Hi,
I've been member here only a couple of days, and am browsing through all issues. Although this one is ancient, others might find this one useful. This is for acrhive purposes.
It is allways useful to be able to compare different products. Unfortunately the data comparison is incomplete and incorrect.
1: Not a concept like in TSM, but you can schedule jobs to move data of a certain age, or other sets of rules, onto another medium and delete the original files when new location has been verified.
2: The DR module is actually very efficient. During every backup each client's DR information is transferred/updated to backup server, and this information is used to create a boot device (CD). You create a boot CD (Win2000 and later, NT utilize floppies to boot). Boot from this CD on crashed server, and it will automatically restore from latest backup. When restore is finished you boot and all is back to the time the last backup was performed.
3/4: True it is not an enterprise solution, but BrightStor Enterprise Backup (BEB) can administer ARCserve 9 servers/clients, so both can co-exist as long as needed.
There is of course no magic limit - this is all about planning and lots of considerations.
4: True, ARCserve 9 cannot be upgraded to BEB, but BEB reads ARCserve 9 tapes. ARCserve 2000 & 6.61 can fully be upgraded to BEB. BEB also reads ARCserve 2000/6.61 tapes. There are a few special cosiderations for product options.
ARCserve can utilize quite large libraries like STK L700 with max 20 drives/678 slots. Using LTO this will translate to 135 600 GB data storage.
ARCserve DOES have a database - Raima VLDB. This is default, but MSSQL is recommended, and a very stable and solid repository. The switch to MSSQL is extremely easy (dbtosql.exe), and can even be switched back. MSSQL is extremely easy to admnister, and there is a huge knowledgebase.
Merge of tapes is ONLY necessary if:
1: the database is lost/destroyed
2: if tapes are deleted from db due to retention rules, and you do not remeber the filename(s) to be restored.
3: if tapes are deleted in db by accident.
TSM cannot rebuild database from tapes if database and config is lost - ARCserve can.
Furthermore ARCserve uses an open file technology which easily accomodate all open files on Win/NetWare - the Backup Agent for Open Files (BAOF).
ARCserve is tape oriented TSM is not, as it is all about data and where it is stored and how. TSM uses progressive methodology, which means only one full backup is needed. ARCserve will need one at the first backup and at the end of each cycle - e.g Fridays, and Mon-Thu incremental. ARCserve will therefore use more tapes - allmost allways. And same data will be backed up many times, which in turn means that backup windows are bigger than needed. ARCserve will require more tapes to restore from than TSM to restore a server to current (first the full backup, then mon-thu inc tapes if incremental is used, or only full backup and Thu if differential is used.
ARCserve is very easy to use - all is GUI-based, in addition to command line. Also reporting is good and easily available by default. Users quickly set up rotations with rules and filters. TSM has most of its power in it's rich command library - wich in turn is the same on all platforms. But this is sometimes a problem, because many Windows administrators find this cumbersome - they want GUI. ARCserve is therefore perhaps better in small to midsized installations where Windows is the base for most of the business critical data. Client agents do support all OS flavours, but all admin is by Windows GUI.
ARCserve is very strong on NetWare (server) - TSM only has agent.
If tape consumption and backup window is the highest priority, TSM will use fewer tapes and utilize a smaller backup window than ARCserve, so TSM is a better choice.
Choosing between products is never easy - make a very thorough tech spec and release it to the sales reps. from each company! List every conceivable question and need, and make them respond and commit to it!
Regards
Morten Ross
[email protected]
