Category: Product Insight

Businesses are moving to the cloud in recent years, many security techniques have been innovated and applied to ensure maximum data protection. Cloud Server Auto-Backup is one of the most popular method of off-server data storage for businesses to protect invaluable data and works. It captures a copy from disk at a single point in time and save it in a separate secondary server, cloud user can finish restoring the data within a short period to minimize the negative impacts on human error or other disasters.

How Cloud Server Backup Works?

Cloud server backup, also known as online backup, is a type of data backup whereby a copy of the data is sent to a separate server. Once users have enabled the add-ons, their cloud server will be scheduled to be automatically replicated. Cloud-based backup are taken once per week, the first copy will be taken on the second day after cloud backup is enabled. Each backup is retained for four weeks with maximum 4 most recent backups storing on separate data drives. Cloud users can restore backups of the entire server from the Cloud Servers Details section on LayerPanel.

Common Use Of Cloud Server Backup

Human error, both purposely issues and unintentionally mistakes, is very common in daily works which may create a big loss to businesses, especially when your customer databases were damaged. With LayerStack’s user permission management, only cloud owner has the rights to disable cloud server backup option and delete all the backup copies, it reduces the potential loss taken by businesses. On the other hand, auto-backup is also helpful in disasters like server breakdowns and cyber-attacks. All damaged data can be restored shortly with one click.

Advantage Of Cloud Server Backup

Firstly, it is easy for non-IT specialist to manage and protect valuable data, it is just one click to restore data from copies. As the backup system works automatically, it does not require additional time commitment for you or your customers, it works properly even through you are not connecting to the internet. Furthermore, cloud-based backup solution is cheaper than many data security options, it costs just 15% of cloud monthly fee on LayerStack. In conclusion, cloud backup is user-friendly and effective data security solution, it helps to keep businesses away from irretrievable loss.

　
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China Direct CN2 Route (China Telecom Next Generation Carrier Network) is successor of ChinaNet Assess. CN2 has highest resilience, redundancy, low latency, meanwhile providing direct connections to all major global ISPs via fiber optic data delivery in order to serve global enterprises which are seeking for a high-quality connection with China. There are two types of CN2: Global Transit (CN2 GT) and Global Internet Access (CN2 GIA).

CN2 GT

CN2 GT is providing global customers with the transfer service of accessing global Internet resources at a low cost. It has more than 350 POPs locating in all China’s cities and major cities worldwide. Although CN2 GT has its own independent line for international connection, however the link is still in the domestic 163 backbone network which is comparatively slow.

CN2 GIA

CN2 GIA offers a premium access between mainland China and counties outside China. GIA is the abbreviation of global Internet access. It is working with dedicated path and acknowledged as the most reliable with the lowest latency network for overseas enterprise. It has dual-POPs in 161 cities and dual-PEs installed in 148 single-POP cities., covering nearly 200 major cities in China.

Business Class Solution For Oversea Enterprises

The LayerStack China Direct CN2 GIA Route offers a business class solution for overseas enterprises seeking a high-performance connection with China. This route is backed by the top three Chinese carriers including China Telecom, China Unicom and China Mobile, ensuring high capacity, superior performance, solid reliability, and excellent connection speed. CN2 GIA route is now available to all LayerStack cloud server plans as an add-on service. With the addition 2-way direct connection, users will significantly reduce network latency and receive throughput improvements at a very small cost (US$ 2.5/month) .
　

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Application Programming Interface (API) is a set of tools and protocols for integrating services and features. It simplifies programming by abstracting the underlying implementation and only exposing those major objects or actions the developer needs. Cloud API, thus, serves as a gateway or interface that provides direct and indirect cloud infrastructure and software services to users. The complicated command setting is reduced and providing a full picture of cloud condition to non-specialist users. Cloud users can also be benefited from faster platform access and a more efficient management of platform security with APIs.

