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1Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Info-Tech Research Group, Inc. Is a global leader in providing IT research and advice. Info-Tech’s products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with ready-to-use tools and templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns. © 1997-2013 Info-Tech Research Group Inc. Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Be prepared for the future. Protect your past. Info-Tech's products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with ready-to-use tools and templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns.© 1997 - 2013 Info-Tech Research Group
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2Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Backup is becoming more complex. In addition to protecting physical Windows and UNIX servers, solutions must handle virtual environments and efficiently manage growing volumes of data. Choose the software that will meet your backup and restore objectives at the lowest possible cost. Introduction Mid-sized to large enterprises whose environments combine x86 platforms with Reduced Instruction Set Computing (RISC)-based platforms running a UNIX- based system (e.g. IBM AIX or HP-UX), or a mainframe architecture. CIOs, IT Managers, and System Admins that need to select a solution for backup. Organizations that require a comprehensive, well- supported backup solution that balances affordability and effectiveness. This Research Is Designed For:This Research Will Help You: Understand what’s new in the heterogeneous backup software market. Evaluate heterogeneous backup software vendors and products for your enterprise needs. Determine which products are most appropriate for particular use cases and scenarios. Create a shortlist of heterogeneous backup software vendors, and select which is the best fit. Backing up virtual infrastructure is a growing concern across a range of enterprise sizes. All vendors reviewed support backup of VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V-based virtual machines. For more detailed information on virtual environment backup, see Vendor Landscape: Virtual Backup Software.Vendor Landscape: Virtual Backup Software
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3Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Executive Summary Champions CommVault’s comprehensive set of features, including broad support for array and cloud storage targets as well as strong deduplication capabilities, sets it apart from many competitors. IBM is a champion for its strong vendor scores and enhanced data reduction features. Symantec maintains a lock on the backup software market share thanks to its flexible deployment options and a focus on data restoration features. Value Award CA Technologies offers standout cloud support and a strong ease-of-use factor with an affordable price point relative to its competitors. Trend Setter Award CommVault leverages a native Representational State Transfer (REST)/HTTP interface to offer best-in-class support for third- party cloud storage providers, complementing its broad support for physical storage targets. It pays to know your needs. Some vendors intend for their backup software to integrate with primary storage or disk backup targets; others focus on the software. Avoid overpaying for more than you need; buy according to specific requirements and existing investments. Recovery time is money. While continuous data protection sounds good, it is expensive and probably overkill for most data. Carefully consider your Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO), and realistically evaluate what you can afford. Backup is a future-oriented process. Your backup solution needs to accommodate future data requirements as well as probable infrastructure changes down the road. Fit your solution to your long-term data management strategy. Info-Tech Insight Info-Tech evaluated nine competitors in the Heterogeneous Backup Software market, including the following notable performers:
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4Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Market Overview Many leading vendors originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s, focused on backing up non-Windows mainframe computers. As Windows-specific backup solutions proliferated in the 1990s, enterprise providers expanded to protect x86-based servers and desktops. Backup software originally focused on backing up data from internal hard drives to internal and external tape drives and libraries, but now includes networked storage for the host and target and cloud storage. Tape continues to play an important role as a secondary or tertiary target. Previously discrete backup solutions for physical and virtual machines are consolidating, making it possible to deploy a single solution for a mixed physical and virtual environment. Data sprawl has made it essential for solutions to efficiently manage and reduce data when possible, with compression and data deduplication technology. Backup management is data management. CommVault understands backup as being part of a larger data management strategy, rather than a discrete solution. Other vendors are following suit, touting the data discovery capabilities of their backup software. Data gets edgy. More critical data than ever is being stored on laptops, desktops, and mobile devices. EMC and CommVault offer solutions that protect this data to ensure that continuity, recovery, and compliance needs are met, even on the edge. Flexibility is becoming vital. As the market matures, vendors begin to differentiate themselves by accommodating variable client scenarios. Modular sales models allow businesses to tailor a backup solution without overpaying for unnecessary advanced features or capacity. Pricing has also evolved, with vendors offering capacity-based licensing alongside familiar per- host licensing options. How it got here Where it’s going Backup isn’t just about protecting the past; it’s equally about preparing for the future. Legacy backup solutions are ill-equipped to deal with the triple threat posed by virtualization, migration to the cloud, and data sprawl. Today, vendors are working to provide solutions that meet current needs but are flexible enough to respond to future challenges.
