The switch from tape-based to disk-based backup solutions offers a faster and more convenient method of retaining data.
Microsoft announced the Data Protection Manager product at the Storage Decisions conference in New York. The product would be a component in a Storage Area Network, where the company said storage can be performed and managed on a more cost-effective basis.
Speed will be a big factor in enticing customers to discard tape libraries in favor of using the disk centric DPM solution. Microsoft notes in a statement how data recovery can take minutes instead of hours when restoring a file from DPM as opposed to tape.
The faster recovery time doesn’t include the time saved in not having to find a particular tape and waiting for it to load, both factors that make tape recoveries take longer. Anyone who has ever had to manage tape libraries will understand this benefit.
One issue that would be less of a problem will be backup jobs that fail due to open files. Once a system has been fully backed up, the ensuing backups would be incremental jobs. Those take much less time than full backups, which can span several hours or more depending on the size of a system.
Microsoft notes how HP, Fujitsu Siemens, and Quantum have announced storage devices based on the DPM solution. Senior VP of Windows Server group Bob Muglia expects more manufacturers to follow suit, he noted in a statement. They also expect to compete on cost, as a one terabyte storage solution could price at under $6,000.
David Utter is a staff writer for Murdok covering technology and business. Email him here.
