Why EMC Should Be at the Top of Every Enterprise's PBBA Short List
Today there is no shortage of purpose built backup appliances (PBBAs) from which enterprises have to choose. However that list shortens considerably when enterprises factor in how well a PBBA meets their backup performance requirements, integrates in their environment and satisfies the ever growing number of compliance requirements to which they are subject. EMC largely addresses these concerns with its new Data Domain DD990 system and latest Avamar 6.1 release as they combine to make a strong case as to why these EMC PBBAs should be at the top of every enterprise's PBBA short list.
Enterprise demand for PBBAs is forecast to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.4.6% over the next five (5) years. So it a no surprise that the number of PBBAs from which enterprises have to choose has steadily increased. As part of DCIG's Buyer's Guide research, it found there are well over 100 appliances that fall under the PBBA classification with the actual number closer to 150.
Sorting through this list of products requires that enterprises first establish some criteria to make the right decision as to which PBBAs are best suited for them. Key concerns PBBAs should address include:
Source: EMC
As these types of capacity and performance improvements are what one might expect with a new product release, EMC also added a number of new features to Data Domain's software to address the specific compliance, integration and management concerns that enterprises now have.
On the compliance side, EMC recognized that all size enterprises need to retain backup data for longer periods of time and are using Data Domain appliances to do so. Further, archive data may be subject to specific regulatory requirements that dictate how the data is to be properly secured once stored on these appliances.
To first meet long retention times for backups, Data Domain now provides new DD Extended Retention software for its enterprise DD860 and DD990 systems. This gives organizations the flexibility to use these systems to store backups for longer periods as opposed to moving data off to tape.
To meet the heightened compliance demands for archive data, Data Domain introduces a new Data Domain Retention Lock compliance edition. While Data Domain has offered its Retention Lock software option for a few years, the compliance edition meets the specific security guidelines included in regulations like SEC Rule 17a-4, HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley.
Furthering separating Data Domain from other PBBAs is its DD Boost software. While it is well known that DD Boost provides significant increases in backup performance and management, it is maybe less well known that it is an open protocol supported by a growing number of backup software offerings with Quest vRanger adding its name to the list of products that use DD Boost.
But EMC most strongly makes its case as to why it should be at the top of every enterprise short list for PBBAs in large part because of its growing integration between Avamar and Data Domain.
Already Avamar manages Data Domain appliances and uses DD Boost to manage replication jobs between them. This integration between Avamar and Data Domain is expanded with Avamar 6.1, which offers a new multi-streaming feature that delivers increased backup and restore performance.
Avamar provides another new level of integration with the introduction of a Media Access Node. Using this node, Avamar can now peer inside either Avamar Data Stores or Data Domain appliances and export backup data to satisfy specific retention requirements or eDiscovery requests.
Enterprises are adopting PBBAs in growing numbers. But with so many PBBAs on the market, it behooves enterprises to step back and examine how they can maximize the value of their growing investment in this class of devices.
EMC has anticipated that enterprises will start to select PBBAs that fit within a larger, more comprehensive management framework. So while EMC continues to beef up the individual capabilities of each of these product lines with more capacity, features and performance, the integration between the Avamar and Data Domain is resulting in EMC making enterprise backup and recovery easier and simpler to manage and providing a strong justification as to why every enterprise should put EMC at the top of their PBBA short list.
Enterprise demand for PBBAs is forecast to grow by a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.4.6% over the next five (5) years. So it a no surprise that the number of PBBAs from which enterprises have to choose has steadily increased. As part of DCIG's Buyer's Guide research, it found there are well over 100 appliances that fall under the PBBA classification with the actual number closer to 150.
Sorting through this list of products requires that enterprises first establish some criteria to make the right decision as to which PBBAs are best suited for them. Key concerns PBBAs should address include:
- Ease of management
- Integration and interoperability
- Meet backup performance requirements
- Satisfy external compliance requirements
Source: EMCAs these types of capacity and performance improvements are what one might expect with a new product release, EMC also added a number of new features to Data Domain's software to address the specific compliance, integration and management concerns that enterprises now have.
On the compliance side, EMC recognized that all size enterprises need to retain backup data for longer periods of time and are using Data Domain appliances to do so. Further, archive data may be subject to specific regulatory requirements that dictate how the data is to be properly secured once stored on these appliances.
To first meet long retention times for backups, Data Domain now provides new DD Extended Retention software for its enterprise DD860 and DD990 systems. This gives organizations the flexibility to use these systems to store backups for longer periods as opposed to moving data off to tape.
To meet the heightened compliance demands for archive data, Data Domain introduces a new Data Domain Retention Lock compliance edition. While Data Domain has offered its Retention Lock software option for a few years, the compliance edition meets the specific security guidelines included in regulations like SEC Rule 17a-4, HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley.
Furthering separating Data Domain from other PBBAs is its DD Boost software. While it is well known that DD Boost provides significant increases in backup performance and management, it is maybe less well known that it is an open protocol supported by a growing number of backup software offerings with Quest vRanger adding its name to the list of products that use DD Boost.
But EMC most strongly makes its case as to why it should be at the top of every enterprise short list for PBBAs in large part because of its growing integration between Avamar and Data Domain.
Already Avamar manages Data Domain appliances and uses DD Boost to manage replication jobs between them. This integration between Avamar and Data Domain is expanded with Avamar 6.1, which offers a new multi-streaming feature that delivers increased backup and restore performance.
Avamar provides another new level of integration with the introduction of a Media Access Node. Using this node, Avamar can now peer inside either Avamar Data Stores or Data Domain appliances and export backup data to satisfy specific retention requirements or eDiscovery requests.
Enterprises are adopting PBBAs in growing numbers. But with so many PBBAs on the market, it behooves enterprises to step back and examine how they can maximize the value of their growing investment in this class of devices.
EMC has anticipated that enterprises will start to select PBBAs that fit within a larger, more comprehensive management framework. So while EMC continues to beef up the individual capabilities of each of these product lines with more capacity, features and performance, the integration between the Avamar and Data Domain is resulting in EMC making enterprise backup and recovery easier and simpler to manage and providing a strong justification as to why every enterprise should put EMC at the top of their PBBA short list.
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