DD Boost Reviews

I am currently working as a system engineer, and I have been using DD Boost for about two years. I use it quite intensively for managing data backups in my organization. My primary role involves configuring and maintaining the system, especially after refreshing our fleet of servers and needing to redeploy and reconfigure DD Boost from scratch.

DD Boost has been very beneficial in enhancing our data backup processes. We perform backups with less time, and it allows for efficient on-premises recovery and restoration. We use it in conjunction with the Veeam suite. Overall, it has helped us make a big impact by allowing us to have more restore points and optimizing our storage efficiency with faster backups compared to tape backups.

The most valuable features of DD Boost include its speed, deduplication, and space savings. The replication capabilities are also advantageous, enhancing the backup performance remarkably.

One area that requires improvement is the time needed for cleanup processes. When we undertake regular deletions of older backups, the cleanup of the data domain requires substantial time and puts pressure on the system, which can slow down backup and restoration speeds during that period.

I have been familiar with Boost for around ten to 12 years. That said, I have been working with DD Boost intensively for the last two years.

DD Boost is quite stable. In the two years I’ve worked with it, we only encountered one hard drive failure, which was easy to replace. Generally, it's reliable and dependable.

Scalability is somewhat limited and not extremely high. You need to be clear about your backup requirements to ensure it meets your needs. It's important to stay on target with what you're backing up and how much data you are managing.

Customer service and support have been supportive and satisfactory. Dell's support, especially during firmware upgrades, has been adequate. In Romania, the support is handled by a partner, as Dell does not have a direct presence.

Positive

Previously, I worked with HPE StoreOnce as an HPE storage engineer before switching to DD Boost. I inherited DD Boost in my current role, and coming from an HPE background, I recommended StoreOnce to my employer as an alternative. Both StoreOnce and DD Boost have similar targets and benefits.

The initial deployment of DD Boost is not complex if deploying straight out of the box. However, due to certain organizational requirements and challenges with operating systems and firmware, it required more attention during installation and reconfiguration, especially after refreshing our servers.

I worked with another individual skilled in DD Boost during the deployment and configuration process. My experience and knowledge from HP were also valuable in providing a different perspective on the deployment.

The financial benefits of using DD Boost are significant. We save a lot by no longer using physical tapes for backups, making only one external backup tape for additional security in a separate physical location. We achieve a fifteen to twenty percent reduction in costs.

DD Boost is not quite affordable, but the benefits outweigh the costs if you understand the necessity of the solution. In my opinion, the price is not affordable for every organization. For a big firm like ours, the cost of data loss could be much higher, making DD Boost a valuable investment.

Having worked with HPE StoreOnce in the past, I know it to be a comparable product with similar benefits to DD Boost. StoreOnce would be the alternative solution I considered.

Overall, I would recommend DD Boost as it is reliable, stable, and offers financial benefits through data deduplication and performance improvements in backups. Despite the cost, the savings in terms of reduced data loss and recovery speed make it worthwhile.

I'd rate the solution nine out of ten.

From a technology standpoint, DD Boost offers some of the cutting-edge solutions around data protection.

From a reseller perspective, this product is one of the best technologies available in the industry. Customer reviews have been good, and customers see value in this product.

Disadvantages could be in terms of price points because price points are a hindrance at times when we position it with customers.

The customer sees it as a complete proposal and will not break it down between license cost or the hardware cost.

There is room for improvement in terms of response time.

Regarding installation, it is not complex, but neither is it straightforward. You need to have experts who can install it.

As a non-technical person, I cannot comment on specific deployment challenges.

Positive

Dell is a strategic partnership for us as resellers.

We rarely focus on PowerProtect Data Manager (PPDM).

Every data protection solution vendor offers encryption as part of their solution. This is one of the default standards required for data protection.

Regarding Network Efficient Replication on disaster recovery operations, it is definitely effective. Customers get native capability out of the box to do a restoration.

Typically, customers look at a secondary copy in the cloud, but primary will be on-premise.

While we have a partnership with AWS, we do not buy from the AWS Marketplace.

I would recommend this product to medium enterprises to large enterprises.

On a scale of 1-10, I rate DD Boost a 7.

I use DD Boost because we utilize some Data Domain protection servers. We use DD Boost with our backup solution, Veeam, as it is part of our Veeam backup solution. 