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5Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Heterogeneous Backup Software vendor selection / knock-out criteria: market share, mind share, and platform coverage Acronis. While relatively new on the scene, Acronis has positioned itself as an up-and-coming player in the small to mid-market range with its Acronis Backup & Recovery software. CA Technologies’ ARCserve has historically held a strong market share in Japan. Their ARCserve backup software has a long history, going back as far as 1982. CommVault has been doggedly pursuing market and mind share with Simpana 9, a full-featured product notable for its usability and integration capabilities. EMC continues to maintain a strong market share among mid- to large-sized enterprises with its NetWorker and Avamar software and its Data Domain appliances. Lately, EMC has been making in-roads into cloud storage, as well. FalconStor. Though FalconStor is primarily focused on backup appliances, its Continuous Data Protector Virtual Appliance is a software solution that is compatible with a variety of storage providers and targeted at small enterprises. HP. A cost-effective solution, HP’s Data Protector boasts big savings and strong integration with HP storage hardware. IBM. Second in market share, IBM’s Tivoli Storage Manager is a scalable product that plays well in large enterprise environments. Syncsort has carved itself a niche in the market by partnering with NetApp and leveraging its data protection capabilities. Symantec is a market leader with its NetBackup software. This full-featured, flexible solution is designed around an enhanced user experience and the quick, effective recovery of data. Included in this Vendor Landscape: Formerly advanced features such as data encryption and compression are now standard. Info-Tech identified vendors that provide heterogeneous IT environments with robust, advanced features, such as deduplication and array integration. For this Vendor Landscape, Info-Tech focuses on vendors that offer broad capabilities across multiple platforms and that have a strong market presence and/or reputational presence among mid-sized and large enterprises.
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6Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Criteria Weighting: Heterogeneous Backup Software criteria & weighting factors Vendor is committed to the space and has a future product and portfolio roadmap. Strategy Vendor offers global coverage and is able to sell and provide post-sales support. Reach Vendor is profitable, knowledgeable, and will be around for the long-term. Viability Vendor channel strategy is appropriate and the channels themselves are strong. Channel The three-year TCO of the solution is economical. Affordability Product supports many platforms including Windows, Linux, UNIX, and major hypervisors. Architecture The solution’s dashboard and reporting tools are intuitive and easy to use. Usability The solution provides basic and advanced feature/functionality. Features Usability ArchitectureAffordability Product Vendor ViabilityStrategy ChannelReach Product Evaluation Criteria Vendor Evaluation Criteria
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7Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape is created, see Information Presentation – Vendor Landscape in the Appendix.Information Presentation – Vendor Landscape The Info-Tech Vendor Landscape: The Info-Tech Heterogeneous Backup Software Vendor Landscape Champions receive high scores for most evaluation criteria and offer excellent value. They have a strong market presence and are usually the trend setters for the industry. Market Pillars are established players with very strong vendor credentials, but with more average product scores. Innovators have demonstrated innovative product strengths that act as their competitive advantage in appealing to niche segments of the market. Emerging Players are newer vendors who are starting to gain a foothold in the marketplace. They balance product and vendor attributes, though score lower relative to market Champions. The Zones of the Landscape
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8Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments =Exemplary =Good =Adequate =Inadequate =Poor Balance individual strengths to find the best fit for your enterprise HP * CommVault CA Technologies EMC * FalconStor Acronis IBM Symantec * Syncsort Legend OverallFeaturesUsabilityAfford.Arch.OverallViabilityStrategyReachChannel Product Vendor For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Harvey Balls are calculated, see Information Presentation – Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls) in the Appendix.Information Presentation – Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls) * The vendor declined to provide pricing and publically available pricing could not be found.
