Dell NetWorker Reviews

We use Dell EMC NetWorker for several solutions we have had such as Exchange, Microsoft SQL, Linux, Windows File, File data backups, and Oracle Databases.

It's easy to use.

NetWorker is coming to end-of-life in a couple of years, and even Dell has said that they are not going to continue with it. They no longer develop it.

They put their efforts into the new Power Protect products instead. 

Support for the cloud could be better and with the existing features, it could be a bit more robust. Also, the flexibility could be improved.

They need more support for image backups.

The company has used this solution for 15-20 years.

We are not working with the latest version.

It's a pretty stable solution.

It's not scalable. Once you have created a backup server and you have configured it for a specific load, then you can't change it. 

You have to estimate how big the load is that you are going to have. If that increases, suddenly, you will need to create a new server. 

I wouldn't suggest that it is scalable. Scalability is an area that needs improvement.

We are an admin group and we have several technicians that look into it as well. We have 40 users in our organization.

Experience with technical support varies, sometimes they are very good and other times they are not that good.

However, their higher levels of Technical support are very good.

I used other solutions in earlier employments. This company has been using NetWorker for as much as 20 years.

I did not participate in the installation. It was already installed when I arrived.

We have a team of 5 engineers to deploy and maintain this solution.

They are not cheap. I don't know the fees specifically but they should definitely be cheaper. Everything should be cheaper :-)

Since they are going to stop developing this solution, I cannot recommend it to others.

I would rate Dell EMC NetWorker a seven out of ten.

The primary use cases are file system backup, endpoint backup, and virtualization backups.

We are using it with Quantum and Dell Data Domain.

The GUI is user-friendly.

The performance is improving. It used to be that NetWorker's performance was not very good but after integration with Data Domain, and after they switched to a quality-based network solution, the performance increased.

Over the past five to six years, the speed that NetWorker connects between networks and servers has improved. It used to take a long time.

We are using DD Boost and it is helpful.

The integration of the web API should be improved. There has been new functionality added to the API but it should be easier to understand.

The Backup module should be improved, especially the functionality for SharePoint and SQL Server. We are having issues when we are trying to backup up Microsoft applications, and it happens when the data is very large. For example, our database is 19 terabytes and this is very large for NetWorker, so it runs slowly. We are not able to tune it and segment it. If it were a file system, then we could split it into smaller pieces. In cases like this, it is very fast. However, because we are not able to divide it, the backup is slow. This is one area that can be improved because often, people don't need to take a full backup. Sometimes, then just want a snapshot of some data.

The capability of incremental backups should be included. As it is now, when DD Boost tries to compare the current backup with the previous one, it has trouble with the large versions and it can take three to four days. They cannot perform an incremental backup using VSS technology for SharePoint or MS SQL Server. Definitely, backup for Microsoft applications needs to be improved.

They should improve the support for backing up containers.

The process of upgrading versions should be improved because as it is now, you have to completely uninstall the old version first, and then install the new version. If we compare this to another product, like Veritas NetBackup, it also has good features but when you upgrade to the latest version, everything is automatic.

I would like to see better cloud integration, such as with AWS or Azure.

I have been using Dell EMC NetWorker since 2007.

I am not in the operations team right now, but my impression is that it's stable.

It is easy to scale and I have not found any issue in doing so. However, there can be issues when a proper sizing tool hasn't been used. We have had trouble with giving requirements based on what the sizing tool reports.

We have approximately 100 people user NetWorker and supporting the customers.

The technical support from Dell is very good and very fast. We have a very good collaboration with Dell, and we are one of the valued partners.

I have been dealing with issues related to one of the solutions that we have provided. One of the ones in the past two months is that the SharePoint Backup was supposed to be done using the Microsoft SQL Server writer. They do not support the third-party's product, which is fine, but it's an accountability issue. Ultimately, I don't think that they do all of the investigations properly.

We are currently using EMC Avamar in addition to NetWorker.

I have also worked with Commvault and Veeam, and the integration with virtualization is better with these products. They also support backup using VPN, which is something that NetWorker lacks.

I cannot name a feature that NetWorker has that you don't find in other products. There are, however, features lacking in NetWorker that do exist in other products. They need to keep pace with the ongoing requirements that are in the market.

I have been working with this product for a long time, so I find the installation very easy. This is also an area that has improved over time, as it has because easier than it used to be.

The length of time required for deployment varies between environments. Recently, I deployed it and it took approximately 20 minutes end-to-end, with configuration.

