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DD Boost vs IBM ProtectTIER comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive SummaryUpdated on Nov 5, 2024

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Categories and Ranking

DD Boost
Ranking in Deduplication Software
5th
Average Rating
8.6
Reviews Sentiment
7.3
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
IBM ProtectTIER
Ranking in Deduplication Software
13th
Average Rating
7.2
Number of Reviews
7
Ranking in other categories
Backup and Recovery (82nd)
 

Mindshare comparison

As of April 2025, in the Deduplication Software category, the mindshare of DD Boost is 4.5%, down from 6.2% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of IBM ProtectTIER is 0.9%, down from 1.4% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.
Deduplication Software
 

Featured Reviews

Daniel Dumitru - PeerSpot reviewer
Speedy data backup with significant space savings and efficient deduplication
DD Boost has been very beneficial in enhancing our data backup processes. We perform backups with less time, and it allows for efficient on-premises recovery and restoration. We use it in conjunction with the Veeam suite. Overall, it has helped us make a big impact by allowing us to have more restore points and optimizing our storage efficiency with faster backups compared to tape backups.
ValereFEUGWANG - PeerSpot reviewer
Protects data in hybrid infrastructures, but it is an expensive product with poor support
The main challenge for our customers is to replicate the virtual environment upon restart, without using any additional solutions such as VMware SLM. I would like the possibility to back up the infrastructure and then replicate it upon on restart, without having to orchestrate the starting of the VM. It would be much better for us. This solution can be made easier to use. Technical support is very frustrating and we are considering other solutions because of it. Stability is something that should be improved. The product is expensive and the licensing should be changed.

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:
 

Pros

"DD Boost can stack backups on the servers, optimizing backup storage utilization. All resources are utilized efficiently. Without such optimization, backup processes can lead to bottlenecks or excessive resource utilization, impacting server services."
"It's a stable solution."
"The most valuable feature of this solution is that it can support both the CIFS and NFS protocols simultaneously."
"I haven't had any issues. It has been working for two years with no problems."
"The most valuable feature is the support for plug-ins."
"The time taken for backup is very fast."
"There are no limitations when it comes to the scalability feature of the product. You can scale up or scale down however much you want."
"DD Boost is a proprietary technology of Dell, which helps to store the data faster and in a more secure way compared to open protocols."
"The most valuable features are the Self-Service, and the ability to search the data."
"In terms of stability, I've found it to be very stable. I've walked into the server room when it was at 60 degrees Celcius, and it was still running fine."
"Overall IBM ProtectTIER is a great solution. It is easy to use."
"The solution is highly stable."
"The command-line interface is good."
"The cataloging is the best feature. It takes millions of frames for the backup. It's incremental, so it takes less time to complete."
 

Cons

"The multi-tier functionality can be improved, but it is quite good. They could improve replication and perhaps support additional sharing network protocols. I would also like to see better implementation of NFS Version 3, but it is already implemented and quite usable as it is."
"There are some limitations where you cannot use it as a shared server or as a file server, it is limited for the only backup."
"If we talk about Dell backup software, there is room for improvement in areas such as backup from IBM operating systems, open-source products, and Office 365."
"DD Boost's technical support could be better."
"I'd like the be able to deploy the solution on SAN backups."
"Though the customer uses the product, they don't receive active support from DD Boost even though they pay for it."
"My customer was interested in ransomware protection. Currently, Dell offers the Cyber Vault solution, which is separate from Data Domain. Ideally, ransomware protection would be integrated directly within DD Boost, without requiring an additional out-of-the-box solution. This feature is currently available with HPE's Zerto and Huawei's Ocean Protect with third-party products like PradoNet. While Cyber Vault exists as a separate solution from Data Domain, having some standard protection for immutable backups into DD Boost would be a valuable addition and make it more competitive with other vendors."
"When my company faced a problem with the product, it took some time to get proper support."
"The backup for a large amount of data is slow."
"Setting up the system to work with legacy equipment is a bit complex at times."
"IBM ProtectTIER could improve by being more user-friendly."
"The configuration wizards are still complex and hard to navigate. These should be easier to manage."
"I would like the possibility to back up the infrastructure and then replicate it upon on restart, without having to orchestrate the starting of the VM."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"You don't have to pay additional costs."
"DD Boost's price is good for its features."
"The pricing is definitely competitive and unmatchable. The price of Data Domain is very attractive compared to HPE, StoreOnce, or its current alternative, which is probably more expensive."
"We scale this product by adding licenses, which are related to capacity."
"The pricing is high compared to the competition and should be reconsidered."
"The cost is monthly."
"Dell EMC Data Domain Boost is an expensive product. There are extra costs for support because every year, you have to renew your SLA for support, and the cost is always increasing."
"There is a need to make yearly payments towards the licensing charges attached to the product. The price of the product is on a higher scale, meaning not everybody can afford it."
"The customer can decide how they want to purchase a license. However, the price of the solution is expensive."
"IBM ProtectTIER is an expensive solution."
"This solution is very expensive."
"We have a capacity-based license, which is managed centrally for all the sites of my company."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Computer Software Company
19%
Financial Services Firm
17%
Government
8%
Manufacturing Company
7%
Financial Services Firm
27%
Computer Software Company
23%
Real Estate/Law Firm
7%
Educational Organization
6%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
 

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about DD Boost?
The time taken for backup is very fast.
What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for DD Boost?
It's complicated for me because when we buy, we buy a package, so I don't have the DD price. Every Data Domain we buy comes with Boost technology, with the DDoS feature. I don't know the price of D...
What needs improvement with DD Boost?
The setup and handover process was not effective, preventing us from leveraging the software's available benefits. The cost of support has become high, especially with the split between Dell and VM...
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Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
Durham Police Department, Re-Store LLC, CenterGrid, pixx.io GmbH, Australian Government Department of Defence, QD, Refresco Gerber
Find out what your peers are saying about DD Boost vs. IBM ProtectTIER and other solutions. Updated: March 2025.
844,944 professionals have used our research since 2012.