Hyperconverged Backup from IBM

IBM Storage Defender Data Protect builds backups on the principle of a cluster of peer nodes that together handle backup, recovery, and data verification. Instead of a single repository that becomes a bottleneck, data are chunked and distributed across the nodes, so performance scales in parallel and the recovery of large files speeds up. The solution performs ransomware detection on the stored backups, supports multiple clusters with replication between sites, and can copy backups to public clouds such as IBM Cloud or AWS. Deployment is based on standard, vendor-validated "Defender ready" hardware: at least four servers in a cluster, tolerance of a single-node failure, and a shared file system across the entire setup.

Principles That Determine Recovery

The talk emphasized a simple rule of practice: have at least three copies of data, stored on two different types of media, keep one copy off-site and one completely offline. This goes hand in hand with regular testing of backups – not just consistency checks, but also trial restores, so you know the copies can truly be relied upon. IBM Storage Defender supports these principles through a combination of replication between clusters, copying to the cloud, and the option to keep copies on air-gapped tapes.

Even the light-hearted anecdote about "backing up via torrent" underscores the essence: it’s not about the number of copies, but about their trustworthiness, availability, and control over who can access them. Modern tools can detect an attack and lock down backups, but without discipline and testing they become merely an illusion of safety. The best strategy combines technology, processes, and healthy skepticism when verifying recovery.