Backup Exec 2010 vs.

BackupAssist V6
Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 2 Comparison matrix ............................................................................................................................................. 2 Installation, usability and setup ......................................................................................................................... 5 Installation .................................................................................................................................................... 6 Usability ........................................................................................................................................................ 6 Setup ............................................................................................................................................................ 8 Functionality and feature sets ........................................................................................................................... 8 Backup capabilities ....................................................................................................................................... 8 Hardware support ......................................................................................................................................... 9 Media management and scheduling ........................................................................................................... 11 Reporting and notifications ......................................................................................................................... 12 Microsoft Hyper-V backup and restore ....................................................................................................... 13 Pricing and licensing ........................................................................................................................................ 14 Conclusion......................................................................................................................................................... 15

TECHNICAL COMPARISON Backup Exec 2010 vs. BackupAssist V6

Introduction
BackupAssist v6 Symantec Backup Exec 2010

www.BackupAssist.com

www.Backup Exec .com

$345.85
(Includes free email and phone support and 12 Months Upgrade Protection)

$1,162.66
(Includes 12 Months Essential Maintenance)

BackupAssist and Backup Exec are often regarded as competing products for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs). Although both provide excellent data protection for SMBs, the design philosophy behind each is vastly different, resulting in a difference in usability, maintainability and costs. BackupAssist is designed to be simple and easy to use so that users can set up a backup strategy to protect their business. Instead of reinventing the wheel, BackupAssist builds upon proven Windows backup technologies that are widely supported to help you optimize your investment in Windows software and hardware. Backup Exec, by comparison, has been designed with the complex requirements of much larger enterprise organizations in mind, so small business users may find themselves paying for a number of high-level features that they do not need and are never going to use. This document discusses the strengths and limitations of each product to help I.T. decision makers understand how the two compare.

Comparison matrix
Features Installation, usability and setup
7-minute install and setup Windows Servers, Hyper-V Server support Linux/Unix, Mac OSX, Novell, VMWare, Citrix support

BackupAssist

Backup Exec

Functionality and feature sets

Backup capabilities

Local full system backup

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TECHNICAL COMPARISON Backup Exec 2010 vs. BackupAssist V6

Local System State/Active Directory backup Remote System State / Active Directory backup VSS application backup (SQL, Exchange, Hyper-V) Full, Differential, Incremental and Copy backups Open file backup via VSS Remote open files backup Non-proprietary backup file formats Software compression/encryption Continuous data file protection Exchange Information Store backup (remote/local) Exchange mailbox backup (remote/local) SQL database backup (remote/local) SharePoint, Lotus Domino, Oracle, SAP application, DB2, Netware SMS Reporting and notifications

A A A A A

Web-based

Backup reminders: email and network broadcast Email backup reports Printable backup reports Media usage included in the backup report Printable summary of job settings Integration with SBS Console Centralized Monitoring Can edit jobs from central management console Daily summary email for all backup jobs Web console for backup report analysis Customizable PDF reports Offsite backup

A
LAN/SAN/WAN

Online storage/Cloud compatible File name obfuscation Encryption during transfer and on the backup host

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TECHNICAL COMPARISON Backup Exec 2010 vs. BackupAssist V6

Hardware support Tape drive

Tailored settings

Generic settings

Tape autoloaders and libraries Hard drives (external and internal) CD/DVD/Blu-ray drives RDX/Iomega REV and Quantum GoVault drives FTP/FTPS/SFTP servers NAS devices Hardware specific settings for each device Virtual Server backup and restore Hyper-V support One-pass Host level backup VMWare support Tool for documenting Hyper-V settings Media management and scheduling Calendar-based scheduling Industry standard rotation schemes Fully automated and managed media rotation Customized rotation schemes Multiple scheduled backup Jobs No requirement to prepare media before use Intelligent space management on backup destination Restore capabilities

Restore without the use of third party software Bare metal restore Hardware Independent Restore System State / Active Directory restore Restore individual Active Directory components NTFS streams restore Exchange mailbox and public folder restore

