Barracuda Backup version 5.4 adds extended cloud storage

Barracuda Networks, Inc. has announced the release of Barracuda Backup version 5.4 with extended cloud storage, enabling longer retention periods for backups without upgrading the local appliance, and support for local caches greater than 100TB. In addition, Barracuda Backup has also deployed Cloud LiveBoot, allowing virtual machines (VMs) to boot from the backup appliance or from the cloud in the event that access to local servers or primary storage is lost.

Barracuda Backup’s new extended cloud storage provides administrators with flexibility and efficiency when it comes to storing business critical data. Barracuda Backup 5.4 leverages unlimited cloud storage to offload older backups, reducing the demands on the local cache and enabling longer retention periods for all appliances.

“With Barracuda Backup’s extended cloud storage, we can support longer retention policies while reducing our overall cost and risk,” said Michael Barker, IT Director, The Thomas Kinkade Company. “This added functionality increases the efficiency of our data protection and minimises onsite caching of backups.”

With Cloud LiveBoot, Barracuda Backup customers can reduce downtime by quickly booting critical VMs in the Barracuda Cloud from backups if their primary servers or storage fail. While solutions exist for backing up VMware and for cloud storage independently, Barracuda Backup combines these two capabilities with standard cloud storage, delivering low-cost, rapid recovery directly from deduplicated backups without any special configuration.
“Virtualisation provides a multitude of benefits yet backup and recovery still can be fraught with challenges,” said Craig Sauvigne, Systems Administrator at Winthrop University. “With Barracuda Backup Cloud LiveBoot, we get a new rapid recovery option that reduces the risk of primary storage failure without the need to create redundant infrastructure.”

Barracuda recently was named the number two supplier in units for CYQ1 2013 in the purpose-built backup appliance market, according to the IDC Worldwide Quarterly Purpose Built Backup Appliance Tracker, 1Q13, June 2013.

"The Purpose-Built Backup Appliance (PBBA) market continues to experience strong growth due to customer demand for flexible, turnkey and cost-effective protection solutions,” said Robert Amatruda, research director for data protection and recovery at IDC. "Barracuda's PBBA systems provide customers an innovative approach to solving their data protection needs."

Barracuda Backup is a leading all-in-one data protection solution for organisations of all sizes that includes software, an onsite appliance, and either an offsite appliance or the Barracuda Cloud for replication and disaster recovery. The complete solution seamlessly integrates into existing infrastructures without changes. Each appliance has a local cache for fast restores and with version 5.4, longer-term backups can be stored in the cloud without having a copy on the local appliance, enabling support for longer retention periods without the need for a larger appliance. The new Barracuda Backup 1090 appliance increases maximum local cache capacity to more than 100TB in a single appliance, applying flexible and easy-to-use backup capabilities to protect even larger environments.