Microsoft DPM is a comprehensive backup and recovery software that integrates seamlessly with Microsoft applications, providing efficient recovery capabilities and ensuring compatibility across workloads.
| Product | Mindshare (%) |
|---|---|
| Microsoft DPM | 0.9% |
| Veeam Data Platform | 5.8% |
| Commvault Cloud | 3.4% |
| Other | 89.9% |
| Type | Title | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category | Backup and Recovery | Jun 22, 2026 | Download |
| Product | Reviews, tips, and advice from real users | Jun 22, 2026 | Download |
| Comparison | Microsoft DPM vs Veeam Data Platform | Jun 22, 2026 | Download |
| Comparison | Microsoft DPM vs HPE Zerto Software | Jun 22, 2026 | Download |
| Comparison | Microsoft DPM vs Rubrik | Jun 22, 2026 | Download |
| Title | Rating | Mindshare | Recommending | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Veeam Data Platform | 4.3 | 5.8% | 94% | 433 interviewsAdd to research |
| Commvault Cloud | 4.3 | 3.4% | 95% | 113 interviewsAdd to research |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 7 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 6 |
| Large Enterprise | 6 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 112 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 66 |
| Large Enterprise | 125 |
Microsoft's Data Protection Manager offers significant integration capabilities with Microsoft applications and Azure Active Directory for Single Sign-On, enhancing scalability through integration with System Center. It supports streamlined backup solutions for both physical and virtual Microsoft environments, with automated operations and a user-friendly interface. While DPM showcases robust file search capabilities, time-saving functionalities, and enhanced security measures, improvements are needed in third-party integrations, backup for external devices, and affordable cloud storage options. Enterprises might face challenges due to complex configurations and limited user-community support.
What are the key features of Microsoft DPM?In industries such as consulting, local government, and data centers, Microsoft DPM plays a critical role in managing backup and recovery operations. Organizations rely on it to safeguard environments, including ERP systems and virtual machines, by supporting daily, weekly, and incremental backups, disaster recovery, and data replication across physical Windows Servers, Hyper-V Servers, SharePoint, and more.
Microsoft DPM was previously known as DPM, Data Protection Manager, MS DPM.
Medical Park, Centropol Energy, a.s., NCFE, D & H Distributing, Metalor, Colosseum, a.s., Sanitas S.A., Icebreaker
| Author info | Rating | Review Summary |
|---|---|---|
| Senior Manager - System Infrastructure Software Support Team at DMS Electronics (Pvt) Ltd | 3.5 | I found Microsoft DPM easy to set up and cost-effective, but it lacked support for non-Microsoft platforms and essential features like DR replication. Its limited capabilities and support led me to eventually switch to a more versatile solution. |
| IT Administrator at a comms service provider with 51-200 employees | 4.0 | I've used Microsoft DPM for over 10 years to back up servers; it's stable, integrates well with System Center, has valuable two-layer backups, and while pricing is mid-range, it could improve with S3 backup support. |
| manager/consultant at a consultancy with 1-10 employees | 4.0 | As a consulting company, we find Microsoft DPM valuable due to its seamless integration with the Microsoft ecosystem. While I'm unsure about areas for improvement, some clients explore alternatives like Veeam for disaster recovery and secondary site synchronization needs. |
| IT Manager at Nigsd | 4.0 | We are a government data center using Microsoft DPM for its integration with System Center, crucial for our Hyper-V virtual machines. However, it struggles with non-Microsoft backups, lacking features and compression capabilities compared to other vendors like Veeam. |
| System Administrator at a government with 1,001-5,000 employees | 3.0 | I used Microsoft DPM primarily for backup, including Hyper V VMs. While the 2012 and 2016 versions performed well, the 2019 version's file system was problematic. Despite updates, issues persisted, prompting integration with Backup Exec for additional features. |
| Deputy Director at MPICorporation | 4.0 | I've used Microsoft DPM for 10 years. It's easy to set up and scalable for small data, though I wish it were cloud-available. Stability declined with 2019. Support is good but paid. I rate it 8/10. |
| Chief Digitalization Executive at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees | 4.0 | I use Microsoft DPM for regular backups and data replication. Its integration with Microsoft products is fantastic, though it needs better support for open-source solutions. Despite some cyberattack challenges, DPM's easy management and restoration make it invaluable. |
| Senior Consultant at a marketing services firm with 11-50 employees | 2.5 | We use this for data recovery. While easy and scalable, it's unstable, difficult to troubleshoot, and complex to configure/install. Despite being cost-effective, we rate it 5/10 and are switching to Rubrik due to these issues. |
| DBA, Developer at a government with 201-500 employees | 2.5 | I constantly battle DPM's average stability and daily sync failures, making it labor-intensive. Its setup was complex, and I'm frustrated by the lack of an online user community and poor vendor support. |
| Microsoft Specialist at a computer software company with 201-500 employees | 4.5 | In our large enterprise, Microsoft DPM centralizes project management, supporting operations across servers and workstations. The SSO feature integrated with Azure Active Directory is particularly valuable, though a stress test is needed to evaluate its performance under demanding conditions. |
I used it within Microsoft's infrastructure mostly.
