Forum Discussion

Zedicus's avatar
Zedicus
Level 3
11 years ago

DLO vs Backup Exec Agent

My company is currently upgrading to Backup Exec 2014. We were previously using BE 2010 with DLO on our laptops and some desktops. Now, with BE 2014, DLO is not included? It is a sold seperately, as I am told.

My question is, and I am hoping for a non-bias answer here, what does DLO offer that BE Agents do not? I am needing a sort of side-by-side comparison so that I can justify the purchase of DLO or just run with the BE Agents.

I have gone through most of the documentation that Symantec has to offer and it seems as though DLO is all that much different than the Agent.

Backup and Recovery
Backup Exec (media server only)
Desktop and Laptop
Desktop and Laptop Option
Windows 7
  • lmosla's avatar
    lmosla
    Level 6
    11 years ago

    The main difference is that DLO backs up user workstation file data to a shared folder. DLO cannot backup to tape or to removable drives.  DLO offers a backup option to manage multiple user's offline and online files seemlessly and a work environment in which DLO will synchronize the transfer of files to the shared folder automatically.

    refer:   http://www.symantec.com/desktop-laptop-option   and    http://www.symantec.com/backup-exec?fid=backup-exec

    DLO agents are for workstations and Backup Exec agents are for servers. The cost per workstation vs per server is priced accordingly (per worksation agents are less than agent per server).

     

  • VJware's avatar
    VJware
    Level 6
    11 years ago

    The key difference is in the name itself. DLO protects only Desktops & Laptops and backs up only the user data. It isn't meant as a DR solution, though it compliments other traditional DR solutions such as BE.

    It can backup the data even when the user is not connected to the work network. Offers the user capability to restore their data directly. If an user uses multiple systems, the user's data can be synced between the multiple systems.

     

  • Zedicus's avatar
    Zedicus
    Level 3
    11 years ago

    Okay, but is it necessary to use DLO? When I ask this I mean what is DLO doing that BE isn't doing already? I don't need to put DLO on desktops and laptops because they are already being backed up by Backup Exec, right? Or does Backup Exec 2014 not have an agent of desktop/laptop anymore?

     

     We currenlt only use DLO on laptops, all the static desktops and servers are just using the BE 2010 Backup Remote Agent Utility.

  • VJware's avatar
    VJware
    Level 6
    11 years ago

    It's upto you to decide if DLO is necessary or not.

    Consider this:- Can BE backup a laptop which is not connected to the office network or switches network randomly ? Can BE backup the user's data on a laptop on a continuous basis (i.e. whenever a file changes) ?

  • rlittletht's avatar
    rlittletht
    Level 3
    10 years ago

    I've been going through this very painful research for some time now. I was using BE2010 happily until I upgraded to Windows Server 2012 R2, which killed BE2010 as an option. Now I am faced with the same DLO v. Agent question with BE2014.

    The frustrating part is that its not just a choice between two agents -- it seems to be a completely new workflow for DLO. WIth BE2010, everything was done from BE and backup jobs could backup servers and workstations. If I go with DLO, I lose that, yes? Is there any way to select backup selections in BE2014 using the DLO agents?  Or do I have to use the DLO application to manage DLO backups? (Which means 2 sets of global exclude lists, 2 sets of Back-to-disk storage sets, 2 sets of jobs, 2 sets of everything?)

    Also, if I choose to go with BE2014 agents instead of DLO, doesn't that mean about $1000 for EACH Windows 7/8 machine in my organization?! (a cost that I didn't have before in BE since you only paid for a RAWS license for Windows *servers*)