EMC Data Domain DD160

[pmevalenzuela]

Hi,

Good day.

Currently, my company plans to buy a EMC Data Domain DD160 with 3.5 TB capacity. As I understand from reading the data sheet it can backup 40 TB   minimum   logical size.

Question 1

We plan to integrate it with Symantec Backup Exec 2010 R3, As I understand a CIFS share will be created in DD160 and presented to the media server.Do I need additional license from symantec inorder to backup to DD160 (aside from SQL, Oracle, etc agents)?

Question 2

Another future plan is to purchase Symantec Net Backup, do I need a specific license inorder to backup to DD160 as a CIFS Share.

Question 3

If we have several Backup Exec Media servers but only a single (1) DD160 what other licneses do I need from symantec inorder to backup to DD160 at the same time ?

Question 4

Symantec backup exec 2010 R3 comes with license for a single tape drive.

We are also considering purchasing DD160 with Virtual Tape Library Option. As I understand this will make my DD160 as a VTL.

In symantec backup exec, what other licenses are required in order to backup to DD160 as a VTL?

Would really appreciate any inputs and comments

Thanks,

Paul

[teiva-boy]

#1, Yes you can create a CIFS share to back up to.  While not the most efficient, this is supported.  No additional licensing from Symantec is needed to mount a CIFS share and use a B2D target.

#2, You need to purchase an Enterprise Disk license from Symantec for NetBackcup to backup to an "advanced disk."  Like a DataDomain.  Technically you can backup to a CIFS share, but licensing requirements, dictate you need the Enterprise Disk license to be within compliance.

#3,  All BE servers can have their own CIFS share.  Nothing is needed additional to accomplish this.  That is unless you want central management of the multiple BE servers.  This is where the CASO option comes into play.

#4, VTL is not needed if you use a CIFS share.  Though VTL is faster, and requires you to use a FC connection.  Better than VTL and CIFS is to use OST/BOOST.  You need to license the dedupe option from Symantec and the BOOST option from EMC.  It improves throughput of the DDbox upwards of 50%.

Lastly, you have mistaken the usable and logical capacity.  3.xTB is what is usable.  If the dedupe works as advertised, the industry average EMC see's on their boxes is 10x-20x.  This is the logical value, i.e. 30TB-60TB.  To begin with, your FULL backups and your USABLE capacity must be close to each other, or you have an undersized box.

[teiva-boy]

If you post up your total data that you want to backup in TB's, and if you can break it down to file size, databases, and vmware...  I'll tell you exacctly which box you need from EMC.  But as it stands, the DD160 based on your assumptions and description may not cut it.  The DD160 is made for data sizes of about 3TB or less.  

[pkh]

#1 - As previously advised, you don't need any additional licence when you backup to the device, but you would need a RAWS licence when your backup FROM the device.  

#4 - If you do decide to use it as a VTL, then you need to purchase the VTL licence for BE.

[teiva-boy]

pkh, the interesting point you make about #1 is this...  DataDomain does not recommend nor endorse you use a DD box as primary storage, only as a target for backups.  Thus a RAWS should never be needed nor considered.  

To reiterate on the VTL license, OST/BOOST is far superior to VTL.  VTL has its own issues that you should never use it unless you have a specfic requirement to use it (IBM-I, NDMP, IBM/TSM).  Backup software has come a long way so as to avoid tape as much as possible, and DD just extends that mantra.

[pkh]

DataDomain does not recommend nor endorse you use a DD box as primary storage, only as a target for backups

Going by the experiences in this forum, recommendations against and negative endorsements have not stopped anybody, just like speed limits.