I Made a Paradigm

For my book, Definitive Guide to Windows Application and Server Backup 2.0, I coined the phrase "Backup 2.0." My intent was to separate the old-school, file-level backup techniques we've been using for, oh, three and a half decades, from newer, block-image based backups that actually do a better job of meeting the underlying business reasons to back up in the first place.

Today, Greg got an e-mail which said, in part:

Hello Greg – if you would like to learn more about the new paradigm in backup and disaster recovery—Backup 2.0, Vizioncore CTO Jason Mattox is hosting a live webinar exclusively for bloggers in the virtualization community. The webinar info appears below.

It goes on to say:

Traditional backup methods, referred to as Backup 1.0, are reaching their technology end-of-life. These methods were designed more than two decades before the existence of current data center infrastructures. Backup 1.0 uses use inefficient file-level backup methods for data collection and transmission, and they offer limited recovery options. Backup 1.0 is also dependent on its own set of complex infrastructures that include backup agents, servers, networks, and storage systems. This complexity adds cost and administrative burden to already over-burdened environments. Ultimately, traditional Backup 1.0 methods are too costly to operate and maintain, with insufficient recovery options. By using images, Backup 2.0 reinvents how data is collected, transmitted and recovered. Image-based backup collects and protects more types of data, transmits and stores it more efficiently, and offers faster recovery at more frequent points in time. Backup 2.0 solutions also dramatically simplify data protection infrastructure: backup agents and servers are eliminated, lowering costs and simplifying operations.

Which is a nice paraphrasing of the main themes of my book, especially the core concepts from the first chapter. Well, needless to say I'm completely flattered! And it turns out Vizioncore has even done some math, claiming a $15-to$1 return on investment for Backup 2.0-style solutions. Neat-o. I'm hoping Vizioncore will contact me someday to talk about Backup 2.0; I'd love to find out how they've interpreted the theme and what they're doing with it. Heck, maybe their next announcement can even use a few (properly-attributed, of course) quotes from the book!