New product: Protecting Entra ID is now effortless with Redstor.Find out more.

Furze Warren Hard Federation avoids disaster with Redstor’s rapid recovery

Redstor posted in Disaster Recovery, Education, Ransomware recovery | 10 Jan 2025

Immediate data restoration saves school operations when it mattered most

Snapshot

  • Industry: Education (schools)
  • Environment: Microsoft 365, on-premise servers
  • Location: UK

Key details

  • Three schools hit by ransomware recovered data quickly with Redstor.
  • Redstor protected 2TB of critical admin data, including financial and sensitive student information.
  • InstantData™ allowed staff to get back to work while full restores were in progress​.

The challenge

Furze Warren Hard Federation, supporting multiple schools, faced a significant data recovery crisis after hardware failures wiped out critical systems.

Key challenges included:

  • Data loss risks: Teaching resources, administrative files, and essential school data were inaccessible.
  • Slow recovery with traditional backups: Tape-based systems delayed restoration, risking prolonged disruption for staff and students.
  • Operational pressure: Network Manager Chidi Oke needed a solution to restore systems quickly to avoid further setbacks.

Chidi Oke recalled:

“Redstor pulled us back from the brink. I was under immense pressure, and it felt like we were on the edge of a disaster.”

The solution: Redstor’s cloud-first backup and recovery

Redstor’s cloud-first platform delivered the speed and reliability Furze Warren needed to recover essential data and minimise downtime.

Rapid recovery with InstantData™
Redstor’s InstantData™ technology allowed Chidi to restore critical servers within an hour. Files could be accessed instantly, even while the full recovery process continued in the background.

“Once I got the new hardware onsite, the first server was restored within the hour. I could then provision all the extra servers I needed and start giving the data back to the senior team.”

Streamlined recovery process
With Redstor, files and systems were restored quickly, far surpassing the performance of tape-based solutions.

“With Redstor, you just pull down the file instantly.”

The benefits: Fast recovery and peace of mind

Immediate data restoration
Redstor’s cloud-first recovery allowed Furze Warren to restore critical systems quickly, ensuring minimal disruption to school operations.

Simplified management
Redstor eliminated the complexities of tape-based backups, freeing up valuable time for IT staff.

Confidence for the future
Chidi Oke trusts Redstor to safeguard the school’s data going forward:

“From the moment I first saw a demo of Redstor, I have never looked back. For us, Redstor is No. 1. We simply cannot do without it.”

The bottom line

Redstor’s cloud-first backup and recovery platform saved Furze Warren from a critical data loss scenario. With rapid recovery and immediate access to files, the school avoided major disruption and ensured continued support for staff and students.

Key results:

  • Critical servers restored within an hour.
  • Immediate file access with Redstor’s InstantData™.
  • Simplified recovery, replacing outdated tape-based backups.

Trusted by over 50% of UK schools, Redstor delivers fast, reliable data recovery designed for education.

Find a partner today and protect your school’s critical data.