We deploy with our in-house team. Our operations team is responsible for maintenance.

The pricing for NetWorker is in the mid-range. It is not very expensive and not very cheap. There are some extra features that required an additional license. For example, we save a separate data protection suite (DPS) license.

I have been evaluating EMC PowerProtect to compare the performance of it with EMC NetWorker.

For a file system backup or one that is on disk or in a tape library, or for virtualization, I recommend using NetWorker. I say this because of ease of deployment, ease of use, and the user-friendly GUI. 

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

We have everything - we have Oracle databases, SQL databases, Windows platforms, Linux platforms, Exchange Servers. We have many servers along with several different storages. This is a very big group with a variety of systems.

Although Dell EMC NetWorker is a little bit more complex to combine with other products, it is really a very strong product. It became stronger when we started doing backups to disks instead of to data simulators when we import the Data Domain. The solution became stronger because the backup to disks is faster and the duplication ratios and compression are very high so it will save lots of space at this storage size. The granularity of the Exchange Servers is very good.

In terms of what can be improved, they need to be compatible with the cloud because EMC NetWorker cannot compete with other products at the moment. The other products like Veeam and Commvault are more flexible and are more compatible with other cloud vendors. EMC cannot do the same thing. EMC focuses only on their own cloud and do not take into consideration other cloud vendors.

I started using Dell EMC NetWorker in 2012.

It's stable. It is very, very stable software.

There are no problems in terms of stability. But as I said, the configuration, the deployment, etc... are more complex when you compare to the other products. That's the only thing. But from a stability point of view, it is very stable.

In terms of scalability, unfortunately, we were unable to upgrade the EMC NetWorker. We're still on version 8.1. So I have no idea of the capabilities of the latest release in terms of scalability. But for sure, when you compare to other products, EMC NetWorker will not be able to compete because other products are more agile and more compatible with many cloud vendors. They need to put more effort into that.

Despite it being more complex, it is a very powerful solution but still requires effort so that users can have good access to it. I cannot see people choosing EMC Networker. At the moment everybody chooses to go for Veeam and Commvault. At the moment everybody is waiting for BIM to go to Commvault. I've been in a deep study of the previous one and backup solutions, and I met many people and everybody prefers to go with Commvault or Veeam. I didn't see anybody preferring to go with EMC NetWorker.

The initial setup is complex. It requires a long brainstorming because you need to consider servers, storages, storage nodes, client servers, and the main backup server. It's quite complex. Brainstorming and designing will take time. You need the full verification and sometimes more than that if you have many servers where you need to install the client.

In order to implement, a consultant is needed. Without that, you cannot do it yourself. You can do it but there is a risk. So it's better to have another person.

In terms of pricing, yes, of course, EMC is cheaper. Commvault is more expensive. Maybe with the latest release, EMC Networker became more expensive, but I have no idea about the latest prices from EMC. Whatever we spent on EMC NetWorker was far cheaper.

What I've seen is renewal prices. Maybe the price of the implementation would be more expensive. But, at least from what I've seen, Commvault is more expensive than EMC NetWorker.

There are some main differences between Commvault and NetWorker and a lot of people prefer Commvault. First of all, worldwide ranking. If you look at the ranking starting from 2017 until today, you will find Commvault is always ranked first of second. EMC is not at those levels. Whenever you want to buy a backup solution, you need to look at the worldwide ranking. You need to conduct customer feedback. This is the first main difference between EMC NetWorker and Commvault. The second thing is their architecture, which is easier with Commvault. Commvault is easier to deploy.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give Dell EMC NetWorker a seven.

They need to allow EMC NetWorker to be more agile and flexible with other cloud vendors. It has to come into the cloud arena because now everybody's talking cloud. They shouldn't be only restricted to on-premise. Everybody now is talking cloud, so it has to talk the latest language in IT. You need to make it more compatible with cloud vendors. When you talk about Commvault, it is very compatible with many cloud vendors like AWS. But you do not see the same thing with EMC NetWorker. They need to work on this point.

I would not hesitate to go to Commvault. Undoubtedly, Commvault is better. It is the best. If somebody would ask me which one to choose between EMC or Commvault, I would not hesitate to say go for Commvault rather than for EMC NetWorker.

We mostly use this solution for file-based backups. 

We are a global company. We use NetWorker and other backup products throughout the world. We have a very close and long-term relationship with the EMC Networker and we are not going anywhere. We have roughly 30 to 40 TB of data stored with them.

We use this solution daily.

