Backup Central

Just wondering if anyone knows the break point between Backup Exec and NetBackup.

Currently we have 1 backup server (connected to 2 tape vaults) servicing 12 client servers. We only have Windows servers. Nightly backups range from 1.5 - 4TB (all together). We are planning a D2D2T setup and would like to start using de-duplication. Unfortunately BUEX doesn't do de-dup so we are trying to decide if we have outgrown BUEX. Should we go to NetBackup or add a de-dup appliance, any suggestions?

While BE can do D2D2T, I think you'll find NBU's abilities much stronger in that area.

Also, FWIW, I'm not a fan of source dedupe (e.g. Puredisk, Avamar, Asigra) in a medium-to-large data center. I think those products are perfect for the remote data center, where they lend the most value by reducing the amount of data being sent to your central datacenter across the WAN. In the datacenter I'm more a fan of target dedepe appliances like you mentioned. I think they'll give you more bang for the buck in the datacenter.

+ 1 to appliance for you.

Your site sounds pretty much like one of our remote offices, where I am using Puredisk quite effectively. BUT... if it were my only location I would not go that route.

You mention that you are Windows only shop- Puredisk has to run on Linux, so unless you already have some in-house expertise, you're not going to find that as simple as a dedicated hardware solution.

I did a demo with DataDomain last year, and if I were in your shoes I would have recommended that. We just have too many tiny little offices to justify that number of appliances (heck, I don't see how we can justify half the servers!) so a source de-dupe like Puredisk makes the most sense, and we didn't want to implement 2 solutions so we are running it at some sites where an appliance would be fine just to keep life simple.

The upcoming Puredisk Disk Storage Unit would be OK, but again it only really makes sense if you are also trying to support multiple small remote sites.


Having worked with both Netbackup and BackupExec, I would go with Netbackup in your situation. Better use of your tape media, better D2D2T,
and you can treat it more as an appliance (by which I mean that in a simple environment, Netbackup will give you better autopilot performance than BE).

Tom