Step-by-step Guide for Setting up Tiger Bridge for Versioning
Introduction
Tiger Bridge is a software-only solution that offers organisations a user-friendly mechanism to manage data both on the user level and the server level, providing full control over previous versions. Tiger Bridge is designed to enable you to store your data on your desktop, organise and modify your files, etc. in the same way you have done before. You retain visibility over your data and minimise the amount of storage resources used while providing access to older versions of data. This applies to all local data: computers, typical file servers/shared data as well as professional workflows which are application-based, and so the issue is not whether the data is stored in the cloud, but whether data can be accessed and modified by applications.
Versioning with Tiger Bridge helps in the following scenarios:
Total Loss
Files are protected in extreme events such as natural disasters.
Check out our video about disaster recovery: https://bit.ly/3cbr9tr.
Version Restore
Files and folders can be restored to a previous version following an accidental change.
Timestamp Restore
Time-based restores protect against deletion, corruption or a ransomware attack, and files can be recovered in seconds by any user directly from the file system.
File Undeletion
This feature is useful for accidental deletions of files, including permanent removals.
Why Tiger Bridge?
Continuous Data Protection with Tiger Bridge means that every version of every file is replicated to the cloud moments after being modified. Data is protected in real time in the cloud while remaining accessible on demand by users and applications. The process is organic and provides infinite restore points thus offering near-zero RPOs (Recovery Point Objective) and RTOs (Recovery Time Objective).
Tiger Bridge does not introduce any disruption to your existing workflows or any IT complexities. It uses non-proprietary formats to connect your data with the cloud and it does not require purchasing additional on-premises storage, which helps you optimise your investment in hardware. Apart from providing full versioning control, Tiger Bridge also enables you to comply with organisational data retention policies and to preserve regulated workflows without overwhelming your primary storage.
Before You Start
Make sure you have Tiger Bridge installed, running, and using a populated local folder as a source.
Configuration
From the Settings menu in Tiger Bridge, make sure to enable the Keep replica versions check box.
Depending on your target (Microsoft Azure, AWS, etc.), all sensitive information necessary for syncing the selected source folder’s contents to the cloud should be set.
NOTE!
Cloud providers require the activation of settings which are only accessible on their web platforms for versioning to work. The respective setting is called file shares soft delete for Azure and versioning for AWS. The versioning mechanism of Tiger Bridge explained below will not work unless this cloud option is set accordingly and the versioning feature (Keep replica versions) is enabled in Tiger Bridge. If either one is disabled, each new copy of a replicated file overwrites the previous one.
Tiger Bridge’s Undelete functionality also requires the bucket/container’s versioning option to be enabled.
To allow you to undelete data from your source when it is paired with a target that does not support versioning, Tiger Bridge 5.0+ has a Soft Delete policy. The policy configures by how long to offset the synchronisation of the file deletion on the target. Within that time interval, you can manually undelete any file.
Versioning Policy
You can configure a Versioning policy for all sources or per individual source in Tiger Bridge.
Open Tiger Bridge, click Add policy and select Versioning.
As long as versioning is enabled in Tiger Bridge, each new replica of a file is kept as a separate version on the target. To help you limit the number of replicas of the same file, Tiger Bridge allows you to add a versioning policy. When you add a versioning policy without modifying its parameters, it uses the default ones – all versions of the same file that are older than one week are automatically deleted from the target, regardless of their number.
You can modify the policy in the following ways:
- Specify a different time interval after which a version must be deleted from the target.
- Specify that the above rule must be applied only if the number of versions exceeds a specified number. For example, if you have configured the versioning policy to delete replicas older than 1 month, but only if the overall number of replicas of the same file is 5, Tiger Bridge deletes the version of the file, which has been replicated 2 months ago, only when a sixth version is replicated on the target.
- Specify the maximum number of versions, which should be kept on the target. When this number is exceeded, Tiger Bridge automatically deletes the oldest version.
You can also disable the policy when needed by unchecking the Enabled box.
Versioning on a File Level
When it comes to protection, attention to detail is key. Let’s start with what’s easiest to corrupt.
- If you create or edit a file and save it to the source folder, its contents are going to be replicated to the cloud. This is indicated by an orange sign next to the file icon.
In addition, its properties will contain a dedicated Versions tab.
-
When you modify a file and save it, the latest version can be found in the tab as a separate entry, represented by a green check mark.
- To restore a file’s previous version, select it and click the Restore button.
A pop-up message will appear, confirming the operation.
The previous version gets the green check mark. You can move back and forth between versions as many times as needed and the green box will show you the active one.
- To remove an unwanted version, select it and click the Delete.
This is irreversible. A pop-up message will appear, asking you to confirm the operation. - As Tiger Bridge is working, some files might get moved from one storage tier to another based on the different configured policies. This will be reflected by the colors of the cloud icons next to the respective versions.
Versioning on a Folder Level
When attacks happen, they don’t just target individual files. Damages tend to be more widespread, affecting complex folder structures with tons of information inside.
In such cases, versioning can prove extremely beneficial.
- Access your source folder’s properties. You will see a dedicated Versions tab there as well.
- If you were hit by ransomware or another malicious attack, the Timestamp field allows you to choose an earlier date and time to which the current state of the folder will be compared.
- Click the Analyze Content button to get an analysis of how many files have been potentially corrupted. The results arrive with some useful information, described in the table below.
- You can restore all files in the folder to the specific timestamp with Timestamp Restoration.
- If you permanently delete a file by accident, there’s a way to restore it.
Simply right-click the source folder and select Tiger Bridge -> Undelete.
Make sure you’ve applied all steps from the Configuration part of the article. Deleted files are stored in the web platforms of cloud providers, which allows them to be manually restored.
Whether it’s a ransomware attack or a permanent deletion, once recovered, a file will re-appear inside the source folder, with all its versions, including corrupted ones, in place.
View our Data Protection video playlist here.
Send Us Your Feedback
Did you find the information you were looking for?
Email us your feedback at info@tiger-technology.com.
About Tiger Technology
Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria and Alpharetta, GA, USA, Tiger Technology specializes in the underlying technology of hybrid cloud workflows as well as data management software solutions designed to help customers of any size, scale and industry optimize their on-premises storage and enhance their workflows through cloud services. Tiger Technology solutions are admin-friendly, non-disruptive, transparent, and highly cost-effective.
Tiger Technology brings over 15 years of expertise in developing high-performance storage solutions for the most demanding workflows, which includes cross-platform NAS/SAN file system sharing, storage, user, project, and media management.
Throughout the years and the multitude of changes in IT and the digital landscape, Tiger Technology has chosen the path of growth and continual improvement, but it has never lost sight of what it all starts with - data. The company’s current focus is bridging the gap between the edge where data is generated and the cloud where data is stored and processed.
Find out more about Tiger Technology here. Catch up on our blog here.
Follow us on social media