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Frequently Asked Questions

Getting Started

Security

High Availability and Business Continuity

Functionality

License Management

Getting Started

What are the system requirements for the Shadowcloud?

Supported Operating Systems

  • Windows/SBS 2003
  • Windows/SBS 2003 R2
  • Windows/SBS 2008
  • Windows XP & Vista

Software Requirements

  • For virtualized environments, the host server must be running:
    • The free version of VMware’s ESXi 3.5 update 2 or 3
    • Any purchased/licensed version of ESX/ESXi 3.5 update 2 or later
  • For physical environments, the server must be running
    • StorageCraft ShadowProtect™ Server Edition versions 3.3 through 3.5.x
    • StorageCraft ShadowProtect™ SBS Edition versions 3.3 through 3.5.x
    • StorageCraft ShadowProtect™ Desktop Edition versions 3.3 through 3.5.x

Application Support

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

How does the Shadowcloud 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 the Shadowcloud on a daily basis. These images can be accessed through the Shadowcloud web-based management portal, where they can be restored to run as virtual machines.

How is the Shadowcloud service enabled?

  • A partner creates an account via the Doyenz Management Portal, then downloads and installs a small host agent on the client server.

How do I access the Shadowcloud Management Portal?

  • A web browser, internet connection and secure logon is all that is needed to access the Shadowcloud portal.

How big is the host agent?

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

How do I upload my server?

  • A server image can be uploaded automatically over the Internet, or copied to disk and shipped to Doyenz where it will be uploaded into the system. Doyenz provides the disks and includes a return shipping label for the partner.

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

  • It depends on the size of the server, but for a 200 GB server, 1Mbps is recommended. The following table provides general guidelines for 1 TB 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 1TB at 80% Network Utilization
512Kbps 46.6 Days
T1 (1.544Mbps) 16.4 Days
10Mbps 2.6 Days
T3 (44.736Mbps) 14.4 Hours

         

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 the Shadowcloud Management Portal.

Security

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 transmitting over the internet.

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.

Does Doyenz have multiple data centers?

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

What kind of security permissions are employed?

  • Client server data can only be accessed with a secure logon and password authentication via the Shadowcloud Management Portal.

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

  • Yes

Are audit trails provided?

  • No

High Availability and Business Continuity

How are server images stored?

  • The client's server production environment is compressed, encrypted, and replicated to two SAS70 Type II data centers. The ESX agent leverages ESX Snapshots to achieve this. The physical agent leverages StorageCraft ShadowProtect™ backup images.

How often are server images stored in the Shadowcloud?

  • Replication takes place daily.

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.

How is the integrity checked, tested and reported?

  • The Shadowcloud automatically performs a restore on all ESX images, eliminating the need for test restores, although this is recommended as a best practice ShadowProtect images can not be tested in the same way. We recommend that our partners perform a test restore of each server once a month.

Can the service perform automatic test restores?

  • Test restores are conducted manually.

How is server image recovery managed?

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

Does the Shadowcloud support bare metal server recovery?

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

Functionality

How does the Shadowcloud rapid recovery and failover service work?

  • Server images are replicated in two SAS70 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 their Microsoft Windows and Linux servers, deploy them as virtual machines to either the client’s on-premise or cloud environment.

How does the Shadowcloud failover work?

  • In the event of a disruption to the client’s production server, partners can restore the latest, 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 ShadowCloud 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.

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.

Is failover manual or automated?

  • Failover must be initiated manually.

How is failback performed?

  • Failback can be achieved in a number of ways:
    • Virtual machines/server images restored on the Shadowcloud platform can be downloaded (or shipped) at any time in a VMware ESX 3.5 format.
    • Server images can also be replicated with StorageCraft Shadow Protect and delivered back to the partner ready for bare metal recovery on the platform of their choice. (Requires a ShadowProtect license.)
    • For time sensitive recoveries 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.

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 Shadowcloud 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.

How are migrations performed in the Shadowcloud?

  • With the Shadowcloud migrations service, partners can automate the migration of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2003 to Microsoft Windows Small Business Server 2008 by uploading the latest copy of the client’s SBS 2003 server or by restoring an existing server image in the Shadowcloud. The partner can then automatically provision a new SBS 2008 server, using valid Microsoft license credentials. Within the fenced network of the Shadowcloud virtual sandbox, the partner connects the newly generated SBS 2008 server to the existing SBS 2003 server, now running side-by-side, and performs the data migration. After testing the newly migrated server, the new SBS 2008 server image can be downloaded or shipped to the client site where it can be installed. Partners can then complete the migration by synchornising the changed data from the orginal server to the new server.

What functionality is provided through the Shadowcloud Management Portal?

  • The Shadowcloud 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 their client accounts and their virtual machines in a unified dashboard.

How is the networking environment configured?

  • The Shadowcloud 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.

License Management

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.

Does the Shadowcloud 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. Shadowcloud currently provides detail on server image history, storage volumes and lab usage.

How is billing managed?

  • Doyenz partners are billed once a month based on aggregate server storage volume and in accordance with their Doyenz service plan details.

Does the Shadowcloud provide server performance monitoring?

  • No. Doyenz partners monitor their clients servers and infrastructure and utilize the Shadowcloud to manage failure and restoral scenarios in near real-time. 

Do you support ESX Clusters?

  • We are currently evaluating support for ESX clusters. We do not support them at this time.

Does the service perform automatic start and shut-down of the virtual machine?

  • Yes

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

  • Yes, in the virtual sandbox.

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

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

Does Doyenz provide a configuration library of ISOs?

  • Not at this time.