Frequently Asked Questions

What are the system requirements for rCloud?

Supported Operating Systems

  • Windows Server 2003
  • Windows Server 2003 R2
  • Windows Server 2008
  • Windows Server 2008 R2
  • Windows SBS 2003
  • Windows SBS 2008
  • Windows SBS 2011 

 

Software Requirements

For virtualized environments, the host server must be running:

  • VMware ESX/ESXi 3.5 update 2 through ESX/ESXi 4.1

 

For physical environments, the server must be running:

  • StorageCraft ShadowProtect™ Server Edition versions 3.5 and 4.1
  • StorageCraft ShadowProtect™ SBS Edition versions 3.5 and 4.1 

 

Application Support

  • Any application that runs on one of our supported operating systems
  • Any application supported in a VMware ESX virtualized environment

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  How does rCloud work?  

With the simple installation of a host agent on the client’s server, a full image of the server can be uploaded over the Internet or shipped on a disk where it is replicated to the Doyenz secure data center. Incremental server image backups, or deltas, are then replicated automatically into rCloud on a daily basis. These images can be accessed through the rCloud web-based management portal, where they can be restored to run as virtual machines.

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How is the rCloud service enabled?

A partner creates an account via the rCloud portal, then downloads and installs a small host agent on the client's server.

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How do I access the rCloud Management Portal?

A web browser, Internet connection and secure logon is all that is needed to access rCloud.

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How big is the host agent?

The virtual host agent is under 1 GB and the physical host agent is 49 MB.

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How do I upload my server?

A server image can be uploaded to rCloud automatically over the Internet or shipped on a disk to Doyenz.

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How much bandwidth do I need to upload my server over the Internet, and how long will the initial upload take?

Your clients will need enough bandwidth to upload a daily incremental backup to the
cloud in 23 hours. The actual amount of bandwidth will vary on a client-by-client basis, however, we recommend at least 1 Mbps upload speed.

The following table provides general guidelines for 200GB transfer speeds. For more precise information related to your base server size, please refer to this calculation tool.

Available Internet Connection Theoretical Min. Number of Days to Transfer 200GB at 80% Network Utilization
512Kbps 46.6 Days
T1 (1.544Mbps) 16.4 Days
10Mbps 2.6 Days
T3 (44.736Mbps) 14.4 Hours

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What kind of bandwidth do I need to upload daily backups to the service?

It depends on the size of the deltas, however we recommend 1Mbps, outside of business hours. Bandwidth usage can be throttled down during business hours through rCloud management portal.

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How is a client’s data protected when being transmitted?

Client server data is encrypted using standard 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard technology prior to being transmitted over the Internet.

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Where and how is the client’s server image stored?

Client server images are securely stored as images in a Tier 3 grade co-location facility. The data center provides HID access, key card access only, entry and exit logs, surveillance and closed circuit monitoring with CCTV, monitoring via IP connection to remote NOC, and 24/7 on-premise security guard.

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Is Doyenz in a SAS 70 Type II data center?

Yes. Doyenz is deployed in a modern Tier 3 data center selected to meet or exceed SAS 70 Type II and HIPAA best practice requirements.

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What kind of security permissions are employed?

Client server data can only be accessed with a secure logon and password authentication via the rCloud management portal.

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Does rCloud allow user access to be restricted by the client?

Yes.

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Are audit trails provided?

No.

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How are server images stored?

The client's server production environment is compressed, encrypted, and replicated to two SAS 70 Type II data centers. The ESX agent leverages ESX Snapshots to achieve this. The physical agent leverages StorageCraft® ShadowProtect™ backup images.

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How often are server images replicated to rCloud?

Replication takes place daily.

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How is a server image restored?

Doyenz reconciles the base image with the deltas to provide a full working copy of the client’s server.

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How is the integrity checked, tested and reported?

rCloud automatically boots all ESX images upon completion of each backup to ensure integrity. ShadowProtect™ images cannot be tested in the same way.

We recommend that our partners perform a test restore of each server, regardless of the type, once a month to validate integrity.

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Can the service perform automatic test restores?

Test restores are conducted manually.

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How is server image recovery managed?

A complete server image is available for restore in the event of disaster or failure.

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Does rCloud support bare metal server recovery?

For physical machines, bare metal server recovery is 100% automated.

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VMware ESX is being discontinued. How does this impact Doyenz?

Doyenz utilizes an independent virtual machine that runs on the ESX/ESXi server and makes API calls to the VMware hypervisor. We do not require any console access.

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How does the rCloud® recovery service work?

Server images are replicated in a SAS 70 Type II data center. These images can be restored for use at any time, with deltas automatically uploaded to the Doyenz cloud on a daily basis.

Partners can use these images to provision and test Microsoft Windows servers and deploy them as virtual machines to either the client’s on-premise or cloud environment.

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How does the rCloud® failover work?

In the event of a disruption to the client’s production server, partners can restore the latest copy, or a specific point-in-time copy of the client’s server as a virtual machine in the cloud. These images are completely restored to full system connectivity. The client can then failover their connections to that copy of their server and run from the rCloud® until the on-premise server is repaired. The partner can also choose to download a copy of their client’s server to another location.

For the recovery and failover service, we provide a single public IP address for each client running in failover mode on the platform. The partner can then adjust DNS records and direct the client to connect to their servers via VPN or remote desktop services.

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How does a client connect to their server while in failover mode?

Clients can access the copy of their production server via a VPN connection, or remote desktop services.

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Is failover manual or automated?

Failover must be initiated manually.

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How is failback performed?

Failback can be achieved in a number of ways: Virtual machines/server images restored on the rCloud® platform can be downloaded (or shipped) at any time in a VMware ESX 3.5 format.

Server images can also be replicated with StorageCraft™ ShadowProtect™ and delivered back to the partner ready for bare metal recovery on the platform of their choice. (Requires a ShadowProtect™ license.) For a time sensitive recovery, the client can continue to run in the cloud while the copy of the server image is in transit. Once the partner is ready to cut over to the local copy, the incremental delta is performed and downloaded.

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How does the virtual sandbox work?

The sandbox provides a hosted lab environment that replicates the client’s production server infrastructure in the cloud. Because an up-to-date copy of the client’s production server is maintained in the rCloud® at all times, the sandbox allows partners to provision servers, perform upgrades and migrations, test changes, and deploy patches against a virtual copy of the client’s production server.

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What functionality is provided through the rCloud® web console?

The rCloud® portal provides an administration console that allows partners to access all the features of the service while being able to review the status of all client accounts and virtual machines in a unified dashboard.

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How is the networking environment configured?

The rCloud® platform automatically recreates the “native” IP environment around each restored machine. The IP address, subnet mask and gateway are all the same as the original network.

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Do you monitor and enforce compliance of software and operating system license usage?

It is the partner’s responsibility to manage the client’s software licenses.

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Does the rCloud® provide reporting? If so, does it include usage and activity? What type of views and formats?

Doyenz is actively gathering requirements to enhance our reporting capabilities. rCloud® currently provides detail on server image history, storage volumes, and lab usage.

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Does the rCloud® provide server performance monitoring?

No. Partners monitor their clients’ servers and infrastructure and utilize the rCloud® to manage failure and restoral scenarios in near real-time.

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Can you run multiple instances of the same virtual machine configuration side by side?

Yes, in the virtual lab.

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Can Doyenz start, shut-down, suspend, snapshot, and share virtual machines individually or as a complete system?

The Doyenz service can start and shut-down virtual machines, but does not snapshot or enable sharing.

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Does Doyenz provide a configuration library of ISOs?

Not at this time.

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