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SQL database restore (Inc. point-in-time restore) Granular restore of Guest Virtual Machines Other features

DOS command line

Integrates with Windows Authentication File exclusions Backup runs without user logged on Import/export settings Holiday Exclusions TrueCrypt-compatible encryption Runs Scripts pre and post backup Runs Scripts based on outcome of backup Adjustable timeout periods In-built troubleshooting tools Auto Discovery of unprotected data Dynamic performance load balancing Supports media spanning

Pricing and licensing

Unlimited servers

Exchange backup included in base license Add-on required for Exchange mailbox backups

Required per server

Add-on required for SQL database backups System State/ Active Directory backup included in base license Additional license for non VSS open file backups

Unlimited servers

Required per server

A - Agent on each server / option / required: a separate agent must be purchased and installed on each remote server where data has been selected for backup or an option must be purchased to perform required backup. More information on Backup Exec agents and options available here: http://www.symantec.com/business/products/agents_options.jsp?pcid=pcat_business_cont&pvid=57_1 B Add-on required: a separate add-on must be purchased to perform required backup. More information on BackupAssist add-ons available here: http://www.backupassist.com/purchasing/purchase.php

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TECHNICAL COMPARISON Backup Exec 2010 vs. BackupAssist V6

Installation, usability and setup

Installation
As BackupAssist was designed for Small and Medium Businesses it has a much smaller footprint than Backup Exec. BackupAssists download size is less than 1% the size of Backup Exec and its install size is also about 1% the size of Backup Exec.

BackupAssist v6
Trial software download 25MB in size. 4 minutes to download.

Symantec Backup Exec 2010

3.1GB in size 4 hours to download

Software installation time

(does not include setup time)

1 minute

90 minutes

Pre-requisites

Requires .NET framework 2.0 or above

(installed on most current versions of Windows)

SQL Server database installed as part of the installation process

Usability
Usability is perhaps the biggest difference between BackupAssist and Backup Exec. BackupAssist has been designed to enable users of all experience levels to implement best-practice backup strategies with ease. Intuitive wizards help you configure a backup job in minutes, and a searchable help file and online knowledge base gives you the information you need without you having to read an extensive administrators guide. BackupAssist also provides troubleshooting tools in the administration console and links to online knowledge base articles in the backup report that help you solve the majority of issues without you having to contact support, saving you time and money. Navigation through the BackupAssist administration console is straightforward and everything can be accessed from the main screen. Jobs are listed in alphabetical order and indicate what time a job will run, the date and time it last ran, the result of the last backup, the next run date, the rotation scheme applied and the job status. From this screen you can also run, clone, delete or suspend any job. The progress of any job can be viewed within the Monitor screen, even if you are logged in via a remote connection. Detailed event logging information is also available from the Events window.

Major differences:
BackupAssist is designed for ease of use: intuitive and simple enough for users of all levels of experience. New users of BackupAssist can be up and running with their first job in just 7 minutes.

Features in common:
Monitor the live progress of a backup job View events and alerts.

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TECHNICAL COMPARISON Backup Exec 2010 vs. BackupAssist V6

Backup Exec 2010 Jobs Window

BackupAssist v6 Jobs Window

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TECHNICAL COMPARISON Backup Exec 2010 vs. BackupAssist V6

Setup
Using a single wizard, BackupAssist guides you through the steps to create a working backup of your system and critical data. Unlike Backup Exec, prerequisite tasks like installing drivers and remote agents, pre-configuring backup devices and setting up complex media pools using policies, are not required. In addition, the backup of local and remote Exchange and SQL servers is configured from the BackupAssist Administration Console and does not require installation of additional agents on remote target servers, like it does in Backup Exec.

