Delivering Data Resilience in the Wake of the CrowdStrike Outage: The Critical Role of Comprehensive Backup and Recovery
In the ever-evolving landscape of modern IT, the unexpected can quickly become the new normal. On July 19, 2024, a widespread IT outage across on-premises and public cloud resources caused by a CrowdStrike Falcon sensor update impacted Microsoft Windows installations worldwide, causing them to crash. CrowdStrike is a popular product for cyber protection that receives constant automatic updates. It is important to highlight that in this case an outage that affected many industries from hospitals and 911 services to airlines was not caused by a cyberattack or malicious activity. This event serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities inherent in our increasingly digital infrastructure and underscores the paramount importance of robust and reliable backup and recovery solutions to ensuring business resilience.
The CrowdStrike Outage: A Wake-Up Call
The CrowdStrike outage disrupted critical services for many organizations, highlighting how Microsoft Windows continues to be a critical infrastructure. This incident exposed a crucial lesson: no system is immune to failure. Comprehensive backup and recovery strategies are critical to mitigate the impact of such disruptions.
Veeam Data Platform users impacted by the outage can seamlessly restore operations for their Windows hosts on various platforms using the detailed guidelines and links below:
1. Instant VM Restore
Veeam’s Instant VM Restore allows businesses to quickly recover a virtual machine by running it directly from a backup. This minimizes downtime and ensures that critical systems are back online swiftly.
Steps for Instant VM Restore:
- Launch Veeam Backup & Replication Console.
- Navigate to Backups.
- Select the backup job containing the VM you wish to restore.
- Right-click the VM and choose Instant VM Recovery.
- Select the restore point you want to use.
- Specify the restore destination (original or new location).
- Configure the recovery settings (e.g., network, resource pool).
- Start the restore process. The VM will run directly from the backup file.
2. Quick Rollback
The Quick Rollback feature in Veeam allows for fast recovery by only restoring the changed blocks since the last backup.
Steps for Quick Rollback:
- Open Veeam Backup & Replication Console.
- Select Backups.
- Right-click on the VM and select Restore to.
- Choose Quick Rollback.
- Select the restore point.
- Review and start the process.
3. File-Level Restore
Veeam’s File-Level Restore enables granular recovery of individual files and folders from backups.
Steps for File-Level Restore:
- Open Veeam Backup & Replication Console.
- Navigate to Backups.
- Select the backup job containing the files you need.
- Right-click the VM and select File Level Restore.
- Launch the file-level restore wizard.
- Browse and select the files or folders you need.
- Specify the restore destination.
- Finish the wizard to start the restore process.
4. Cross-Platform Recovery
Veeam supports recovery across multiple platforms including VMware, Hyper-V, AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud. This flexibility ensures that businesses can protect and recover their data regardless of the infrastructure, providing robust disaster recovery capabilities across hybrid environments. Restore entire VMs, including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V and Nutanix AHV
5. Cloud Platforms
Veeam is able to provide comprehensive restore options for the major public Clouds, including the ability to revert an image back to a previous snapshot. This is likely the fastest way to recover. Each provider has their own steps to go through, which can be found in our documentation:
6. Replication and CDP Failover
Veeam’s 4-in-1 capabilities enable customers to recover from multiple layers (backups, snapshots, replicas, and cloud) to match the criticality of data. Restoring from a replica in DR minimizes data loss because there are more frequent restore points. Below are a couple of failover options from replicas:
7. Orchestration At-Scale and Veeam Support
Large-scale recoveries can be orchestrated for Veeam Data Platform Premium users. Lastly, if you need assistance, the Veeam Support page can provide you with product documentation, access to our knowledge base, and the ability to open a case.
The Imperative of Secure Backup and Recovery
Secure backup and recovery solutions are the backbone of business continuity. They ensure that, in the event of an outage, cyberattack, or any other disruptive incident, an organization can quickly restore its operations with minimal data loss. Here’s why these solutions are indispensable:
- Data Integrity and Availability: Secure backups ensure that data is preserved in its most recent state, reducing the risk of corruption or loss. Regularly updated backups mean that, even if a primary system is compromised, critical data remains accessible.
- Rapid Recovery: Downtime can be devastating, both financially and reputationally. Efficient recovery processes minimize downtime, enabling organizations to resume operations swiftly. This is especially crucial in maintaining customer trust and operational stability.
- Ransomware Mitigation: In the age of sophisticated ransomware attacks, having a reliable backup can be the difference between a quick recovery and a prolonged crisis. With secure backups, organizations can avoid paying ransoms, instead restoring systems from clean, uninfected copies.
- Regulatory Compliance: Many industries are subject to stringent data protection regulations. Secure backup solutions help organizations meet these regulatory requirements by ensuring that data is stored and can be retrieved according to compliance standards.
- Business Continuity Planning: Effective backup and recovery plans are central to broader business continuity strategies. They provide a clear roadmap for responding to disruptions and ensure that all stakeholders know their roles in the recovery process.
Building a Resilient Future With Veeam Data Platform
At Veeam, we understand the critical role that secure backup and recovery solutions play in safeguarding business continuity. Our Veeam Data Platform offers a comprehensive suite of tools designed to deliver unmatched resilience in the face of any disruption. Here’s how Veeam empowers organizations:
- Advanced Backup Capabilities: Veeam provides reliable, high-performance backup solutions that protect data across diverse environments, from on-premises to cloud-based systems.
- Instant Recovery: Our instant recovery features enable businesses to quickly restore entire systems or individual files, minimizing downtime and ensuring rapid resumption of operations.
- Immutable Backups: With immutable backup storage options, Veeam ensures that backup data remains tamper-proof, providing an additional layer of protection against ransomware and other threats.
- Comprehensive Monitoring and Analytics: Veeam’s robust monitoring tools offer deep insights into backup health and performance, enabling proactive management and quick identification of potential issues.
- Scalable Solutions: Whether for small businesses or large enterprises, Veeam’s scalable solutions adapt to meet the evolving needs of any organization.
Conclusion
The CrowdStrike outage of July 19, 2024 was a powerful reminder that preparedness is the key to data resilience. Secure backup and recovery solutions are not just an IT concern; they are a strategic imperative for any organization aiming to safeguard its future. By investing in comprehensive backup and recovery strategies, businesses can ensure that they are well-equipped to navigate the uncertainties of the digital age, maintaining continuity and trust in the face of adversity.
At Veeam, we are committed to providing the tools and expertise necessary to build resilient, future-proof organizations. With Veeam Data Platform, you can rest assured that your business is protected against the unexpected, ready to recover swiftly and continue thriving, no matter what challenges arise.