DD Boost Reviews

As a cloud-based solution, customers buy cloud applications like Veeam or Backup X6, and they need storage to put data on the cloud. We recommend Data Domain to them and we implement a solution using Data Domain Boost with their backup solution.

I implement and troubleshoot for the customers.

In the last six months, the deployment model we were using is on-premises. I have only deployed on the cloud once, and it's easy for our customers. It's a pleasure to do.

All of my experience is on-premises.

An example of how this solution can improve an organization would be with one of our customers who has a data exchange server. Every backup takes two or three and a half-hundred gigabytes of storage. 

When the customer was using another backup solution, QNAP, it was taking seven hours to perform a full backup. When we used Data Domain on his environment, we found that the time was reduced to two hours and thirty minutes.

Also, with Data Domain we found that the data was compressed by thirty times. For example, with the other backup solution, the data was three thousand gigabytes, whereas in Data Domain it would be one thousand gigabytes.

The most valuable feature is the support for plug-ins. For example, when backing up a server through data domain, it can take a long time. However, when you are using Boost, you just install a plug-in on the target server and the backup job is scheduled.

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.

We have customers asking for a file server that can be used to share data with their employees, with an organization, or to use it on VMware as a storage unit, but this solution is not suitable.

When we receive requests like this from the customers we recommend building EMC Unity, it's a full package, you can backup, you can share and you can use it as a LAN in your virtualization environment.

This solution is stable.

This solution is scalable, but it's expensive.

The initial setup was easy. If you work with the manual and follow it step-by-step, it is easy and straightforward.

It takes about forty minutes to install the application and install the Data Domain on-premises in the data center.

The cost is monthly.

There are good and bad points to having this solution only for backup.

It's good to protect your data from attacks such as ransomware. You only use the storage for backups, so you don't have to share folders.

The main difference between EMC Data Domain and EMC Data Domain Boost is that the Boost is an add-on you install that allows you to transfer the backup job quickly.

After performing a full backup, you would schedule it to run every week, and instead of it doing a full backup of all of the data, Data Domain Boost will back up only the data that has been added or that is different from the original data.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

We are an integrator and this is one of the solutions that we supply to our customers. I do some of the training on this solution for our customers, as well, so I use it personally in that regard.

This is primarily used as a backup solution.

This solution should cover more platforms, and there should be more product coverage.

I think that the GUI should be improved because sometimes, not everything is properly displayed.

I would like to see better Fibre Channel support.

DDBoost is one of the most important features of the Data Domain appliance. The acronym stands for Data Domain Bandwidth Optimized OST, which gives the ability to distribute backup job tasks between DD and the host which writes to DD. This is called DSP - Distributed Segment Processing which is used during the backup process.

Another part of DDBoost, Clone Controlled Replication aka File Managed Replication, which is used on backup system site to easily replicate DDBoost created backup pieces of such. Lack of this functionality is, in my opinion, big limitation. When you consult interoperability matrices you will find (as an example of not full coverage)

1. No DDBoost support for Spectrum Space (former Tivoli Storage Manager) which claims market share higher than 15%

2. No support for Managed File Replication for Veeam Backup & Replication DD Boost over FC - which is one of the backup software leaders

The above are the most obvious examples on which I based my RFE to broaden the coverage.

FC improvements – I’d like to run DD replication over FC; if it would be possible then using DDBoost over FC and Replication over FC will remove the necessity for any data movement over IP. This solution would give us a clear separation between transport protocols used for management purposes (TCP) and those used for backup data transfer (FC).

In my opinion, the stability is very good.

Scalability depends on the model that you have. For each model, you have a limited number of terabytes per hours. It provides the option to scale as you need it. Overall, scalability is great.

I have never needed to contact technical support personally.

I have not personally performed a setup for a system that was going into production. For the environment that I was using, the initial setup was very simple.

For the environment that I tried, I performed the implementation myself.

My suggestion for anybody who is implementing this solution is to use the Fibre Channel, if possible. If not, then try to use it over IP. If you cannot use either then there are other options, but the Fibre Channel is preferred. It gives you not only an increased speed but also some additional features.

The biggest lesson that I have learned when working with this solution is that you can always do something better. I have been in the backup industry for more than twenty years, and there have been times when I was bored with the products. What I have found is that you can always expect to see something new, and something better.

I would rate this solution a ten out of ten.

Our customers use Dell EMC Data Domain Boost to minimize the negative outcomes and protect against ransomware attacks.

Dell EMC Data Domain Boost has helped to reduce maintenance time and protect our data.

The most valuable features are the performance and the duplication.

The solution could improve by adding more flexibility for the customers here in Thailand. Some of the small capacity models of the solution are not needed by our customers. There should be a more flexible version of the solution.

In a feature release, there should be immutable features.

I have been using Dell EMC Data Domain Boost for approxiamtely five years.

The solution is stable.

Some models of Dell EMC Data Domain Boost are scalable, there are some versions that are not as scalable as others.

We have approximately 10 customers using this solution.

We have system architects and engineers using this solution.

My engineers have had some issues and have contacted support. The speed and the knowledge of the support agent were okay.

We have used HPE StoreOnce. 

