Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) Reviews

We primarily use the solution for backup purposes.

The deduplication on the solution is great. It's elaborate but the companies already understand it. 

The hardware can operate in high temperatures, in case of any disaster. 

The scalability of the equipment and components of Data Domain are outstanding. We never go without Data Domain if we are talking about backup solutions. We always go with Data Domain.

It's a very reliable and consistent product. 

There's no match with any other product. It's outstanding. The performance of the hardware is improving day by day and new models are coming with more scalability.

In terms of backup software, NetWorker is a very, very good. However, it is very complex. If you want to export on a NetWorker deployment, usually you need to add more plug-ins. If you install Titanium, through the vCenter, you can directly backup all virtualized data. Using Titanium, you can backup Oracle data through the main directly or on the data lake.

First-time integrations are difficult in NetWorker. NetWorker software needs to be simplified. It's very complex. 

The technical support has gotten worse as of late. They could work to make it much better.

One feature which IBM has, and which I am unable to see in Data Domain (or on their optimum roadmap) is the utility-based backup solutions. There are no utility-based Data Domain models. 

We've been using the solution for more than five years now.

The solution is extremely stable. You just need to install it and then you can basically forget it. Our users have never complained about the performance and never complained about the consistency or reliability. There aren't any bugs or glitches at all. It's a very solid product.

The scalability is excellent and continues to improve with each new release. That said, a company needs to buy assuming a future scale, as it is physical hardware. If you only buy four terabytes, it's hard to just jump to 16.

In terms of support, Dell EMC support was outstanding. Right now, we've observed some changes in support. It's not as good. Whenever a log is up, we do not get immediate support. This has happened a number of times now. If I don't have a senior system engineer available at my company, and I have a server issue, or a backup suddenly stops due to some application restriction, I have problems. I've had a few incidents just this year, the year.

While the support is excellent, the experience of some delays is off-putting. From 2015 until now, we didn't really experience any type of support issues. The delays are kind-of new. Support is perhaps limited in our region. However, beyond the delays we experience, the service we get, and the advice, is excellent.

Banks will often have Lenovo or IBM. I always prefer, and my company always prefers, Data Domain. It's scalable and robust and far superior.

We've used Avamar as a backup software. However, we find Networker has more features.

The price point is high. That said, they're competing with other products like Veritas, so in that sense, the price is good, or, maybe typical. And yet, whenever we are competing with some legacy type of product, the price difference is huge.

It's a premium product and so the pricing is somewhat expected.

In terms of scaling, the price is difficult to pin down. IF you buy 4 terabytes, it's not so easy to upgrade to 16. YOu cannot add shells. So users should scale up, to avoid hitting limits down the road. The standard of Data Domain is typically 32 terabytes in terms of sizing.

We are doing multiple POCs right now. We have already installed it in the banks of Pakistan. We are providing solution architects, support, deployment, and residential services. 

In early deployments you need to size the backup solution properly and then design it, create it, and export it. Early on, we are sure to always have a delivery of that statement. After delivery, my engineers will be aligned with the Dell EMC CPU, who makes the PDQ chain. That way, we can always patch the required IPs and do those backups as well.

We always deploy the bank's backup software, and we'll do the patches for every requirement. Sometimes we use NetWorker and Avamar. We've deployed Data Domain using Veeam as well. 

We always do on-premises deployments, which are mandatory in our country. In Pakistan, you can't have any cloud-based deployments. Compliance and government rules are slowly changing. In a few years, we may also do cloud deployments as well.

That said, wherever we deploy Data Domain virtualization, it is a step towards cloud-based deployment as it's a virtual machine. You can always send the data from a virtual machine to any cloud, including Microsoft Azure, IBM, and ECS.

If a company is looking for an implementation partner, it's best to go with a tier-one partner - someone who is Gold, Silver, or Titanium. They will understand the product fully.

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten. There's no comparison between Data Domain and any other partner. It's solid and consistent. We'll continue to use them. They are excellent.

