Is OpsCenter Analytics as good as VBR ?

[Michael_G_Ander]

My personal opinion is that Opscenter Analytics (7.0.1) gives poorer reporting ability than VBR.

[AAlmroth]

OpsCenter Analytics is a cut down version of VBR in its current design. I do however expect, that SYMC will make more of the advanced features available in OpsCenter that we had in VBR in coming releases. OpsCenter 7.1 does have some more features, as well as the two EEBs available for 7.0.1 has.

OpsCenter Analytics is a complete re-design (well as far as I can see on table design etc), so it is difficult to re-use any custom reports/SQL queries as well...

/A

[RonCaplinger]

I don't think either one is better than the other. 

Both have major flaws in their reports. 

VBR was "losing" a dozen or so records every week, so the data going into VBR could not be trusted to be accurate. 

The default reports in OpsCenter include incomplete and failed backups; you have to know to go into the filters and change this behavior, if you want to get closer to being accurate.  But OpsCenter's reports also seem to either be missing data for yesterday every time I run the reports (look at the date range at the bottom of the graph and yesterday is always blank), but I think the first column of data (from 2 days proir) is actually supposed to be the previous day's data, so I don' think I can trust OpsCenter's reports that much, either.

In OpsCenter, Drive Throughput and Drive Utilization reports were ONLY reporting on backups, even if you selected other types of processing (duplication, restores, etc.) to be included.

Both have had data collection problems of their own.  I feel compelled to log into OpsCenter every day just to check that the data collection hasn't failed.  We had one problem with the log files that were logging higher levels than we had set, filling up the drive where we had installed it, and causing the data collection to fail.

We've had 3 issues with not being able to email reports from OpsCenter even when we can bring them up on screen; VBR had a couple of issues with emailing reports, too.

So, I think OpsCenter is just as good/bad as VBR.

[Michael_G_Ander]

After upgrading my test OpsCenter to 7.1.0.1 my opinion has unfortunately not changed, still think that OpsCenter gives poorer reporting ability than VBR.

[AAlmroth]

VBR will not be updated any further, as far as I know, so OpsCenter is pretty much the only Symantec option. With 7.1/7.1.0.1 it is at least usable to a certain extent. It lacks a few things, but with some custom SQL (Analytics), we can make do with what is available right now. The other option is to go for some 3rd party tool.

What is it that you find is missing in OpsCenter? Which reports is of the greatest interest here? SLA focused, operational focused, or just glossy 3D CxO reports?

/A

[Michael_G_Ander]

Know that VBR is not updated, Symantec keep pestering me to "upgrade" to OpsCenter, but an upgrade should give at least the same or better

A lot of things we use in VBR both operational and SLA focused

- hot catalog status report

- tape drive explorer

- a usefull filter

[bart_wallebroek]

I did not work with VBR before but with a third aprty tool (BackupReport from bocada).

Whilst BackupReport was a lot older than OpsCenter Analytics it was still far more superior than OpsCenter.

I recently saw a demo from Aptare and also this tool is far more superior than OpsCenter.

If Symantec want to profile OpsCenter Analytics as a Netbackup reporting tool then they have to take a look a both above mentioned products becasue these are the applications that truely are backup monitoring tools (easy to use, easy to read reports so they can be send to management, good drill down possibilities, a large number of possible (and usefull) reports, ...).  Sadly a lot of these items are missing from OpsCenter.  That's why we are currently looking out to go away from OpsCenter.