At Savonia University of Applied Sciences, the goal was to move from multiple backup systems to a single, comprehensive solution. One system would reduce the workload and make it possible to see the status of all servers’ backups at a glance. However, the main reason for switching was the limitations of the previous backup solutions.
“The problem with the old systems was that we could only access backups from up to two months ago. Our lecturers may be on summer leave for a long time, and if bad luck struck at the start of their leave, they would face an unpleasant surprise when returning, as files older than two months couldn’t be restored,” explains Petri Siiskonen, IT planner at Savonia.
“Nowadays there are some ransomware threats that encrypt all files accessible from a workstation. We’ve experienced this a few years ago. We needed a system that would keep backups safely protected,” Siiskonen continues.
Rubrik chosen together with Tietokeskus
Tietokeskus has been a partner of Savonia for a long time. The collaboration has included hardware delivery, network solutions, and cybersecurity. “The cooperation has worked very well. Tietokeskus has versatile technical expertise, the collaboration is smooth, and we get answers to all our questions,” Siiskonen says.
When it was time to renew the backup services, it felt natural to expand the collaboration and find a suitable solution together. “Savonia had already researched different options and technologies. We compared a few alternatives, listed the pros and cons, and quickly concluded that Rubrik could be the right solution due to its simplicity and flexibility,” says Tietokeskus consultant Tommi Peltola.
Rubrik’s architecture also pays particular attention to security. “Rubrik is a complete solution with both hardware and software in one package. Because it’s a closed system, it’s extremely difficult for viruses to get in,” explains Mikkola.
Implementation succeeded even under exceptional circumstances
Rubrik is very easy to deploy. This proved a major advantage when the coronavirus pandemic threatened to disrupt the project. “Even though the experts couldn’t come to campus because of the pandemic, we were still able to complete the project together. Tietokeskus guided us remotely, and we installed Rubrik and connected the cables ourselves,” Siiskonen says.
“After this, we were able to complete the installation and configuration via remote connection,” adds Mikkola.
After careful user training, Savonia staff have been able to use the system effortlessly. “Compared to the previous systems, Rubrik is extremely easy to use and fast – it takes minutes to back up data, and it can also be restored in minutes. We’ve tested the restore function once, and since we practised it in training, it worked flawlessly,” Siiskonen notes.
Rubrik reduces maintenance work
Once Rubrik is properly installed and configured, all that’s needed is occasional monitoring to ensure everything is still in order. Compared to traditional backup systems, there’s much less work because there’s no need to swap tapes or perform any other manual or time-consuming tasks.
“Even installing updates isn’t something we have to do ourselves; it’s covered by Rubrik’s support. While updates aren’t a particularly complex task, it’s great to outsource it and benefit from this service,” Siiskonen laughs.
“The system even predicts and notifies us if capacity is running low. As long as there’s enough capacity, Rubrik runs smoothly on its own,” adds Mikkola.