Dell EMC Data Domain Boost has more features than HPE StoreOnce.

The solution is simple to install and manage.

My engineers typically do the implementation in a few hours. I do not have direct knowledge of the process.

We have one system engineer that does the implementation and support of the solution.

The solution comes with a capacity license and it is a one-time purchase. There are additional costs, such as support.

I would recommend this solution to others.

I rate Dell EMC Data Domain Boost a nine out of ten.

The backup aspect of the solution is its most valuable feature.

The solution needs to have a more transparent environment.

The solution needs to be more user-friendly for the end-users.

The solution is extremely stable.

Scalability is good. I understand the concept, so for me, it's easy. Most of our clients are medium sizes enterprises in the financial sector.

Technical support is okay. We've only had limited interactions with them.

The initial setup can be a bit complex. It depends on the parameters of the implementation.

We're a partner, we're not end-users of the solution itself.

I would recommend the solution because it has a very good integration process.

I would rate the solution nine out of ten.

We use this solution to compress our data storage and as a data backup environment. We only store our data for two weeks, so in a two-week period, for the volume of data as well as our mixed types of data, we get the best cost per terabyte stored on Data Domain. 

The features I find most valuable is the ease of installation and the ease of maintenance, more than the functionality. I like the toolset, it's easy to work on and the support is brilliant.

My experience is that the fact that they give you certain toolsets based on certain modules only makes it difficult for us to save costs due to upgrading. So it would be nice if they could have the same toolset right from the smallest to the biggest modules, but being specific frame-dependent. The toolset itself does whatever I currently want.

The solution is very stable and I haven't had any issues with that so far.

I can't say that we had any issues in terms of either performance or capacity. This solution transports data between the client and the Data Domain. I would obviously like to have a better way to federate the Data Domains together as one, but that's not really possible. 

We have about ten people working on data protection. With Boost I've never had issues where we couldn't pump or dump data though in time, or that there were reliability issues, so I think the solution is scalable.

The technical support is one of the biggest reasons for choosing EMC products, or staying with them. There was a slight wobble when Dell got into the picture, but I think they've sorted that out now, so now we are happy again.

The initial setup was straightforward. Our installation was done by a company that manages our servers for us.

I will definitely recommend this solution, but I obviously don't know other people's environment. I would say that you should write down what your criteria is, what you want, and then do a proper test with all the vendors. Most often people promise you things, and once you start digging into it, it is not there. Like Huawei - many of the functions we needed, they just don't have, so they rely on tools from other vendors to give you that functionality. So I would obviously recommend it as a solution, because I know it works. 

In the future I would like to be able to pump data straight into Amazon S3 Bucket. EMC has tools to pump it into the ECS array, and then it's free of charge. But if I pump it into Amazon S3, I have to pay. So, I would like to be able to do it into Amazon, into a different vendor's S3 Bucket, without having the vendor lock-in.

On a scale from one to ten, I rate this solution a 8.5.

Our primary use for this solution is backup. We have an on-premises deployment.

The most valuable feature of this solution is deduplication. It's very good.

This product is expensive compared to other storage so the price can be improved.

The restore and deduplication features are good, but they can be further improved.

This solution is very stable. It doesn't crash and there are no errors.

The scalability is not good because if we want to upgrade then we need to purchase a higher version. We have approximately seven hundred and fifty employees, and all of their data is backed up.

We have not had any trouble with technical support. Sometimes we do not fully understand our problem, then people from technical support arrive and replace the hard disk. It's very good because you have the monitoring.

Prior to this solution, we used a tape backup. We switched because this solution is easier and you don't need a tape. Backing up files is very, very fast.

The initial setup of this solution is straightforward. It's easy.

We purchased the box and then performed the implementation ourselves. We always have a technical meeting before anything is disconnected, and then deploy after that.

The price of this solution is very high.

This is definitely a solution that I recommend. It is good, although it is very expensive.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

We are using the product as a back-up target solution. 

I am an infrastructure group leader and we are customers of Dell. 

I like the stability of the solution. We are using firewalls and the data domain is very stable, the back-up target and the application and compression are very good. It's a Dell EMC data domain boost.

The capacity of the solution is very low which is why we're moving to a different product. 

I've been using this solution for five years. 

The main downside of the solution is the capacity, otherwise it's a good product.

I would rate this solution a nine out of 10. 

We proposed the use of Dell EMC Data Domain Boost with Oracle backend to a financial organization. They had a very good experience with backup times and fast resolutions. 

Integration could be better. Sometimes when integrating with different systems, it's not straightforward.

I have been using Dell EMC Data Domain Boost for three years.

Dell EMC Data Domain Boost is a stable solution. Our team is trained and certified to use this product and don't have any complaints about it.

Their technical support was actually good. In the POC environment, we needed some help, and they supported us with that.

The initial setup is straightforward. The time it takes to implement the solution depends on the customer side networking issues, and the time it takes to integrate with their systems. But from a product perspective, it doesn't take much time.

Our in-house team implemented Dell EMC Data Domain Boost. We have a few experienced engineers who are qualified to implement this product, and they are capable of handling it.

On a scale from one to ten, I would give Dell EMC Data Domain Boost an eight.