Law firm adopts cloud-based disaster recovery solution

Leeds-based law firm Clarion has deployed Vision Solutions' disaster recovery solution to ensure the availability of its IT systems.

The solution, called Double Take Availability, was implemented by cloud computing and services firm VirtualDCS.

Double Take Availability can create an image of Clarion's physical servers including its operating systems, data and applications in a virtual environment to protect data if a server failure occurs. The secondary virtual servers are based on VMware and a HP storage area network.

Nigel Stott, IT director at Clarion, said that the law firm was looking to be able to recover its systems in half a day.

He said that previously, disaster recovery would take 24 hours as the company had to rebuild and restore using backup tapes.

He said the law firm's growth in terms of corporate deals meant that the IT systems had to be available at all times as its lawyers often work throughout the night and day.

"The key benefits of the solution are its ability to provide access of the IT systems for lawyers at all times; the fact that we lose just a few seconds of data as opposed to mass amounts if the system goes down; and that the applications are available soon after a failure," he said.

He said that cost savings had been accrued because the law firm pays for the solution on a monthly basis and it therefore has no long-term commitment to the product.