From tape to disk and cloud: how to modernize backup for critical infrastructure

By the Redsis Infrastructure team · October 2026 · 6 min read

Why traditional backup no longer cuts it

The threat that has changed the conversation most is ransomware. According to Veeam's 2025 Ransomware Trends report, based on a survey of 1,300 organizations, close to 69% were hit by an attack in the past year. Among those affected, only 10% recovered more than 90% of their data, while 57% recovered less than half. And 69% of victims believed they were prepared before the attack.

For an organization that runs critical infrastructure, the takeaway is clear: backup quality (how automated it is, where it lives, how fast it restores and whether it has been tested) matters as much as any perimeter security control.

The starting point: tape and legacy software

Our client was protecting its data with legacy backup software writing to tape. The need was to move to disk-based backup with advanced features to optimize storage capacity, replication across geographically separate sites and cloud integration. The business goals were just as concrete:

• Secure the data from multiple information systems residing on the company's storage.
• Improve availability of the backup service itself through cross-site replicas.
• Grow without rebuilding , with a scalable, flexible architecture that keeps pace with demand from its information systems.

The architecture: the right tool for each workload

Redsis designed an end-to-end solution for the primary and secondary data centers, including servers, storage, Ethernet switches, structured cabling, backup software and specialized engineering services.

• Veeam Backup & Replication Enterprise Plus , on a subscription basis, for VMware virtualized systems and Intel-based physical servers. Veeam automates disk backups, replicates data between sites, generates reports and supports capacity planning for the platform.
• IBM Spectrum Protect (now IBM Storage Protect) for Oracle databases and AIX servers, which at the time needed a mature integration with RMAN, Oracle's native backup tool, and with AIX.
• Microsoft Azure as the repository for data retention policies, so long-term copies don't consume local storage.

One note worth making: recent Veeam releases now include RMAN integration and AIX support, capabilities that weren't mature enough when this project was designed. It's a good example of why a backup architecture should be reviewed periodically.

Five lessons for leaving tape behind

1. Classify workloads before choosing tools

Virtual machines, physical servers, databases and Unix systems have different needs. An inventory by workload type, with criticality and backup window, avoids forcing a single tool where it doesn't fit.

2. Replicate the backups, not just the data

If the backup repository sits in the same site as production, a single event there can take out both. Replicating copies to the secondary data center makes the backup service highly available in its own right.

3. Use the cloud for what it does best

The cloud is ideal for long-term retention: elastic capacity, with no physical media to handle or store. Day-to-day restores, on the other hand, are usually faster from local disk.

4. Measure and plan capacity

Reporting and capacity planning turn backup into a managed service: you know what was protected, what failed and when you'll need to grow, before you run out of space.

5. Treat it as a full infrastructure project

Software is only one piece. Servers, storage, network and cabling determine real backup performance. Delivering it all under one design, as Redsis did at both data centers, removes the blind spots between vendors.

The result: automated, replicated, cloud-ready backup

Today the company has fully automated disk-based backup with reporting and capacity planning, data replication between its primary and secondary data centers, and Azure as the repository for its retention policies. Each workload type (VMware, Intel servers, Oracle and AIX) is protected with the most suitable tool, on an architecture built to grow with its information systems.

Where to start

If your organization still relies on tape, or has never measured how long it takes to restore its critical systems, a backup strategy assessment is a good first step. At Redsis we combine more than 25 years of mission-critical infrastructure experience in Latin America with data protection solutions such as Veeam and IBM Storage Protect.