Good Alternative to Backup Exec?

win2k8

Hello everyone,

Has anyone here have any experience with Microsoft Data Protection Manager 2007? I just found out about it today and its looks great, seems to do everything that backup exec does. I was wondering if anybody can vouch for it or have any insight about Microsoft Data Protection Manager 2007. Knowing that it must be expensive since its Microsoft, but then again Backup Exec is not exactly cheap either.

Thanks,

win2k8

contentpros

Yeah we have been working with DPM (2007) since it was in beta. Overall we have had really good results with the product. We do backups every 15 minutes with express full backups every night at midnight and we have an offsite location with a DPM box that just replicates our local DPM server. Overall the cost for the product is not bad the licensing per server is about $535 for the server license and the agent cost is around $399 for the enterprise client license and $145 for the standard client license. You need the enterprise license for SQL/Exchange/BizTalk/SharePoint and the standard license for regular file servers. Setup is pretty straight forward and easy. Occassionally you can have some issues with needing to apply hotfixes for the VSS writer but it is quick and easy to do. This product does a great job especially if you are in a all or primarily Microsoft environment. Backup Exec does a better job if you are dealing with a fair amount of *nix boxes. It does have a previous version option that you can give to users to restore files without your intervention (similar to the functions that NetApp or EMC have) if you wish to use it. Overall I have been pretty happy with the product you do need to keep an eye on it and make sure your replicas are consistent but other then that no major issues.

MS is offering a 120 trial of the application if you have a spare box that you can use to test it with give it a shot and see what you think.

win2k8

Contentpros thank you for the information. Is the offsite replica suppose to act as a replacement for tape backup?

Thanks,

win2k8

RTmarc

I know you are asking for information on DPM, but figured I'd throw this out there. We've just switched to EMC Avamar from Backup Exec.

astorrs

RTmarc wrote: »

I know you are asking for information on DPM, but figured I'd throw this out there. We've just switched to EMC Avamar from Backup Exec.

I looooooooooove Avamar.

Avamar VE or agent based?

RTmarc

Agent-based. We're just getting going with this so I'm sure there will be changes in the future.

contentpros

win2k8 wrote: »

Contentpros thank you for the information. Is the offsite replica suppose to act as a replacement for tape backup?

Thanks,

win2k8

Well in the fashion we use it you have the same data at your remote location also. We do go disc to disc to tape for long term storage. It functions nicely in the respect that if you need to bring an offsite center online you have the data there already. I know that are are people that ditch the tapes altogether. It also functions nicely for backing up multiple branch offices to a central location. We generally do backups every 15 minutes locally and then every hour to the offsite DPM server... just incase stuff happens.

win2k8

I believe EMC also has a product called NetWorker which integrates or uses DPM technology? I say this because if you do a search on reseller for DPM that is like the first hit I get on Microsoft site. NetWorker looks like an interesting product as well. Contentpros thank you for the clarification. I downloaded a trial for DPM 2007, however it requires 2 hard drives on a machine, and our test workstation has only 1 and it doesn’t allow USB devices as part of the storage pool. So we'll have to wait on testing as we are going to order another hard drive.

win2k8

brad-

I've heard good things about Acronis.

Of note, FYI in case you didnt know, Backup Exec now also includes the baremetal restore with the standard license. I just found out a couple weeks ago.