ExaGrid's Eye on Deduplication

It's been a busy past quarter for us here at ExaGrid (more on that next week), and we wanted to briefly update readers on some of the work we've been doing with Symantec to make it even easier to integrate ExaGrid's disk backup appliance with Symantec's backup applications.

We recently announced the validated integration of our disk backup with data deduplication appliance with Symantec NetBackup via the Symantec OpenStorage (OST) program. Customers are always asking about how to get faster backup times, and this enhanced integration offers joint customers that, plus a more easily managed solution for disk backup with data deduplication. This follows our previously announced support for Symantec Backup Exec 2010. With this announcement, ExaGrid became the first and only disk backup appliance vendor to achieve both basic and optimized duplication qualification for both Symantec Backup Exec 2010 and Symantec NetBackup 7.

What's this mean if you are a NetBackup customer?  Well, if you are looking to reduce your backup times, ExaGrid's unique link balancing with OST intelligently selects the most appropriate and optimized network path for each individual backup job, and the OST support means even faster backup times than previously. You also can now manage and track all copies of backup data via the NetBackup interface-including copies replicated to disaster recovery sites as well as tape copies. DR is simplified, as NetBackup is aware of all copies of data -- both onsite and offsite. And with that awareness inside the NetBackup catalog of all copies of the data, you also get flexibility to retain different amounts of backup data at a local site versus an off-site disaster recovery location, by better utilizing the unique ExaGrid architecture Lastly, you also get faster recovery times due to the support of Symantec OST Optimized Duplication feature with ExaGrid's "Instant-DR" capability.

Bob Chyka, CIO of Medaille College shared his perspectives on the news, saying, "Managing our backups with the combination of ExaGrid's disk backup system and Symantec's NetBackup software has been a very easy and positive process. ExaGrid and Symantec deliver a tight integration that makes our backups easier to administer, and we look forward to benefiting from the enhanced functionality and performance through this advanced level of OpenStorage integration and interoperability." 

We'll be at the Symantec VISION 2010 Conference in Las Vegas next week. If any readers are there and would like more information, please stop by and say "Hello."