Management-wise, I did not experience any challenges with Microsoft DPM. When compared to other backup products, such as Symantec's Backup Exec, I did not see any significant distinguishing features in Microsoft DPM. It had the same features that other third-party products were offering.
Microsoft DPM impacted my organization positively, and that was definitely possible.
Microsoft DPM could implement backup capabilities for third-party systems such as Linux. They also need to consider other features such as replication to DR sites, similar to what Veeam and other products offer. Microsoft DPM didn't have that capability at that time.
If they want to remain competitive in the market, they need to observe the competition and implement improvements. The backup should have compression, deduplication, and DR replication. They should also improve monitoring of the environment. Microsoft DPM didn't have these basics at that time. If they had continued development on the products, they could have reached a higher level, especially given Microsoft's significant presence and majority of servers.
Microsoft DPM didn't have any support structure in the backend. If they had a support structure, we could have escalated issues. I never received any support from Microsoft DPM.
The customer service rating is 6 out of 10.
When I migrated to another tool, I was satisfied with Microsoft DPM, but the main challenge was that it was primarily designed for Microsoft-related backups, not for other platforms such as VMware. Unlike Veeam and Veritas, which are platform-independent and can handle various virtualization platforms including Microsoft, VMware, and Red Hat, Microsoft DPM was designed specifically for Microsoft's platform.
It was not very difficult to set up Microsoft DPM. I was able to handle it without any issues. That's one of the advantages of Microsoft DPM; it didn't require complicated configurations.
Microsoft DPM was more affordable for customers compared to other products such as Veritas, which were somewhat expensive. This was one of the main reasons customers chose to purchase Microsoft DPM.
While I cannot remember the exact pricing, the licensing mechanism offered approximately 40 to 50% discount, making it more cost-effective.
I worked with Microsoft DPM, but it's no longer available as it has expired.
Microsoft DPM did not have any special features. Most of the backup features were present, but it was purely designed for Microsoft-related products, not for other platforms such as Linux or other agents. This was one of the reasons for its discontinuation.
When comparing Microsoft DPM with previous versions of Symantec, I would rate it 7 out of 10. This is also my overall rating for the solution.
We use Microsoft DPM for backup servers. ManageEngine is used to manage workstations and servers, and Operation Manager is used for monitoring.
The two-layer backup system is a particularly valuable feature in Microsoft DPM. The short layer and long layer backups are features I appreciate.
Microsoft DPM provides enhanced security and streamlines processes through automation. This results in better security for users.
Microsoft DPM could improve by adding S3 backup to S3 storage capabilities.
AI integration is not necessary for backups as this is not a security solution.
We have been using the solution for approximately 10 years or possibly longer.
The product is very stable, rating between eight and nine out of ten.
Scaling is necessary for this solution.
We have not used technical support with Microsoft for a long time.
Positive
We previously used System Center Configuration Manager before migrating to ManageEngine. We are currently using Microsoft Operation Manager as our monitoring solution.
