What is data protection management (DPM)?
Data protection management (DPM) is the administration of backup processes to ensure that tasks run on schedule, and that data is securely backed up and recoverable. Good data protection management means having effective processes and methodologies in place to maintain data integrity.
Data protection management software first entered the enterprise data storage market with data backup reporting tools designed to help storage administrators analyze their backup environments. Early DPM products reported on backup failure and success rates.
Modern data protection management tools allow storage administrators to set service level-driven backup and recovery policies and tier data protection based on its value to the business. The newer products are designed to help administrators understand what is or is not working in their environment so they can spend less time troubleshooting and more time managing errors and infrastructure issues. A data protection management tool can provide visibility into such issues that isn't possible with a standalone backup application.
Vendors of data protection management products include Akorri, Aptare Inc., Bocade Inc., EMC Corp., Microsoft Corp., Servergraph (a Rocket Software brand), Symantec Corp. and Tek-Tools.