Containers Are Temporary, But Container Data Is Not

Containers are maturing and becoming an essential technology for organisations as they implement an application-modernisation strategy.

With all their code consolidated into a single package, containers can be spun up quickly and seamlessly moved from one computing environment to another. They can also be spun down when their work is complete, so they don't consume resources while sitting idle.

That's a massive bonus for developers. With containers, it is now feasible to move an application from a testing environment to a live production environment - or migrate from a physical machine to a virtual machine in the cloud.

Containers also enable developers to reuse code as they focus on building high-value software. That is one reason why it is projected that as much as 80% of workloads will shift to containers by 2023.

Despite all their upsides, one big challenge comes with containers: data storage and protection. Containers are temporary by nature. But storage, by its nature, is permanent. As they quickly spin up and take down containers, organisations find that containers' lifespan is often shorter than the data they create.

Data storage can't live by the same rules as containers: continuous creation and destruction. Instead, container data must be backed up and stored to protect against such risks as system outages and the data loss that can happen during the migration and deployment of new applications.

As companies look to ramp up their container strategy, most fail to understand that a robust and reliable data backup and recovery plan is a necessary part of that strategy. After all, if a company loses any mission-critical data during any stage of the container's development, it could potentially put its investments at risk.

Containers and containerised applications need a place to store and secure their historical data. Why? Because that data holds essential value to the organisation. For compliance or other reasons, container data needs to be stored and protected long after the container has been spun down.

Data Protection Is On You

One misunderstanding is that if containers are stored in a cloud service, data is automatically protected, and a complete recovery plan is in place. It is simply not the case. Cloud providers offer a baseline service for running containers and orchestrating their operations. But it's still your data, so you need internal policies to protect that data and recover it with minimal loss in the event of an incident.

It's important to remember that data consumed by containers is not a time-based process, with scheduled backups every few minutes or hours. Instead, it is event-driven. For instance, if you modify a container but don't get the results you anticipated, you'll probably want to revert that container to the previous state. But to do that, you need a proper backup of that previous state. These scenarios now make data storage a front-burner issue for IT developer teams.

So how can you ensure that your data is securely stored and backed up when using containers?

  • First and foremost, don't assume containers are immune to disasters or threats. All container applications and data should be part of your overall data resilience and protection strategy. The onus is on you to adequately secure every container in your environment.
  • You must also ensure that you protect the place where the data is stored, including the systems, the storage devices, and databases housing copies of your data. And as you expand your containerisation efforts, you must ensure your overall disaster recovery strategy can evolve to accommodate new data generated by emerging technologies and next-generation applications.

The Time To Tackle Backup Is Now

The bottom line is that properly backing up your data is still critically important and will only grow in importance in the days, months, and years ahead. As more organisations continue to embrace containers, they will create more data that needs to be backed up, stored, and protected.

Yes, containerisation brings a lot of new benefits to application development. But it also brings new challenges to data backup and recovery.

For this reason, organisations must pay serious attention to storing and securing their data processed by containers. If they do it now and do it right, they can enjoy the many advantages containers offer and move forward with confidence that their data is safe.

Florian Malecki is Executive Vice President of Marketing at Arcserve

You Might Also Read: 

Think Carefully Before You Pay For Cloud Downtime Insurance:

 

« Three Simple Steps To Effective Cybersecurity
How to Manage Cybersecurity Staff Shortages »

ManageEngine
CyberSecurity Jobsite
Check Point

Directory of Suppliers

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout enables cyber security professionals to reduce cyber risk to their organization with proactive security solutions, providing immediate improvement in security posture and ROI.

Jooble

Jooble

Jooble is a job search aggregator operating in 71 countries worldwide. We simplify the job search process by displaying active job ads from major job boards and career sites across the internet.

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Directory of Cyber Security Suppliers

Our Supplier Directory lists 8,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

CSI Consulting Services

CSI Consulting Services

Get Advice From The Experts: * Training * Penetration Testing * Data Governance * GDPR Compliance. Connecting you to the best in the business.

BackupVault

BackupVault

BackupVault is a leading provider of automatic cloud backup and critical data protection against ransomware, insider attacks and hackers for businesses and organisations worldwide.

Imperva

Imperva

Imperva is a leading provider of data and application security solutions including DDoS protection, Web application security, Data security and Cloud security.

Senetas

Senetas

Senetas is a leading developer and manufacturer of certified high-assurance encryption solutions, dedicated to protecting network transmitted data without compromising performance.

Firebrand Training

Firebrand Training

Firebrand is the leader in Accelerated Learning in the field of IT and project management.

XenArmor

XenArmor

XenArmor products include NetCertScanner, an enterprise software to scan & manage expired SSL Certificates on your local network or internet.

Spirion

Spirion

Spirion offers data discovery, classification, and protection tools for your business's privacy, security, and compliance program to avoid gaps and risks.

X-act Forensics

X-act Forensics

X-act forensics are computer forensic experts with experience in cases of computer fraud, intellectual property theft, and social networking cases.

ICS2

ICS2

ICS² is the first cyber security company focusing on protecting the control system of power, oil, gas, and petrochemicals plants.

Devel Group

Devel Group

Devel are a LATAM cybersecurity company specialized in providing services in the financial and enterprise sector.

SecureNation

SecureNation

SecureNation offers a wide variety of cutting-edge technologies and IT services to address almost any of your information security, network security and information assurance needs.

Red Sky Alliance

Red Sky Alliance

Red Sky Alliance (Wapack Labs Corp) is a cyber threat intelligence firm that delivers proprietary intelligence data, analysis and in-depth strategic reporting.

Prism Infosec

Prism Infosec

Prism Infosec is an award-winning independent cyber security consultancy, CREST STAR, NCSC CHECK member, CAA ASSURE audit provider and PCI Qualified Security Assessor.

Rhodian Group

Rhodian Group

Rhodian Group (formerly Adar) specialize in providing Technology, Cybersecurity, and Compliance services to the insurance industry.

aFFirmFirst

aFFirmFirst

aFFirmFirst is a unique software solution offering a simple yet effective way for businesses to protect and control their online images and logo, as well as allowing one-click website verification.

Brunswick Group

Brunswick Group

Brunswick is a critical issues firm. We advise the world’s leading companies on how to navigate the critical issues they face and engage with their critical stakeholders.

Unified Infotech

Unified Infotech

Unified Infotech is a trusted partner for IT and software solutions dedicated to empowering businesses.

Sailo Technologies

Sailo Technologies

Sailo.Technologies is a revolutionary company in Blockchain security, integrating advanced cryptographic technologies to defend transactions and digital assets.