We have scheduled backups, daily, weekly, and monthly and we use the dashboard as a monitoring tool; if there is a failure, we can reconnect all the operational activity.

I don't directly do the backups, my backup administrator coordinates with EMC regarding all configurations, upgrades, and operational needs.

Storage-wise, EMC is user-friendly.

The configuration is too complex. As a backup solution, it's not user-friendly.

I have been using EMC NetWorker since 2014.

Dell EMC NetWorker is stable. We don't have any issues scalability-wise, but configuring and upgrading are complex.

Scaling out is very easy. We have a capacity-based license so we have no issues with the scalability.

I personally don't deal with customer support but due to multiple unsuccessful attempts to upgrade, my administrator is not satisfied.

We are using Microsoft BPM in parallel; it's not an enterprise backup solution, but it is an alternate solution. EMC is a one-vendor solution — that's why we chose it, but it is not a good backup solution, it's a complex solution.

The initial setup is complex. Currently, my team is doing an upgrade and they are having a lot of trouble. They have attempted it multiple times but are still unable to complete the upgrade.

We are located in Pakistan, we have a vendor that supports and guides us. The configuration and upgrades are not simple compared to storage and other uses; it's much more complex.

We have our own team that takes care of all maintenance-related issues.

We're using a capacity-based license. My administrator can take backups as per we have the license. Our license includes support and maintenance. 

In my opinion, Networker is not a very good product. It's very complex compared to Veeam and other products. In short, we needed a single bundle solution, that's why we chose Networker. Overall, I think Veeam is better.

I don't recommend it because of its complexity and the updates, etc. We don't recommend that anyone uses Networker. We recommend looking into Veeam or another solution.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Networker a rating of five.

The primary use case is for system and data backup. I'm the area technical manager and we are resellers. 

This is a good solution and our clients are happy with it. There are no issues and it meets expectations. It's very user-friendly with a good interface. 

I'd like to see a faster recovery window. Having a better recovery system would make a big difference. 

We've been using this product for 20 years. 

The stability is great. 

The scalability is good, we currently have over 100 users. 

Customer support is very good and I rate it highly. 

Positive

The initial setup is very straightforward and usually takes a couple of hours. 

Licensing costs are a little high. Dell has different kinds of licenses including a traditional license and a capacity-based license.

I recommend this solution and rate it nine out of 10. 

This solution had multiple options like configure management, user data, and server and enterprise data. The solution is simple to understand. Some products only use storage media, but Dell NetWorker has multiple options.

The implementation process could be improved. It requires a skill set to set up. In addition, the product line should support all brands and solutions.

We have been using this solution for about a year, and it is deployed on-premises.

It is a stable solution. It has worked for a couple of years without any troubles or significant issues.

It is scalable after a specific limit. It is suitable for medium-sized enterprises. We have about 1,000 users.

We have used Dell technical support. I rate the technical support team a six out of ten.

Neutral

I rate the pricing a six out of ten, where ten is a good price, and one is a high price. The price could be lower.

I rate the solution a seven out of ten. Veeam Backup is a competitor in the market because it has a lot of utilization. It is easy for people to get a license with them, and they benefit from one solution. Regarding potential future improvements, they should look at IT and compare it to other products because things are becoming streamlined for all the product lines, new storage is readily available, and things are moving to the cloud.

NetWorker sometimes has issues with the backup not starting and with connecting to the Oracle servers.

I've been using NetWorker for around three months.

Dell's technical support are quite helpful with straightforward issues, though they can be slow. However, they don't have the deep knowledge to solve complex issues, so our time is wasted.

The initial setup was a little complex, but engineers should find it ok.

I would not recommend NetWorker to other users and would rate it seven out of ten.

We use it to record sites in the system.

The extensive information provided on tool properties has been very useful, specifically the information on databases.

The user interface of this solution could be improved. It is not user friendly and is difficult to understand for new users. New users struggle to understand the logic.

I have used this solution for five years. 

This is a stable solution. 

It is really scalable but the scaling process is not that easy. You have to find the documentation to support setting it up for scale.

The customer service and support is good, but at times I have wanted more involvement from the people that are giving support. 

Neutral

The initial set up is easy, but when you do it for the first time you will need videos and some information to support the process. Once you do it once, you can do it really quickly the next time.

We have a lot of clients who use NetWorker. Especially in government and big companies, they rely on the NetWorker to do their backups. Two or three people are needed for deployment. 

In order to use this solution, you need to rely on communication and information on how to do a proper setup. At the beginning, you have to understand how the process works to configure the devices data needs to be stored.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.