Modular Server Vaulting

A recently released study conducted by Verizon Business and the United States Secret Service shows that despite all the countermeasures applied to prevent data breaches, the problem is still wide-spread and costly.  The majority of the information lost was due to the concentrated efforts of criminal organizations.  These criminals utilize a variety of methods to acquire financial and other personal information, then sell this information on the black market for stolen identities, credit card numbers and banking information.

In some areas the study found that data theft had decreased from the previous study period, but this is probably due to the over abundance of credit card numbers and other information that has created a glut in the market.  The supply has outpaced demand to the extent that the price for such information has dropped below the point where it is profitable to steal more.  This is hardly good news for consumers.

This study underscores how critical it is for organizations to maintain control over their mission critical information.  Having a safe environment in which to operate IT equipment and store backup media is a major component in this equation.  That is where a Class 125 data vault can give security-conscious organizations an advantage.  These vaults are capable of protecting against catastrophic fires, stabilizing the interior climate, and improving physical security.  This secure environment combined with a well designed and implemented cybersecurity program mitigates the risk of data theft and loss.

For more information on the Verizon/Secret Service study, here is the link to the original article: http://newscenter.verizon.com/press-releases/verizon/2010/2010-data-breach-report-from.html

There is no doubt that we live in a litigious society.  And among all the industries in this complex economy, the healthcare industry may be affected by the threat of law suits more than any other.  The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) adds to the already long list of reasons to sue a healthcare provider.  That is not to say we do not need this federal mandate to require that our personal medical information is kept safe and confidential.  In this age of identity theft and other forms of personal intrusion, we need all the safeguards we can get.  Firelock vaults are one element in a conscientious healthcare provider’s comprehensive data protection program that keeps our information safe and mitigates their risk of litigation.

As our medical records continue to migrate to completely digital formats, this information must be accessible to authorized personnel but protected from intruders.  It must also be protected from corruption by taking backup copies of the information off-line with backup tapes or removable hard drives.  These backup copies must be stored in a Class 125 data vault to comply with NFPA 232, which ensures that even if the temperature around the vault reaches 2,000-degrees F. in a catastrophic fire the interior will remain below 125-degrees F.–the point at which digital information is lost.  If the integrity of the information is not maintained it is a violation of HIPAA requirements.

These Firelock vaults are also used to protect IT equipment which hosts electronic medical records.  Server vaults can keep temperatures from reaching the threshold where electronic equipment is damaged or destroyed, enabling healthcare providers the ability to relocate this equipment to a secondary site and get the vital patient records back online where healthcare providers need them.  By employing these best practices, healthcare organizations can mitigate risk and meet the needs of their patients when it matters most.

A nationwide network of offsite data protection firms is also able to provide disaster recovery services when their clients are in need.  Because these services are available through the Secure Media Vault Associates (SMVA) it is possible to utilize the facilities of an SMVA member in another region if the nature of the disaster requires temporarily relocating operations.  This gives DR planners much more flexibility and many more options when formulating their disaster response protocols.

Many of these companies have helped their clients through major natural disasters, long-term power outages, fires, etc.  In addition to traditional disaster recovery/business continuity services these locations are also able to host containerized data center modules, such as Firelock’s Secure Agile Vault Environment, or SAVE units. 

SMVA network members all offer their clients a much higher level of data protection than their competition.  Unlike the national chains of offsite data storage companies, these owner-managed independent companies in the SMVA network utilize Firelock Class 125 data-rated fireproof vaults with optimum environmental conditions for the protection of their clients’ data tapes.  In addition to protecting data backup tapes, these vaults are used to protect the IT equipment (for E-vaulting and co-location) that hosts their clients mission critical information.  They also utilize the latest technology in barcode tracking of media and GPS monitoring of their media transport vehicles. 

The standards of excellence they uphold in their data storage business are applied the their disaster recovery services.  These service capabilities combined with the flexibility of the many network locations gives SMVA clients unbeatable disaster recovery options.

Managed hosting companies are often the sole custodian of their client’s mission critical information.  Statistics vary, but the majority of companies that lose their vital information go out of business within the next year.  Protecting this information is rarely seen as a priority for this industry, as uptime and cost per GB of storage tend to be the key selling points hosting companies emphasize.  Not all companies are the same, of course, and a small but growing contingent of managed hosting companies is investing in server vaults for their data center to ensure the survival of their clients’ data, even if their facility is hit by a disaster.

This concept of offering clients a higher level of protection for a premium price is not a new one in the data protection industry.  For nearly twenty years a network of offsite data storage companies has been using Firelock media vaults to differentiate themselves from the competition and grow their businesses.  In any market with a lot of competition the product and or service becomes a commodity, and in a commodity market the lowest price almost always wins.  To avoid this margin-shrinking phenomenon the Secure Media Vault Associates (the network of Firelock-equipped offsite data storage companies) invested in true data-rated vaults and are able to charge premium prices for their services.  Their clients recognize the value of the investment their service providers have made to protect their backup data and are willing to pay extra for this level of security.

