Veritas NetBackup Appliance Reviews

I mainly use NetBackup Appliance for daily routine backup.

NetBackup Appliance's most valuable feature is the duplication encryption standard feature. Its interface is also intuitive and easy to use.

I've been working with Veritas NetBackup Appliance for three years.

NetBackup Appliance is stable.

NetBackup Appliance is scalable.

Veritas' technical support is good.

The initial setup was easy, and it took a couple of days to onboard all my private cloud work resources that needed to be backed up. 

NetBackup Appliance's pricing is reasonable, but it could be lower.

If you're considering implementing NetBackup Appliance, initial capacity sizing will save you a lot of hassle. I would give NetBackup Appliance a rating of eight out of ten.

I personally find Veritas NetBackup Appliance hassle-free. All that is needed is a web control or Java control to operate the NetBackup software, and I don't need to take care of anything else. 

The other valuable feature is the performance. When we deploy to a server and install network software on it, there is a lot to take care of. With Appliance, everything is on the go and is already pre-installed and fine-tuned. It already matches the performance and metrics. It is great for replication, network performance, CPU performance, and storage performance.

Veritas NetBackup is software, so there are multiple OS issues, OS packages, and updates.

I would like to see the Java control replaced with web control in the next release. There is currently web control, but it is confusing when using Java control. Web control requires no granular settings. Web control should be enhanced so that it looks and feels like Java control. This would enable a person switching from Java control to Web control to not be hesitant to adopt the web version. Currently, Web control is entirely different from Java control.

Veritas NetBackup would benefit from better-explained error codes. The technical documentation should be easy to read, easy to set up, and be more understandable. There are two or three possibilities for one single error, so Veritas should try to bifurcate or separate the issues so each has its own ID.

I have been using Veritas NetBackup Appliance for a year.

Veritas NetBackup Applicance is stable.

The solution is scalable. It is sufficient for our existing environment. I have not encountered any situation where I have had to scale up the Appliance. Our administration team uses Veritas NetBackup. There are currently three people managing it.

I used customer service and support frequently during the initial setup because I was new to the product. Veritas support needs improvement. They contact you on time and follow up on time, but they are unable to understand the problem and develop a solution.

Neutral

NetBackup software is embedded into the appliance, so I do not need to worry about installation. The initial setup is very easy.

Veritas NetBackup Appliance is priced well compared to other solutions.

We compared Veritas NetBackup Appliance with Rubrik and Commvault HyperScale X. Veritas was more affordable and better priced. HyperScale X is very expensive. Veritas has a good reputation in the industry and a good market presence.

I would rate this solution a seven out of ten.

There are a lot of new features that operate to protect the data from ransomware attacks. They launched the Veritas/Appliances to protect our data. Veritas has been doing its job well.

I have used Veritas NetBackup Appliance within the last 12 months.

Veritas NetBackup Appliance is stable.

I have found Veritas NetBackup Appliance to be scalable.

They provide a good level of support.

The initial setup is straightforward.

This solution is expensive.

The main difference between Veritas Netbackup and NetBackup Appliance is the NetBackup Appliance provides the built-up system. They have one operating system and they have their own storage in the network of the appliances. We can use our external storage. For example, we can use our storage from Dell, IBM, any other vendor. These are the main differences, with Appliances, everything is in-built.

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Veritas NetBackup Appliance an eight out of ten.

We use the solution to back up everything we have, including SQL backup, Oracle, and VMware. It works very well. We like the solution and its price when compared with others. Data Domain and Veeam were fine, presenting the optimal solutions with the best prices. There was a period of many months that we had a lot of performance issues with Veritas NetBack Appliances, but since the upgrading has taken place it has worked very well. We do not encounter issues that are critical and the solution functions smoothly. 

The solution is the best for me, as it combines two solutions for use of our backup environment. Before 2016 we employed two solutions and it is now easier for us to manage our environment. 

The most valuable feature involves VMware Instant Recovery, which allows one to do restoration within seconds. It is very nice. We use it a lot for restoring VM.

The upgrade process of the solution needs to be improved since it is extremely complicated, especially without the benefit of a support person who can guide one through it. This can result in many problems. Occasionally we encounter issues with the backup process which necessitate support from Veritas. Consequently, I would highlight the upgrade process as being in need of improvement. 

We hope to see SQL Instant Recovery in the 9.0 version. It is the same as VMware Instant Recovery but its restoration processes are very fast, with the ability to handle a terabyte of data in a single minute. 

I have been using Veritas NetBackup Appliance since 2015. 

I consider the product to be good and very stable, although there are many things in need of improvement, such as the upgrade process. 

From the research we conducted, scalability seems good, but I cannot properly comment on this point as the size of our environment is very small. 

I feel technical support could be better. When we first started making use of the solution, we had the benefit of local support in Brazil, but today this is only an option in the United States. The support is okay, but it can take a while to receive a definitive answer. One must go through the first layer of support before being escalated, a time-consuming process. Nowadays, I consider the support to be okay, not bad, but it used to be better. 

