Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) Reviews

Used as a backup target with NetBackup 8.0.

DD Boost.

Short backup window has made a difference in the way my organization functions.

I would like them to improve on the short backup window as it would make my organization even more efficient.

From 2011 until now.

Some small issues.

No issues.

No issues.

Nine out of 10.

We used IBM ProtecTIER. We move to EMC Data Domain for better performance.

Straightforward.

We implemented using a vendor team.

Three years.

It is expensive, but the performance and deduplication cover for the cost.

IBM ProtecTIER and Oracle's Zero Data Loss.

Deduplication and VTLs.

As the cost of tapes start to mount, using the DD box for daily and weekly backups, and just keeping monthly backups on tapes, has greatly reduced the cost of backups.

It is an extremely useful tool to use for example in my case, in a redundant environment, as I manage duplications through Netbackup with Storage Lifecycle Policies. I keep my daily and weekly backups on the DD boxes replicated on both sites, and download the monthly backups for archive purposes.

That way I get the instant recovery that the DD unit provides, and in case I need to go live on the secondary environment, I can restore any vmware server in a matter of hours.

1 - Adding tapes to the VTL is a complex task.

2 - If DB backups could be somewhat compressed it would just be the dream product.

5 years on different versions of DD.

None on basic deployment for CIF usage, the VTL and virtual tapes is more complex to setup.

None at all, I have hardly had to reboot the boxes aside from a firmware update.

None, I am adding a second disk box and it is pretty much plug and play.

Excellent, when there is a new firmware update, EMC will call me to do the upgrade without even having to ask.

I have had a couple of hard drive fail, and they sent a replacement right away.

Very good, I had only had to deal with first level support for firmware updates, had some minor discrepancies with the steps to follow, after reading the instructions on how to do the firmware upgrade, the tech wanted to jump a couple steps.

No, we had regular backups to tape and a staging area, but no deduplication.

Initial setup is pretty straightforward, VTL configuration is a bit more complex.

Implementation was done through a vendor, their level of experience was very good. At the time of implementation I have had experience with the technology, but had not participated in the initial setup of the product.

With the increasing amount of data handled every year, the money we save on tapes, plus the speed that the DD allows backups to be done and having instant restores, makes this product the best investment a backup environment can add.

At the time of purchase, there was no other solution that was able to perform the same tasks.

Deduplication

Features of Archiving 

*) Thanks to deduplication, backups take less capacity in Data Domain than traditional storage devices. 

*) Backups to VTL take less time to finish than traditional tape backups (the time traditionally allowed to mounting/seaching tapes is avoided).

*) Using DDBoost improves DataDomain system throghput up to the double and Network usage during backup will be reduced.

DDBoost function is not compatible with IBM TSM. Since DDBoost is one of Data Domain key options  (it enhance its performance up to the double), it wil be great if in the next future Tivoli Storage Manager can support it!

< 1 year

The deployment is very easy. No problem encountred.

No

10/10

Initial setup is easy: After hardware installation (which is well documented) you just have to power up the data domain device then run a script which configure your device.

Then you can configure backups devices using webgui and this is really easy.

The EMC Data Domain product is a real success and customers which have never bought EMC products are now buying Data Domain...

Fast backup for complex and huge size data.

My Organisation provides Backup as services. DD useful for shared platform for customers.

From a technical point of view, all EMC products have to improve the troubleshoot feature like, log should be in human readable format.

Past 5 to 6 years.

Easy to deploy.

Wrong integration is always the

Not yet.

3.5/5

3.5/5

I used Sympana commvault and CA Arcserve. Both the products are good for small organisations but not up to the mark for enterprise level.

Through vendor team; try to just know how to fix the hardware and plug the networker cable. Rest of the things we had to do remotely.

For enterprise level backup solution – No .

I recommend EMC products due to their stability.

Data Domain deduplication is excellent.

Not yet had a significant measurable improvement.

I used this solution for 6 months.

The implementation was not done with me. This product was already in place when I arrived at the company.

No.

No.

No.

Bad. The service left much to be desired, even with the proper support.

The implementation was not done with me.

Was not present in this decision.

DD Boost.

It makes working with backup solutions very easy.

None that I see yet.

3 years.

No.

No.

No.

5 out of 5

5 out of 5

A vendor team, they were excellent.

The company chose this product not me, so no.

VTL, Dedupe and replication.

Replication of backed-up data between sites for disaster solutions.

Haven’t thought about it because its deliver all the time.

5 years for customers.

No.

No.

No.

10 of 10.

10 of 10.

No, it was the first VTL we used for customers and because of its function and uptime we can’t see a reason to change to another vendor.

A walk in the park = straightforward.

Both vendor and in-house. The vendor had a high level of expertise.

No.

Read the config and admin guides for products and as well implementation guides for backup vendors, for my customers, IBM TSM.

Stability, replication,

Could fully automate backup process with 1500 backup clients (machines).

Smarter & better deduplication, CLI shell should have more options for managing this product.

4 years.

Yes, but it related to hard disk manufacturer, not product itself.

No.

Haven't scaled it yet.

4/5

4/5

Before we used EMC VTL, an awful and nasty product from EMC with lots of manual work.

Initial straightforward.

Via vendor with excellent support.

100%.

We have special discount from EMC.

Would recommend.