Major differences:
BackupAssist allows you to completely configure a job through one wizard No pre-configuration of hardware, media sets or post-configuration of rotation policies required

BackupAssist Job Creation Wizard

Back Exec Job Creation Wizard

Functionality and feature sets

Backup capabilities
Instead of reinventing the wheel, BackupAssist builds upon the best available backup technologies standard programs that are proven and widely supported. This means your backups will always be readily accessible, unlike with Backup Exec, which locks your data into propriety formats, making it difficult to retrieve in future. While many backup software companies spend a fortune developing their own backup engines, which invariably increases the software cost for the consumer, our research and development budget goes entirely towards helping you maximize your investment in Windows technology and making it work better for you. BackupAssist also combines multiple backup technologies so users can protect themselves from the entire range of data loss scenarios. BackupAssist users can pick and choose the components that suit their needs: Windows Imaging: Fast, effective drive imaging with hardware-independent, bare-metal restore NTBackup: Backup files, folders, system state and Active Directory File Replication: VSS aware file copying for file system mirroring and backup, with fast differentials

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ZIP64 File & Data: VSS aware, ZIP64 compliant backups with compression & AES-256 encryption, with support for tape drives (even on Server 2008).

Rsync Internet Backup: VSS aware, bandwidth efficient internet-based backup using the world famous Rsync protocol

Hyper-V Backup: Simple one-pass image backup of the Hyper-V Host to restore any item you need from any of your Guest VMs!

Exchange Backup: Backup Exchange at both the Information Store and Individual Mailbox levels SQL Backup: Choose daily or near-continuous protection for SQL Server

Offsite backup to the Cloud

Offsite Cloud backup continues to increase in popularity for small and medium businesses due to its convenience and affordability. By purchasing an inexpensive add-on you can take advantage of BackupAssists Rsync Internet backup engine to easily achieve fully automated, set-and-forget secure offsite backups to any Rsync-enabled cloud provider. Your data is protected with AES-256 encryption both during transfer and on the cloud backup destination and files names are obfuscated so that data on the host is safe from prying eyes. Backup Exec also offers a cloud backup solution, but it requires you to purchase an additional license, the Backup Exec Deduplication Option, which costs over $2300. See here for more details.

Hardware support
A major feature of BackupAssist is the tailored support it provides for backup hardware. BackupAssist maximizes the usage of your hardware by providing device-specific functionality. Once you select the hardware that you want to back up to, BackupAssist automatically gives you options specific to that type of hardware. By contrast, Backup Exec treats all devices as either a tape or a simple hard drive.

Major differences:
BackupAssist provides specific functionality for different hardware types. Backup Exec treats all devices as either a tape or hard disk drive.

BackupAssist Hardware Device Support

Back Exec Hardware Device Support

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USB disks
USB, Firewire and eSata connected hard drives are a popular choice for backup, but they can be prone to problems if they are treated like ordinary hard drives. BackupAssist specifically addresses these problems: Safely removing hardware after the backup so no data is lost or corrupted when the drive is unplugged Automatically assigning the correct drive letter so your backup still works even if the drive is plugged in to a different port Scanning ports for the backup drive even if it has been safely removed so if you forget to swap the drive and it has been safely removed (soft ejected), BackupAssist will remap its drive letter and proceed with the backup. By contrast, Backup Exec treats USB devices as simply another hard drive. This can compromise the reliability of your backups. For example, if the USB device has been safely removed but is still physically connected to the server, Backup Exec will not detect the device and the backup will fail as a result.

DVD and Blu-ray burners

It is often necessary, especially for archiving purposes, to back up your most critical data to write-once media like DVD. This method of backup is also popular for smaller organizations that have less data to protect. BackupAssist provides optical disc burning support out of the box.

Major differences:
BackupAssist provides support for DVD and Blu-ray burners; Backup Exec does not.

FTP, FTPS and SFTP servers

An easy way to transfer your most critical data offsite is to FTP it to a server in a different geographical location. BackupAssist makes offsite replications easy by

Major differences:
BackupAssist provides support for FTP, FTPS and SFTP Servers; Backup Exec does not

providing support for FTP, FTPs and SFTP (the three file transfer protocols).

