For several years, important University data has been
“backed up” on campus and stored at an offsite location. The purpose of
backup technology is to meet regulatory requirements, assist in disaster
recovery and business continuity preparation and to provide security of vital
student and University information. In July 2009, OIT received University
approval to migrate the aging backup technology landscape to a new technology
which was implemented in August 2009. The new technology dramatically improved
upon each of the aforementioned purposes while also reducing the cost to the
University. The approach represented a fundamentally different perspective on
how to utilize and leverage existing technologies while improving services in a
cost conscious situation.
There is an old adage in the information technology
community which states that “no one cares about the backup of data until it is
time to restore it.” In this instance, Seattle University and the OIT
organization turned that adage on its ear by designing, innovating and funding
a commitment to the security of University and student data.