Dell NetWorker Reviews

We are using Dell NetWorker in our ITC Limited to restore and manage data effectively. We have restored ten years of data with it.

Dell NetWorker has been effective and provides a good way to handle large-scale recovery tasks.

The most valuable features of Dell NetWorker are its reliability, performance, application data security, and encryption process. The compression ratio is very flexible for designing all the required policies for backup.

Dell NetWorker's support requires some experienced personnel to handle issues. In some cases, solutions are not found in one method of call and it escalates to many levels until an experienced person can join to resolve the issue.

I have been working with Dell NetWorker for the last five years.

I have no complaints regarding the stability of Dell NetWorker, and I find it to be an eight out of ten for stability.

I rate the scalability of Dell NetWorker an eight out of ten.

I haven't found solutions in the first call in some cases, indicating that the support team needs more experience and expertise. However, I have had mostly positive experiences with support.

Positive

I have previously worked with Veeam. I found the data compression ratio is very high in Veeam.

The initial setup is easy, and I rate it a nine out of ten for ease of setup.

I can do the deployment myself without anyone's help.

I am not sure about the exact pricing, but it seems to be nominal and reasonable.

I evaluated Veeam before switching to Dell NetWorker.

I recommend using Dell NetWorker due to its reliability, scalability, security, and convenience.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten.

We just use it for one purpose only, and that is to take our core banking database, Oracle, and take the RMAN backup. It is not used for any other purpose, only for taking the core banking software's Oracle database backup using RMAN.

Automation has been beneficial as we set criteria like old backups and retention periods, allowing NetWorker to function well with minimal interruption or maintenance required.

It is a little bit faster, and the storage time is better. Taking backups is faster.

Management of the software is a little bit hazy and not easy. We have to find where the administration features are located.

We may continue to use it in the future because it comes with PowerStore as backup software.

It's automated well, however, we faced occasional issues like partial upgrades causing disruptions.

We faced some issues with support. The engineers took too long to provide support, causing problems like backup stops and the need for manual backups.

Neutral

We also use Commvault in parallel; its features are better than NetWorker. Commvault is easier to manage, and restoration is simpler and faster. However, Commvault has a problem as it's hosted only on Windows Server, which is a security risk for us since we prefer Linux or Unix platforms.

We purchased our product in a bundle, so I can't specify the exact price. Dell bundled it with XtremIO, or previously we used Clarion CX4, and then XtremIO came. Now it comes with PowerStore. Therefore, I cannot precisely state NetWorker's exact price.

We use Commvault alongside NetWorker. Commvault is more manageable, with a faster restoration time and smarter features.

Due to support issues, I would not recommend NetWorker. Commvault's features are preferable. Although Commvault has a limitation of being hosted only in Windows Server, which poses a security risk, it is still more efficient.

I'd rate the solution six out of ten.

Dell NetWorker is mostly used for backup solutions, and it was quite good and easy to work with.

Dell NetWorker's user interface is quite simple and very interactive. The solution's user interface is easy to manipulate or maneuver around.

The solution could be graphically better.

I have been using Dell NetWorker for five years.

I rate Dell NetWorker ten out of ten for stability.

Our clients for Dell NetWorker are mostly enterprise businesses.

I rate the solution ten out of ten for scalability.

It took a while the last time I tried to get support, but once I got connected to the support, it was quite easy. I had a few challenges in the beginning, but it didn't take long once the communication was established.

Positive

On a scale from one to ten, where one is difficult and ten is easy, I rate the solution's initial setup an eight out of ten.

It takes a couple of minutes to install the server and the agents, but the solution's deployment doesn't take long.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is cheap and ten is expensive, I rate the solution's pricing an eight out of ten.

Dell NetWorker has supported our client's daily backup operations in a good manner. It's quite easy to use Dell NetWorker for disaster recovery processes. It is straightforward and requires a couple of steps, unlike other solutions where you'd have to go through too many options. Dell NetWorker allows me to examine the endpoints for data protection needs.

Dell NetWorker's deduplication functionality is way better than what we get on Veeam. The implementation of Dell NetWorker has positively affected our overall IT infrastructure performance. I would recommend the solution to other users.

Overall, I rate Dell NetWorker ten out of ten.

In our company, we rely on Dell NetWorker for many important tasks. It is our go-to for keeping documents safe and making sure our virtual environment, especially VMware, stays secure with reliable backup and recovery. We also use it for protecting user data and meeting file recording needs. Additionally, it plays a crucial role in keeping our email system, Microsoft Exchange, backed up.