The setup process is straightforward.
We use it with our on-premise Exchange mail server.
The pricing of Microsoft solutions rates in the middle range at five out of ten.
Veeam backup is the main competitor for Microsoft DPM.
Veeam and Microsoft DPM are equivalent products, with the main differentiating factor being price.
I recommend Microsoft DPM to other users.
Microsoft DPM is better suited for middle-sized organizations.
The solution integrates easily with System Center, and we use it exclusively for on-premise services.
My overall rating for Microsoft DPM is 8 out of 10.
We are a consulting company that studies solutions and advises our customers on IT solutions. We work with our customers and try to find the adequate IT solutions for them.
Our customers have been happy with the solutions we help them implement, although some of them swap for other solutions for internal reasons. We ensure a comprehensive understanding of the best solutions suitable for our clients' needs.
One of the most effective features of Microsoft DPM is its integration with the entire Microsoft ecosystem.
Microsoft DPM is a stable solution.
The solution is highly scalable - enough for the size of customers that we work with.
The quality of support from Microsoft depends on what you purchase. They provide professional services that are quite good and can meet your needs.
Positive
Some customers prefer swapping to other solutions like Veeam for internal reasons, such as implementing disaster recovery or secondary site synchronization.
The initial setup of Microsoft DPM depends on various factors like your ecosystem and data models. Setting up the solution can be complex and is not typically a deal breaker.
We advise our clients and are not integrators or implementers. We are not connected to any software editor.
Microsoft licensing is complex, especially for enterprise or data center solutions. However, it's not more complicated compared to other competitors and the market is well balanced.
For an infinite budget, Microsoft is top of the scale. Their system is very well integrated, especially if you are a Microsoft ecosystem customer.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
We are a government data center. We host many virtual machines on Microsoft Hyper-V at our data center. We operate about five hundred virtual machines for different entities and ministries.
Microsoft DPM is part of the System Center suite, which includes SCOM, Orchestrator, and Configuration Manager. The main benefit is to get the whole suite for integration, which greatly assists in managing our data protection and IT operations.
The most valuable feature is the total integration of the System Center solution. DPM works with other System Center solutions like SCOM, Orchestrator, and Configuration Manager. The main benefit is the capability to integrate the entire suite.
DPM is not easy to back up another non-Microsoft solution. It does not have good capabilities to restore and back up non-Microsoft solutions. It can back up, yet it lacks features compared to Veeam. Additionally, the compression of backups and the deduplication do not work as well as other vendors.
I have used Microsoft DPM for about a year.
I would rate the stability of the solution as eight out of ten.
I would rate the scalability of the solution as eight out of ten.
I would rate technical support as nine out of ten.
Positive
Before using Microsoft DPM, we had Veritas. We switched to Microsoft DPM because Microsoft offers a System Center bundle. Most of our databases for different projects use Microsoft's SQL database, so we chose Microsoft for better integration with Orchestrator and SCOM.
The initial setup was straightforward. Our team deployed the System Center suite, which includes SCOM, Orchestrator, and DPM. It took about one month to complete the deployment and integration.
Our dedicated team for System Center and tech training managed the deployment. We did not use any third-party integrators or consultants.
The pricing of Microsoft DPM is very good.
I recommend Microsoft DPM as part of the System Center suite. A single DPM product may lack many features, so I recommend it if you have the entire System Center family.
I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.
Our primary use case is for backup. I can back up all of our stuff, even the VMs that we have for Hyper V.
For many years, I used it at work. It was good at backing everything up. All the features were good in the 2012 and 2016 versions but the file system went really bad in 2019, and their move to ARIA caused a lot of issues. They kept releasing update signals to fix it, but it never fixed the problem.
The problem lies with the 2019 version; it's the file system they're using. I used DPM in 2012 at CFMWS, and then we moved to the 2019 version. We integrated it with Backup Exec because DPM didn't offer features like sharing to back up files on the NetApp.
I have used Microsoft DPM for nine years.
