Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

• Examining today's available disk backup solutions

  Brien Posey discusses the variety of disk backup solutions available today in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Virtual tape library users today

  Brien Posey discusses the variety of organizations using virtual tape libraries today in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• A look at the latest developments in VTL technology

  Brien Posey looks at the evolution of virtual tape library technology to offer security and compliance features.  Continue Reading

• Using deduplication when backing up virtual machines

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey discusses using deduplication when backing up virtual machines in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• How snapshotting improves virtual server data protection

  Snapshots allow recovery operations to occur faster than otherwise possible. Find out how snapshotting improves virtual server data protection.  Continue Reading

• Resolving a NetBackup error message when backing up Active Directory

  Brien Posey explains what causes a NetBackup error message when backing up Active Directory and how to resolve it.  Continue Reading

• Do many backup and archive products support Linear Tape File System?

  Brien Posey discusses the slow development of Linear Tape File System products for backup or archiving in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Troubleshooting Backup Exec 2012 synthetic full backup

  Brien Posey discusses how to resolve a common error message you may encounter when creating synthetic full backup with Backup Exec 2012.  Continue Reading

• Common mistakes in backing up Active Directory

  Microsoft expert Brien Posey looks at the widespread mistakes many users make when backing up Active Directory in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Understanding and resolving Windows Server 2008 backup error codes

  Brien Posey looks at a particular error message within Windows Server 2008 backup and shares a way to resolve it in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Learn replication best practices for use with backup

  Jason Buffington of ESG discusses replication best practices for using with backup in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Using snapshot and replication in your data protection strategy

  Analyst Jason Buffington of ESG discusses data protection strategies using snapshot and replication in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Using snapshots as part of your data protection strategy

  Jason Buffington of ESG discusses how snapshots can be used as a part of your overall data protection strategy in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Snapshot and backup technologies converging

  Jason Buffington of ESG discusses the integration of snapshot and backup technologies in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• The value of negotiating SLAs before establishing backup policies

  Colm Keegan of Storage Switzerland discusses how negotiating SLAs before setting backup policies can help get business buy-in for data protection.  Continue Reading

• VMware Data Protection vs. third-party backup applications

  Colm Keegan of Storage Switzerland compares VMware Data Protection with third-party backup applications in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Third-party endpoint backup vs. traditional backup software

  George Crump, analyst with Storage Switzerland, compares third-party endpoint backup products with endpoint backup from legacy vendors.  Continue Reading

• IPhone vs. Android backup

  Eric Slack of Storage Switzerland compares iPhone and Android backup in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of integrated backup appliances

  Find out whether integrated backup appliances with backup software, server and storage offer any benefits beyond ease of installation.  Continue Reading

• Disk can help with backup tape rotation strategy

  Backup expert George Crump explains how to use disk to get the most out of your backup tape rotation strategy.  Continue Reading

• How cloud archiving services compare

  Backup expert George Crump discusses the issues involved in picking a cloud archiving service for your organization.  Continue Reading

• As a backup target, when is VTL better than NAS?

  Eric Slack of Storage Switzerland says that, as a backup target, a VTL might be a better choice than NAS.  Continue Reading

• Performing iPhone and iPad backup using third-party software

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland discusses iPhone and iPad backup using third-party software in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Should you back up Google Drive contents?

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland discusses whether it is necessary to back up Google Drive contents in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Should you back up Dropbox contents?

  George Crump of Storage Switzerland discusses whether it is necessary to back up Dropbox contents in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• What is cloud-integrated storage and when should it be used?

  Cloud-integrated storage can implement one or more cloud storage repositories into the data center. Find out how it differs from a cloud storage gateway.  Continue Reading

• Learn how to extract files from a tarball

  Backup expert Brien Posey details how information technology administrators can extract files from a tarball.  Continue Reading

• The state of mobile device and laptop backups

  Backup expert Brien Posey discusses the state of enterprise backups for mobile devices and laptop computers in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of various endpoint data backup methods

  Backup expert Brien Posey discusses the pros and cons of various methods of data backup, including cloud, CDP and scheduled backups.  Continue Reading

• The challenges of laptop and mobile device backup

  Backup expert Brien Posey discusses the trials involved with laptop and mobile device data backup, such as limited connectivity and bandwidth.  Continue Reading

• Finding an enterprise backup solution for different mobile platforms

  Backup expert Brien Posey discusses the issues with finding an enterprise backup product that is compatible with different mobile platforms.  Continue Reading

• Data deduplication vendors work to accelerate process

  Backup expert Brien Posey explains how data deduplication vendors are working to speed up the process.  Continue Reading

• Solving SQL VSS writer problems during backup

  Backup expert Brien Posey explains how to solve common SQL VSS writer problems users can face during SQL database backups.  Continue Reading

• Resolving error code 1296 during Exchange backups

  Brien Posey explains how to resolve a common error code when using VSS-based backup software for Exchange backups.  Continue Reading

• Deciding if open source software is the best data backup solution

  Expert Brien Posey discusses how to determine whether an open source software backup product is the best data backup solution for your organization.  Continue Reading

• Backing up virtual servers for long-term retention

  IT expert Brien Posey explains the pros and cons of different methods for backing up virtual servers for long-term retention.  Continue Reading

• Can you virtualize backup servers?