By providing a data center with real data protection capabilities these hosting companies can win new business without slashing their prices to be the cheapest vendor.  They can also go after clients that have more stringent information protection requirements, like healthcare companies with HIPAA regulations and financial service firms with FTC mandates to satisfy.  A Class 125 server vault is an excellent way for a managed hosting company to carve out a very profitable niche in a crowded market.

Firelock will once again exhibit at the Professional Records and Information Services Management (PRISM) Conference in Reno, NV from May 11-13.  This event features seminars and a trade show for owners and managers in the offsite data storage services industry, including offsite tape storage, E-vaulting and server co-location.  As a provider of the highest rated fireproof data vaults in the industry, we are always happy to meet offsite data storage service providers who are looking for a way to offer their clients the best data storage environment for their mission critical backup tapes and E-vaulting equipment.

Over the years a network of Firelock-equipped offsite storage companies all over the country has formed to offer customers with multiple locations in other cities the same level of protection at all locations by partnering with other network members.  This network, called the Secure Media Vault Associates (SMVA) is also able to share leads and ideas on best practices for information security and facilities management.  Firelock will be hosting a networking event and informal seminar for SMVA members and prospective members from 1:00-5:00 PM on May 10th.

Firelock will also be hosting roundtable discussions on marketing ideas for the offsite data storage industry and a seminar on “Making You a Better You” through networking and other beneficial business practices.  Hope to see you there!

One of the things data center operators frequently ask me is how we are able to maintain the integrity of the vault with their cooling system’s needs for coolant lines penetrating the vault.  The answer is the insulated pipe penetration assemblies we install to protect this critical area.  Without the ability to adequately cool the server room equipment the data center will not function properly, and if the server room is not protected everything is lost in a disaster.

One very attactive option for cooling is the LiquiCool® Rear Door Heat Exchanger (RDHx) system offered by Coolcentric.  This type of system utilizes the airflow generated by the server equipment to push the warm air through the radiator-like heat exchangers in the units that replace the rear doors of the server cabinets.  This cools the air before it exits the rack and keeps the temperature in the server room at optimum levels.  Coolcentric’s RDHx system is very energy efficient and reliable because there are no fans or other moving parts on the server cabinets.  A Coolant Distribution Unit monitors the temperatures within the individual racks and increases or decreases the flow of chilled water to each unit as needed to achieve maximum efficiency.  Over time the total cost of ownership of RDHx systems is lower than conventional HVAC systems due to the reduced power consumption.

Coolcentric offers this product with a coolant line manifold that is located inside the vault, so only a single pair of supply and return lines is needed to penetrate the vault structure to connect to the water chiller unit.  This is ideal for maintaining the integrity of Firelock’s Class 125 data vaults.  Of course the coolant penetrations are just one component of the total vault system.  The vault structure, doors, dampers and cable penetrations must all meet the stringent Class 125 rating (the ability to maintain the temperature below 125-degrees F. even if the exterior temperature reaches 2,000-degrees).  As the old saying goes, ” a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.”  The same is true for data center design.  All components must work together to create a functional and safe environment for mission critical data center operations.

To protect its mission critical information a large healthcare provider is including a Class 125-Three Hour server vault in their data center renovations.  As part of their security protocols they do not want to be named but their spokesperson stated: “Protecting our clients’ medical records is paramount, and this is one way we can fulfill our duty to provide the absolute best care for them.”

This vault is capable of maintaining the interior temperature below 125-degrees F. for at least three hours, even if the exterior temperature reaches 2,000-degrees F.  This is the rating required in the National Fire Protection Association’s standard NFPA 75, which details the specifications for the protection electronic equipment.  Only the most critical data centers currently adhere to this stringent standard, while less important facilities are typically just equipped with a fire suppression system inside the server room.  The flaw in this method of protection is it only helps if the fire starts inside the server room.  If the fire starts somewhere else in the building and burns its way into the server room the equipment will already be destroyed by the time the fire suppression system is activated.

One of the reasons this organization decided to protect their data center is the federal government’s HIPAA requirements on safeguarding patient data.  Protecting the equipment where this information is stored and processed helps this organization stay in compliance with HIPAA mandates.  Another deciding factor is the federal government’s initiative to have all medical records converted to digital format.  By protecting their data center facility with a Class 125 server vault they already have the infrastructure in place to protect these digital records.  It’s good to see an organization being proactive in their approach to protecting mission critical information.