Removable Disk Cartridge Support - RDX, REV, GoVault

Removable disk cartridge devices provide several benefits: portability, robustness and a rich backup history. BackupAssist will detect and eject such devices and provides tailored schemes with optimized media usage. For example, a 160GB cartridge may store 3 x 50GB backups, and if you have 5 cartridges (one for each day of the week), you will always have at least 15 days worth of data.

Major differences:
BackupAssist provides support for RDX devices, Iomega Rev and Quantum GoVault drives; Backup Exec does not.

NAS devices
NAS is supported natively by BackupAssist and BackupAssist also caters for the explicit authentication required by many Linux-based NAS devices.

Major differences:
BackupAssist provides tailored support for NAS devices.

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Media management and scheduling

Scheduling
A comprehensive backup strategy should allow you to restore data from different points in history and give you multiple, redundant backups. This is achieved with an appropriate backup rotation scheme, and for the new user, it can be confusing to set up. BackupAssist makes this easy by giving you a comprehensive array of bestpractice media rotation schemes, from which you can choose. A visual representation of each scheme is also provided so that you easily tell when backups will run and how media should be moved on-site and off-site. Also unique to BackupAssist is that each rotation scheme is tailored to suit the hardware device being used. For example, BackupAssist has a range of rotation schemes for USB Hard Drives, where Tape-based schemes are not appropriate. Schemes provided include rotating HDDs daily, the option to include separate weekly and monthly backups, or the alternative option of performing a weekly full backup and daily incrementals.

Major differences:
Best practice schemes are built into BackupAssist; Backup Exec only has the GFS scheme built-in. BackupAssist assigns a scheme to a single job; Backup Exec creates multiple jobs for this task.

Features in common:
Scheduling can be customized

BackupAssist Calendar View

BackupAssist Tailored Schemes

Both BackupAssist and Backup Exec allow you to customize your schedule to change the backup mode, backup method, archiving day and so on, but only BackupAssist allows you to do this for each individual job.

Media management
BackupAssist provides media tracking so you can easily tell if the backup operator has been swapping media correctly by viewing the backup report. You can also determine what to do if the wrong media is inserted: back up and warn the user or abort the backup. BackupAssist also makes it easy to manage backup files on your hard drive, removable disks, NAS or FTP Server. So whatever your preferred retension scheme (keep old backups based on size, age, or number of backups), you can configure BackupAssist to meet your needs. The File Replication and Rsync engines also use Single Instance Store technology so that only one unique copy of each file is stored on your backup destination.

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Backups are much faster because only files that have changed are backed up, and this means you can have a much longer backup history. For additional speed and convenience when restoring your data you can choose to store a second copy of your backup on a local or network location. This means that you do not need to call your off-site storage facility to get last nights backup shipped over if a file is accidently deleted: simply recover from the local copy instead.

Major differences:
BackupAssist provides the option for media tracking to make sure that the backup operator is swapping media in accordance with the schedule With BackupAssist users can manage their backup storage space using the intuitive backup file retension feature BackupAssist makes it easy to keep local copies of your backups for fast restoration

Reporting and notifications

The most critical aspect of a backup strategy is to make sure that the media rotation scheme is followed correctly. BackupAssist minimizes the possibility of human error by reminding the backup operator which media to insert either via email or a network broadcast. You can also schedule maintenance notifications to remind someone to perform maintenance tasks like inserting a cleaning tape or defragmenting a disk. Unlike Backup Exec, BackupAssist also integrates the result of the backup into the Windows SBS

Major differences:
BackupAssist provides integration with the SBS Performance Report BackupAssist sends customized reminder and maintenance notifications BackupAssist generates an intuitive media usage report to help identify data growth problems before they occur

Features in common:
Both products allow you to email the backup report or print it out Reports can be viewed from the Administration Console

Performance Report so system administrators can easily view the status of the last backup. In addition, only BackupAssist has a Media Usage Report that shows you how much of your backup media is being used, which helps you plan for hardware upgrades.