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey discusses whether to virtualize backup servers and why in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• How rdiff-backup works

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey discusses rdiff-backup in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Finding software tools to gauge data storage requirements

  Brien Posey discusses whether there are software tools to gauge data storage requirements when deploying a new disk backup appliance.  Continue Reading

• Prioritizing SQL database backup among other nightly backups.

  Backup expert Brien Posey offers advice for prioritizing among SQL database backup, Exchange database backup and other nightly backup tasks.  Continue Reading

• VMware VDP offers data protection for small organizations

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey discusses VMware VDP in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Testing VSS-based Exchange backups

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey discusses how to test VSS-based Exchange backups in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Copy-on-write snapshots vs. differencing disk snapshots

  Independent backup expert Brien Posey compares copy-on-write snapshots and differencing disk snapshots in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Using CDP for laptop and mobile device backup

  In this Expert Answer, Brien Posey discusses whether CDP can be used for laptop and mobile device backup.  Continue Reading

• Backing up Active Directory? Here's what you should know

  In this Expert Response about backing up your Active Directory, Brien Posey says you typically don't need to back up every domain controller.  Continue Reading

• Hypervisor-based replication vs. traditional replication

  Learn more about hypervisor-based replication and how it compares with other software-based replication in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• Does today's RAID data protection make the grade?

  RAID data protection is becoming an obsolete protection strategy for the multi-terabyte drives required in big data storage, says analyst John Webster.  Continue Reading

• Post-process vs. inline deduplication and more

  Rachel Dines, a Forrester Research analyst, outlines post-process and inline deduplication, as well as fixed and variable-block length dedupe.  Continue Reading

• What's hot in dedupe technology

  Rachel Dines, an analyst with Forrester Research, discusses important recent developments in dedupe technology, including deduplication accelerators.  Continue Reading

• What types of data yield a high deduplication ratio?

  Rachel Dines, an analyst with Forrester Research, outlines the types of data that yield high deduplication ratios in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Software versus hardware backup deduplication

  Rachel Dines, analyst with Forrester Research, discusses the differences between software and hardware backup deduplication in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Target versus source deduplication today

  Rachel Dines, analyst with Forrester Research, discusses target and source deduplication today, including the pros and cons of each.  Continue Reading

• Using Linear Tape File System for archiving

  Learn about using Linear Tape File System for archiving in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• In-house vs. public cloud archiving

  Brien Posey offers information about public cloud archiving in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Backup and archive: Is archiving software necessary?

  Brien Posey discusses backup and archive software, as well as e-discovery in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Comparing email archiving software with general archiving software

  Brien Posey compares email archiving software with general-purpose archiving software in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• The benefits and drawbacks of CDP solutions

  CDP solutions can eliminate your backup window. However, there are many issues to consider, including application and operating system compatibility.  Continue Reading

• Disparity among backup products for backing up virtual servers

  Learn more about the challenges of backing up virtual servers in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• Are storage snapshots an alternative to backup?

  Are storage snapshots an alternative to traditional backup? Find out in this Expert Answer from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• Are cloud backups enterprise-ready?

  Brien Posey says that there are a number of limitations that keep cloud backups from being enterprise ready in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Tape archiving with a vaulting provider

  David Hill discusses tape archiving with a vaulting provider in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Choosing archive management software

  David Hill discusses considerations for choosing archive management software in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Why tape works for active archiving

  David Hill, analyst with the Mesabi Group, discusses tape’s role in active archiving.  Continue Reading

• CDP’s (continuous data protection) advantages in virtual server backup

  Find out the advantages CDP (continuous data protection) offers in backing up virtual servers in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• Magnetic tape’s changing storage role

  David Hill, analyst with the Mesabi Group, discusses the changing role of magnetic tape in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• The difference between target and source deduplication for VM backup

  Find out the difference between target and source deduplication for virtual server backup in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• Why Microsoft VSS is important to virtual server backup

  Find out why Microsoft VSS is so important to virtual server backup in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• Agent-based vs. hypervisor-level backups of virtualized servers

  Find out why so many organizations continue to make agent-based backups of virtualized servers in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• Hypervisor-level backup efficient for VM backups