I believe the most valuable aspect is the speed of the technology. Since the technology is proprietary, it is not known by everyone, making it more secure. I believe it is more secure because it is a technology employed by Dell Appliance, which makes it more secure compared to other solutions. We use it as it's quicker with the data, providing a secure solution.

I have used the solution for more than five years, but less than ten.

To be sincere, I never had problems with the stability of DD Boost. I would rate it nine out of ten because I never give a ten.

I rate customer service nine out of ten. The support is technically very good. Sometimes, they take a long time to respond, but generally, they provide good support. I have used them for many products, so I rate them eight point five out of ten. I won't give more because I had some troubleshooting issues, but they were related to personal problems, not their capacity or availability. Technically, they are good.

Positive

I have used other solutions, but I didn't choose any of them because I don't have a comparable solution like Boost. I know ExactGrid is similar, but I haven't tried it, so I can't say if it's better or not. DD Boost does its job correctly, and I’m using it.

In my case, it was simple to put into place because the solution we use, Veeam, is already a good solution. They work around the Boost DDoS protocol, and it's simple to deploy. I did not have any difficulties. The deployment was done both on cloud and on-premises.

We used both in-house and a third-party integrator for the last order we made. It was a package. The first time we used it, it was done in-house. 

It's complicated for me because when we buy, we buy a package, so I don't have the DD price. Every Data Domain we buy comes with Boost technology, with the DDoS feature. I don't know the price of DDoS individually, so I can't respond to this question.

I am aware that ExactGrid is a solution very similar, but I haven't tried it, so I can't say if it's better or not.

I never give a ten because that suggests the product is perfect, which I don't believe any product is. Although I don't have any problems, some of my colleagues in other companies do experience issues implementing DD with certain backup products. However, that's not my case. I rated it eight because I believe there's room for improvement.

I am handling the storage part, not the compute part. Through storage, I have Dell PowerMax 2000, Dell Unity, Data Domain, and Dell SAN switches. Additionally, I have two boxes from IBM FlashSystem 9500.

I am familiar with Cloud Pak, as I am currently working with IBM Cloud Pak for Application and IBM Cloud Pak for Integration.

I am using Dell EMC NetWorker at my site, which natively supports DD Boost. For certain workloads, I am using Dell PowerProtect Data Manager and Veritas NetBackup. All three applications support DD Boost and work fine with it, achieving a great level of deduplication rates.

The features I find most valuable in DD Boost include its ability to save a lot of time in backup and reduce the backup window because it does not share multiple data on the network that is more than what has already been written on Data Domain. This saves and reduces the amount of used bandwidth for backup transfer, which also reduces the needed backup window, demonstrating the benefits of using the software and hardware that support DD Boost.

I have a very good deduplication rate with DD Boost. Currently, the deduplication ratio is 1 to 32, which is very good even though I am writing many versions of the backup that is actually compressed. I was expecting a much lower compression ratio.

DD Boost can improve by providing some sort of API to track the progress or the number of remaining data transfers. For instance, in other Dell products such as storage, SRDF replication protocol includes command outlines to give insights on the current transmission rate and differences between the main copy and the disaster recovery copy.

A more intuitive interface providing details about the background processes, such as the percentage of data being transferred now and estimates for completion, would be greatly beneficial.

Additional features I would like to see in the future include a more intuitive way to monitor background processes. If there could be CLI tools to check on DD Boost's operations, such as how much data is currently being transferred or how much has already been written to Data Domain, along with stats on how much DD Boost has saved during backup jobs, it would be very valuable to have.

I have been working with Data Domain for at least six years at my site.

I have only one device per site, so using load balancing between multiple sites is not feasible, especially in the communication infrastructure in Egypt, where I cannot sustain a good round trip time between multiple sites.

I cannot assess the adaptability of DD Boost in supporting cloud deployments because I am working in a banking sector that is heavily regulated in Egypt, and I am not allowed to host any workloads on public clouds. However, on-premises, there are multiple scenarios for using DD Boost. I can use it natively with databases by installing it to directly communicate with Data Domain, and it is supported in multiple database engines. There are also multiple products built on DD Boost as part of cyber resilience or cyber recovery solutions.

I do not have experience with these specific products, but I actually have a different portfolio. At the moment, I am seeking alternatives for a tech refresh project for storage and a backup target or a deduplication device, so I am currently searching for alternative models or solutions on the market to the current implementation.

I am actually using Data Domain, but at the same time, I know that HP has a competing product, and I have researched it to gain more knowledge. I am using multiple Dell products, including PowerEdge.

