Disaster Recovery Best Practices for OpenStack

If we have learned anything from the past 2 years, it’s that disaster can strike anytime, anywhere. During these times, it’s not only important to have a plan for your life, but also your data as a business. For most of us, much of our information is stored somewhere in a cloud or other type of storage. However, for businesses, the stakes can be very high with company and customer data being irrevocably lost in the event of a disaster. For example, the scandal at Well Fargo in 2016 resulted in many customers’ accounts being compromised, as well as a $3 billion dollar fine. In another scandal, Volkswagen was found to be using compromised software in their vehicles, which resulted in a huge loss of customer trust, over $18 billion dollars in fines, and 40x the allowed amount of nitrogen oxide into the air. Yikes. 

In these examples, both companies made mistakes and choices that resulted in huge losses in both customer loyalty and fines. Both of these risks can be mitigated with proper business practices and a carefully laid out disaster recovery plan. Read on for some disaster recovery best practices for OpenStack cloud…

Ensuring Disaster Recovery in OpenStack

OpenStack is a cloud infrastructure service that is used as a datacenter for both public and private clouds. Here are some of the best ways to create a disaster recovery plan for it:

Regular Backups/Replications

For most, backing up OpenStack data is just backing up the virtual memory (VM). However, there are usually several VMs in an OpenStack cloud, and much of the data isn’t even within them. When backing up your OpenStack data, make sure you’re backing up all the VMs, as well as the metadata such as applications, networks, and more. It can also be helpful to replicate your data into another secure cloud location as a completely separate area where you can easily find and retrieve what you need in an emergency. 

Reviewing Documentation

Every OpenStack release comes with its own documentation that lays out the framework for the best ways to protect, backup, and configure your data. Be sure to read through your OpenStack documentation carefully, and work within the parameters that it details. 

Deploying a Controller

An OpenStack controller works as a remote management service that works in the background to replicate, store, and backup data. There are also other services that a controller can be used for, depending on what your needs are.

Utilizing Native Solutions

Current releases of OpenStack come with a native data protection service that can help you do a quick, no-frills backup in a pinch. Other services can offer more customization and details, but OpenStack’s native solutions can be helpful when needed. 

Agent-Based Backups

In an agent-based backup model, you would actually be hiring a service that uses agents to manually backup your data periodically for you. This is a great option if the data your business deals with is not particularly sensitive or private. 

As you can see, there are many options available when it comes to building a disaster recovery plan on OpenStack. Whatever your business and needs are, there is always a way for you to be able to backup your data. So don’t wait for the next disaster to hit; make your plan now. If you have any questions, feel free to contact the team at Awnix, and we would be happy to assist you.