D2D Data Protection Solution Evaluation
Project #552
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Background
 Deal with Big Data
 Need to backup critical datasets (including VMware environment, Select
Central File Systems, Exchange environment and any critical servers
including the databases) and restore them in a very quick fashion
 Our Situation is Unique
– Have to backup multiple PBs of data (Is that a challenge? Everyone
does that…)
– No DR site – Every backup runs from Production Data set
– Production Data is already on the cheapest disk
– T1 disk backup cost @ about $1200 / TB
– Need to send backup data to remote site
 Need a solution that is flexible and ever evolving
– Software should be modular and flexible
– Software vendor should be flexible and willing to work with us to
address the new challenges by its development effort from our
continuous feedback
– Should have flexible HW component and should not be HW
dependent
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Our Approach – Define Backup Tiering
 1st tier - Deduplicated disk target datasets at local site and secondary copy on tape
at remote site for DR purpose
– This method will provide us the quickest way of backing up and restoring the systems and data and also
will be helpful in saving disk space for backup jobs by not storing any duplicate data sets in the backup
target disks. (Most efficient and expensive)
– Cost Calculated – Per TB
 2nd tier - Non Deduplicated Staging Disk target at local site and secondary copy on
tape at remote site for DR
– This method will provide us a quicker way to backup and restore the data compared to the traditional way
of backing up to the tape. This method however will not help us saving any disk space during the
backups. (Efficient than traditional backup and comparatively less expensive than the first option)
– Cost Calculated - Per TB
 3rd tier (Direct Tape target for data to be sent to remote site for DR purpose)
–
This is the traditional approach and will have the longest time window requirement for backup and
restore of data and systems. (Traditional Approach and most cost effective)
– Cost – No per TB cap / should allow unlimited data backup with fixed licensing
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Data Protection Market – Too Crowded ???
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Technologies Shortlisted for Onsite Evaluation
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All the above satisfy our basic requirements
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will be able to backup the mixed OS / Application environment at STScI
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Offer the tiering approach to backup different type of data sets and…
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Unique Approach Towards Enterprise Data Protection
 Commvault:
– Industry’s leader in Backup and Recovery Solutions and at the top most position on the Gartner’s
Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup/Recovery
– Has a single software and unified management suite and has very clear focus on the data
protection and management segment
 EMC:
– Existing solution at STScI
– One of the largest players in the industry and has acquired many different products and
companies to provide Backup and Recovery Solutions of different types
– Positioned in the leaders segment on the Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Disk-Based
Backup/Recovery
 NSB (Netapp Syncsort Backup):
– Most innovative and a different approach for Enterprise Disk-Based Backup/Recovery to provide
the quickest access to application data independent of data size
– As per ESG Syncsort and Netapp extended their capabilities via partnerships augmenting their
base data protection features to meet current and prospective customer requirements. This
partnership has positioned Netapp in the visionaries segment on the Gartner’s Magic Quadrant for
Enterprise Disk-Based Backup/Recovery
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Evaluation / Selection Process
 Presentation and product demo from the Vendors
 One to one discussion with each vendor to discuss our challenges and
to understand their approach to address our challenges
 RFI to the Vendors to collect official solution overview and commitment
for an onsite product evaluation
 Discussion of environmental requirement and evaluation schedule with
each vendor
 Distribution and agreement on the evaluation environment and checklist
with each vendor
 Preparation of testing environment to reflect our production as close as
possible
 Installation of loaner HW in our Datacenter
 Onsite Evaluation
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What we experienced
 Complications and ease of usability of each solution
 Identified / came across some of the interesting undocumented features
(Bugs) in the software (some of them even came to notice of the vendor
for first time)
 Post Sales support from Commvault and Syncsort
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Evaluation Parameters
 Backup and Restore of local data on Windows System and Linux
Systems
 Backup and Restore of MS SQL Server / Databases
 Backup and Restore of Exchange infrastructure
 Backup and Restore of NAS Data
 Bare Metal Restore
 Backup and Restore of VMware infrastructure (VMs and Data)
 D2D2D, D2D2T, D2T availability
 Deduplication
 Ease of Use of the Data protection Solution
 Ease of restoring at a DR site
 Overall approach of the solution towards Data Protection
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Preferred Solution
 After various rounds of internal discussion and considerations of all the
different angles including technical features, usability, initial investment
and long term maintenance cost, Commvault was selected as the
technology provider for the data protection solution by the ITSD
management.
 Commvault`s “SOFTWARE ONLY "solution provides flexibility to select a
storage system as per our choice and budget and not get locked into a
particular hardware platform and storage system.
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Thank You
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