NAKIVO Backup & Replication Reviews

I use Nakivo Backup & Restore with a basic license for one physical host, and I run it on a Raspberry Pi 4. The physical host runs a VMware ESXi Hypervisor 7.0, the free edition.

Primarily, I use it to back up the virtual machines from the physical server to a backup repository that is run on a NAS. My environment consists of six or seven virtual machines that range from Unix/Linux machines to Windows Server.

Nakivo, the physical host, and the NAS repository are all on the same network. The NAS is a Qnap solution with HDDs.

With Nakivo, I have the peace of mind that all of my production environment is safely backed up and can be restored safely, easily, and quickly with a few clicks.

When I changed the host server, the restoring of virtual machines was completed in a fully automated process, in a few hours, with just a few clicks. This is in contrast to it an effort of days of work restoring everything manually.

The backup process is also fully automated, with powerful scheduling, so that I do not need to worry about a loss of service for any of our services.

The most valuable features are the possibility to include a free ESXi Hypervisor into the backup, because of budget constraints, and it is lightweight. I do not need a very powerful machine to run Nakivo and can use my ESXi host for the VMs.

Deduplication saves around 50% of drive space, which is handy.

Migrating to a new environment is also done quickly because you can store the configuration and restore it in another environment. The license is also migrated.

The self-backup feature is also handy, ensuring that the solution itself is backed up regularly.

Automatic updates do not work, and every update has to be done manually. I've upgraded twice, from 10.0 to 10.0.1 and then to 10.1.1.

A mobile app for administration would be appreciated.

The user interface could use a bit of refreshing; however, on the other hand, it runs very smoothly, so if that would change I can live with the user interface looking a bit dated.

I would like to see some more detailed data regarding backups. For example, a pie chart representing the various virtual machines or other backups and how much space they need would be helpful to have.

I have been using Nakivo Backup and Restore for six months.

The solution is very stable, with no breakdowns so far. Backups are performed regularly, no errors regarding the creation of backups or with restoring from backups. The connection to repositories and inventories is stable and without outages or disconnects. We are especially impressed, because it is running on a Raspberry Pi.

You can deploy multiple transporters which can scale your solution without much additional cost.

Support is top-notch. They are very diligent and helpful.

It is my first solution of this type.

The setup is really simple and straightforward and it can be run on a Raspberry Pi.

The initial setup is extremely straightforward, the Knowledge Base and User Guide are very concise and to the point. We had no issues with the process.

Our in-house team is responsible for deployment and maintenance.

Our projected ROI is 12 months.

Regarding the licensing, I would advise speaking to the Nakivo representatives and you can get the best option for your environment.

I did not evaluate other options.

After looking around the internet for a quick, simple, and easy solution, I gave Nakivo a chance. I implemented it for backing up a small customer environment with one VMware host and four guests. The guests are two Linux and two Windows servers.

It's connected to a Synology NAS station via an NFS mount. The customer was looking for a quick way to back up their environment after recently suffering a significant data loss due to a user error. It had a real impact on their business and they asked for my help in putting something in place.

The customer didn't have any backup solution in place to protect their current server environment. This was a very quick and simple solution that fit their needs, and it was free!

They are now able to get a daily backup of their environment, including their main file share that has thousands of files stretching back for at least seven years. The loss they sustained cost them at least two man-weeks of effort to restore. 

Nakivo is very easy to set up and configure, and I chose the simplest install option possible. It is an OVA running on their server, which plugged right into their environment.

Nakivo's installation and background documentation is on point, answering a few simple questions I had.

This product has a very clean and intuitive GUI.

After running this for a week, I've found that the data compression and data deduplication is extremely valuable and efficient.  The server also has a very low overhead impact on the VMware server.

I would think that as it's used in larger environments that might be more than one server, and you're going to need a better authentication mechanism. For example, integration into Active Directory or some other form of LDAP would be helpful.

I had to manually install SNMP, which wasn't hard, but a step I had to take, to plug this into the monitoring system.

I've been using Nakivo for a couple of weeks.

Nakivo has been extremely stable so far.

I am not sure about scalability because I haven't used it in a large situation yet.

I haven't needed to interact with technical support.

They had no previous backup system.

Very simple and easy to use via an OVA setup.

I deployed it myself.

The ROI is Infinite because it's free for this kind of small environment!

As a free solution for a small environment, this is a great solution!

I spend about an hour browsing other free solutions, but they were either limited by too few backup targets or didn't provide dedupe.

For the most part, I don't have anything I'd change for this small type of environment. It has been super simple and easy to install, configure, and use. The operation of the application works as advertised.

We have used Nakivo to provide a fully automated backup solution without user intervention with on-site backup and copy to the cloud. 

We provide support and consulting services to SME businesses in the UK, and simplicity and a lower cost are paramount. 

We have implemented Nakivo for these clients, installed to a stand-alone NAS device. This can sit on the network alongside the existing systems and simply be pointed at the servers and workstations targeted for backup. It can manage the backup externally and the backed-up resources will run without any staff intervention. 

