Disaster recoveryGiving hardware a second life in disasters

CharTec, the SMB channel’s Hardware as a Service (HaaS)/ MSP training provider, announced that it is providing a software version of its CharTec BDR appliance that enables partners to provide backup and disaster recovery offerings by reusing existing hardware or BDR solutions.

Designed to run in place of current backup and recovery solutions or as a standalone offering, the CharTec BDR software allows MSPs to gain improved data protection and restore features without the need to remove, re-deploy, or substitute hardware currently installed and running. Partners may provide their own OS and hardware from providers such as Dell, HP, IBM, and others.

The company says that by giving hardware a second life, CharTec’s BDR ensures the maximum uptime and continuity of end users’ business-critical infrastructures through real-time onsite data protection and fortified offsite backups.

“Though we’ve built our practice on offering hardware as a service, we understand that there is tremendous value for MSPs wanting to adopt a BDR solution that was designed especially for them based on our own experiences as an MSP,” said Alex Rogers, CharTec’s CEO. “So we are offering them the unique opportunity to implement the CharTec BDR not as an appliance, but as a software solution that allows them to keep backing up to their current hardware. MSPs will receive all the same features of our current BDR solution without having to replace their hardware, enabling them to deliver more efficient, reliable and higher-quality IT without the hassle of juggling new hardware and transitioning out of contracts.”

Deployed from a USB thumb drive, the CharTec BDR software replicates a client’s production infrastructure through local and cloud-virtualized backup images, which are tested and verified daily to ensure data is up to date. Management is through a Web-based portal with an RMM agent for alerting and scripting to deliver rapid and reliable restore of any backup image, any time to ensure maximum uptime. Requirements for the software include: 64-bit hardware, a minimum of 8GBs of RAM, and a license of Windows 2008 R2.

The company says that prices start at $79 per month, which includes backup for one server and 100GB of offsite storage. Additional servers can be protected for $20 per month. Free installation will be provided to early adopters.