On 07/23/2013 01:19 PM, Sergio O. Fuentes wrote:
>
> We're currently faced with a decision go with a dedupe storage array
> or with TSM dedupe for our backup storage targets.  There are some
> very critical pros and cons going with one or the other.  For
> example, TSM dedupe will reduce overall network throughput both for
> backups and replication (source-side dedupe would be used).  A dedupe
> storage array won't do that for backup,


Not so.  There's a driver-ish package from EMC, associated with the
Data Domain product line, called "boost".  Boost shoves dedupe work
from the central device out to the client box, distributing CPU work
and saving network traffic.   There may be other similar offerings,
but Data Domain is what we've got, so it's what I know.

We're not using boost;  our primary use for the DD is for Oracle
backups, and our DBAs are far more interested in the conventional
filesystem user interface than they are in the network savings.   But
if you find the bandwidth between client and device to be a serious
bottleneck, there's an option.


> Replication is key. We have two datacenters where I would love it if
> TSM replication could be used in order to quickly (still manually,
> though) activate the replication server for production if necessary.
> Having a dedupe storage array kind of removes that option, unless we
> want to replicate the whole rehydrated backup data via TSM.

I intend to go the same direction you are intending to go.   But I'm
not there yet.  I hope to have some results on this before September.


> Would it make sense to do a hybrid deployment (combination of TSM
> Dedupe and Array dedupe)?  Any thoughts or tales of woes and
> forewarnings are appreciated.

Only thoughts, not tales yet.  But I'm planning to experiment with
dedupe both at the TSM level and at the storage array level.   I've
heard several rumors that the Data Domain can dedupe even deduped
e.g. VEEAM backups, with very good ratios.   I'm going to try a
similar theory with the DD and TSM-deduped stgpools.


- Allen S. Rout