BackupAssist Media Usage Report

Backup Exec Backup Report

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Centralized Monitoring
With the BackupAssist Centralized Monitoring Console (CMC) you can monitor multiple BackupAssist installations from one location, create personalized reports for your clients, and view data growth over time. Instead of receiving one email per job that youre m onitoring, the CMC can process all of your BackupAssist installations and deliver one summary email of the backup status to you every day. A summary at the top highlights problem sites so you are aware of problems as soon as they occur.

Microsoft Hyper-V backup and restore

BackupAssist and Backup Exec offer similar functionality for Microsoft Hyper-V backup and restore. Backup Exec requires the purchase of a separate agent for Microsoft Hyper-V backup, which supports an unlimited number of virtual guests running on a Hyper-V Host machine. With the base license of BackupAssist

Major differences:
Backup Execs Hyper-V solution is more than 6 times the cost of BackupAssists. Backup Exec offers a separate agent for VMware servers; BackupAssist does not. BackupAssist includes the Hyper-V Config Reporter to document Hyper-V settings.

you can create an image of your Hyper-V Host and the VM Granular Restore Console Add-on, a separate license, is required to enable the granular restore of individual files from Guest VMs.

Features in common:
With both products you can use a single image backup of the Hyper-V Host to retrieve individual files and documents from any Guest Virtual Machine on that Host. This means that theres no need for separate Both products offer granular restore technology, allowing you to retrieve individual files from any Guest Virtual Machine using only a single backup of the Host.

backups of the Host and Guest.

The Hyper-V Config Reporter

The BackupAssist VM Granular Restore Console Add-on also includes the Hyper-V Config Reporter, which you can use to automatically document Hyper-V Host and Guest configuration settings should you migrate a guest machine from one host to another, or restore a guest machine to a new host. The Hyper-V Config Reporter creates a HTML report of the configuration settings for each Hyper-V Guest VM, and the Hyper-V Host settings, containing everything you need to recreate the Hyper-V Host. It comes free with the VM Granular Restore Console Add-on.

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Pricing and licensing

Quotations are made difficult when products have complicated licensing models with many options and add-ons. BackupAssists licensing model is simple and offers excellent value because you only pay for what you need. Using just a base license, you can backup: local system data (system state & Active Directory) any number of local and networked files and directories any number of local and networked Exchange Information Stores

Major differences:
BackupAssist is designed to have a simple licensing model and value pricing BackupAssist does not require remote agents on each Exchange or SQL Server

You can add backup capabilities by purchasing BackupAssist Add-on products as your I.T. requirements change. For example, using one SQL Server Add-on, you can back up any number of local or remote SQL databases. Using one Exchange Mailbox Add-on, you can back up any number of mailboxes on local or remote Exchange Servers. There is no need for remote agents or multiple license purchases.

Scenario 1
Consider the example where a SMB network contains 4 servers: 1 Domain Controller, 1 Exchange Server and 2 SQL Servers. The following table outlines the licenses you would need to back up these servers:

BackupAssist v6
1 BackupAssist base license + 12 months Upgrade Protection ($345.85) 1 SQL Server Add-on ($129) 1 Exchange Mailbox Add-on ($129)

Backup Exec 2010

1 Backup Exec for Windows Servers license + 12 months Essential Support ($1162.66) 1 Backup Exec Agent for Active Directory license ($1162.66) 1 Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Exchange Server ($1162.80) 2 Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft SQL Server ($2325.32)

Total cost: $507 Footprint: single install on domain controller

Total cost: $5813.30 Footprint: requires installs on all 4 servers

Note: Prices are correct at time of writing (1st Dec 2010), obtained from www.BackupAssist.com and www.symantec.com. Prices are in US Dollars. Technical support for Backup Exec depends on subscription; BackupAssist support is always free.