The tech support team was okay. Sometimes our experience was good, and sometimes it wasn’t. For example, once, we had a problem when the support team put Bitdefender on the server, and I told them not to and it suddenly crashed our Hyper V servers.
I remember when we opened up a call with Microsoft because it affected the storage we used on NetApp. I kept explaining it to them, but it was something they couldn’t figure out. We were on the call for five hours with them and I told my manager I would fix it myself. I uninstalled Bitdefender, and then I was able to fix the problem by myself.
Neutral
I have worked with Veeam.
We had a problem when we wanted to restore SQL databases. At the time, it did restore well.
I wouldn’t rate Microsoft DPM's 2019 version with file system problems too high. I would give the overall solution a six out of ten.
Whenever I work on something, I research it, develop it, and look at exactly what it would do and how good it would be.
We are using Microsoft DPM to backup and restore data from our server farm.
Microsoft DPM could improve if it was available in a public or private cloud.
I have been using Microsoft DPM for approximately 10 years.
The stability in Microsoft DPM 2015 we better than the 2019 version. We have had some problems.
Microsoft DPM is scalable.
We have approximately two people using the solution.
The solution is suitable for smaller amounts of data backups. If people want to use large amounts of data other solutions would be better suited.
The support from Microsoft DPM is good but we have to pay for the answers. We have to purchase points and when we need to use the support we have to use some of the points that we purchased. The support does not cost very much and we pay for each problem we have.
Microsoft DPM's is easy to set up.
Microsoft DPM is a free solution. However, we pay approximately $3,000 annually for support.
I rate Microsoft DPM an eight out of ten.
We use Microsoft DPM on a daily, weekly, and incremental basis. We also use this solution for data replication. We have multiple products in our environment, both Microsoft and others. We also have a huge ERP like SAP running on Oracle.
I like the core backup feature. I also like the file server backup feature. I find Microsoft DPM interesting because it has fantastic integration with Microsoft products. For example, in Exchange and SharePoint, DPM is excellent when it comes to backing up data. It also does a decent job with open-source products.
It would be better if it integrated seamlessly with open source and competitor products. In the next release, I would like to see some data governance frameworks. It should have support features for data integration and data replication like Veeam. Right now, we are also using Veeam for certain scenarios.
I have been using Microsoft DPM for about seven years.
Microsoft DPM is stable, but there can be issues when integrated with other products.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give stability a seven.
Microsoft DPM is scalable. It scales much better with Microsoft products but not others. We have about 17 users at our company. But mainly three administrators.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give scalability a seven.
Tech support for premier services customers was fantastic.
Positive
We used to use EMC Networker. We switched because it was very complex, and troubleshooting was an issue. We couldn't fix any problems and had to wait for our partner to fix them. Microsoft DPM was a lifesaver for us. It's very easy to administer and manage in any complex environment.
The initial setup is straightforward. We initially deployed the core backend environment, then the server, and then established the DPM environment. After that we started configuring and testing.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give the initial setup an eight.
I implemented this solution by myself. My environment is very complex, with over 80 virtual machines and hardware. So, it took a couple of months to fully implement this solution. We have backup, network, storage, and cloud administrators who maintain this solution.
We experienced a couple of cyberattacks, abrupt service disruptions, and corrupted VMs because of an unplanned update. DPM helped us quickly restore and get up and running again. It has certainly paid a return on our investment.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give the ROI an eight.
I think Microsoft DPM pricing is reasonable. The additional costs are related to storage and technical support.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give pricing an eight.
We evaluated NetBackup and Veritas.
On a scale from one to ten, I would give Microsoft DPM an eight.
The most important use case is in the recovery of some data.
We can recover after users or bad applications have deleted data.
Sometimes we use it for recovery, the complete recovery of machines.
The most important feature is that it's easy to use.
The product is scalable.
The issue with the solution is if you have some problems, it's difficult to find the reason for the problem and to troubleshoot the problems with the solution.
There are so many different things to configure. It can really mess with the settings. In general, more settings need to be possible. You have only a few settings and if you change them for some special configurations, it's very difficult.
