News

posted on 11 June 2008 09:58

Symantec has announced additions to its NetBackup software platform to much more fully embrace disk-based data protection opportunities - and realities - and increased its integration with Symantec's other backup product, Backup Exec.

Symantec states: 'The updated NetBackup platform leverages the power of an open architecture to deliver data center-class global deduplication and block-level continuous data protection. This software-based approach provides an alternative to appliance-based and array-based solutions as it allows customers to leverage commodity server and storage hardware as one collective grid and to easily scale their data protection storage environment as they grow their business.'

In other words don't use disk-based appliances or (proprietary) hard drive storage arrays for backup because Symantec enables you to use cheaper server and storage hardware aggregated into a scalable grid.

NetBackup gains:-
- Technology synergies with Backup Exec in disk-based backup, virtual machine support, Windows protection, OpenStorage and recovery capabilities.
- Data center-class global deduplication
- Block-level continuous data protection
- Backup Exec's Granular Recovery Technology for quick recovery of an entire system or individual files, emails, documents and virtual machines from single-pass image backups of Microsoft Windows, Exchange, SharePoint and VMware servers.

NetBackup RealTime Protection 6.5:-
- Adds continuous data protection by capturing all changes to application data in real time
- Is integrated with NetBackup to improve users’ experience through application-consistent recoveries and immediate access to disk-based images
- NetBackup Storage Lifecycle Policies automate the movement of RealTime data to longer term storage media (tape), reducing administrative overhead.

NetBackup PureDisk 6.5:-
- Is integrated with NetBackup to improve manageability and to offer scalable deduplication for the data center
- Is the only data protection solution to combine the best of all deduplication architectures (source-based, inline target-mode and post processing) into one shared storage pool to help customers maximize storage reductions
- Has scalability to handle hundreds of remote sites, data centers and multiple Petabytes of backup data
- Its integrated replication provides comprehensive disaster recovery options and an alternative to shipping tapes between data centers
- Leverages any storage hardware and existing NetBackup environments for dramatic cost savings

Specifically for NetBackup 6.5.2 and 6.5.3 Symantec has:
- Expanded support for Microsoft applications including granular recovery of Microsoft Sharepoint 2007, Exchange 2007 and Windows Server 2008
- Granular Recovery Technology will provide object-level recoveries (file, email, mailbox, item, etc.) from a single image-level backup, eliminating the need for running dual backups in SharePoint, Exchange and VMware environments
- Enhanced data protection support for VMware with the addition of VCB incremental backups and Snapshot Client support in a virtual machine
- Higher availability and policy-driven encryption key management for NetBackup tape environments

SaaS

Additionally Symantec Protection Network provides two Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) backup offerings to help small and medium-sized businesses easily protect their data through a hosted, online solution:-

- Symantec Online Backup – provides secure, cost-effective, online backup and recovery as a standalone service
- Symantec Online Storage for Backup Exec – allows Backup Exec 12 users to store copies of backup files online in Symantec data centers for disaster recovery

Pricing and Availability

Symantec offers a five system NetBackup starter pack at a suggested price of $3,995. NetBackup 6.5.2 and NetBackup PureDisk 6.5 are available now; NetBackup 6.5.3 will be available in Summer 2008; NetBackup RealTime Protection 6.5 is scheduled to be available Fall 2008

Takeaway

With a growing common technology wrapper around the NetBackup and Backup Exec core code bases we might start envisaging NetBackup and Backup Exec as different personalities of the same base product.

^{[Paul Roberts, news editor]}