Microsoft Data Protection Manager (DPM) is an enterprise backup system that can be used to back up data from a source location to a target secondary location. Microsoft DPM allows you to back up application data from Microsoft servers and workloads, and file data from servers and client computers. You can create full backups, incremental backups, differential backups, and bare-metal backups to completely restore a system. Microsoft DPM can store backup data to disks for short-term storage, to Azure Cloud for both for short-term and long-term storage off-premises, and to tapes for long-term storage, which can then be stored offsite. Backed up files are indexed, which allows you to easily search your recovered data.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| Microsoft DPM | 1.0% |
| Veeam Data Platform | 14.5% |
| Rubrik | 7.4% |
| Other | 77.1% |
| Type | Title | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup and Recovery | Aug 29, 2025 | Download |
| Product | Reviews, tips, and advice from real users | Aug 29, 2025 | Download |
| Comparison | Microsoft DPM vs Veeam Data Platform | Aug 29, 2025 | Download |
| Comparison | Microsoft DPM vs HPE Zerto Software | Aug 29, 2025 | Download |
| Comparison | Microsoft DPM vs Commvault Cloud | Aug 29, 2025 | Download |
| Title | Rating | Mindshare | Recommending | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veeam Data Platform | 4.3 | 14.5% | 94% | 428 interviewsAdd to research |
| Commvault Cloud | 4.3 | 7.3% | 95% | 111 interviewsAdd to research |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 7 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 6 |
| Large Enterprise | 6 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 128 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 98 |
| Large Enterprise | 220 |
Microsoft DPM contributes to your business continuity and disaster recovery strategy by facilitating the backup and recovery of enterprise data, ensuring resources are available and recoverable during planned and unplanned outages. When outages occur and source data is unavailable, you can use DPM to easily restore data to the original source or to an alternate location.
Key Features of Microsoft DPM:
Reviews from Real Users
Microsoft DPM stands out among its competitors for a number of reasons. Two major ones are its robust and flexible backup capabilities and its being easy to manage with one central dashboard.
William M., the head of ICT infrastructure & security at a tech services company, notes, "The automated procedure is quite good for us, as it is able to capture all of the information that we require. The compatibility is very good. We have an IBM AS/400 machine in our office that we're using, and we're able to back it up fine. This is the same for other systems, as well. I think that overall, it is really adaptable, compatible, and scalable."
Mohammed I., a managing director at Adalites, notes, "I would definitely recommend data protection DPM. It has an application backup, a file backup, a system backup and a hypervisor. It works flawlessly, never a problem."
Rodney C. a system analyst at a financial services firm, writes, "The most valuable feature is that DPM has an index so individual files can be searched. This is our primary tool for recovering deleted files or folders. Once we implement a System Center Operations Manager, all of our DPM servers can then be seen on one dashboard."
Microsoft DPM was previously known as DPM, Data Protection Manager, MS DPM.
Medical Park, Centropol Energy, a.s., NCFE, D & H Distributing, Metalor, Colosseum, a.s., Sanitas S.A., Icebreaker
| Author info | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Manager - System Infrastructure Software Support Team at DMS Electronics (Pvt) Ltd | 3.5 | I found Microsoft DPM easy to set up and cost-effective, but it lacked support for non-Microsoft platforms and essential features like DR replication. Its limited capabilities and support led me to eventually switch to a more versatile solution. |
| IT Administrator at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees | 4.0 | I've used Microsoft DPM for over 10 years to back up servers; it's stable, integrates well with System Center, has valuable two-layer backups, and while pricing is mid-range, it could improve with S3 backup support. |
| manager/consultant at a consultancy with 1-10 employees | 4.0 | As a consulting company, we find Microsoft DPM valuable due to its seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. While I'm unsure about areas for improvement, some clients explore alternatives like Veeam for disaster recovery and secondary site synchronization needs. |
| IT Manager at Nigsd | 4.0 | We are a government data center using Microsoft DPM for its integration with System Center, crucial for our Hyper-V virtual machines. However, it struggles with non-Microsoft backups, lacking features and compression capabilities compared to other vendors like Veeam. |
| System Administrator at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees | 3.0 | I used Microsoft DPM primarily for backup, including Hyper V VMs. While the 2012 and 2016 versions performed well, the 2019 version's file system was problematic. Despite updates, issues persisted, prompting integration with Backup Exec for additional features. |
| Deputy Director at MPICorporation | 4.0 | No summary available |
| Chief Digitalization Executive at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees | 4.0 | I use Microsoft DPM for regular backups and data replication. Its integration with Microsoft products is fantastic, though it needs better support for open-source solutions. Despite some cyberattack challenges, DPM's easy management and restoration make it invaluable. |
| Microsoft Specialist at a computer software company with 201-500 employees | 4.5 | In our large enterprise, Microsoft DPM centralizes project management, supporting operations across servers and workstations. The SSO feature integrated with Azure Active Directory is particularly valuable, though a stress test is needed to evaluate its performance under demanding conditions. |
