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1 2 3 Previous Next 32 Replies Last post: Nov 17, 2009 2:34 PM by RDellimmagine  

Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress posted: Sep 23, 2009 6:46 PM

Click to view ufo8mydog's profile Enthusiast 76 posts since
Jul 27, 2008

Hi all

I've been looking at VM backup options recently for vSphere. After messing around with our current solution (Commvault) it turns out that they are still using the old VCB framework according to this article:
http://www.backupcentral.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=259&Itemid=47

Things like mounting the restore to the proxy server first before restoring back to the SAN volume and no Linux file level restore are dealbreakers, so Commvault can't be considered a serious contender in this market segment at this stage.

It looks like the choice is therefore between Veaam Backup and PHD esXpress. Could current customers/vendors comment on the two solutions? The environment comprises of 12 sockets and growing towards 200 VMs (ranging from 10GB - 150GB). For example, if you could comment on:

1) Value for money. Which tends to be more cost efficient?
2) Backup and restore efficiency
3) Functionality/reporting/management tools
4) Consistency of restores
5) Any single points of failures or caveats/gotchas that should be taken into consideration?
6) Does the solution feel that it is of 'enterprise' or 'production' quality?

Basically some real life experience using the tool in a production environment would be great. The target is a hardware dedupe datadomain appliance so the dedupe function would be done in hardware.

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

1. Sep 25, 2009 5:46 AM in response to: ufo8mydog
Click to view AntonVZhbankov's profile Champion vExpert 3,797 posts since
May 26, 2008
Did not try esXpres myself, but as far as I read about it, price is very similar. Veeam Backup is about 500$ / socket, and esXpress 1k$ / host. With 2-socket hosts price is the same.
Both solutions are enterprise class.

Veeam Backup fully supports ESXi servers.

---
VMware vExpert '2009
http://blog.vadmin.ru

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

2. Sep 25, 2009 6:00 AM in response to: AntonVZhbankov
Click to view tom howarth's profile Guru User Moderators vExpert 7,456 posts since
Jul 25, 2005
That said on the quad quad cores I tend to utilize as host servers the cost of esXpress is 50% of the real costs of Veeam.

If you found this or any other answer useful please consider the use of the Helpful or correct buttons to award points

Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: www.planetvm.net
Contributing author for the upcoming book "VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment”. Currently available on roughcuts

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

3. Sep 25, 2009 6:18 AM in response to: tom howarth
Click to view AntonVZhbankov's profile Champion vExpert 3,797 posts since
May 26, 2008
That said on the quad quad cores I tend to utilize as host servers the cost of esXpress is 50% of the real costs of Veeam.

Price for backup is 1k vs 2k.
AFAIK esXpress does not support ESXi, so you have to buy hard disks for full ESX. And 2 low-speed SATA disks for mirror will cost you 500$ (HP Configurator for BL685c G6), while Veeam can work with ESXi on USB flash.

So, in this case price is 1.5k vs 2k per host.

---
VMware vExpert '2009
http://blog.vadmin.ru

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

4. Sep 26, 2009 5:18 AM in response to: AntonVZhbankov
Click to view Gostev's profile Hot Shot 114 posts since
May 28, 2008

There's another thread with the same discussion here
http://communities.vmware.com/message/1372948#1372948

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

5. Sep 26, 2009 6:44 AM in response to: tom howarth
Click to view christianZ's profile Virtuoso 2,251 posts since
Apr 21, 2006
That said on the quad quad cores I tend to utilize as host servers the cost of esXpress is 50% of the real costs of Veeam

That's true, first time not reading the statement exactly.

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

6. Sep 26, 2009 11:25 AM in response to: christianZ
Click to view petedr's profile Master 1,442 posts since
Mar 18, 2006

Our point of view is to test as many solutions as possible to make sure you have the correct solution for your infrastructure.

If anyone has any questions about esXpress you can always email me or private message me.

Pete@esXpress

www.phdvirtual.com, makers of esXpress

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

7. Sep 30, 2009 8:03 AM in response to: petedr
Click to view tom howarth's profile Guru User Moderators vExpert 7,456 posts since
Jul 25, 2005
That is very diplomatic of you Peter. you been taking lessons of Mr Mittell LOL

If you found this or any other answer useful please consider the use of the Helpful or correct buttons to award points

Tom Howarth VCP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: www.planetvm.net
Contributing author for the upcoming book "VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment”. Currently available on roughcuts

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

8. Oct 1, 2009 4:25 PM in response to: tom howarth
Click to view petedr's profile Master 1,442 posts since
Mar 18, 2006
Thanks Tom, of course always following Alex's lead.

www.phdvirtual.com, makers of esXpress

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

9. Oct 5, 2009 11:46 PM in response to: petedr
Click to view FlEric's profile Novice 7 posts since
May 12, 2009

Before you made a decision, test the backup and restore speed. The backup speed of esXpress is in the traditional backup very fast but the restore is slow. A fast backup is nice but if you a in a emergency situation and you have to restore a e-mail server with a 500 GB disk and this needs a full day you wish you are somewhere else.

After some expierence with esXpress i like to say it is nice for a small enviroment but it is never a enterprise solution.

Regards

Frank

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

10. Oct 6, 2009 10:50 AM in response to: FlEric
Click to view qvantas77's profile Novice 5 posts since
Sep 8, 2009
Not an enterprise solution??? Based on what?

Dont trash-talk a very good product when u cant explain whats bad.

//Johan

Not a PHD customer, a VEEAM customer

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

11. Oct 6, 2009 10:41 AM in response to: qvantas77
Click to view AntonVZhbankov's profile Champion vExpert 3,797 posts since
May 26, 2008
Not an enterprise solution??? Based on what?

If it does not support all the enterprise products from VMware - it's not enterprise product. AFAIK esXpress does not support ESXi - I actually have some diskless ESXi's with Enterprise license.
So to use esXpress I have to buy some disks for each server and install ESX instead ESXi Embedded.

As for me this issue makes esXpress not enterprise solution till it start to support ESXi.

P.S. I'm not Veeam employee and even not Veeam customer. I still backup my VMs with VCB.

---
MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert '2009
http://blog.vadmin.ru

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

12. Oct 6, 2009 10:44 AM in response to: qvantas77
Click to view petedr's profile Master 1,442 posts since
Mar 18, 2006

Frank and Johan,

If you have any questions or issues you want to talk about concerning esXpress you can always email me or private message me.

With restores we recently have added restores through the VBA for DeDup backups which removes esXpress restores from the service console limitations which definitely can effect performance.

Pete@esXpress

www.phdvirtual.com, makers of esXpress

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

13. Oct 6, 2009 11:56 AM in response to: petedr
Click to view AntonVZhbankov's profile Champion vExpert 3,797 posts since
May 26, 2008
Pete, could you please answer in public?

Do you support ESXi?

---
MCSA, MCTS, VCP, VMware vExpert '2009
http://blog.vadmin.ru

Re: Veeam Backup Vs PHD esXpress

14. Oct 6, 2009 1:16 PM in response to: AntonVZhbankov
Click to view petedr's profile Master 1,442 posts since
Mar 18, 2006

Anton,

There is nothing being hidden there our part, esXpress does not currently support 3i.

www.phdvirtual.com, makers of esXpress

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