We use DD Boost as a backup appliance for data storage. The appliance provides data deduplication and synchronization, contributing to faster processes. We engage with a local partner who handles the provider and support requirements.

We've not encountered scenarios requiring data recovery because the box functions as a highly reliable backup appliance. The data remains available, and we have not experienced data loss. However, there is limited benefit from the software side since we primarily use the appliance.

DD Boost serves as a backup appliance providing data deduplication and synchronization, which accelerates processes. It helps store data that is not state-critical, maintaining it highly available. Although the software side remains underutilized due to the lack of proper handover and the opportunity to leverage its full capabilities, the appliance's general reliability is valuable.

The setup and handover process was not effective, preventing us from leveraging the software's available benefits. 

The cost of support has become high, especially with the split between Dell and VMware, now charged per core. 

We also advise an upgrade to the firmware for enhanced operation.

For about three years or more, we have been using DD Boost.

Apart from one incident where the appliance failed to start due to a hardware issue, we have not had stability problems. Dell's support helped restore the hardware.

The hardware support through Dell and our local partner is rated at eight out of ten. They efficiently resolve issues raised under the service arrangement.

Positive

Dell and our local partner handle support-related services. The local partner is Dell's certified distributor.

The initial hardware was a donation from USAID through the Ministry of Health, so we did not face the initial setup cost. However, the recurring support costs are significant, and the price has risen after the Dell and VMware split.

Due to limited engagement with the software side, I rate DD Boost at five out of ten. Even though I am not privy to its full capabilities, its presence and use as an appliance are acknowledged.

Some of our customers use data domain models like 6400 and some have a higher model, 9400. We sell the Dell solution, and some customers upgrade their software quicker than others, like to version 7072. 

We specialize in selling backup solutions to various organizations, including telecommunications and government sectors.

Boost has been quite good compared to traditional solutions based on, for example, virtual machines plus NAS storage, offering two, three, or four times faster backup and restore operations.

DD Boost is a proprietary technology of Dell, which helps to store the data faster and in a more secure way compared to open protocols.

It is more about backup software improvements rather than the data domain or DD Boost solutions. For example, Dell Technologies are struggling to back up Office 365 and some open-source hypervisors like Proxmox. 

If we talk about Dell backup software, there is room for improvement in areas such as backup from IBM operating systems, open-source products, and Office 365.

I've used the solution for three years, I would say.

The solution is scalable. The customer can upgrade even if they need more performance or storage capacity.

Dell has a warehouse of spare parts. In general, if customers purchase next-business-day support and expect weekend support, they may complain if they did not buy options that include weekend support. I would rate it an eight out of ten. Sometimes customers complain. I am not the right person to ask for direct support since I am a reseller.

Positive

If we talk about basic work, we need to install DD into the rack, connect all of it, and make the first setup. We can do it within a day, and then it depends on customer infrastructure.

Pricing is competitive. The licensing model offers two options: per capacity and per host. With perpetual licenses and backend-type licenses where we license the deduplicated data, it is good.

The closest competitor is HPE StoreOnce if we only talk about the deduplication level. In general, we could also use Commvault with the hyperscale clusters.

I'd rate the solution ten out of ten.

We recommend it to our customers. 

We only have one full backup currently stored in DD Boost. If we had multiple copies of the full backup, deduplication and compression (DPU) would be more beneficial. 

However, in our environment, where space is a concern and retention is limited, DPU compression doesn't offer significant advantages. 

In other environments, with longer retention periods (up to 30 days) and multiple full backups, DPU compression can achieve a 7:1 or even 10:1 ratio.

There were no major challenges when integrating DD Boost with other products in the customer's environment. In our customer's environment, they were using EMC Networker as the backup tool software. 

We didn't see any integration challenges with their database host, other hosts, operating systems, or even the internet router. We didn't experience any problems with the hosts, including their Oracle database, SQL database, and okay, everything worked fine with Boost.

My customer was interested in ransomware protection. Currently, Dell offers the Cyber Vault solution, which is separate from Data Domain. 

Ideally, ransomware protection would be integrated directly within DD Boost, without requiring an additional out-of-the-box solution. This feature is currently available with HPE's Zerto and Huawei's Ocean Protect with third-party products like PradoNet. 

While Cyber Vault exists as a separate solution from Data Domain, having some standard protection for immutable backups into DD Boost would be a valuable addition and make it more competitive with other vendors.

