MS Backup vs Symantec Backup Exec???

94jedi · 05-04-2009, 02:20 PM

Hey guys (and gals) - I'm have a bit of a dilemma. My company is about 1 year out of subscription coverage on our Symantec Backup Exec products. They wan $3k+ for us to renew. So, as many before me have done, I'm wondering why I don't just ditch Symantec Backup Exec and use MS Backup? Is MS Backup really that inferior? Sure the interface isn't as nice but if that's the only real issue, I don't mind that at all. Also, why don't more companies use it as their enterprise backup solution? I'm currently studying for 70-290/91 and MS sure acts like it could be used as an enterprise solution...

what gives?

HeroPsycho · 05-04-2009, 03:14 PM

NTBackup or Windows Backup are very much inferior. Neither supports granular restore of items within Exchange, Sharepoint, etc. It's abilities for DR are drastically reduced. Central management of all your system backups is missing as well.

If Backup Exec is a steak dinner, NTBackup is a bologna sandwich.

94jedi · 05-04-2009, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeroPsycho

NTBackup or Windows Backup are very much inferior. Neither supports granular restore of items within Exchange, Sharepoint, etc. It's abilities for DR are drastically reduced. Central management of all your system backups is missing as well.

If Backup Exec is a steak dinner, NTBackup is a bologna sandwich.

lol, I hate bologna.

Well put sir. thanks!

RTmarc · 05-04-2009, 03:39 PM

Are these your only two options? There are a lot of solutions out there. We just dropped from Backup Exec and moved to EMC Avamar. No more tape backup.

dynamik · 05-04-2009, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeroPsycho

If Backup Exec is a steak dinner, NTBackup is a bologna sandwich.

+1 for the Gaffigan-inspired analogy

HeroPsycho · 05-04-2009, 03:45 PM

Hey buddy, I like bologna!!!

Claymoore · 05-04-2009, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 94jedi

Also, why don't more companies use it as their enterprise backup solution? I'm currently studying for 70-290/91 and MS sure acts like it could be used as an enterprise solution...

what gives?

Advanced integration with Exchange and centralized management as others have said, but Windows Backup in Server 2008 doesn't even support backup to tape drives. Even Microsoft sells a separate backup solution, http://www.microsoft.com/systemcente...s/default.aspx.

NTBackup is used as an example in all of the study material because it is included with the OS. The concepts of tape rotations and incremental vs differential vs full backups are universal and will carry on to the real product you use in the field. Then, hopefully, you'll get to work with real data management solutions that support VSS, snapshotting, replicating and de-duping. Exchange backups with HP DP 6.1 are much easier to work with than some of the first Arcserve backups I ever tried to restore.