IBM and Fujifilm have recently announced they have a new magnetic tape technology with storage capacity 44 times more dense than LTO 4 tape cartidges, or 35 terrabytes of uncompressed data per tape!  These new tapes utilize barium-ferrite (BaFe) particles, which are one-third the size of traditional tape particles and aligned perpendicular to the tape (as opposed to horizontal alignment of magnetic materials on LTO tapes) to achieve this super high-density capability.  BaFe is a crystaline substance which Fujifilm claims does not corrode or change over time, making it ideal for long-term archival storage.  Like any new technology, this BaFe tape has both positive and negative qualities that raise some questions about what they mean to the data storage community.

For one, what implications does this “hard-to-demagnetize” characteristic have for information security?  The tape manufacturer said the process of reducing the particle to microscopic size is a challenge because it risks reducing the resistance to demagnification of a ferromagnetic material.  This means tapes could be difficult to reuse or could lead to more errors as some parts of the tape may not be re-recorded due to this resistance.  Also imagine the problems of degaussing it at end of life. Will these tapes need to be shredded to ensure destruction of the information held within?

Another question is how will this high capacity capability fit into the tape rotation programs practiced by the majority of data center operators?  With the ability to store all of an organization’s operational and archival data on just a few tapes, how will this affect the timing of removing tapes to a secure offsite location?  How many organizations will have the volume of data to make it worth the switch to this new media type?  Maybe Google, Microsoft and other large enterprise companies will benefit from this new technology, but for smaller organizations it is not an issue.  They may still want a tape that is done at the end of the day.   

Cindy Grossman, vice president of IBM Tape and Archive Storage Systems, said the advancement shows that “tape storage is alive and strong and will continue to provide users reliable data protection, while maintaining a cost advantage over other storage technologies, including hard disk drives and flash drives.”  It will be interesting to see how these new super density tapes are utilized when they become available, and if they live up to their manufacterer’s expectations.

Over the past 25 years Firelock has built over 1500 modular fireproof vaults to protect IT equipment and other heat-sensitive assets.  In that time very few of these vaults have had the same dimensions as previously installed vaults.  Each vault is custom-sized to fit in an existing room or to provide for the client’s exact interior space requirements.  When length, width and height is easily customized it creates an almost infinite number of  vault size permutations.  This is why it is easy for Firelock to customize the Secure Agile Vault Environment (SAVE) units for each customer’s needs.

Of course building inside a shipping container limits the vault dimensions to some degree, but containers can be had in multiple sizes and the length of the vault can be customized.  The standard SAVE unit is constructed with a 40-foot shipping container and allocates space for a vestibule in front of the vault and a mechanical room behind it.  It also includes eight server racks, an overhead cable management system, internal fire suppression, Vette’s LiquiCool Rear Door Heat Exchanger system and the HVAC equipment to support it.  The SAVE unit can be delivered with all of these components, some of these components, or with just the vault itself.  It’s all up to the customer.

If the water chiller and support systems are not needed inside the SAVE unit, the mechanical room can be eliminated and the vault can be expanded into that area.  If the unit will always be operated in an indoor space, such as a warehouse, and weather protection and improved physical security is not required then the vestibule area can be eliminated.

With a history of customizing fireproof vaults to fit each individual customer’s needs, Firelock is able to do the same for the SAVE solution.  Just as it is with all Firelock vaults–it’s all about the customer.

Many of the major server equipment manufacturers have recently been marketing the concept of a “data center in a box,” which is a shipping container filled with their IT equipment to create easily transportable data center modules.  This concept does have some advantages over traditional data center facilities, such as mobility, scalability and compact size.  However, these high-density modules are very much at risk of being damaged or destroyed by fire, intrusion or even adverse weather conditions.

To address these threats, Firelock has created the Secure Agile Vault Environment, or SAVE solution.  By using a 40-foot shipping container and installing a Class 125 data vault a much more secure environment is provided for mission critical systems.  The vault ensures that IT equipment will be kept safe even if exposed to the heat of a catastrophic fire.  Physical security is also greatly improved with the double door assembly.  The vestibule area in the front of the container allows the container to be sealed before opening the vault doors, so even the worst weather conditions are not a threat to the valuable servers.  The on-board mechanical room behind the vault contains the HVAC system, so only power and network communications need to be supplied to the SAVE unit.

Firelock has taken a vendor-neutral approach to the mobile data center module concept.  Eight standard server racks are in place and ready for any hardware manufacturer’s equipment.  To cool these racks the Vette LiquiCool Rear Door Heat Exchanger system is utilized.  This efficient and compact cooling system uses the airflow from the server units so no power needs to be supplied to these economical and maintenance-free units.

For more details about the SAVE by Firelock, click here for an illustrated presentation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFQ9bOuQub4