  Find out the two reasons why hypervisor-level backups are more efficient for VM backups in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• Different approaches to backing up virtual servers

  Learn the two main approaches to backing up virtual machines in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• The challenge of backing up virtual machines

  Learn why backing up virtual machines can be so challenging in this Expert Response from Brien Posey.  Continue Reading

• The role of magnetic tape storage is changing

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, discusses how tape storage is used today, how it may be used in the future, and why.  Continue Reading

• Cloud data backup vs. tape backup

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, discusses whether cloud data backup is a replacement for tape in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Skepticism about deduplication to tape remains

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, offers his thoughts on why adoption of deduplication to tape has been slow in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Challenges associated with tape vaulting

  Jon Toigo offers advice on solving some common challenges associated with tape vaulting in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Backup tape encryption today

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, discusses the variety of ways to perform backup tape encryption today in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• The impact of backup encryption on restore time

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, discusses the impact backup encryption has on restore time in this Expert Response.  Continue Reading

• Pros and cons of backup tape encryption

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, discusses the pros and cons of backup tape encryption in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• What you need to know about LTO-5 and the Linear Tape File System (LTFS)

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, discusses LTO-5 tape and what you need to know before using the Linear Tape File System.  Continue Reading

• Emerging use cases for LTFS (Linear Tape File System)

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, discusses LTFS in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Backup vs. archive: How are they different?

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, discusses the difference between backup vs. archive in this Expert Answer.  Continue Reading

• Tape technologies evolve to meet growing data demands

  Jon Toigo discusses how tape technologies are evolving with refinements to tape drives, libraries and management software.  Continue Reading

• Magnetic tape storage: Dead or alive?

  Jon Toigo, founder and CEO of Toigo Partners International, discusses the viability of magnetic tape storage today in this expert answer.  Continue Reading

• The pros and cons of online cloud backup services for mobile devices

  Backing up mobile devices can be a chore. Learn whether or not online cloud backup services can help.  Continue Reading

• What is the best VMware backup method?

  Learn the best VMware backup method in this expert response by W. Curtis Preston.  Continue Reading

• What are the costs associated with cloud data backup services, and what options are available to lar

  Dave Ellis talks about the main options companies have for cloud backup providers and the costs associated with them in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• Are there any signs that a backup tape cartridge is about to fail?

  Sometimes tape failure can be hard to predict, but certain monitoring tools can help detect problematic tapes.  Continue Reading

• How do I get started with a formal data backup procedure for my company?

  Dave Ellis discusses how to get started with a backup procedure in your company in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• Are LTO-4 tapes compatible with other versions of LTO tape technology?

  Dave Ellis explains what LTO-4 is and its compatibility with other versions of LTO in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• What costs are associated with cloud backup services for SMBs? What are some examples of vendors?

  Greg Schulz explains the costs behind cloud backup services and which cloud backup providers offer cloud services to SMBs in this expert response.  Continue Reading

• How can Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) improve data backups?

  NDMP is a protocol that can improve data backup and recovery performance by eliminating the server from backup or recovery processes.  Continue Reading

• What open-source data deduplication software options are available?

  W. Curtis Preston explains two open-source data deduplication software options currently available -- BackupPC and Oracle's Solaris ZFS, in this ask the expert response.  Continue Reading

• What should I ask a vendor before buying a tape backup library?

  Dave Ellis provides a list of questions data storage administrators should ask their vendor before buying a tape backup library in this ask the expert response.  Continue Reading

• What are some examples of open-source data backup tools?

  Dave Ellis lists some open-source data backup tools available that offer similar functionality to enterprise-calss data backup software in this ask the expert response.  Continue Reading

• What are the differences between file-level vs. block-level deduplication?

  Dave Ellis, Principal Technologist at Instrumental Inc., discusses the differences between file-level and block-level data deduplication in this ask the expert response.  Continue Reading

• What are the pros and cons of using cloud backup for my SMB?

  Greg Schulz explains what the pros and cons are of using cloud-based backups for SMBs in this ATE response.  Continue Reading

• What are the pros and cons of disk-based data backup for SMBs?

  Greg Schulz explains the pros and cons of using disk-based backup for SMBs in this Ask the Expert response.  Continue Reading

• How do I know if tape storage is right for my SMB?

  Tape storage is a good storage solution for many SMBs, but Greg Schulz discusses that in the end, it depends on a company's specific needs in order to determine whether or not tape storage is right for their SMB.  Continue Reading

• What are some data backup reporting tools I can use? What are the benefits of using a data backup re

  Curtis Preston discusses what data reporting backup tools people can use, and what the benefits of these tools are.  Continue Reading

• Online backup on a budget

  Curtis Preston discusses reliable and affordable online backup solutions for businesses.  Continue Reading