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The expert guide to enterprise backup software
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Article
Veeam Software adds physical protection, Office 365 backup
Veeam had been 100% virtual for 10 years, but customers sought physical support. The Veeam Availability Platform for the Hybrid Cloud includes several major components. Read Now
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Article
Acronis offers many straightforward backup options
Acronis enterprise backup software uses a minimal amount of memory, reducing the impact of backups. The vendor's Backup Purchase Wizard also eases the buying process. Read Now
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Article
Veritas focuses on cloud with Backup Exec update
Veritas expands support for Backup Exec, a brand it is trying to rebuild. The product allows the cloud to be used as a backup target. Read Now
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Blog
Nakivo upgrades virtual machine backup
Nakivo's Backup & Replication helps improve backup speed when the software is deployed directly on a Synology NAS. The software can store VM backups. Read Now
Editor's note
As IT environments become more advanced, the job of backing up and retrieving data also grows in complexity. Enterprise backup software can ease this task by streamlining processes. Data backup continues to converge with other IT disciplines toward this end, and processes that have traditionally been performed separately have come under backup's wing. Recent feature updates to backup software platforms include snapshot management, disaster recovery (DR) elements, support for cloud, virtual machine (VM) protection and archiving functionality.
There have also been developments aimed at speeding restore times as backup data sets have continued to grow. For example, recovery-in-place (also known as instant recovery) has emerged as a way to run production VMs directly from a backup instance during recovery.
This guide provides stories on the latest upgrades from some of the top enterprise backup software vendors, information on where backup software works best in a computing environment and important considerations to keep in mind when purchasing data backup software.
1New backup technology
We explore the trends shaping the enterprise backup software market and the decisions you might need to make when considering a purchase.
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Hyper-converged vendors tout backup features
Some hyper-converged storage vendors claim their products have so many capabilities that you don't need traditional backup software. Are they right? Read Now
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How can an open source backup software platform improve DR?
Explore what you need to consider when choosing open source backup software. This type of technology can get the job done without breaking the bank. Read Now
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Enterprise backup application suites offer more than ever
Expert Brien Posey discusses the evolution of data backup software suites, including the addition of features such as snapshot and replication management, cloud integration and more. Read Now
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Deciding between a best-of-breed or single vendor data backup offering
While some IT shops choose a single backup product to protect all their resources, many assemble a collection of best-in-breed products to address their varying data protection needs. Read Now
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When to choose open source data backup software
Brien Posey explains how open source backup tools stack up against commercial software from the bigger vendors in the market. Read Now
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Five signs you might be due for a backup software upgrade
All software eventually becomes outdated, but how can you tell when you need an upgrade? Discover some clues that might point to an enterprise backup software tweak. Read Now
2Data backup software issues
Having problems with your backup software? Use the links below to better understand issues with snapshots, the cloud, VMs and enterprise data backup software in general.
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Article
Three major myths about flat backup
Flat backup, which uses snapshots to protect data, is gaining ground. However, users should be careful about what it can and cannot do. Read Now
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Article
Does the ideal disk backup platform exist?
Backup has been seen as burdensome, but integrated backup appliances can ease that pain. Storage expert Chris Evans offers details on choosing the right backup target. Read Now
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Article
Can you use traditional data backup software with the cloud?
Do off-the-shelf backup applications -- designed primarily for local storage -- work for cloud data? This expert answer digs into the details. Read Now
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Article
Five misconceptions about recovery-in-place
Recovery-in-place, also known as instant recovery, allows users to run a VM from a backup copy. But do you have all the facts regarding the technology? Read Now
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Article
VMware vs. Hyper-V restoration
While VMware and Hyper-V restores have similar processes, there are a few key differences to keep in mind. Read Now
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More than just a backup application?
What additional functions should you expect from your enterprise backup app? Read Now
3Virtual machine backup software
Virtualization is becoming prominent in every aspect of storage, and backup vendors are making moves to meet the needs of the technology. Find out where enterprise backup software works with VMs plus discover areas of improvement.
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Article
Three steps to instant VM recovery with backup software
With instant recovery, a virtual machine can simply be run from backup storage. While each vendor takes its own approach, there are some standard guidelines and pain points. Read Now
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Article
VM-specific backup software enhances virtual server backups
Virtual server backup used to be an obstacle but now VM backup software makes protection easier. Explore how VM backup and instant recovery work. Read Now
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What it means when backup software supports VMware VVOLs
There are some architectural components to VVOLs that must be backed up. Brien Posey explains how to get that job done. Read Now
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Five ways to mess up a VM backup software purchase
Looking to buy virtual machine backup software? Learn how to avoid these critical errors. Read Now
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VM backup software offers flexibility, richer features
While virtualization has complicated legacy backup operations, VM backup software can help ease administrative pain. Read Now
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What to look for in a virtual backup software offering
Brien Posey outlines the four essential criteria when purchasing virtual server backup software. Read Now
4Related terms
If there are any terms in this guide you need explained, the following links should clear things up.
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Definition
Acronis
Acronis is a data protection software vendor that spun off as a separate company from Parallels in Singapore and became an independent company in 2003. Read Now
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Definition
Arcserve UDP
Arcserve Unified Data Protection is a data backup and recovery software product. The software combines features such as high availability, global source-side deduplication and disaster recovery testing in one product interface. Read Now
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Definition
Backblaze
Backblaze backs up data that cannot be retrieved if a computer breaks or is lost. The vendor's Storage Pods hardware platform allows the company to offer backup at a low price. A B2 Cloud Storage service lets customers build cloud applications. Read Now
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Definition
backup storage device
A data storage device for backup makes copies of data actively in use. Should the storage medium fail, the original data is recovered from copies on the backup hardware. Read Now
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Definition
Carbonite
Carbonite Inc. is an online backup company in Boston. Founded in 2005, Carbonite sells cloud backup to consumers, small and medium-sized businesses and small enterprises. Read Now
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Definition
CrashPlan
Code42 Software's CrashPlan data protection software comes in home, small business and enterprise versions. CrashPlan runs in the background of a device and provides an organization with constant backup of all new and changed files. Read Now
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Definition
data backup software
Backup software makes a duplicate copy of data to protect it and enable recovery if the data is lost or corrupted due to equipment failure or some other catastrophic event. Read Now
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deduplication software
Dedupe software eliminates unnecessary copies of data by redirecting new iterations of the data back to the original. Read Now
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Definition
EMC NetWorker
Dell EMC NetWorker is a backup software platform for the enterprise. Read Now
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IBM Tivoli Storage Manager
IBM Tivoli Storage Manager (IBM TSM) is an enterprise class backup and archiving application. IBM TSM, like all enterprise backup software products, is designed to make copies of an organization's data to protect against data loss. Read Now
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Definition
serverless backup
Serverless data backup removes backup procedures from production servers so that the time usually spent on backup functions can be used for other server tasks. Read Now
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Definition
Veritas Backup Exec
Veritas Backup Exec is a data protection software product that supports virtual, physical and cloud platforms. Read Now
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Definition
Veritas NetBackup
Veritas NetBackup -- known as Symantec NetBackup from 2005 to 2016 -- is a backup and recovery software suite designed for enterprise users. Read Now
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Definition
VSS-based backup
A Volume Shadow Copy Service-based backup operates at the block level of the file system to create application-consistent backups through a VSS writer and VSS requestor. Read Now