Plastic Omnium Modernizes Backups with Comprehensive Security Using ExaGrid
Customer Overview
Plastic Omnium is a world-leading provider of innovative solutions for more connected and sustainable mobility. The Group develops and produces intelligent exterior systems, high-added-value lighting systems, clean energy systems, and customized complex modules. With a global network of 150 plants and 43 R&D centers, Plastic Omnium relies on its 37,000 employees to meet the challenges of clean and smart mobility. Innovation-driven since its creation, Plastic Omnium is now paving the way for zero carbon mobility through its investments in hydrogen and electrification solutions, a sector where the Group aims to become the world leader.
Key Benefits:
- ExaGrid provides backups with “no complexity”
- ExaGrid’s RTL and security features key to data protection strategy
- Fast restore performance meets RPO goals
- ExaGrid-Veeam integration “makes life easier”
ExaGrid Chosen for its Ease of Use
Oilid Ech-Chadily is the person responsible for IT and digital manufacturing, and manages Plastic Omnium’s backup storage at the company’s site in Tangier, Morocco. Prior to using ExaGrid Tiered Backup Storage, Plastic Omnium performed backups directly to tape. The decision to research next-generation backup storage solutions stemmed from business growth. “With ExaGrid’s flexible architecture, we now have a lot of possibilities to back up our data. Not only is it a good system, but it is extremely easy to use,” he said.
The ExaGrid system is easy to install and use and works seamlessly with the industry’s leading backup applications so that an organization can retain its investment in its existing backup applications and processes
"“I set up a Retention Time-Lock policy, as it is particularly important for our data protection strategy. I’ve also completed the configuration to add 2FA and HTTPS security to reinforce the security. ExaGrid is optimized for security along with its Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) using local or Active Directory credentials and Admin and Security Officer roles, which are fully compartmentalized. I enjoy the level of security that ExaGrid brings to our environment.” "
Comprehensive Security and Retention Time-Lock
Ech-Chadily takes advantage of the comprehensive security features included in every ExaGrid system and utilizes the best practices for security that ExaGrid recommends. “I set up a Retention Time-Lock policy, as it is particularly important for our data protection strategy. I’ve also completed the configuration to add 2FA and HTTPS security to reinforce the security. ExaGrid is optimized for security along with its Role- Based Access Control (RBAC) using local or Active Directory credentials and Admin and Security Officer roles, which are fully compartmentalized. I enjoy the level of security that ExaGrid brings to our environment.”
ExaGrid appliances have a network-facing disk cache Landing Zone where the most recent backups are stored in an undeduplicated format for fast backup and restore performance. Data is deduplicated into a non-network-facing tier called the Repository Tier, for longer-term retention.
ExaGrid’s unique architecture and features provide comprehensive security including Retention Time-Lock for Ransomware Recovery (RTL), and through the combination of a non-network-facing tier (tiered air gap), a delayed delete policy, and immutable data objects, backup data is protected from being deleted or encrypted. ExaGrid’s offline tier is ready for recovery in the event of an attack.
ExaGrid’s Performance Keeps Up With Continuous Schedule
“With ExaGrid, it’s a continuous backup cycle. The Veeam application manages the storing of all the data on ExaGrid, and then it’s daily, weekly, and monthly to tape which is stored offsite, as we are required to do for automotive compliance,” said Ech-Chadily.
ExaGrid writes backups directly to a disk-cache Landing Zone, avoiding inline processing and ensuring the highest possible backup performance, which results in the shortest backup window. Adaptive Deduplication performs deduplication and replication in parallel with backups for a strong recovery point (RPO). Available system cycles are utilized to perform deduplication and offsite replication for an optimal recovery point at the disaster recovery site. Once complete, the onsite data is protected and immediately available in its full undeduplicated form for fast restores, VM Instant Recoveries, and tape copies.
Veeam uses changed block tracking to perform a level of data deduplication. ExaGrid allows Veeam deduplication and Veeam dedupe-friendly compression to stay on. ExaGrid will increase Veeam’s deduplication by a factor of about 7:1 to a total combined deduplication ratio of 14:1, reducing the storage required and saving on storage costs up front and over time.
ExaGrid-Veeam Solution “Makes Life Easier” and Meets RPO Goals
Ech-Chadily appreciates how easy it us to restore data from the ExaGrid-Veeam solution. “Using ExaGrid, we can find all the data we need, effortlessly. After a recent update, I launched one backup to make sure it completed. It was a simple task – I launched it and then minutes later the backup was done. This makes my life easier as I no longer need to search for tapes. I would have to search for the tape offsite, then get it into the plant, put it in the autoloader or read it with Veeam, and then after that try to update. It just takes so much time.
“With ExaGrid, it is easy to select the data from each day, so you can read the file that you want directly and then link back the data and time that you want. It is that easy. Whether I am restoring a file, video, or database, I am always trying to calculate the RPO. Nothing has ever taken longer than 20 minutes,” he said.
ExaGrid and Veeam can instantly recover a file or VMware virtual machine by running it directly from the ExaGrid appliance in the event that the file is lost, corrupted or encrypted or the primary storage VM becomes unavailable. This instant recovery is possible because of ExaGrid’s Landing Zone – a high-speed disk cache on the ExaGrid appliance that retains the most recent backups in their complete form. Once the primary storage environment has been brought back to a working state, the VM backed up on the ExaGrid appliance can then be migrated to primary storage for continued operation.
A System with “No Complexity” Leads to Happy Backup Team
Ech-Chadily likes the ExaGrid support model of working with an assigned ExaGrid support engineer on any upgrades to the system or issues he might come across. “We are now able to perform backups that are fast and easy. All upgrades are done smoothly with the help of our dedicated support engineer. There is no complexity. We can backup and restore without an issue. The backup group is happy with it, which makes us all happy.”
The ExaGrid system was designed to be easy to set up and operate. ExaGrid’s industry-leading level 2 senior support engineers are assigned to individual customers, ensuring they always work with the same engineer. Customers never have to repeat themselves to various support staff, and issues get resolved quickly.
ExaGrid and Veeam
Ech-Chadily has found that ExaGrid and Veeam easily integrate and using both has made managing backup and restores very simple to do. “During setup, there was effective communication between ExaGrid and Veeam. All the of the backup jobs that I’ve programmed have been straightforward, even when I have to restore data, three are no issues restoring either voluminous files or simple files. There are no ‘big deals’ or issues to work through anymore,” he said.
Veeam’s backup solutions and ExaGrid’s Tiered Backup Storage combine for the industry’s fastest backups, fastest restores, a scale-out storage system as data grows, and a strong ransomware recovery story – all at the lowest cost.