My customers haven't experienced any specific issues related to DD Boost itself. However, their current Data Domain (DD6900) has capacity issues. This is their main concern now; they need to expand storage.

They're considering various options: a technology refresh, a complete solution swap (like HP StoreOnce), or another solution like Commvault, Huawei or OpenText. They're looking for options to minimize costs, simplify operations, and ensure everything runs smoothly. Their current concerns aren't related to backup or DD Boost performance. Their Data Domain is simply at 91% capacity with a six-day retention period.

So, due to the short retention period, they don't benefit much from data retention because the data isn't stored in the Data Domain long enough for DD Boost's deduplication to be fully effective.

I have been familiar with this product for ten years now. 

I would rate the scalability a six out of ten. 

In my experience, HPE StoreOnce Catalyst backups and NFS backups offer better performance compared to backups primarily relying on Data Domain.

The backup support for DD Boost wasn't impressive. My personal experience with enterprise storage support for products like VMAX, PowerMax, even EMC and Symantec, was excellent. I'd rate it a ten out of ten. 

However, for Data Domain and Networker support, which I consider legacy products, I'd rate it a six or seven. It's not as extensive or quick compared to their support for other products like enterprise storage. 

Network issues seem to take longer to resolve, often lasting two to three shifts, even with rotating shifts and NGIs (Next Generation Incidents) being assigned constantly.

Support for other Dell EMC storage products, like the SC Series, PowerStore, VxBlock, and PowerMax, is fine. However, I'd rate backup support for Data Domain and Networker as slightly below average.

Neutral

We have an installed base of EMC Networker and Data Domain. However, our client wants to phase out the Data Domain and replace it with Zerto. I was testing if Zerto works with Networker and supports all the NFS features needed for backups.

The initial setup was a bit complex, not very straightforward. It required some tweaking, but it wasn't overly difficult.

Initially, there was some difficulty with configuring separate procedures for updating the normal storage nodes and the DDOS backups. This was because it wasn't similar to our traditional storage node-based backups. 

However, our team is now familiar with the process and doesn't encounter any issues with configuration, structure, or performance. Our only concern is the capacity issue, not related to DD Boost itself.

The pricing is definitely competitive and unmatchable. The price of Data Domain is very attractive compared to HPE, StoreOnce, or its current alternative, which is probably more expensive. 

We're considering StoreOnce 5660.

StoreOnce advantages include Catalyst backups, immutable backups, and ransomware protection on the Catalyst Store. Data Domain Boost can offer some protection, but not as extensive or as fast as the HPE Catalyst backup store. The performance of Catalyst backups is much faster than DD Boost. 

Additionally, the performance of HPE Catalyst backups is significantly faster than DD Boost. DD Boost can reach up to 11 terabytes per hour, whereas StoreOnce Gen4 Class Series models offer backup performance of up to 36 terabytes per hour.

Overall, I'd give it a nine out of ten. It's a good product that helped the customer achieve efficient backups with good performance. The traditional storage node and VPN setups are still viable options, but DD Boost offers a premium option with additional advantages. If available, adopting DD Boost can be a good choice.

At our company, we have configured DD Boost on Data Domains and web-based backup appliances. DD Boost is connected to a network solution of our organization. 

Using DD Boost, you can deduce a technology that connects the Data Domain with the NetWorker. DD Boost acts as a path to connect the Data Domain and NetWorker simultaneously to take backups. 

The product is necessary in order to communicate with both Data Domain and NetWorker devices. 

In one and half years at our company, we have faced only one challenge with DD Boost, which is the password expiry. By default, the password of DD Boost expires in thirty days, after which a query needs to be raised using Google and find out the limited extension time to resolve the issue. 

There is limited knowledge and documents regarding DD Boost over the internet, it needs to be enhanced by the vendor. 

I have been using DD Boost for one and a half years. 

It's a stable product. I would rate the stability an eight out of ten.

I would rate the scalability a nine out of ten. There are two users of DD Boost in our organization. 

I would rate the tech support a seven out of ten. Our company is from Pakistan, we have limited resources on field when it comes to customer support, our company team is connected by the vendor to remote support providers from Egypt or China.

Due to the aforementioned support-providing country, we sometimes face communication issues in our organization and also challenges with available timings. On some occasions, the vendor has connected support providers who are unable to communicate in English. Otherwise, the core support team is knowledgeable and provides satisfying support. 

