Excellent, thanks for the overview... I'm stashing this away for our next meeting with our salesdroid.
-sc > -----Original Message----- > From: Joseph Heaton [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Wednesday, November 10, 2010 11:33 AM > To: NT System Admin Issues > Subject: RE: Backup solution options > > Since there have been a couple of people responding, who are using > CommVault, I'll respond here: > > Currently, you buy licenses per agent/box. Windows file, Linux file, > Exchange, SQL, etc. > > What they are moving to, and the important point here is that you are NOT > being forced to change, is a capacity licensing model. You will buy a certain > amount of capacity (x TB). This is based on the data coming from the client, > not what is actually in your storage. (Important note, since you may be using > compression/deduplication on the server side, which is not taken into > consideration) Once you are on the capacity model, they no longer care how > many/what kind of licenses you are using. You can deploy 1000 SQL agents, > 500 Exchange agents, etc. > There are two "tiers" of the capacity model. Core, and Enterprise. With the > Enterprise level, you have access to some really cool features, such as Snap > Protect Jobs, for virtualization backups, where CommVault will integrate > directly with your storage array (as long as it's on their list), and have the > array take a snapshot directly, without involving your VCenter, or whatever > your flavor is, and do processing on the CommVault side, to allow volume/file > level restores. It also brings in client-side deduplication, which pretty much > all the heavy hitters are going to now, which will check to see if the file exists > in your storage before it sends it across the wire, which will help to reduce > your backup size and traffic. > The Core level does not include those two features, but does include > advanced reporting, and Enterprise Vault Tracker, which used to be an addon > feature. > They are also offering an archive feature, both file and e-mail. The data > within the archive is included in your total capacity, but it is a lower charge > per TB than normal storage, so you can reduce your overall bill by using it > (possibly). There is also a "true up" schedule involved in the process. This is > flexible, can be quarterly, semi-annual, or annual. They'll ask you to run a > couple of reports, and if you're over your capacity, they'll bill you for the > overage/increase your capacity. > > Our issue with the changes is not feature based. I love the features they're > bringing in. It's the cost of converting that is completely giving us a sour > taste. The costs to convert are one-time charges, but they are high enough > that you are basically repurchasing the whole package, instead of an > "upgrade", which is what our salesperson kept saying. It's not an "upgrade", > it's a complete repurchase. > > If you're interested in the numbers that were thrown around in the meeting, > contact me offline. > > >>> "Steven M. Caesare" <[email protected]> 11/10/2010 6:19 AM >>> > You mind expanding on the licensing changes? > > We use the product here, and I'd like to know what we may be in for... > > -sc > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Joseph Heaton [mailto:[email protected]] > > Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2010 4:56 PM > > To: NT System Admin Issues > > Subject: Backup solution options > > > > Esteemed gurus, > > > > I need some suggestions. We currently use Simpana 8 from CommVault > for > > our backup solution. They are changing their licensing model, and the > result > > would be that we would basically have to repurchase the product, all > over > > again, in order to "upgrade" to the new licensing/feature set. We're > not real > > keen on that idea, so I've been asked to research other options for > our > > backup. > > > > Here's how we do our backups currently: > > > > Nightly incrementals to a disk array connected to our backup server. > > Weekly full backups, again to the disk array. > > Weekly copy to tape jobs, which are then sent to an offsite office for > 42 days. > > Monthly copy to tape jobs, which are then sent to Iron Mountain for > 400 > > days. > > > > Our environment consists of: > > > > Lots of VMWare guests (running the latest ESXi, and we're in the > process of > > re-implementing the VCB process) Windows clusters Linux boxes, with a > > couple different flavors of Linux Novell boxes - the only thing we're > worried > > about here is the datavol being backed up. > > > > We do have SQL boxes, but we're doing "flat file" backups, running > > scheduled SQL backups, then backing up the backup file. > > No Exchange boxes atm, still on Groupwise, which we will be taking > care of > > separately. > > > > > > > > Overall, our weekly fulls are around 10TB right now, and twice a year > we have > > a job that backs up an additional 6-7TB. We're using a Dell TL4000 > tape library > > for our backups, 4 drives, SAS connection to the backup server, LTO4 > tapes. > > > > > > > > Thanks for any suggestions you guys may have, and if you need other > info, > > just let me know. > > > > > > Joe > > > > > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ > > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > > > --- > > To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt- > > software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to > > [email protected] > > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt- > software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin > > > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ > <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ > > --- > To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt- > software.com/read/my_forums/ > or send an email to [email protected] > with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~ --- To manage subscriptions click here: http://lyris.sunbelt-software.com/read/my_forums/ or send an email to [email protected] with the body: unsubscribe ntsysadmin
