrementally forever. The result is a solution that enables the power of the cloud, without lock-in of any kind.
To learn more about the power of backup services, request a demo of TrilioVault today.
See TrilioVault in Action
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