SAP Backups on Amazon S3: Secure, Low-Cost Off-Site Storage
June 2, 2019
Every SAP system needs backups kept off-site, and where you keep them affects cost, security and how quickly you can restore. This paper explains why Amazon S3, with older backups aged into Glacier, is a cost-effective off-site store for SAP backups, and what it cost to keep 3TB there at the time of writing.
Key Takeaways
- Amazon S3 replicates backups between data centers in the same region, so a failure in one data center doesn't lose your backup
- You control the backup files directly, so restores don't wait on a hosting company
- Backups travel through a secure network tunnel and are encrypted at rest by default
- Lifecycle policies age backups automatically, keeping 3 months' worth so you don't pay to store files you no longer need
- You pay only for the space used and the PUT and GET requests: roughly $70 USD a month for 3TB at the time of the paper
Off-Site SAP Backups on AWS
CONTAX offers a full range of SAP disaster recovery options on AWS, depending on your needs and budget. One of the simplest is to store SAP backups in Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3) and age older backups into Amazon S3 Glacier, a very cost-effective off-site storage option.
Advantages of Storing Backups on Amazon S3
Replicated storage
Data is replicated within the same AWS region. If one data center has a malfunction, the backup file is still available in a nearby data center through automatic replication.
Faster restores
You are in direct control of the backup files, so retrieving and restoring from a backup can go ahead quickly without a hosting company acting as a go-between.
Secure transfer and encryption
Backup files are sent and received through a secure network tunnel set up between your systems and AWS, and data stored on Amazon S3 is encrypted by default.
Automatic ageing
Native AWS lifecycle policies age the backups so that, at any time, 3 months' worth are retained. You don't hoard old files or pay to store them.
Durability and availability
Amazon S3 Standard storage is backed by the Amazon S3 Service Level Agreement and designed for 99.999999999% durability and 99.99% availability of objects over a given year.
Pay for what you use
You pay only for the storage space you use and the number of PUT and GET requests.
Sample Pricing
Using the AWS Simple Monthly Calculator, CONTAX estimated the cost of storing 3TB of SAP backups in Amazon S3 at roughly $70 USD a month at the time the paper was written (2019). Your cost depends on the volume you keep and how often backups are written and read.
How CONTAX Can Help
CONTAX offers a full range of SAP disaster recovery options on AWS, sized to your needs and budget. Learn more about SAP on AWS or contact us to discuss your backup strategy.
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