It's not so stable from time to time. You have problems occasionally. Sometimes the Microsoft patches for the operating systems might cause issues. However, with this product, the root cause can be tough to find.
It's not that easy to install.
You can manage this DPM or you can monitor this DPM with Microsoft Operations Manager and so on.
We've used the solution for six years at this point. It's been a while.
The solution isn't completely stable. There are issues with patching occasionally.
For our environments, it's scalable. It's not a problem if you need to expand.
We only have three admins on the product currently.
We do not plan to increase usage. We plan on moving away from it and onto Rubrik.
We've contacted technical support in the past. When we had contact they were very good and very fast. We've had fast resolutions. That said, there have been times when we had no solutions for certain issues and Microsoft invited us to try a variety of things that didn't resolve the issue.
We're actually in the process of switching products. In a few weeks, we'll be changing to Rubrik.
I'm aware of a few other solutions, such as Veeam and Acronis for example. I haven't used them directly. I am just aware of these as potential options. Microsoft was the best choice as it's included within a larger Microsoft license.
When it comes to installing the solution, you need to know what to do. It's not simple or straightforward.
For the initial setup and deployment, we had finished everything in about three hours. That's the amount of time we needed for installation and configuration.
In our case, we had one admin that handled the initial setup.
We were able to handle the installation ourselves. It is a process you can manage yourself. We did not need the help of integrators or consultants.
That said, it's better if you have some guys that have handled many installations and know some tricks, and some tips. For example, what's the best way to install, et cetera.
We have a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement for licenses. We pay yearly.
You have one Microsoft license. With this license, you can use all the systems and products. The DPM license is included in this license and you have no additional cost. As a backup and recovery product, you can just integrate it with other solutions.
We're solutions providers.
At this time I would not recommend the solution to other users.
I'd rate it at a five out of ten.
We're a local government entity and also a very Microsoft-centric shop. We use it for backing up the following workload types (All servers running Windows Server 20xx):
- Physical Windows Servers
- Hyper-V Servers (at the host level)
- Hyper-V Servers ( at the guest level)
- Sharepoint
- Exchange
- Network File Shares, implemented as CAFS (Continuously Available File Shares)
DPM has improved our RPO over the previous solution, which was dated and had been in place for years.
The solution really does great recovery. When the typical use case of someone says, "Oh gosh, I've accidentally deleted my file", we have that item-level recovery. It's saved us on many occasions. However, I do believe any backup solution would give a user that kind of performance.
The solution came with System Center so we didn't have to pay for it that way. If you're already a System Center customer, I believe it's a free product, or, at least, it comes with that bundle. That benefit there is you're already in the system set or ecosystem.
In that sense, the price is good since we're on System Center.
The solution backs up Microsoft workloads just fine, when synchronization doesn't fail.
There is a very poor online user community in terms of people blogging about their experiences with DPM.
I'm on Google all the time, resolving issues. All I ever find is the official Microsoft documentation. While that can be helpful, and that is in many cases, authoritative, it's not the same as having an independent user community who's writing about it. I have to wonder about the product when I don't see a vital external user community in existence.
Every day I have to log in and look at agent alerts and failures that I have to resolve. There are so many different types of agent failures that I have to diagnose pretty much every day due to the fact that the replicas are out of sync with the current state of a file or the VM or something. I'm constantly involved in a lot of hands-on maintenance. They need to change that and potentially make some sort of automated solution to this problem so the workload isn't so heavy for those maintaining the solution.
It's not a set it and forget it kind of solution. Not that anything is. However, it's a lot of labor involved in just keeping the replicas in sync.
One of the things I think would like to be able to use is their cloud storage at the block level so that it's cheaper for a government entity. We want to have replicas in the cloud, however, it's very expensive. They're using the most expensive tier of Azure storage. We would rather just be able to specify that our cloud backups go to Blob based storage for budgetary purposes. I don't believe that's available, but then again, I can't really find that out online due to a lack of a user community.
I would like to maybe have Office 365 backups. I know other vendors offer that however, I don't believe that's available within this solution.
I've been using the solution for about three years now.
