NAKIVO Delivers Ease-of-Use and Cost Efficiency for a South African Theatre
Business Challenge
The South African State Theatre (SAST) is the largest theatre complex in Africa, dedicated to supporting and nurturing local artists and performers. Through outreach programs, workshops, and educational initiatives, SAST fosters community involvement and promotes access to the performing arts.
Operating from a single site, SAST manages 2 physical servers and 12 virtual servers. These machines store user home directories and artistic production films. The theatre also hosts the SAGE Pastel accounting system and several SQL databases for in-house applications.
Ensuring data protection is a top priority. SAST must comply with legal requirements, mitigate cybersecurity risks, maintain business continuity, and safeguard their reputation. Disruptions to critical data could impact decision-making, productivity, customer service, and financial operations.
Previously, SAST relied on multiple VM backup solutions but encountered significant challenges. Backup data consumed excessive storage space, requiring manual deletion of older backups. The backup process was time-consuming, leading to frequent missed backups. Complex configurations increased administrative overhead, and the IT team depended heavily on vendor support to resolve issues.
Solution
SAST adopted NAKIVO Backup & Replication, significantly simplifying configuration and backup management and reducing the time required for monitoring VM backups. This has allowed the IT team to focus on other essential tasks. SAST has also benefited from NAKIVO’s exceptional support and cost-effective licensing. The online technical documentation resources are straightforward and provide clear, easy-to-follow instructions for implementation.
The installation process was straightforward, requiring minimal technical expertise. The improved web interface provided a user-friendly experience, enabling easy tracking of backup statuses and failures without the need for generating separate reports.
SAST implemented a backup strategy consisting of weekly incremental backups and one full backup each week. Incremental backups take approximately three hours, while full backups on Saturdays complete in about 28 hours. The IT team particularly values the detailed statistical insights available through the web interface, allowing them to monitor backups from mobile devices as well as desktops.
One of the standout features for SAST is detailed backup notifications with attached PDF reports. Previously, external auditors found email notifications difficult to interpret and frequently requested additional documentation. With NAKIVO, audit queries are now simplified, and required reports are readily available.
SAST has already experienced two server failures, but with instant VM recovery, the IT team restored Microsoft Hyper-V VMs seamlessly. The recovered servers were automatically integrated into the Hyper-V console, ensuring minimal downtime.
Results
By switching to NAKIVO Backup & Replication, SAST has saved both time and money compared to its previous backup solutions. The IT team no longer faces the burden of managing oversized backups, troubleshooting complex configurations, or relying on external support for basic tasks.
NAKIVO’s support team remains readily accessible, providing prompt and effective assistance whenever needed. Automated VM backup verification has also resolved audit concerns related to unverified backups, further strengthening data security and compliance.
About the South African State Theatre
The South African State Theatre, established in 1981 and located in Pretoria, South Africa, has long been dedicated to promoting and showcasing the nation's performing arts and culture. The theatre’s mandate is to foster creativity, provide a platform for diverse artistic expression, and contribute to the development and promotion of performing arts in South Africa. The theatre produces and showcases a broad range of performances, including plays, musicals, dance shows, and operas, many of which reflect and explore South Africa’s rich cultural heritage. For more information, please visit www.statetheatre.co.za.