Neutral

The initial setup can be simple or complex based on multiple conditions. I would rate the initial setup an eight out of ten. The deployment of the solution in our organization was quite easy. The entire deployment process took about a week in our company. 

We faced a challenge during deployment in our organization; when the NetWorker was installed, multiple ports opened up for backup and restoration to communicate with clients.

Our company would recommend that the NetWorker restrict the solution to two or three standalone ports. NetWorker has around ten thousand ports that are required to communicate with clients. Presently, we are reducing the aforementioned ports on the NetWorker by keeping the active ports open and monitoring daily. 

At our company, we manually create a few jobs to develop the application using DD Boost. Using the solution's data replication feature, we create jobs for entailing devices from primary to radar. 

Our organization plans to use the solution's AI features soon. Overall, I would rate the solution a nine out of ten. Our company uses DD Boost only for backup purposes.

We are using the RMAN tool, which stands for Recovery Manager, in our company's backup solution. The backups are managed through the Recovery Manager (RMAN).

The time taken for backup is very fast.

If you are using it with Recovery Manager, there are certain limitations. If those limitations are addressed, productivity will improve. If you're not following the instructions provided by NMDA for such a single query manager, the product may not function correctly.

I have been using DD Boost for 5 years.

The product is stable.

I rate the solution’s stability an eight out of ten.

We are using five databases which are not distributed. Everything is in one data centre only.

I rate the solution’s scalability an eight out of ten.

We don't have on-site support. We rely solely on their offline support. We receive on-site support upon upgradation. It is satisfactory once you raise your service request. They troubleshoot and solve the problem. It takes some time from their end.

Neutral

The initial setup took three days to configure and test.

I rate the initial setup an eight out of ten, where one is difficult, and ten is easy.

We are taking backup on a daily basis until now. There are no serious issues or complaints.

The product has competitive pricing.

We are not using DD Boost for disaster recovery drills because our database is very large. We haven't attempted a full database recovery. Instead, we are testing recovery on specific small databases.

DD Boost doesn't have any impact on the base servers. Data is offloaded, and then Dell's solution handles the process. This lack of impact is beneficial for database operations because activities are offloaded to the backup appliance servers.

It depends on each person's requirements for a database backup whether features like deduplication and compression are suitable. Ultimately, it depends on the specific needs of the user.

We can find everything in one place. We are not using it in a distributed environment. We are dedicated to our database servers only. We don't use it for any other applications.

Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

In our current production environment, we are using Data Domain for both primary and NDR, and we are planning to replace the VINs. Our focus has mainly been on improving data transfer rates, particularly for decision-making and data transfer efficiency.

Operationally, we are satisfied as there have been no issues or closures to report. The ability to restore at any time and capacity is a notable advantage, saving time compared to previous setups. Additionally, the solution has proven efficient in handling data across various locations and time zones.

The main issue I've identified is that when backing up a final backup from the branch server, we don't have deduplication functionality. This becomes a significant concern when backing up over the WAN, as losing the base image and having to back it up again can incur a substantial overhead. The issue arises when the application and data set backup on the primary side are not immediately synchronized. This concern becomes more prominent when replicating from the primary to the disaster recovery site.

I have been working with it for approximately eight years.

It has been very stable.

Currently, scaling is not feasible as it requires a renewal of support services.

Technical support has effectively addressed most of the issues. Initially, when running tests, challenges arose, prompting a switch back to the Data Domain setup. Since then, operations have been running smoothly without any issues. Remote responses have been prompt, and physical presence is rarely required, except for occasional on-site visits during digital deployments. Beyond that, most tasks and troubleshooting are handled remotely, allowing us to benefit from related advantages within twenty to fifty minutes of making a call. I would rate it eight out of ten.

Positive

The design of our previous setup involved separate directories, leading to complexities, especially with infections. Upon migrating to an open setup, specifically using Data Domain, we conducted test services. The key advantage was the simplicity of managing data, particularly with the ease of using the Data Domain backup facility. This system proved to be responsive and efficient in handling data, unlike our previous setup. We found it easy to use, especially in comparison to our previous setup with Veritas.

The initial setup was straightforward.

For the deployments, we consistently engage consultants and local partners to carry out the necessary tasks. During the deployment, a glitch occurred when attempting to enable the primary application through EMC. Despite initial efforts, it proved unsuccessful, leading to consultation with experts who recommended adopting AI technology for the task. Following this advice, the application was successfully enabled.

The pricing is competitive when compared to other vendors.

Overall, I would rate it nine out of ten.