The stability is average at best. I'm daily resolving anywhere from 20-80 synchronization failure, which occur for a variety of reasons.
The stability of the underlying system is questionable. There are many layers including the VSF service and the Windows server backup. There are agents. Then there's the DPM service as well. There are enough layers that having small problems from time to time means just constantly resolving replication issues. Stability, in terms of how well it keeps replicas in sync, is average.
I have not actually scaled this solution "out". One server is backing up a population of 80 servers, most of them virtual, as well as Continuously Available File shares.
A secondary server is backing up our primary server, but that's secondary protection, not scaling per se.
I can say that you need to keep your total number of Data Sources to under 300 per server. I did find this out only through a paid session with Microsoft Support. This is a scalability metric, which would indicate you need to scale out.
I fixed the problem by reducing my data sources. I did so by changing SQL Server protection to SQL backup jobs instead of using DPM Sql Server application protection. SQL Server protection can explode your data source count, if you have a lot of databases to protect.
Technical support is lacking. You can't call Microsoft and enter a help ticket and have someone call you back. You also can't find a user community online.
Both of those avenues are things that almost anyone does with a new product of any complexity. Users are going to want vendor support or a user community supporting and I haven't found either to be available.
We used an older version of VEEAM. Our director was behind the adoption of DPM. We did so at his request.
The initial setup wasn't straightforward. There definitely was a learning curve. I would say it was complex.
Due to the steep learning curve, deployment probably took a few months. Once you understand things, you need to look into protection groups and items of that nature.
I'm still learning new answers to the product. It's an ongoing learning process.
I implemented this in-house.
Other than the SQL Server license, the cost factor is appealing. There is a learning curve, like any other solution.
My director was the one who advocated this choice. There was no competitor analysis, probably because the price of DPM was bundled into SCCM, for which we were already licensed.
We're a government agency, so we don't have a business partnership with Microsoft.
I would suggest that Microsoft try to figure out how to foster an online user community outside of their official channels. This has been a source of frustration for me. New users should know, before implementing the solution, that this community doesn't exist right now, so there's no way to third-party verify Microsoft claims.
I would rate the solution five out of ten.
I would say it's not an industry leader. It might work for some people and it might be the most cost-effective option for some people, however, I don't know if everyone needs cloud backups. If a company needs a turn-key system or something close to turn-key system, it's not that.
The main purpose of this software solution for our company is centralized management for the new projects. Our enterprise is on the bigger side and we have around ten thousand employees based locally and internationally. This solution helps us to manage all of the operations across servers and different workstations.
Because of our business structure and the need for global connectivity, we faced some issues regarding authentication and integration that have been solved by Microsoft DPM.
The SSO feature is really valuable. It was integrated with Azure Active Directory and it provides access across different Microsoft apps using the same credential.
To evaluate the solution's abilities and its performance under demanding conditions, it is recommended to carry out a stress test. It would ensure that the current version of the solution can accept a lot of requests at the same time coherently.
I have been using this solution for approximately three years.
Our experience with the solution is good, it demonstrates a high level of stability. I rate it nine out of ten.
We didn't face major issues with the scalability so I would rate it eight out of ten.
We are highly satisfied with the level of customer service provided, it is excellent. If there is any challenge, we only need to open the ticket and we get the help instantly. I rate it ten out of ten.
Positive
The initial setup is straightforward and easy to operate. You can always refer to the documents or to Microsoft's website for any assistance if needed. I rate the process nine out of ten.
We used third-party support alongside the different teams from our enterprise. Due to the complexity of our business, we had to run the software through different departments such as the application team, database team, infrastructure team, operational team, and security team to identify if there were some modifications that had to be made to ensure successful implementation and deployment.
Microsoft DPM can be considered an expensive solution for smaller or medium enterprises, but we have been satisfied with the price structure as it is fixed and offers a variety of useful features. I would rate it seven out of ten.
For a seamless integration and to prevent any potential compatibility issues, it is advisable to conduct a thorough compatibility assessment before opting for this solution. I rate the solution nine out of ten.