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9Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments What is a Value Score? The Info-Tech Heterogeneous Backup Software Value Index The Value Score indexes each vendor’s product offering and business strength relative to their price point. It does not indicate vendor ranking. Vendors that score high offer more bang-for- the-buck (e.g. features, usability, stability, etc.) than the average vendor, while the inverse is true for those that score lower. Price-conscious enterprises may wish to give the Value Score more consideration than those who are more focused on specific vendor/product attributes. On a relative basis, CA Technologies maintained the highest Info-Tech Value Score TM of the vendor group. Vendors were indexed against CA Technologies’ performance to provide a complete, relative view of their product offerings. For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Value Index is calculated, see Information Presentation – Value Index in the Appendix.Information Presentation – Value Index For an explanation of how Price is determined, see Information Presentation – Price Evaluation in the Appendix.Information Presentation – Price Evaluation * The vendor declined to provide pricing and publicly available pricing could not be found
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10Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Table Stakes represent the minimum standard; without these, a product doesn’t even get reviewed If Table Stakes are all you need from your Heterogeneous Backup Software solution, the only true differentiator for the organization is price. Otherwise, dig deeper to find the best price to value for your needs. The products assessed in this Vendor Landscape TM meet, at the very least, the requirements outlined as Table Stakes. Many of the vendors go above and beyond the outlined Table Stakes, some even do so in multiple categories. This section aims to highlight the products’ capabilities in excess of the criteria listed here. The Table StakesWhat Does This Mean? App-specific agents exist to handle requirements for target workloads, such as Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, or SQL. Application Awareness Computer systems can be restored from bare metal, with no requirement of a previously installed operating system or software. Bare Metal Restore Data can be encrypted prior to transmission across the LAN. Encryption Data can be compressed at the client or media agent for overall data reduction. Compression Machines at the edge of the environment (i.e. desktops, laptops) can be backed up. Edge Machine Backup What it is: Feature Solution can integrate with Volume Shadow Copy Services (VSS)-certified arrays for snapshots of Microsoft apps. VSS-based array support
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11Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Advanced Features are the capabilities that allow for granular market differentiation Advanced Features Info-Tech scored each vendor’s features offering as a summation of their individual scores across the listed advanced features. Vendors were given 1 point for each feature the product inherently provided. Some categories were scored on a more granular scale with vendors receiving half points. Scoring Methodology Redundant data at separate backup nodes (e.g. targets) is removed, leaving a single copy. Global deduplication Deduplicated data can be backed up to and restored from tape media. Deduplication to tape Redundant data is removed either as it is being written to disk or after data has been written. Target deduplication Redundant data is removed at the source, before transmission to the backup target. Source-based deduplication Data can be backed up to a supported third-party public or vendor-provided cloud environment. Cloud integration Solution is capable of using snapshot features from major storage array products beyond VSS. Array integration VMs are automatically discovered and protected as they move, change, or come online. Advanced VM file backup Data can be backed up to and restored from tape media. Backup to tape Solution provides full support for end users to perform self-service backup and restoration of data. End-user self service Data changes are continuously tracked, enabling true any-point-in-time recovery. Continuous data protection What we looked for: Feature For an explanation of how Advanced Features are determined, see Information Presentation – Feature Ranks (Stop Lights) in the Appendix.Information Presentation – Feature Ranks (Stop Lights)
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12Info-Tech Research Group Vendor Landscape: Backup Software for Heterogeneous Environments Info-Tech Research Group Helps IT Professionals To: Sign up for free trial membership to get practical solutions for your IT challenges www.infotech.com Quickly get up to speed with new technologies Make the right technology purchasing decisions – fast Deliver critical IT projects, on time and within budget Manage business expectations Justify IT spending and prove the value of IT Train IT staff and effectively manage an IT department “Info-Tech helps me to be proactive instead of reactive – a cardinal rule in a stable and leading edge IT environment. - ARCS Commercial Mortgage Co., LP Toll Free: 1-888-670-8889
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