We are using this solution with NetWorker. currently we are using it to back up our sap ERP. We have scheduled backup at intervals. We have two DDs, one Data Domain is on the Production Site while the second Data Domain is on the DR site. NetWorker backs up the SAP ERP to the Data Domain in the Production site and the backup is automatically cloned to the DR DataDomain.

Before we deployed the NetWorker, the process was to have the backup uploaded to an external drive, then the external drive would be transported from the Production Site to the site where we would then initiate the restore process. Now the backup is scheduled, and the entire process is automated

Restore is now done remotely to the recovery host over the WAN.

The feature that is most valuable is the Data Domain Boost. With the DD Boost, it takes minimal time to clone very large data over WAN to the DR site with a very reasonable bandwidth. Over 1.5 TB of data is cloned every day. The cloning process is seamless. 

With very minimal cost implications, we would want to have a real-time online backup solution.

It would be perfect to see EMC include real-time online backup option to significantly reduce RPO, if possible 0. Currently, backup is scheduled at intervals.

One other important feature to add to Networker is bare metal restore.

We have never had any issues with Data Domain. It has been very stable.

Data Domain is scalable, the appliance can be expanded at any point in time.

I admire EMC for their technical support. In general, they are very responsive, and in this case, it is no different. They supported the system without any issues. 

I think that the users needs some training before and after implementation for better understanding of the solution. I have gone for the training.

Previously, we tried deploying Tivoli Storage Manager. Tivoli was very complex. The backup and the restore procedures were complex, and the backup process took a very long time. 

There was an eighty percent improvement with EMC Data Domain.

The initial setup wasn't complex. It was straightforward. 

All that we had to do was to  install the application on the hosts, and provide all of the parameters for the database.

Understanding the customer's needs is what is most important. The implementation was not complex at all.

Everything from delivery of the server to implementation took between one to two months aside aside waiting time for hardware delivery. 

The deployment method was on-premises and took less than ten members to deploy it. 

EMC did the deployment. The deployment team was very experienced and professional

We had a major crash at the Production Site, which caused a failure to our server on the site. The restore process was good, and for that alone it goes a long way. We don't have to manually transport the backup to the site. It eliminates the transport costs, and the data integrity is huge, so we are fine with it. Hence, the return on investment is huge and its instant.

In Naira it was about twenty-seven million (approximately $75,000 USD) for the implementation and maintenance cost for three years. All that is needed now is the maintenance cost.

We tried IBM TSM and it didn't work. It was complex. Before IBM TSM it was a manual process, backup was done on external storage/ Tape and then transported daily from Production to DR Site. It was expensive, tedious and time consuming. In fact it was not a good experience moving the backup manually to the DR site.

The users should embark on the EMC NetWorker /Data Domain training before the implementation.

Considering past experiences, I will rate this product a seven out of ten.

The primary use of the solution is inline deduplication.

The solution offers good storage. Also, deduplication and completion are the best features, in my opinion.

The pricing should be adjusted. Customers continuously talk about the price. They know it is a good solution and they really need the type of storage the solution offers, but it costs somewhere around $100,000 and up for enterprises. It's not cheap, but it's very important for data vendors. My customers are banks and petroleum sectors, so they need the backup and archiving systems. They can't leave a data center without it, even if the cost is high.

The solution is very stable. My customers have been very pleased with the solution so far.

The solution can scale up to one petabyte right now. It's very good for enterprise-level organizations.

I think this level of scale is still only for cloud providers. It's not for every customer. If I am a cloud provider or internet service provider, I can use it, as my scale is very, very, large. With any other company, you will not need more than 200 kilobytes. 

The level of technical support depends on your SLA. You have, for example, next business day, full support, full support plus, full support in four hours, onsite service, etc. 

EMC is under the Dell technologies portfolio. You've got one of the best technical support teams looking out for you. 

Pricing is related to size. A lower range solution might be about $33,000. My customers use higher range versions with a price of around $100,000. That's the price for both the hardware and the software.

I'm using the solution as a technical case professional. I'm selling it to my customers.

I sell the on-premises deployment model.

