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Or instead of charging for tapes as part of your backup infrastructure=20
charge, think of tape as just another storage media that you're selling to =
them (like shared disk space off a SAN array).
If you typically keep a tape in your environment for x years, it's easy to =
determine the cost/month of that tape. Assume 2:1 compression (or a=20
different number if you have a better guess for your environment), and you =
can figure out the cost/month per GB of tape space. Now lease them the=20
space... run a report each month to calculate the GB of all images for=20
each client (not just the backups ran recently or during that month, but=20
everything they have on tape), multiply it by the cost/month/GB and you=20
have their monthly bill for tape space.
It doesn't matter if their fulls are once a day or once a quarter, if=20
their incrementals are big or small, if you have to bpexpdate something=20
because the retention requirements for that data have changed, or even if=20
you have to refresh the media and put it on a new tape... you're a "tape=20
landlord". Think of each GB of tape space as a little house in Monopoly,=20
now throw those houses on Park Place and start collecting rent!
- Scott
"Kee, Jason" <Jason.Kee AT crossmark DOT com>
Sent by: veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
07/10/2003 01:03 PM
=20
To: " (veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu)"
<veritas-bu@mailman.=
eng.auburn.edu>
cc:=20
Subject: [Veritas-bu] tiered backup offerings
Mr. Kennedy,
=20
I suggest that you look into splitting your categories by data retention=20
more than full/differential service levels. Tape costs increase more with=20
retention than anything else. The longer data has to be kept, the less=20
likely a tape can be rotated and re-used for fresh data. For instance, if=20
a customer wishes to keep data on hand for 1 year or more, you effectively =
lose that tape for that long, hence the need to buy more tapes. I would=20
however, make one service level suggestion for the Gold category: offer=20
daily full backups.=20
=20
Lastly, I would suggest that you tailor your prices to the client. A=20
client who needs to retain data longer, needs that data also to be=20
available longer and more often, should be charged more than a client who=20
does not.=20
=20
My company has not yet implemented any chargebacks to internal departments =
for backups, however, this is the strategy I would follow if we were to do =
so.=20
=20
In summary, the questions which need to be answered by a client before=20
pricing occurs are along the same lines as those used to determine the=20
backup policy, and backup policy is, after all, what will tell you how=20
many tapes are being used for a certain class of data.=20
=20
I hope my suggestions have helped, please write if I have been unclear.=20
Thank you!
=20
Jason Kee
Business Continuance Specialist
Infrastructure Security
CROSSMARK=AE
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<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">Or instead of charging for tapes as part =
of your backup infrastructure charge, think of tape as just another storage=
media that you're selling to them (like shared disk space off a SAN array)=
.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">If you typically keep a tape in your envi=
ronment for x years, it's easy to determine the cost/month of that tape. &n=
bsp;Assume 2:1 compression (or a different number if you have a better gues=
s for your environment), and you can figure out the cost/month per GB of ta=
pe space. Now lease them the space... run a report each month to calc=
ulate the GB of all images for each client (not just the backups ran recent=
ly or during that month, but everything they have on tape), multiply it by =
the cost/month/GB and you have their monthly bill for tape space.</font>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">It doesn't matter if their fulls are once=
a day or once a quarter, if their incrementals are big or small, if you ha=
ve to bpexpdate something because the retention requirements for that data =
have changed, or even if you have to refresh the media and put it on a new =
tape... you're a "tape landlord". Think of each GB of tape =
space as a little house in Monopoly, now throw those houses on Park Place a=
nd start collecting rent!</font>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=3D2 face=3D"Arial">- Scott</font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<table width=3D100%>
<tr valign=3Dtop>
<td>
<td><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif"><b>"Kee, Jason" <Jason.=
Kee AT crossmark DOT com></b></font>
<br><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif">Sent by: veritas-bu-admin AT mailman DOT
en=
g.auburn.edu</font>
<p><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif">07/10/2003 01:03 PM</font>
<br>
<td><font size=3D1 face=3D"Arial"> </font>
<br><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif"> To: &nbs=
p; " (veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu)"
<=
;veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu></font>
<br><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif"> cc: &nbs=
p; </font>
<br><font size=3D1 face=3D"sans-serif"> Subject:=
[Veritas-bu] tiered backup offerings</font></ta=
ble>
<br>
<br>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">Mr. Kennedy,</font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">I suggest that you look into sp=
litting your categories by data retention more than full/differential servi=
ce levels. Tape costs increase more with retention than anything else. The =
longer data has to be kept, the less likely a tape can be rotated and re-us=
ed for fresh data. For instance, if a customer wishes to keep data on hand =
for 1 year or more, you effectively lose that tape for that long, hence the=
need to buy more tapes. I would however, make one service level suggestion=
for the Gold category: offer daily full backups. </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">Lastly, I would suggest that yo=
u tailor your prices to the client. A client who needs to retain data longe=
r, needs that data also to be available longer and more often, should be ch=
arged more than a client who does not. </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">My company has not yet implemen=
ted any chargebacks to internal departments for backups, however, this is t=
he strategy I would follow if we were to do so. </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">In summary, the questions which=
need to be answered by a client before pricing occurs are along the same l=
ines as those used to determine the backup policy, and backup policy is, af=
ter all, what will tell you how many tapes are being used for a certain cla=
ss of data. </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">I hope my suggestions have help=
ed, please write if I have been unclear. Thank you!</font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman"> </font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">Jason Kee</font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">Business Continuance Specialist=
</font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">Infrastructure Security</font>
<br><font size=3D3 face=3D"Times New Roman">CROSSMARK=AE</font>
<br>
<br>
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