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Barracuda Backup Server Boosts Replication Capabilities

In an effort to broaden its products' backup and restore features for its users, Barracuda Networks has enhanced its Barracuda Backup Server to add the ability for its tapeless backup appliances--which up until now have saved user data only to the cloud--to replicate data between sites.

The functionality is implemented in a version 4.0 firmware release for the company's backup appliances, which also include other backup and recovery functionality such as deduplication. Replications can be performed locally and between Barracuda Backup Servers, including from many servers to one and from one to several others.

Keith Maly, IT manager for the Washington Local School District, in Toledo, Ohio, says his organization, which has been using the Barracuda Backup Service for seven or eight months, has just purchased a second appliance so the district can replicate between them rather than backing up data to the cloud, due to cost concerns. "We were doing the cloud-based service, and it got to the point where it's costing us a bit much," he says.

Financially, it was about the same to make the capital expenditure and get a separate appliance rather than continuing to have the monthly charges, he says. The district has approximately 3,500 computers for a staff of 1,000 and an enrollment of 5,000 to 6,000 students, spread across 13 buildings, including eight elementary schools, two junior high schools, a high school, a career technology building, transportation and maintenance buildings, and the board of education office, Maly says.

The district began using Barracuda for its backup because it wanted to get away from tape backup, and was impressed by the fact that Barracuda would allow the district to back up its data to the cloud. Plus, Barracuda's costs were lower. "We were kind of shocked at the price others were charging," he says.

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