It's the best solution for deduplication and compression of storage, but the pricing is a little high. 

The solution works with any backup software. You might use it as a standalone or use it with VM, or solutions like Symantec, CMC software, etc. 

For those considering implementing the solution, I would say that they need to know their data gross and they need to allow for architecting. They need an understanding of their current backup situation and what they will need. They will need to remember to back up every day if their data is very, very important. 

When you are buying a backup solution, the Dell EMC team has an architecture team. They can be used to study the environment, so they can advise on what you need. A new user won't have to worry about it. Dell EMC will take care of everything.

Also, a user will still need to do data protection. They need to buy security devices for their environment. They should make a backup outside of their environment and make sure the backup is not connected to any internet connection to avoid hacking. 

I would rate the solution ten out of ten.

We use the product to store data backups of instruments.

Dell PowerProtect DD’s most valuable feature is data deduplication.

We encountered data loss during the configuration process. We were not able to restore the information later. This particular area needs improvement.

We have been using Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) for seven years.

We have encountered stability issues only twice or thrice in the last year. It suddenly crashed the operating system, and we had to restart it.

The technical support team takes time to respond.

Neutral

The deployment process is difficult from a configuration perspective. We can always connect with the support team. It requires two executives to work on the implementation.

We took help from a service provider for installation.

The product is expensive.

I rate Dell PowerProtect DD an eight out of ten.

The tool's performance is very good. DD Boost can improve its performance and backup. 

The tool's DD Boost is expensive. 

I have been using the product for ten years. 

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) is scalable. I rate it a six out of ten. 

I rate the product a six out of ten. 

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) is the customer's requested solution. I did not suggest this solution to the customer.

I use Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) for disaster recovery, and for the backup of disaster recovery for a large society for training in Italy 

The backup on the secondary Data Domain and then backup on the cloud.

I like Data Domain as a protocol for data backup.

I prefer the HP solution.

Technical support needs improvement.

I have been working with Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) for ten years.

It is deployed both on the cloud and on-premises.

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) is a stable solution.

Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) is absolutely scalable.

I would rate the technical support a one. It could be better.

Negative

Previously, I did not use another solution. I am only familiar with Data Domain.

Only one day is required for Data Domain setup and configuration.

I can't remember what the license costs are. They might be paid monthly or every two months.

I would not recommend this solution to others.

I would rate Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) a five out of ten.

We primarily use the solution for large backups. This is a piece of hardware that we can place software on. 

It's used widely in some of the largest banks in our country - including foreign banks. They use Data Domain in petabytes. 

The specific algorithms of backups of the data deduplication are very good. For example, some of our competitors need much more space. When we have to use one additional enclosure, they have to use two times more. Data Domain has a lot of space. 

The technology has been very useful. There are lots of features on offer.

It's very competitive. We get discounts on pricing and find the cost to be quite good. 

The solution is stable and reliable.

It is scalable. 

We'd always prefer if there was even more competitive pricing since they are very close in price to Quantum. However, the pricing isn't too bad.

The initial setup is complex. The installation process should be easier so you can install the solution without having specialized techs. 

I've used the solution for several years. It's likely been more than six years. 

The solution seems to be quite stable. We haven't had issues with bugs or glitches and it doesn't crash or freeze. It is reliable. 

It's a scalable product.

Technical support is helpful. The Dell rep office in the country has many experienced techs. 

We also have a lot of knowledge in our own right.

From time to time, when we do need help, it's nice to have experienced techs we can reach out to. 

The issue we have right now is spare parts. We're in Ukraine, and the war made it difficult at the outset. It has gotten better. It's okay at the moment. 

We've used a variety of different products. We use different brands simultaneously. It depends on the customer's needs. Some offer more competitive tenders, and some are used based on the government structure.

The implementation can be complex. It's not very simple to set up.

The deployment took a couple of days. 

We typically have one or two engineers working with the solution. That's enough personnel to deploy and design the setup, et cetera. One person is quite enough to maintain the product.

Our team handled the deployment of the product. We didn't need outside assistance. 

The solution is reasonably priced. We get discounts as well. They remain competitive.