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Scenario 2
For a SMB network that requires primary System Level protection and data replicated to the network and over the internet for secondary and tertiary levels of data protection, the table below shows the different add-ons, agents and options required for different types of backup:

Type of backup
System protection

BackupAssist

Backup Exec
$1162.66
Agent for Microsoft Active Directory

$345.85 File-level data protection Exchange Server (complete) $1162.66 Exchange mailbox level $129
Exchange Mailbox Add-on Agent for Microsoft Exchange Base license + 12 months Upgrade Protection

$1162.66
Base license + 1yr Essential Maintenance

SQL Server databases Internet / offsite data protection Hyper-V backup/restore

$129
SQL Server Add-on

$1162.66
Agent for Microsoft SQL Server

$129
BackupAssist for Rsync Add-on

$2331.16
Deduplication Option1

$249
VM Granular Restore Console Add-on

1863.76
Agent for Microsoft Hyper-V

Saas Centralized Monitoring

Requires valid BackupCare subscription for each license monitored. $149 per year.

$2331.16
Central Admin Server Option

Complete suite

$1130.85

$11,176.72

*Prices in US Dollars are correct at time of writing (1st Dec 2010) and were taken from www.BackupAssist.com and www.symantec.com.

Backup Execs Cloud Storage solution requires the use of Nirvanixs Storage Service, Backup Exec 2010 R2 and the Backup Exec Deduplication Option. More information is available on the Symantec website.

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Conclusion
Backup Exec offers a wide range of Operating System and Application support, and its extensive selection of remote agents and options indicate that it has been designed with the more complex requirements of larger organizations in mind. For SMBs who often have simple data backup requirements, Backup Exec, with its bulky feature set, large proprietary codebase for multiplatform support and resource intensive processes, can be perceived as bloated and cumbersome to run. Because Backup Exec is built for enterprise clients with IT departments wanting maximum flexibility and control, someone less familiar may spend many hours grappling with all the required components and working out where the controls are, just to set up a simple backup strategy. To help existing and new users become familiar with the complex process of installing drivers, remote agents, media pools using policies, configuring the software and administering the daily operation of Backup Exec, a 5 day Backup Exec 2010 Administration course is available. And when hardware, software and the labor involved with setting up Backup Exec are tallied, the total cost can be in excess of $10,000. This upfront investment can prevent some SMB owners from having a functional and effective backup system. By focusing the BackupAssist design philosophy on the needs of SMBs and not overrunning it with unnecessary and complex functionality, BackupAssist is less cumbersome, simpler to setup and easier to use, even in the hands of someone new to the software. And because BackupAssist optimizes existing Windows backup technologies that are proven and widely supported, the cost savings in development and maintenance of the program are reflected in the price. With support for three levels of data protection available local disaster recovery, network file replication and off-site/internet backup the BackupAssist solution costs about $1000, whereas a comparable Backup Exec solution is over $10,000 dollars. BackupAssist can clear the way for SMB customers who are using unsafe backup practices to own an affordable, rock-solid backup system. BackupAssist gives SMBs: a fit-for-purpose tool that is automated to help you setup a working backup system; a monitoring tool that can warn you when backups are not going as planned; a convenience tool that makes data recovery simpler because it produces backup files that use common formats like VHD, ZIP, PST and BKF; and a productivity tool that reduces the learning curve for you and your team because it is not based on a proprietary process or technology. You may still be unsure whether BackupAssist is the right choice for your organization, but theres no need to make a purchasing decision now. Directly below is a link for you to download the latest version of BackupAssist, which you can install on your server. Its a fully functional version of BackupAssist that you can use for 30 days, absolutely free. This way you can compare BackupAssist with Backup Exec or any other backup software title youre considering and then decide. Thank you for considering BackupAssist. If you need any help with our software or have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] wed be happy to help.

Why not try BackupAssist with a no-obligation, 30 day free trial?

Download a fully functional 30 day trial of BackupAssist

http://www.backupassist.com/BackupAssist/download.php

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