RESTful API

One of the most popular type of API is REST (Representational State Transfer), also known as RESTful API, it can be used over nearly any protocol. REST is a logical choice for building APIs which allow users to connect to, manage and interact with cloud services in a distributed environment. One key advantage of REST APIs is that they provide a great flexibility, data is not tied to any resource or methods which allow user to manage different types of calls. In fact, RESTful APIs are used by global brands like Amazon, Google, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Multi-functional LayerPanel

LayerStack RESTful API gives clients maximum control over their cloud management and provides an easy way to build and adjust the cloud servers programmatically. On LayerPanel, a new cloud server can be purchased and deployed in 3mins without any complicated command setting. The Operation System (include custom ISO) and Firewall setting can be easily configured on panel. Moreover, user can guard server health and track with the CPU and RAM usage, disk read/write, and bandwidth usage, through a simple web-based interface.

More Features to Come…

Furthermore, LayerStack API is effective tools for businesses because it supports multi-users, cloud owner can set different access authorities for different parties to work in a single cloud environment with user permission management. LayerStack commits to provide our valued customers with superior cloud experience, with the powerful support of LayerPanel, more useful and innovative cloud features can be developed and released in the coming future in order to make further improvements on customers’ work effectiveness and efficiency.
　

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LayerStack’s cloud servers are featured with user permission management which is designed for businesses to connect with clients, employees, and partners for greater resources management. Cloud owner can assign permissions to different parties authorizing them to access specific instances and payment options, thus the server security can be easily maintained. “Users can create their own customized solutions for businesses. The APIs help control specific cloud resources and their distribution. For example, the rapid provisioning of cloud resources or network configurations is something that our APIs can help with.” said Dennis Ng, the Founder in LayerStack.

Advantages of User Permission

Obviously, the system provides cloud owners with an absolute power to control their cloud servers, owners can add, edit and remove any assigned permission at any time. It could be really useful when they have partnerships with outside vendors, a limited permission can be directly assigned to those parties without any safety concerns. The Permission system is even more important for service providers as they are handling numerous projects at a time, different permissions can be generated for clients in order to minimize the cross connections between projects.

Major User Authorizations

• Owner: Full authority to add cloud servers and products, manage all cloud resources and access all account information.
• Member: Ability to manage specific instances with limited features on assigned accounts.
• Billing: Empowered to manage specific instances with limited features and access to read invoice records and manage payment options.
• Billing Admin: Ability to read invoice records and manage payment options on assigned accounts.

Quick Start Guide

1. Log in to LayerPanel, go to the Account section and click Manage Users.
2. Click the +Invite User button.
3. Select the Proper role and input the user’s Email address.
4. An Invitation email will be sent once the Send button is clicked.
   
   For more permission details of roles: https://www.layerstack.com/resources/docs/Roles-and-Permissions

We believe that user experience and security are important to customers. That is the motivation why we keep improving these two criteria. In the early 2018, LayerStack launched a new panel feature, Two-factor authentication, to enhance the security by applying an extra layer of security in login level.

Two-factor authentication, also known as 2FA, is a way for identity verification. It not just requires the login name and password, and also a set of information that securely known by the users. 2FA could help preventing your account being hacked so as to protect customers’ information.
How LayerStack 2FA works

Users need to enter their preset login name and password together with the time-based-one-time password (OTP) generated by OATH mobile application like Google Authentication, Authy, Duo, HDE OTP, etc. This OTP is valid to certain devices that only you have access to, it could be any devices. After enabling 2FA in LayerPanel, customers need to use their 2nd factor to login every time. Using mobile application for generating token guaranteed that you are in full control of the security because you are the mobile owner.

2FA helps enhancing your accounts’ safety

Passwords alone may not be as infallible as you think. Cyber attackers have the power to test thousands of passwords combinations in seconds. So if you are not using 2FA, we highly recommend you to enable this security feature to protect your account as well as your cloud servers. It will offer you an extra layer of protection, besides passwords. It’s hard for cyber criminals to get the second authentication factor, they would have to be much closer to you. This drastically reduces their chances to succeed.

For more details about the set up procedures, please refer to https://www.layerstack.com/docs/guides/How-to-Enable-Two-Factor-Authentication-in-LayerPanel

Please let us know if you would like to have other features in LayerStack

We welcome all valuable comments and suggestions from you and we would like to make sure you enjoy our service provided. Please leave your feedback in LayerPanel and it will definitely help us to be constantly improving our services.