ADSM-L

Re: veritas backup exec client and TSM server

2004-03-15 14:45:18
Subject: Re: veritas backup exec client and TSM server
From: Guillaume Gilbert <guillaume.gilbert AT CGI DOT COM>
To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
Date: Mon, 15 Mar 2004 14:41:56 -0500
Yes Veritas is a big player, but that does not meen it is better. We are a
very big outsourcing company and we use TSM, Netbackup and Omniback. I
manage 14 TSM servers by myself, and 7 of those backup up over 100 clients,
with the max being 300. I use every client there is, and every TDP. The
sysadmins are always relunctant to use TSM because they don't understand it.
After a month, the swear by it. The results are there. We were hit by mydoom
a month ago, it wiped out entire windows fileservers. Every one was retored
by TSM without a hitch. We even did a bmr of a Win2k box after a patch
install caused it to blue screen. No problem.

On the netbackup side, we have 3 administrators plus 5 (yes 5) veritas
consultants in house. There are 5 netbackup servers. We have one very big
client that uses 28 drives on 2 sites. SAP backups seem to be a pain. There
is always an obscure parameter somewhere that no one knows about except the
software engineer at Veritas and it takes you a week with support to get in
touch with him. The inhouse consultants mostly know the GUI and nothing
else. Performance guides and all that sort of documentation I cherish with
TSM kis not available to Veritas custumers, its for Veritas people only.
Netbackup was designed with small environnements in mind and grew very
poorly. You have to define LTO tapes as DLTs!!! My company used to push for
Netbackup, now its TSM only. 

All three products use the same robotic infrastructure, 3 STK L5500s and a
L700 with ACSLS. When I have a problem, its because a drive is dead or a
tape is stuck, and that doesn't happen too often. Netbackup is always having
problems. I don't know why.

So yes Netbackup offers Exchange mailbox restores and Oracle block level
backups, but to me that is only fud. I see first hand what the product is
and I will never recommend it.

Guillaume Gilbert
Backup Administrator
CGI - ITM
(514) 415-3000 x5091
guillaume.gilbert AT cgi DOT com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ADSM: Dist Stor Manager [mailto:ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU] 
> On Behalf Of Remco Post
> Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 2:26 PM
> To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
> Subject: Re: veritas backup exec client and TSM server
> 
> 
> On Mon, 15 Mar 2004 13:26:58 -0500
> "Remeta, Mark" <MRemeta AT SELIGMANDATA DOT COM> wrote:
> 
> > Get used to it. Wait until you have a problem with using 
> Veritas to backup
> > your IS and TSM as the storage agent... Another cost of going the
> > non-convential route.
> >
> 
> ok, that assumes that veritas is less able to support their 
> product than IBM
> is. Since Veritas is a _big_ player in the back-up market, 
> I'm not ready to
> do so just yet. Remember, this is a product in use by at least as may
> organisations as TSM is, and it wouldn't be if people can't 
> rely on the
> quality of the product.
> 
> Any argument as in 'if the software is upgraded, we need to 
> upgrade the
> client', only means exactly that. With win2003 this was true, 
> so why not
> with a mail database? I don't see the problem. _My_ problem 
> is that my users
> are asking for a functionality that I'm currently unable to 
> provide, unless
> I do unconventional things. Since SARA is more or less in the 
> buisiness of
> doing unconventional things (like running TSM!) this should 
> be no shock....
> 
> >
> >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >From: Remco Post [mailto:r.post AT SARA DOT NL]
> > >Sent: Monday, March 15, 2004 12:49 PM
> > >To: ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
> > >Subject: Re: veritas backup exec client and TSM server
> >
> > >But still, I have no answer to my experiences question, 
> which is more
> > >important to me than IBM politics.
> >
> >
> > Confidentiality Note: The information transmitted is 
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> > error, please delete this material immediately.
> 
> 
> --
> Met vriendelijke groeten,
> 
> Remco Post
> 
> SARA - Reken- en Netwerkdiensten                      
> http://www.sara.nl
> High Performance Computing  Tel. +31 20 
> 592 8008    Fax. +31 20 668 3167
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