It's a hardware solution. We don't have to worry about software licensing. We can use any software on it that the client likes.

Data Protect, DP 400, and higher models include EMC software and a set of various different software.

If you buy the unit, you pay for it for three or five years. They also offer support with a warranty that you can extend.

When we help our customers or some governmental structures to prepare the documents for bidding for some tenders, we investigate the details and competitive features of our solutions. That includes Dell EMC, HPE, and Quantum Alliance. They are all very close in functionality.

HP tends to have higher pricing; however, Quantum is quite close in terms of cost.

We're a platinum partner.

I'm using the latest version of the solution.

We have certified engineers for Data Domain.

I am the general manager of the company. I'm not an engineer.

I'd recommend the solution to others. 

I would rate the solution nine out of ten.

We are a solution provider and this is one of the products that we implement for our customers. We do pre-sales activity, configuration, migration, integration, and more.

We have a Data Domain on-premises in our business, and we also provide it to our customers. The entire suite contains lots of backup software.

The Data Domain is the only backup appliance that we are proposing to our customers. We sell it in conjunction with the Data Protection Portfolio from Dell EMC.

Data Domain will not work without backup software. It integrates with Veeam and other products from other vendors, but the most beneficial backup process is when it's used with the Dell EMC Data Protection Suite.

The only concern that we have about the Data Protection software from Dell EMC is the interface. There needs to be some sort of enhancement. Veeam has the number one backup GUI in the world and although Dell EMC has a good interface as well, it is not like Veeam. If Dell would further improve the interface then it would be very hard for others to compete.

Dell has their own backup engine, which is remarkable. It is integrated with many enterprise applications, like SAP/HANA, Oracle eBusiness, Oracle Database, Hadoop, and more. However, because of this integration with complex enterprise applications, it comes with a complex interface. If they enhance this interface, it will be great.

This product has a lot of good features.

It has the most powerful deduplication and compression for data backup. Data consumes a lot of storage capacity, but with Data Domain, it splits the data into many chunks. The data is managed with smart architecture and algorithms, saving between 80% and 90% from the target capacity. This means that for every tier of capacity, it may reflect 20 times that, which is remarkable.

Data Domain has good data regulation features to prevent data corruption. Frequently with other products, users face data corruption. Data Domain always generates a hash from the target backup data and compares it with the hash of the data in production. This is done to make sure that the data is identical. If it detects a problem then it will rebuild the data on its own. This is why I recommend people make sure that they have a valid backup. In case of a crisis, it will restore and things will continue to function well.

This solution has a feature called Domain Boost, which allows for source deduplication and compression. Backup data consumes a very heavy amount of traffic because you are transferring almost all of your production data across the network to the backup appliance. By using Domain Boost, it supports source deduplication and compression, so you are only transferring a very slight amount of data across the network. This will assure very rapid data backup, guaranteeing RPO and RTO.

The software from Dell that can be used to operate Data Domain needs to have enhancements made to the user interface. It is too complex.

We began working with Dell EMC PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) approximately five years ago.

This is a very stable and durable product.

This product is backed by very powerful support from Dell. If there are any concerns then they become engaged very quickly. The support is very fast and very helpful.

We began working with this solution before the migration between Dell and EMC.

I have some experience with Veritas, and they offer backup appliances as well. However, they have nothing that can be compared to or compete with Data Domain. This solution from Dell EMC is the number one backup appliance.

The initial setup is very straightforward. Even the integration with different backup vendors is a straightforward process.

Although the price of this hardware backup appliance is expensive, it comes with its benefits.

The price of the backup appliance is slightly expensive. Compared to other vendors, the pricing will be slightly higher.

The backup software from Dell that you can use to operate the Data Domain is very cheap, and there are many different plans that can be purchased as a subscription or full license. 

My advice for anybody who is implementing Data Domain is to use the backup software from Dell EMC. Combined, you will get a very powerful package for backup that includes both software and appliance. These together come at a very affordable price against any combination from any other vendor.

I would rate this solution a nine out of ten.