Kroll Ontrack “cracks the code” on software-defined storage data loss

Kroll Ontrack says that it is the first company with the ability to successfully perform data recovery services for all Leaders in Gartner’s Magic Quadrant of software-defined storage (SDS). Applying its proprietary data recovery methodology, Kroll Ontrack is able to decode the configuration for software-defined storage solutions and restore access to data at the point in time in which it was lost. This capability provides businesses with a viable resource when data loss occurs in these environments.

Popular for its simple deployment and management, software-defined storage empowers system administrators to configure unallocated storage in minutes and distribute usage across multiple disks in multiple arrays for optimal efficiency. However, if an error occurs during configuration or when patches to the software or hardware are deployed, for example, data loss can occur. The data loss occurs when the system pointers to where the data resides have been removed.

“Just because the software-defined storage system pointers are gone, doesn’t mean the data isn’t somewhere on the system,” said Paul Le Messurier, Programme and Operations Manager at Kroll Ontrack. “However, recoveries from these systems are complex because each and every software-defined storage solution has its own proprietary method of storing data, similar to what hardware manufacturers did with RAID technology. Whether it is EMC®, NetApp®, Dell™, HP® EVA or another software-defined storage solution, Kroll Ontrack has established a proprietary method to decrypt the SDS configuration, enabling our data recovery engineers to read the raw data blocks and therefore ‘turn back the clock’ to the system’s original settings. This capability provides businesses with a viable option when their most recent snapshot or backup is not current or functional.”