Prior to our use of Veritas NetBackup Appliance, in 2016, we utilized Avamar. Though Avamar was a good solution and worked well, we encountered many instances of interruption in data transmission. It was, initially, a good tool, with a good appliance workflow. However, the Avamar that has been made available within the past five years does not provide a good window to sync data with Veritas NetBackup Appliance. This process is time consuming, which necessitated our use of two applications for managing our backup environment. Once we switched from Avamar to Veritas Netbackup Appliance there was no more need for two applications and these were replaced with a single one for the entire management of our backup environment. 

The initial setup is okay. It is not very difficult. While the planning stage requires the use of much Veritas material, it's easy. This is because we are talking about an appliance which has everything predefined or preconfigured.

The deployment took a long time. I believe that the process lasted a month-and-a-half. This is because it required us to do many validations, as we were replacing our solution.

The department we engaged to assist us with the installation and appliance configurations of the solution was very helpful and we did not encounter any problems. The implementation was extremely nice. I should point out that when we bought the Appliance we didn't use NetBackup and everything was new to us. This said, we had to do much configuration and planning, as we were buying not only the appliance but the solution as well.

I cannot say whether our licensing costs are on a monthly or annual basis, as we have a global contract.

As the solution is towards the end of its life, we are looking to replace it with a new or different one. While we are considering the Data Domain by Dell EMC, we are also looking at an Appliance solution. This is because the Data Domain will still require the use of NetBackup, but will serve the purpose of acting as a storage destination. We will only use NetBackup as it relates to the Data Domain. I know much about the application and we are looking to book solutions here. We would be able to take all of our knowledge of Appliance, but to use NetBackup software for third party storage.  

Prior to going with Veritas NetBackup Appliance in 2016, we evaluated two other solutions, one of which was Data Domain. However, at the time, we decided to go with Veritas NetBackup Appliance because it offered better pricing than the other vendors, with Data Domain serving as an illustrative example. 

We have a total of three people working on the Veritas NetBackup Appliance environment, two for the short and one for the long retention.

The size of the backup is very important. If this is not accounted for in the beginning of the appliance stage, many problems can arise. This was the case in our use of Dell EMC and Avamar and with all other backup solutions. With Appliance we encountered site problems, Appliance did not work well with HashBackup and there were many backups which used batch files, something that led to compression and deduplication of the data. This required us to replace or dump files so that we could use an agent for providing a direct connection to the database server software. 

Once we changed the size of the backup, the problem was solved. The issue addressed is present not only with Veritas NetBackup Appliance, but with any solution that possesses deduplication architecture. 

I rate Veritas NetBackup Appliance as an eight out of ten. 

We have a library attached that we back up and store off-site, on a weekly basis. 

It only offers NDMP backup capabilities, we follow a traditional method. Mostly, we are creating backups of NetApp's shares.

We think the latest products and hybrid solutions are great, but considering the amount of data backup we have to perform — hundreds of BB data —, the hybrid model is not that efficient if we want to off-site data; it takes a lot of time to upload the data on a regular basis. 

The reporting is very good compared to other tools. Even though Commvault has some better features, the Veeam/Veritas center is a very good feature; it's really helpful for our reporting purposes. To clarify, I am referring to Veeam and Veritas NetBackup, as we have applied them both.

Because Veritas NetBackup Appliance is integrated with the cloud, it's hard to say. The block-level backup features could be improved.

I have been using this solution for three years.

This solution is both scalable and stable. Everyone in our company uses it and there are no issues.

The technical support is very good; I would give them a nine out of ten.

They have a standard two-hour response time but sometimes the response times vary. That needs to change.

We have been using Veritas NetBackup Appliance for a long time and never switched. Initially, we were using NetBackup. 

The integration was easy.

Overall, Veritas is a good solution; the problem is the cost. For a large enterprise, it's great.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give this solution a rating of eight.

The deduplication that is on this solution is its most valuable aspect. It's very robust. 

Overall, how the operating system is tuned is perfect.

The hardware on offer has no parallel. I would say that it has been more than eight years now, and in all that time, I haven't had a single hard disk failure or even hardware failure on this appliance. It's in excellent condition and works perfectly.

I can confidently say that I have managed more than 30 or 50 appliances over different time periods, and yet I never had a single hardware failure.

It is a very robust and very good product from the appliance point of view, as well as the software point of view, however, you need to have a certain level of skills in order to operate it properly. You need to be experienced at a certain level to easily manage everything. In that sense, it's not straightforward.

It's very difficult, for example, if you need to analyze the logs. If you don't know what you're doing, if you're not very experienced, you will find it very difficult to do things yourself. It's an enterprise-level solution, after all, and it has a lot of things to do. That might be the reason why it is like this. It's not for entry-level people.

In terms of implementing the solution, it's quite technical. You need to be knowledgable in order to pull off a successful deployment.

We've been using the solution since about 2011. It's been almost a decade.

I would say that it is very stable. Obviously, I had faced a lot of issues. I can't say that it is an issueless solution, however, it is very stable. You can rely on it.

