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Step Away from the Backup Tapes: Moving to a Cloud Data Repository

Oct 2, 2018

Backup tapes have been the go-to resource for data storage for many years. They have provided a relatively fast, durable and economical way to transfer and retain data for archiving or disaster recovery purposes. However, they are best for unstructured data. As a result, when backup tapes are needed for eDiscovery, they pose many challenges because of the difficulty in restoring and preparing the data for litigation. Moving to a centralized data repository in the cloud avoids these issues and offers significant savings in time and money. In deciding whether it’s time for your company to make that transition, consider the following:

Amount of data
Under your document retention policy, how much data are you keeping and for how long? The more data you retain, the more data you must deal with in the event of litigation. Forecasting your storage needs will enable you to make accurate cost estimates regarding a move to a data repository.

Costs
What are the conversion costs of moving your historical data files? If you have a significant quantity of backup tapes to convert, the cost can be significant. However, it is a one-time expense and they must be weighed against the expense of preparing for litigation if you continue with backup tapes. Data on backup tapes will need to be restored, searched, processed and produced. The time, money and people needed to do this work is substantial.

In addition, the above costs should be compared to the other benefits of a data repository.

Advantages of a data repository
In addition to making eDiscovery significantly more efficient and less costly, there are long-term benefits, including:

  • Enhanced access control and security. Relevant data can be centralized and consolidated, either in a secure location with controlled access within your firm or corporation, or in a central repository with a provider that maintains a very secure Service providers should maintain several redundant disaster recovery centers to ensure data is always backed up and protected.
  • Reuse data for multiple matters. A Corporate Data Warehouse can store data in a single, centralized repository where information pertaining to specific matters can be accessed without incurring repeated collection and coding costs. This can provide substantial savings to companies who face regular litigation that involves discovery of documents from some of the same custodians and data stores.
  • Reduce capital expenses. By working directly with an eDiscovery provider to build a data repository, companies can outsource infrastructure and technical expertise to lower costs, increase predictability, and improve outcomes. This also enables companies to more accurately budget costs as they shift from capital expenses to operational expenses.

Are you ready to step away from backup tapes? Contact CDS for a consultation.

About the Author

<a href="https://cdslegal.com/team/cory-logan/" target="_blank">Cory Logan</a>

Cory Logan

Cory, based out of CDS’ New York City office, currently serves as the VP of Client Services. He leads a team of over 60+ eDiscovery professionals responsible for both Relativity and DISCO eDiscovery hosting solutions. His daily efforts are centered on leveraging innovative technology and efficient processes through automation to deliver a truly memorable client experience.

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