This has allowed us to move our clients to an automated solution that simply plugs into their existing infrastructure, removing the need for manual media handling. We have seen an increase in resistance to clients using staff resources to manage manual media handling. 

Nakivo's solution based upon a discrete NAS has provided a very neat "plug-in" solution that connects to their networks and targets their existing servers and creates a local disc-based backup resource. To this is added a simple AWS EC2 resource, which is an automatically configured host for cloud copies of the local backups for DR and archive. 

The ability to install a solution to a stand-alone, low-cost NAS and run and manage from there has been a very helpful facet of the projects. The ability to eschew manual media handling is an essential change in SME environments, where the staffing overheads for media handling and storage in the age of cloud backups was becoming onerous. 

The main advantage from our perspective is the ability to plug this solution into an existing infrastructure on a cheap device and point the backup at the server targets and configure the backup options in a simple menu; linking to a cheap cloud resource for a simple solution for off-site storage.

There has been a slight tendency to bloat, where each new feature uses slightly more resources. It would be helpful to be able to have a custom footprint so that only the required features are installed.

We have been using Nakivo for approximately two years.

It has proved very stable on the whole.

As it can be run from different platforms, it is very scalable.

Nakivo support has been very flexible and responsive. 

Previously, we used Veritas BackupExec and we changed due to the ease of use of Nakivo and the LCO.

Very simple to set up, including automatic installation of agents and build of AWS resource. 

This is a product that we set up and manage for our clients.

Cost is very appropriate for SMEs.

We evaluated Acronis before choosing Nakivo.

Support has been very good and product development and enhancement very active.

We are using it to back up two VMs on two physical hosts in a VMware 7.0.1 environment. Backing up both to a NAS and to an old SAN that was repurposed as a secondary backup, the devices are located in two different places and connected via fiber.

The system worked well as an app on my Synology NAS until we grew too much, and the NAS didn't have enough memory. No worries though, as Nakivo Backup and Restore has many ways to implement their software, which are all included in your license. I was able to spin up a Nakivo VM and create an iSCSI connection to my NAS, and off we went!

Backups are easy and it de-duplicates very well, saving lots of space. I never have to worry about whether my backups are working.

Nakvio Backup and Restore handles backup scheduling very well, and it is easy to manage. I have set up numerous schedules for backing up key servers more often than utilitarian servers, and have found that scheduling is easy, especially with the "run after a different backup completes". The lets me schedule one backup, and the rest can follow.

The most valuable feature is the ease of creating a backup copy job to get the backups to a second device.

Really not sure about this, because everything works great!

The only complaint I might have is that restoring Exchange and AD objects seem to require some tweaking. So far it has always worked, but I have had to look up the database, rather than have Nakivo Backup and Restore automatically detect it. This is not a big deal.

In the loading of a backup, choosing what to restore seems to be a lengthy process, but it has always worked in my restore tests.

I have been using Nakivo for three years.

Their tech support, should you need it on the rare occasion, is second to none!

If you have a problem, sending in a ticket right from the web interface is easy. They respond quickly and knowledgeably. They don't demean you if the error is on your side. They help you fix it, and get back up again in short order.

We did use another solution prior to Nakivo, but we switched because of cost and have never looked back.

We did not evaluate other options.

My advice for anybody who is implementing Nakivo is to make sure you evaluate the options available in each edition. I found that the Pro edition was all that we needed.

All in all, a very good company to deal with. I would highly recommend their backup products, as they work extremely well. The whole product is valuable in every sense of the word. I don't have any real complaints about the product.

I have been using the Nakivo Suite for a year, mainly for local backup of virtual machines on the ESXi 5.5 platform located on the servers of our company. I perform a daily backup on SNAP NAS with the available option. I also use the dashboard to verify that the backups are working properly.

I'm considering some additional features like Microsoft 365 cloud backup and Microsoft Outlook 365 mailbox backup. The latter feature is available for an additional fee.

Regardless, the product is very good and I think mine was the correct choice.

The main reasons for choosing and using Nakivo for business backup and recovery management are many but basically lie in the fact that the product is feature-rich and easy to manage and configure.

Backups are very easy to implement and schedule, the product is very useful, and the recovery procedure is very extensive and feature-rich.

The feature that I liked the most and that I personally found most interesting is the rapid recovery of the VM. This feature is very useful in case of disaster recovery, as in my business scenario, we want to avoid downtime and have a minimal impact on business operations.

Being able to start a virtual machine, in case of emergency, directly from the backup repository, allows me to have more time available to restore the virtual machine. This effectively eliminates the downtime that might inevitably arise.

It would be interesting if it were possible to integrate a mobile app to monitor the system in real-time.

We have been using Nakivo for one year.

Stability-wise, Nakivo is very good.

The scalability is very good, and there are many plans and upgrades available.

Technical support is very good.

We did not use another backup solution prior to Nakivo.

The initial setup is very quick.

I completed the implementation myself.

The product is quite cheap compared to other products on the market, but despite this, it is rich in features both at the level of backup and recovery as well as at the level of additional options.

