Immutable Backup for Branch, Edge and Smaller Sites
Ransomware does not skip the small sites. Branch offices, edge locations and smaller organisations run Veeam too, but rarely have a data centre to put a rack appliance in. Object First Ootbi Mini closes that gap: the same immutability as the enterprise appliance, in a unit that sits on a shelf. Here is where it fits.
Object First Ootbi Mini is a compact, desktop sized immutable backup appliance for Veeam, made for branch offices, edge locations and smaller organisations that do not have a data centre. It comes in 8TB, 16TB and 24TB sizes, delivers the same S3 Object Lock immutability and hardened appliance as the full Ootbi, and simply runs a little slower. It brings ransomware proof backup within reach of sites that could never justify a rack appliance.
Immutable backup used to be an enterprise privilege, because the appliances that delivered it assumed a data centre, a rack and a serious budget. That left a large group exposed: the regional office, the manufacturing site, the retail or logistics location, and the smaller organisation that runs its own IT and its own Veeam but has a comms cupboard rather than a data hall. Those sites get hit by ransomware just as often, and often recover worse. The Mini exists to fix exactly that.
What Ootbi Mini is
The Mini is a small desktop tower rather than a 2U rack unit. It offers the same core protection as the enterprise Ootbi, immutability enforced by S3 Object Lock, a hardened Linux base with no root access, and native integration as a Veeam repository. It comes in 8TB, 16TB and 24TB capacities, and because it uses different disks to the enterprise fleet it runs roughly a third slower, which for the backup volumes at a branch or smaller site is rarely a constraint. The interface, the immutability and the Veeam integration are identical to its bigger sibling.
A unit outside a data centre needs physical protection. Because the Mini can sit on a shelf or under a desk, it should be physically secured, cabled down or locked in place, so it cannot simply be walked off with. It is a small consideration, not a drawback, and it is the one difference in deployment thinking compared with a locked data centre rack. We cover it as part of setting the unit up correctly.
Who it is for
The Mini makes sense wherever there is real data to protect and real IT to run it, but no data centre.
- Branch and regional offices that back up locally and need that copy to survive an attack, without hauling a rack appliance into a cupboard.
- Edge and remote sites, manufacturing, logistics, retail, healthcare locations, that keep data on site and cannot depend on a fast link back to headquarters for recovery.
- Smaller organisations that run their own Veeam and their own IT, and want genuine immutability without enterprise scale kit or cost.
The common thread is an internal IT function that owns the backups. If a site is fully outsourced to a managed provider, the picture is different. The Mini is at its best where your own team runs Veeam and simply needs the immutable target to be small enough to fit the room.
Same protection, right sized
The point of the Mini is that a smaller site no longer has to accept weaker protection. The immutability is not a cut down version, it is the same lock the enterprise appliance uses. You are trading a little throughput and capacity for a form factor that fits, not trading away the thing that makes it ransomware proof. For the full range and how the Mini sits alongside the enterprise appliance, see our Object First guide.
Protecting branch or smaller sites?
Tell us how many sites you run, roughly how much each backs up, and whether your own team manages Veeam, and we will tell you honestly whether the Mini fits. If your sites are better served another way, we will say so.
Prefer email? Reach us directly at hello@c4cgroup.co.uk.
Frequently asked questions
What is Object First Ootbi Mini?
It is a compact, desktop sized version of the Object First Ootbi immutable backup appliance for Veeam. It comes in 8TB, 16TB and 24TB sizes and delivers the same S3 Object Lock immutability and hardened appliance as the full Ootbi, in a form factor made for branch offices, edge locations and smaller sites without a data centre.
How is the Mini different from the full Ootbi?
The Mini is a desktop tower rather than a 2U rack unit, comes in smaller capacities, and runs roughly a third slower because it uses different disks. The immutability, the hardened operating system with no root access, and the Veeam integration are identical. You trade some throughput and capacity for a size that fits a smaller room, not the protection itself.
Is it secure if it is not in a data centre?
The immutability protection is the same wherever it sits. The one extra consideration outside a data centre is physical security, so the unit should be cabled down or locked in place to stop it being physically removed. That aside, it delivers the same ransomware proof backup as the enterprise appliance.
Who is the Mini best suited to?
Branch and regional offices, edge and remote sites such as manufacturing, logistics, retail and healthcare, and smaller organisations that run their own Veeam and their own IT. The common requirement is real data to protect and an internal team to run it, but no data centre to house a rack appliance.
Do we still need Veeam for the Mini?
Yes. Like the full Ootbi, the Mini is built for Veeam and works with Veeam only. It acts as the immutable repository your Veeam backups are written to. If you run Veeam at your sites, it drops in as the immutable target. If you do not, we are happy to talk through the wider picture.