Case Studies
Hardening Retail Backup with Object First for Veeam
In retail technology, availability is as critical as physical footfall. This case study outlines how a leading UK clothing retailer worked with Covenco to modernise its backup and recovery capabilities using Object First for Veeam — achieving immutable, Zero Trust data protection without compromising budget or operational simplicity.
The Challenge: A Vulnerable Backup Architecture
A leading UK value-driven clothing retailer approached Covenco following a 2021 ransomware incident. The attack exposed a critical weakness in its backup setup. The primary repository was built on legacy IBM SAN storage using standard Windows LUNs. Because it lacked native immutability, backup data was just as vulnerable as live systems in the event of a successful breach.
Furthermore, 2024 and 2025 saw high-profile ransomware incidents strike major UK retailers. As a result, the business recognised that its next infrastructure refresh had to address the modern threat landscape — not merely replace capacity.
The Solution: Object First for Veeam, Delivered by Covenco
Working with Covenco as its trusted backup service provider, the retailer selected the Object First OOTBI (Out-of-the-Box Immutability) appliance as its new primary on-premises repository.
As the UK’s first and only Platinum Partner for both Object First and Veeam, Covenco delivered the full Object First for Veeam deployment. This covered sizing, configuration, and active recovery testing — all within the retailer’s highly restricted network environment.
The Result: Zero Trust Immutable Backup at Retail Scale
The outcome is a 64TB immutable backup repository operating within an isolated Zero Trust subnet. Data written to the appliance cannot be altered, encrypted, or deleted — even by a compromised administrator account.
In addition, Covenco carried out a comprehensive Veeam health check. The retailer also retained tape services for long-term offsite retention. Because of this layered approach, the organisation now holds multiple verified recovery points at different speeds and locations.
The IT Director’s assessment was direct: “I know that even if we are attacked, I have data to restore, quickly.”
Customer Profile
A prominent UK-based value-driven clothing retailer with a significant national presence and a growing e-commerce operation. The organisation manages a complex infrastructure supporting numerous retail outlets and a high-volume distribution network.
Operations: Integrated retail management and manufacturing applications running on a hybrid infrastructure, supported by Veeam Backup & Replication.
Project Highlights
- Transition to Immutable Storage: Migration from legacy IBM SAN storage to a dedicated 64TB Object First OOTBI appliance
- Zero Trust Architecture: Deployed within an isolated subnet, hardened against external connectivity
- Enhanced IT Resilience: Primary immutable storage integrated with secondary tape and cloud-connect copies
- Veeam Health Check: Full optimisation of the existing Veeam configuration to leverage recovery features
- Cost-Effective Security: High-performance ransomware protection delivered within a value-driven budget
Covenco Solutions Delivered
- Object First for Veeam — OOTBI 64TB Appliance
- Veeam Backup & Replication Platinum Services
- Professional Engineering (Onsite Build and Configuration)
- Infrastructure Health Check and Hardening