With a healthy supply of providers of backup in the Cloud eventually customers will desire standardisation and commonality of services. Cloud providers will be facing the same issues in terms of infrastructure choice, functionality, backup services and customer interfaces. The quality and level of ambition can clearly vary and become the competitive playing field for service providers. But it makes sense for the competitors to speak the same language and distinguish their offerings based on QOS.
Netapp has recently published its design guide foundation intended to show potential backup service providers how to approach this using Netapp solutions. At the top level Netapp even provides suppliers with NetApp’s open Software Developer Kit (SDK) and Web services Application Programming Interfaces (APIs). Deeper down Netapp sets out guides for Data Protection as a Service (DPaaS) and Backup/Recovery as a Service (BRaaS). Specifically the BraaS is based on the Asigra software for cloud backup/recovery.
Cloud based Service providers now have a set of blue-prints based on Netapp’s solutions specifically designed with their business sector in mind. For entrants wanting to base Cloud based backup on an established code-base and philosophy, the Asigra product is ready. Even where suppliers have engineered their own unique IP for Cloud based backup, they may yet choose to partner with Netapp and Asigra.
