Data Domain Boost (DD Boost) Becoming the New Glue of Enterprise Backup Infrastructures
Backup software is often rightly viewed as the "sticky" part of an organization's backup infrastructure. But as organizations look to use the right backup solution for specific applications, the need to centralize where that backup data is stored and then how it is managed are becoming the larger issues companies need to address. As this change in perspective occurs, EMC Data Domain Boost (DD Boost) software is shaping up to become the new glue that helps hold enterprise backup infrastructures together.
Hints that a change in perspective is occurring have surfaced from time to time but it grabbed my attention during a session that I attended at the recent EMC World 2012. The session's focus was on new performance optimization techniques available in Data Domain OS v5.2 though at one point during the presentation Luke Youngblood, Systems Architect and SAN/Storage Team Lead at McKesson Health Solutions, took over and described the implementation of EMC Data Domain in McKesson's environment and the success it saw.
Using Data Domain McKesson achieved:
Making his comments significant was that he described the performance benefits of DD Boost in the context of both EMC NetWorker and Oracle RMAN. In other words, as DD Boost independently integrates with either EMC NetWorker or Oracle RMAN, it was less important to him which backup product McKesson used to backup its data.
Rather he was more concerned about successfully backing up McKesson's data within its specified backup windows to a centralized Data Domain system. So using DD Boost's existing integration with both NetWorker and Oracle RMAN, he could deliver on McKesson's broader objective of completing its backups while simultaneously consolidating the storage of its backup data on the Data Domain system.
His goal of "successfully completing backups within specified backup windows regardless of the backup methodology used while consolidating the storage and management of backup data" is one that seems to be gaining momentum among enterprises. It is generally agreed that most enterprises use at least two backup software products and, based upon my own experience, as many as five or more. The challenge that this creates is silos of backup data scattered throughout the enterprise with no one centrally managing it.
This is what makes Data Domain in general and the DD Boost software specifically the new glue that is bringing the management of enterprise backup data under control. While other backup appliances can accept backup jobs from multiple backup software products and consolidate backup data as Data Domain does, it's DD Boost software that has become the differentiator that makes it feasible to achieve this goal.
Using DD Boost, applications and backup software products may move beyond just consolidating the storage of their backup data on a Data Domain system. They may now improve backup speeds, reduce the amount of data they are sending over the network and centralize the management of backup jobs while still using their existing backup software or methodology.
Further evidence that this approach is gaining momentum is EMC continually announcing new products that support DD Boost. In just the last few weeks, new support for Greenplum, Oracle RMAN and Quest vRanger was announced which means any of these products may now leverage DD Boost to accelerate backup performance and improve management with a Data Domain system. This facilitates companies continuing to use the most appropriate backup software for their application, getting the faster backups they need and consolidating the storage and management of their backup data.
Backup software is likely always going to remain a sticky part of enterprise backup infrastructures for a variety of reasons. But as corporate IT endeavors to reconcile the sometimes competing demands of applications users with larger corporate mandates to reduce costs, consolidate storage and simplify the backup infrastructure, more are coming to the same conclusion as McKesson Health Solutions. Data Domain with DD Boost becomes a strategic solution and is becoming the new glue that helps hold enterprise backup infrastructures together.
Hints that a change in perspective is occurring have surfaced from time to time but it grabbed my attention during a session that I attended at the recent EMC World 2012. The session's focus was on new performance optimization techniques available in Data Domain OS v5.2 though at one point during the presentation Luke Youngblood, Systems Architect and SAN/Storage Team Lead at McKesson Health Solutions, took over and described the implementation of EMC Data Domain in McKesson's environment and the success it saw.
Using Data Domain McKesson achieved:
- Deduplication ratios that ranged from 13:1 - 22:1
- Increases in backup speeds with at least one instance of a backup time being reduced from 29 hours to 8 hours
- A reduction in recovery times at its Sunguard DR site from 36 to 16 hours
- An ROI of 236% with a payback in 16 months and a total savings of over $230K
Making his comments significant was that he described the performance benefits of DD Boost in the context of both EMC NetWorker and Oracle RMAN. In other words, as DD Boost independently integrates with either EMC NetWorker or Oracle RMAN, it was less important to him which backup product McKesson used to backup its data.
Rather he was more concerned about successfully backing up McKesson's data within its specified backup windows to a centralized Data Domain system. So using DD Boost's existing integration with both NetWorker and Oracle RMAN, he could deliver on McKesson's broader objective of completing its backups while simultaneously consolidating the storage of its backup data on the Data Domain system.
His goal of "successfully completing backups within specified backup windows regardless of the backup methodology used while consolidating the storage and management of backup data" is one that seems to be gaining momentum among enterprises. It is generally agreed that most enterprises use at least two backup software products and, based upon my own experience, as many as five or more. The challenge that this creates is silos of backup data scattered throughout the enterprise with no one centrally managing it.
This is what makes Data Domain in general and the DD Boost software specifically the new glue that is bringing the management of enterprise backup data under control. While other backup appliances can accept backup jobs from multiple backup software products and consolidate backup data as Data Domain does, it's DD Boost software that has become the differentiator that makes it feasible to achieve this goal.
Using DD Boost, applications and backup software products may move beyond just consolidating the storage of their backup data on a Data Domain system. They may now improve backup speeds, reduce the amount of data they are sending over the network and centralize the management of backup jobs while still using their existing backup software or methodology.
Further evidence that this approach is gaining momentum is EMC continually announcing new products that support DD Boost. In just the last few weeks, new support for Greenplum, Oracle RMAN and Quest vRanger was announced which means any of these products may now leverage DD Boost to accelerate backup performance and improve management with a Data Domain system. This facilitates companies continuing to use the most appropriate backup software for their application, getting the faster backups they need and consolidating the storage and management of their backup data.
Backup software is likely always going to remain a sticky part of enterprise backup infrastructures for a variety of reasons. But as corporate IT endeavors to reconcile the sometimes competing demands of applications users with larger corporate mandates to reduce costs, consolidate storage and simplify the backup infrastructure, more are coming to the same conclusion as McKesson Health Solutions. Data Domain with DD Boost becomes a strategic solution and is becoming the new glue that helps hold enterprise backup infrastructures together.
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