Basically, I never go with the latest version. I tend to go with N minus one - one version below. That way, if there are any issues with the latest version, I'll just give time. I wait at least six months for the vendor to sort everything out before I implement it into our production environment. At that point, I would say that it is very stable. Most of the time, the issue might not be on the solution or on the appliance side. It might be on the client-side. 

In terms of scalability, you can scale it up. You just need to buy the hardware. That's the only constraint. You need to buy an appliance and just add it. Basically, as long as you have the appliance or hardware, it's very easy to scale out.

I've had vast experience with technical support.

Most of the time, I'm pretty happy with their support. I would say that there were a few instances where I was not satisfied with the support that I received, however, overall, I would say that at least 70 to 80% of the time I am quite happy with the support.

I've worked with many different solutions. A lot of them are at the top of the industry. However, I prefer NetBackup above the others.

If you know what you're doing, it's a very easy initial setup. First-timers always find it difficult. That said, if you're using a GUI, it's very straightforward. You can just photo screen. However, if you're an experienced user, you'ld probably prefer to do it on the command line, for which you need to know what you're doing. 

We're not using the latest version of the solution. We're using N minus one.

As an enterprise-level solution, you may need a bigger team to manage it, depending on your organization's size. We need a big team. Basically, it depends on the size of the solution. In the past 10 years, I've worked in different companies. At one time, we had around 10 appliances, and we had multiple people managing everything. 

One guy alone will not be able to manage it, though it depends on the sizing. Basically, if you know there is a good guy who knows the in and out of an appliance, if it is one appliance and depending on how many machines we are backing up, he might be okay. There are lot of factors that have to be considered when building a team that can handle it.

My advice to other would be, if your environment is big enough, to be aware that your biggest major expense is the on-premise solution. Even though we have top cloud solutions, if you're on-premise, if the infrastructure is on-premise and it's a large enough infrastructure, and if you have a good team to manage, the best, the most dependable solution would be NetBackup. That's considering all the other big players. I'm talking about the enterprise level, where we need to manage more than 200, 300 machines, or 300 VMs, or 300 servers, and then you need to protect these machines.

Based on the options that we have, and based on the enterprise solutions that are in the market, there are maybe five to 10 big players. Out of that, I would say that NetBackup would rank either first or second. I have personal experience with some of the other products too, or I have reviewed most of them basically.

Based on my experience, even though I had multiple choices or options to move out of NetBackup, after reviewing everything, I went back to NetBackup or I decided, okay, fine, I'll renew NetBackup. 

Overall, I'd rate the solution at seven out of ten. There are lots of things that can be done from the administrative point of view that, if accomplished, would rank them higher.

We use the Veritas NetBackup Appliance within banking systems. We operate with an older bank in Turkey. Some of our backup administrators possess significant experience with this suite, surpassing their familiarity with other protection sheets. Our usage encompasses various components such as network configurations and PPDM.

It serves as the preferred system for backup operations across the entire CAN due to our team's extensive prior experience. This preference is attributed to its versatility in handling diverse workloads, including databases, email systems, and primary banking platforms. Additionally, all data, including backups and NetBackup metadata, is directed to the Data Domain system.

The utilization of Data Domain is crucial because of its integration with a key Veritas feature: retention lock. This feature ensures data integrity by preventing any alterations to stored data. When NetBackup interacts with Data Domain, enabling the retention lock feature ensures that neither administrators nor backup personnel can modify data stored within the system. This functionality is vital for compliance purposes and meets the requirements of auditors.

I replaced the solution with the data domain systems because we also provide managed backup servers and backup service steps. We are managing to pick up the environment with the DPS and the data domain. We integrate in Cyber Recovery Solutions.

The scalability could be improved.

I rate the solution's stability a five or six out of ten.

The solution has some limitations depending on the development environment. It is not scalable.

Two to three customers are using this solution.

The initial setup is not easy. It takes a long time because there are many components to integrate, like a backup console, media server to define each systems. If you start a project, it will take a lot of time to perform the access to backup services.

Veritas NetBackup Appliance's functionality relies on the Veritas software and the hardware. It can integrate with various storage systems like Flex apps, ensuring compatibility with diverse infrastructure setups. However, thorough testing is necessary to ensure optimal performance within the domain system.

 If you have experience with the NetBackup software before, transitioning to the appliance may involve a learning curve. However, once familiar with the software, managing the backup processes becomes more manageable.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.

Veritas NetBackup Appliance is a total backup solution. We don't have to buy other applications to do it. 

The tool's pricing is expensive and could be lower. 

I have been using the solution for over five years. 

I rate the tool's stability a nine out of ten. 

The product is scalable, and I rate it a seven out of ten. My company has two users for the product. 

The solution's support is good. 

Veritas NetBackup Appliance's deployment is easy for me. However, it will be difficult for beginners. The tool's deployment takes one week to complete. 

I rate the solution's pricing a nine out of ten. 

I rate Veritas NetBackup Appliance an eight out of ten.