Data replication solutions may be best known as a failsafe in the event of critical system failure, but data replication can do more than save a company from potentially debilitating information loss; it can also eliminate bandwidth bottlenecking and decrease service latency for global businesses on a daily basis. Asynchronous replication services such as those provided by Rapidi are bandwidth efficient, cost-effective solutions to information access and security problems facing many growing businesses today.
So what is asynchronous data replication? Asynchronous replication refers to any replication process that writes data to the primary storage location first, and to the replica second. Its counterpart is synchronous replication, a process which writes to the primary storage and any secondary locations simultaneously, in near-real time. Each process has its pros and cons, and the viability and applicability of each will vary, business to business.
Synchronous or Asynchronous?
It’s never pleasant to consider, but understanding your organization’s failsafe procedures in the event of catastrophic system failure is pivotal to your business’s success. Solid data recovery plans are crucial, especially in a constantly shifting, increasingly competitive business landscape.Replication technology is one of the most effective tools that can be used to keep your data safe and secure, and your business operating at maximum efficiency. So what exactly makes data replication so important in the wake of data loss? Well, data that is consistently replicated to secondary locations can be accessed and used to restore information and functionality to primary systems that were waylaid by an attack, or other issue that resulted in data loss, disruption, or failure.
Asynchronous and synchronous replication are two common methods of data replication. The differences mostly have to do with timing; synchronous replication involves writing data to the primary and secondary storage sites near-simultaneously, whereas asynchronous replication writes to the primary first before any alternate locations. There are benefits and drawbacks to each. Synchronous replication ensures that any backups are more likely to be identical (or nearly so) to the information immediately preceding a system failure. For some companies, this is a highly relevant component, which justifies the significant cost and greater bandwidth consumption that goes hand-in-hand with synchronous replication solutions.
Meanwhile, asynchronous replication can happen in near-real time, or in scheduled increments. The Rapidi Replicator, like most asynchronous replication technology, is both budget-friendly and bandwidth efficient. Asynchronous data replication technology also tends to be better for long-distance information relay, since the minor lag inherent to the process is rendered irrelevant, since the data transmission is staggered anyway.
What are the Perks of Asynchronous Replication?
The Rapidi Replicator is an asynchronous replication product which equips your organization with a streamlined, software-as-a-service solution. Cloud-hosted, it is able to work with most popular ERPs, and every single Microsoft ERP available (yes, even legacy editions!). Like all of Rapidi’s services, the Replicator is designed to put functionality at your team’s fingertips. Rapidi’s asynchronous replication solution is scalable, able to work flawlessly between three or three hundred databases; as your business grows, the Replicator can grow alongside it with minimal maintenance required. Rapidi’s cutting edge technology gives your company all the perks of centralized data exchange with none of the hassle.
There are a variety of plus sides to asynchronous replication solutions. For global businesses whose customers and clients are situated in all corners of the world, data access can suffer from latency issues. The greater the distance between data storage site and access request, the more significant the lag becomes. This is problematic for synchronous replication solutions, which can quickly become burdensome on available bandwidth, and can adversely affect applications. Due to the staggered nature of asynchronous replication processes, this is not an issue for solutions such as the Rapidi Replicator, which is both bandwidth efficient and not affected by WAN interruptions. Asynchronous solutions also tend to be far more resilient than synchronous solutions; both the primary and the replicated data set must fail to induce total service loss; synchronous replication processes are more susceptible to interruptions and viruses. Not only that, but for businesses relying on a breadth of products and applications, they will likely find that asynchronous replication is more widely compatible. In some circumstances, synchronous replication solutions actually require companies to procure specialized hardware; this is not the case with asynchronous solutions.
What is the Best Asynchronous Data Replication Service?
There are companies out there who can help take the headache out of your data replication solution implementation. Rapidi is one such company. With nearly thirty years of data integration and data replication experience under their belt, they have crafted a high-quality asynchronous replication solution—the Rapidi Replicator—that is cost-effective and simple to use. The Rapidi Replicator’s intuitive interface puts centralized data access and management at your team’s fingertips. The Replicator is cloud-hosted, and data exchange can occur as a purely web-based service or as a hybrid. In the case of the hybrid implementation, data is both replicated and stored locally, though configuration occurs online. The Rapidi Replicator is also compatible with all variations of Microsoft Dynamics, including all legacy versions. And in the unusual case that one of Rapidi’s out-of-the-box solutions isn’t the perfect fit for your enterprise, Rapidi can work with your organization to craft a custom solution that is tailored to your business. Click here to learn more today.
