Commvault, a leading data management provider, has outlined five ways in which IT teams can benefit from Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimize backups. Without the help of AI or Machine Learning (ML), organizations are at risk of not being able to protect their data from emergencies such as cyberattacks or natural disasters.
AI and ML are indispensable for assessing historical data, deriving models for more efficient backups, and predicting events that could compromise data security. They also enable faster restoration of infrastructure and data in critical situations.
1. Automated scheduling of routine tasks: Traditional backup scheduling can result in complex configurations and inefficiencies. AI-driven platforms improve job sequencing, prioritizing recovery loads based on availability, minimizing time windows, and achieving optimal Recovery Point Objectives (RPO).
2. Streamlined management and monitoring: AI collects performance data to analyze thousands of daily jobs, identifying anomalies and categorizing them by type, frequency, and severity. Events requiring human intervention are filtered to alert the IT team and enable a rapid response.
3. Data classification and risk analysis: AI and ML define, classify, and prioritize data that must be restored in the event of a disaster. Classification models are trained using business data to identify critical documents. Deep learning enables the classification of even complex and unstructured data, while text analysis helps locate sensitive information.
4. Attack detection: Ransomware actors target not only productive data but also backups. AI detects anomalies in data as indicators of an attack, identifying patterns that could be signs of malicious encryption. Immediate detection can make a difference in responding to an attack.
5. Data and infrastructure recovery: IT teams can define optimal Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and RPO to minimize information loss. AI also alerts when predefined SLAs may be at risk, allowing organizations to act proactively.
These five benefits of AI in backup management transform the game by protecting data, automating tasks, and improving system efficiency, enabling organizations to minimize risks and effectively respond to cybersecurity challenges.