NetApp SnapMirror and Snapshot are prominent products in the data management space. While both offer unique features, SnapMirror may have an edge due to its robust data replication capabilities.
Features: NetApp SnapMirror is highly valued for its data replication tool, enabling disaster recovery with impressive speed and reliability. It provides block-based replication between primary and recovery systems, mitigating high network latency and ensuring consistent data transfers. Furthermore, SnapMirror's integration with Oracle, SQL, and VMware enhances its disaster recovery value. NetApp Snapshot offers efficient data storage and live snapshots for point-in-time recovery without user access disruption. It is particularly noted for space efficiency, as it doesn't consume additional disk space, and the ability to create numerous snapshots efficiently.
Room for Improvement: SnapMirror users suggest enhancements such as better management of disk utilization during synchronization and expanded replication from Windows file servers. Improvements in data replication performance and simplified licensing are also desired. NetApp Snapshot faces challenges with space consumption during frequent data changes and requires a UI upgrade. Licensing costs and automated space management are identified as potential enhancement areas.
Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: SnapMirror is primarily deployed in on-premises environments, whereas Snapshot supports diverse deployment options, including public clouds. Both have favorable customer service reviews, with NetApp's technical support noted for responsiveness. However, user satisfaction varies depending on regional support levels, with North America reporting higher satisfaction.
Pricing and ROI: SnapMirror is often bundled, presenting cost-effectiveness for some users, though it can be expensive, necessitating pricing improvements. Its adaptable licensing can become costly, influencing budget planning. Snapshot is considered pricey, especially with premium licenses, but its free local snapshots offer cost efficiency. Both solutions deliver solid ROI, particularly in data protection and disaster recovery integration and reliability.
| Product | Market Share (%) |
|---|---|
| NetApp SnapMirror | 8.8% |
| NetApp Snapshot | 9.6% |
| Other | 81.6% |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 6 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 10 |
| Large Enterprise | 10 |
| Company Size | Count |
|---|---|
| Small Business | 10 |
| Midsize Enterprise | 4 |
| Large Enterprise | 10 |
NetApp Snapshot is a data replication software that works through snapshot copies, crucial for the recovery of data. These copies are used as safe points for rollback before upgrades or patches. NetApp Snapshot provides prompt data replication which is also highly space-efficient, and provides users with the full management and control of their data and its copies. Through the various solutions the Snapshot technology has introduced, companies receive enhanced stability, functionality, and performance, as well as storage efficiency.
NetApp Snapshot uses two types of snapshot technologies to handle data replication: Copy on Write (COW) and Redirect on Write (ROW). The COW technologies make a copy of the original information and then only after the replication process is completed does the system overwrite the modified data into the original blocks. In contrast, ROW redirects the snapshots to new storage blocks, updating pointers to those blocks, which always point to the original location. When NetApp Snapshot combines the two technologies, it allows customers to save storage efficiency by way of deduplication and compression.
NetApp Snapshot’s valuable features include:
The benefits of using NetApp Snapshot include:
Gregg N., Manager of Data Center Services at TTi Power Equipment, states that the primary use of NetApp Snapshot by his organization is as a data-protection solution in the cloud and in the data center. He points out that this data duplication software is very user-friendly, extremely stable, and scalable.
Edgar M., Sr. Data Protection Engineer at DataPivot Technologies, uses NetApp Snapshot for its monitoring or clone capabilities, and he agrees that the solution is very stable.
According to George A., CEO at BDPR Technologies Limited, the most valuable features of NetApp Snapshot are the integration with other vendors and customization.
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