AppAssure™ is a data protection solution from Dell that combines backup, replication and recovery. It performs continual checks and updates, stores backups in a high-performance object repository, and encrypts and deduplicates data from within its scalable object store. Designed for virtual, physical and cloud environments, AppAssure provides reliable and fast incremental data backup to local disaster recovery sites. However, replication performance suffers when it comes to moving large datasets across the wide area network to disaster recovery sites. Geographic distance between replication sites, and packet loss due to unreliable or shared networks can cause diminished throughput and missed RPOs. That’s where Silver Peak can help.
Silver Peak software improves replication across unreliable networks and geographic distance by:
- Minimizing packet retransmissions caused by unreliable networks
- Maximizing available bandwidth for replication with byte-level deduplication and compression
- Overcoming transport latency
Customer success story
Silver Peak was able to help an insurance customer in Mozambique meet regulatory requirements for disaster recovery.
Figure 1. AppAssure Replication time decreased from eight hours to two hours with Silver Peak
Environment
- Data center and disaster recovery site were both in Mozambique
- 4 Mbps MPLS network connection between locations; 1.5 Mbps used for replication.
- Dell AppAssure used for off-site replication
- Dataset: 18 Gigabytes (GB) replicated daily
- Recovery Point Objective (RPO): 2 hours
- Recovery Time Objective (RTO): 24 hours
| Throughput | Time to replicate 18 GB | |
| Unoptimized replication | 1.5 Mbps | 8 hours |
| Optimized with Silver Peak | 9 Mbps | 2 hours |
| The Silver Peak advantage | 6X better throughput | 4X faster replication time |
For details, read the case study: Global Alliance Suguros Optimizes Dell AppAssure with Silver Peak.
Dell and Silver Peak
- Overview of Silver Peak/Dell Relationship
- Dell Technology Partner
- Dell AppAssure information (on dell.com)
Silver Peak VRX software is made for storage replication. Deployment takes less than 20 minutes and requires no networking expertise or assistance, and is proven with all asynchronous IP replication solutions from Dell, and others.
Silver Peak software repairs dropped and out-of-order packets, overcoming the effects of latency, and provides real-time deduplication and compression of all data sent across the WAN. Silver Peak also provides an IPsec AES-256 site-to-site VPN that secures replication traffic without impacting performance. When the problems on the WAN have been repaired, it is easy to meet, maintain, and even reduce RPOs.
Benefits
Silver Peak VRX software is made for storage replication. Deployment takes less than 20 minutes and requires no networking expertise or assistance. By combining Silver Peak VRX software with Dell AppAssure, you can:
- Replicate faster. Replicate more data in less time to remote locations.
- Replicate over longer distances. Eliminate distance limitations between source/target devices
- Improve business continuity. Maintain redundant data centers in distant geographies for rapid recovery from disasters.
- Lower disaster recovery costs. Eliminate costly dedicated networks for replication
- Avoid or delay WAN bandwidth upgrades by reducing the amount of data transferred.
- Secure data in transit with an IPsec AES-256 site to site VPN
Resources
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Silver Peak VRX Replication Acceleration software makes replication acceleration easy and affordable.
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When Global Alliance Seguros (“GA”), an insurance company in Mozambique, needed to establish a disaster recovery site, offsite data replication seemed like the best solution for protecting the data. GA was already replicating data across its data center with Dell AppAssure and meeting a two hour Recovery Point Objective (RPO), replicating data to a hosting site seemed like the next logical step.
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This document describes the configuration of Dell AppAssure Core to Core Replication for use with Silver Peak Velocity Replication Acceleration (VRX). When Silver Peak VRX software is deployed with Dell AppAssure Core to Core Replication, a static route will be used to direct replication traffic to the VRX software for acceleration