Google Cloud’s Unprecedented Error: UniSuper’s Remarkable Recovery Through Cloud-to-Cloud Backup
In the world of cloud computing, we often hear about the benefits of data redundancy and geographical duplication. But what happens when even these fail-safe measures fall short? This is the story of UniSuper, an Australian pension program (superannuation fund) and their harrowing experience with Google Cloud.
The Unthinkable Happens
On a seemingly ordinary day, UniSuper’s Private Cloud subscription was accidentally deleted due to an “inadvertent misconfiguration” during the provisioning of UniSuper’s Private Cloud services. This was not just a simple case of data loss. This was a catastrophic event that led to the deletion of UniSuper’s account across multiple regions. Despite having data duplication in two different geographies as a protection against outages and loss, the deletion of UniSuper’s Private Cloud subscription caused deletion across both of these geographies.
The Aftermath
More than half a million UniSuper fund members went a week without access to their superannuation accounts. The deletion of UniSuper’s account was a ‘one-of-a-kind’ occurrence that had never before occurred with any of Google Cloud’s clients globally. This incident was not the result of a cyber-attack and no personal data had been exposed as a result of the outage.
The Recovery
In the face of this disaster, UniSuper was able to restore services because they had backups in place with another cloud provider. These backups minimized data loss and significantly improved the ability of UniSuper and Google Cloud to complete the restoration.
The Lesson: Cloud-to-Cloud Backup
This incident brings to light the importance of cloud-to-cloud backup. This practice involves taking data in the cloud and backing it up on another cloud. It serves the same purpose as off-site backup methods like tape or disk backup but offers an extra layer of protection and ease of use for businesses already using the cloud.
In the end, UniSuper’s story serves as a stark reminder of the potential risks associated with cloud computing, even when precautions are taken. It underscores the importance of having a robust cloud-to-cloud backup strategy in place to safeguard against such ‘one-of-a-kind’ occurrences. Because in the world of cloud computing, it seems, anything is possible.
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