Network Computing is part of the Informa Tech Division of Informa PLC

This site is operated by a business or businesses owned by Informa PLC and all copyright resides with them. Informa PLC's registered office is 5 Howick Place, London SW1P 1WG. Registered in England and Wales. Number 8860726.

EMC's New Backup Capabilities Can Boost Efficiency: Page 2 of 2

Disk Library -- EMC's DL1500 and DL3000 backup to disk offerings (with LAN or SAN VTL connectivity) have updated software that improves replication and Oracle RMAN deduplication. In addition, the new features include improved centralized monitoring and reporting using Data Protection Advisor for data protection management. This allows for central monitoring and troubleshooting for multiple disk libraries, as well as the ability to analyze the impact of policy and/or configuration changes.

Avamar -- Support has been expanded to solutions, such as to Microsoft SharePoint 2007 and Lotus Domino. In addition, EMC is now offering a new, post-implementation operational assurance service focused on Avamar best practices.

EMC is also offering a new service called EMC Assessment for Deduplication, which is available for Avamar, Disk Library, and NetWorker solutions. This service uses custom scan software to gather change rates and backup times in order to determine the amount of data that qualifies for deduplication and, consequently, quantifies an expected deduplication ratio, predicting how much disk space will be freed-up in the process.

Enterprise IT vendors typically include multiple products, such as backup, in their product and service portfolios. The need for developing a "portfolio" of solutions is due to the fact that each product is developed to address different use cases. Typically, overlaps between some solutions and use cases can create challenges. Why? Because not only must products, such as backup/restore software, perform their stated mission well, they must also offer definable, collateral benefits.

This is a point EMC's new backup solutions address particularly well. For example, increasing efficiency through capacity optimization via deduplication capabilities -- a central theme throughout this EMC announcement -- also helps organizations deal with increasing cost challenges. Expanding the integration of Avamar with EMC's NetWorker illustrates an effective way of lowering complexity. Using Data Protection Advisor can improve data protection management in conjunction with the EMC Disk Libraries, thus providing the business assurance necessary to address compliance challenges. All in all EMC's new backup efficiency offerings offer a number of new and enhanced capabilities that customers should find attractive.