We did not evaluate other options.

When I made the choice of Nakivo, I didn't have many needs in this regard. I was looking for a product that was easy to configure and easy to use, with all of the classic features of a backup and recovery system for corporate virtual machines.

I must say that I was pleasantly surprised by all of the functions present within the suite, and in particular, by the fast boot from the backup repository.

I am using Nakivo for backup and replication in both virtual and physical environments. The product is excellent, easy to use, and has a lot of beneficial features. On top of all that, the support team is excellent they will assist from deployment to go-live, and have a great after-deployment support service.

I can say that Using Nakivo Backup and replication adds extra layers of redundancy to my client's environment.

The backup for physical machines and replication for the virtual environment are the most valuable aspects.

They need to add a failover feature to the Essential Pro license in case the environment is a simple virtual environment and the client does not need to upgrade.

We've used the solution for two months.

So far, the application has been very stable and does not require many resources from the existing environment.

Nakivo is very scalable and fits many environments and architectures.

They have a great customer support and service team.

Positive

Prior to Nakivo, I used other solutions, however, due to pricing and license models, I preferred Nakivo.

The initial setup is straightforward.

We implemented the solution in-house and with a vendor team. They were very responsive and knowledgeable. 

Prior to choosing Nakivo, I did evaluate other solutions. I chose Nakivo for many reasons, from pricing to licensing models, to service and support.

We use the solution for the backup of VMs and some replication.

We generally use Nakivo to backup in-house VMs. In more mission-critical situations, we also use the replication aspect of the product. This ultimately means that we can just switch on new hardware over to a replicated server at an instant, thus taking a lot of pressure off us in the case of mission-critical operations. It's a huge plus in any IT department. The product's strength is that it is easy to install and very easy to administer. I highly recommend it.

The solution has improved our organization a lot by making the product very easy to install and making it easy to understand its reporting. 

Nakivo has improved our organization largely due to the fact that it is an extremely robust backup system. 

It comes with a replication module that allows us to safeguard mission-critical servers. This has been applied on several sites by us with fantastic results as it becomes a great Plan B in case of a hardware failure or an outage of a primary system.

There is only one criticism and that is when we compared it with other vendors we found that although the backup speed was very fast, the restore speed was slower.

The backup and replication are great. 

We like the comprehensive email notifications with attached reports. This reporting is very very easy to set up and is saved in PDF format, making it extremely simple to both share and organize. A complete history trail can be shown with this product from inception to end of life.

It also has allowed us to replicate such servers as SQL and Exchange which is invaluable in areas of disaster recovery and other SOS situations. In the past, this has been a lifesaver and has even gotten us accolades from one client in particular.

There is a familiar error that pops up and that is a VM error as much as it is a Nakivo error.

It says that the job couldn't calm the VM and restores might be impacted. That error is, to say the least, a bit scary. I have seen this type of error on other backup systems also. I'm not really sure what can be done with VSS writers, et cetera, however, maybe VMware and Nakivo should get together and solve the issue. A reboot of the VM and/or reinstallation of VMware tools nearly always solve the issue on the specified guest.

I've used the solution for a good few years.

The solution is very stable running as an appliance.

The scalability is not an issue and has never been a problem as it runs as an appliance. We simply add more memory and cores, et cetera.

Support is excellent and turnaround time is very good. Nakivo is an exception in this area, in my experience. 

Positive

We use both Acronis and Nakivo.

Once we have installed this once, the learning curve is pretty much over. Its major strength is its ease of install and use.

We self-installed the solution on our client's hosts.

I don't have figures, however, the ROI has to be high.

I'd advise users to check the core/CPU licensing to understand how the licensing is charged.

These products, Acronis and Nakivo, are very similar, however, the replication from Nakivo makes it very attractive.

The simplicity of installation and use is it's strength. I highly recommended it.

We are using this solution for backing up and replicating virtual machines.

We have a small environment with two hosts. Both of them are Levono servers with ESXi 6.5 U2 and fifteen virtual machines. All of the VMs are Windows and we have file, SQL, and Exchange servers.

Nakivo has enabled me to concentrate on other tasks without worrying about the daily backups. It has given us more confidence in the infrastructure thanks to the replication. The virtual machines are fundamental for the daily functioning of the company, so a failure would have a very damaging impact, and incur a great economic cost.

The quick and easy setup of the virtual appliance made it simple and fast to deploy.

The interface is easy to understand and it gets the job done with a clean GUI.

Efficient deduplication and compression.

It is fast, simple, powerful, and has a price without competition.

I would like to have the option of creating a subfolder per job in the backup repository because we had an issue where some files were corrupted and we lost the backup of the majority of the VMs.

I would like a clearer log of errors. I enabled the schedule for space reclamation on the repository, but after one day I found that the repository was detached and the GUI didn’t give a status of the scheduled task.

We didn't have a different backup solution for virtual environments.

I advise that this is the best product for medium or small environments according to my
cost-benefit analysis.

I tested Veeam, but I ultimately chose Nakivo because of the difference in cost.