The standout feature of Dell NetWorker is its expertise in handling our VMware environment. It makes the whole backup process for virtual servers, especially in large VMware setups like ours, a breeze. The proxy setup in the VMware part is super handy. Another great feature is Client Direct, which lets our clients send backup data directly to Data Domain or backup storage. This is a big win as it skips the network traffic, making backups smoother and more efficient.

In terms of improvements for the next release of Dell NetWorker, a key area would be enhancing the user interface, especially the NetWorker Management Console. The stability of the NMC could use some attention, as it tends to be a bit shaky during jobs and other operations. While the browser functions well for general tasks, the NMC encounters various problems, impacting its overall reliability. Addressing these issues would greatly improve the user experience and streamline day-to-day operations. In addition to addressing the UI and stability issues, another aspect that could be improved in Dell NetWorker is the optimization of job management. It would be beneficial to enhance the efficiency and reliability of job execution processes.

I have been using Dell NetWorker for two years.

Dell NetWorker is not extremely stable. I would give it a six out of ten for stability.

I would rate the scalability of the solution as a seven out of ten. We have two administrators using it at our company.

I would rate Dell NetWorker's support as a five out of ten. The experience varies; the support in the US and Egypt is okay, but the support from India is not great. The first-line support isn't always super technical, so they often ask for unnecessary stuff. It takes a while to get someone with the right know-how to help, making problem-solving a bit of a waiting game. There is room for improvement overall.

Neutral

Before choosing Dell NetWorker we worked with IBM Spectrum Protect. We picked Dell NetWorker because of Dell's global presence, but we found that it is an older product with fewer features compared to others. So, we decided to switch to a newer software that better met our needs.

The deployment process for NetWorker is relatively straightforward and doesn't take an extensive amount of time. Downloading the package, uploading it to the server, and installing it are typically the basic steps in the deployment process.

Dell NetWorker is not overly expensive. I would rate it as a four out of ten in terms of costliness.

My advice to new users is that if most of your setup is virtualized, around 80-90% in VMware, Dell NetWorker is a good choice. It excels in virtual environments. But if you are mostly dealing with physical servers, you might want to consider other options like Backup Exec or Veeam, which could be a better fit. Overall, I would rate the product as a seven out of ten.

We have around 700 VMs and maybe 200 terabytes in standalone servers. So we are successfully backing up both VMs and the file systems of standalone servers. Altogether, we are backing up maybe 500 terabytes. 

In Dell NetWorker, it is very simple to back up VMs. Finally, the backup of VMC is working reliably and is simple. We are also backing up to data domains, which are well integrated with NetWorker. 

Additionally, we are backing up to tape. Everything works fine. There is mutual compatibility so that we can move backups and clone backups from data domains to tape. It's great. Also, we are using a cloud tier to offload backups on Data Domain 6800s.

There is a significant weakness. It's the advertising of the product by Dell. They are doing everything to discourage people from using NetWorker. So that's a weakness, but it's not a weakness of the product itself. It's a weakness of Dell as an organization. We would be pretty happy to use NetWorker because we don't have any functional problems with it. 

The main issue is the lack of a clear vision for the future of NetWorker. Generally, the preferred backup solution is PowerProtect, and it probably has some benefits. But from our point of view, the disadvantage it has is the lack of support for a tape library. We made an investment into a tape library because it's still a pretty good option, especially for off-site backups. So, that's the only weakness of NetWorker.

Moreover, I would like to see additional features in future releases, especially with the growing importance of cloud integration and ransomware protection. The current offering of Cyber Vault for analyzing backups feels a bit clumsy. Real-time protection and more active ransomware detection features would be beneficial. 

Additionally, NetWorker is not integrated with contemporary storage solutions like Pure Storage. While solutions like Commvault and Veeam are integrated with Pure Storage, NetWorker lacks awareness of Pure Storage. Pure Storage provides snapshots that could be used for backup purposes, but NetWorker and Pure Storage are not compatible or communicating with each other.

I have been using Dell NetWorker for ages. So in the past, we were using Legato. Later on, we switched to backing up from Sun Microsystems. And eventually, it ended up with Dell becoming NetWorker. Altogether, we have been using it for 28 years, I believe. We currently use version 19.7.

It's been very stable.

It is scalable. We have around 3000 to 4000 staff and maybe 50,000 students using this solution. