Amazon's Cloud Crash Disaster Permanently Destroyed Many Customers' Data

Business Insider ^ | 04/28/2011 | Henry Blodget

[GOPJ]

In addition to taking down the sites of dozens of high-profile companies for hours (and, in some cases, days), Amazon's huge EC2 cloud services crash permanently destroyed some data. The data loss was apparently small relative to the total data stored, but anyone who runs a web site can immediately understand how terrifying a prospect any data loss is.

Whatever happened to the idea of backups in safe sites?

[antiRepublicrat]

If I were a corporation doing cloud, I would demand a serious service level agreement, including payback for downtime and reparations for lost data. If the data is critical, I’d demand no less than one geographically separate warm site, and if the data is critical enough a hot site plus a warm site. The company had better have one hell of an insurance policy.

[commish]

Yep, they are referred to as Contingency Plans for a reason. ;-)

[DeFault User]

Whatever happened to the idea of backups in safe sites?

Even years ago when I looked into banks' data security, they often had backups offsite. Not only offsite, but in bomb proof bunkers underground.

[The Sons of Liberty]

Well yes. I agree. I certainly wouldn’t want to have to support applications built on a Cloud Computing architecture, but to those who don’t quite understand what is under the covers, which is most of the general public - including most management, it sounds “magical”.

[w1andsodidwe]

Even years ago when I looked into banks' data security, they often had backups offsite. Not only offsite, but in bomb proof bunkers underground.

In our tiny four IT person location, one of us always has the latest backup tapes at our home. Not mission critical data, but it is a simple thing to do. The corporate headquarters has an off site vault where data is transported daily. It is just common sense.

[GOPJ]

I remember that - bunkers basically.

I'm surprised the 'cloud' industry would attempt existence without some kind of safety assurance. Who would trust their data to these guys?

[Still Thinking]

...to those who don’t quite understand what is under the covers, which is most of the general public - including most management, it sounds “magical”.

Well, if you're trying to do an "executive summary" to inform those without much computer savvy, just tell them "the cloud" is fart gas. That should give them the idea.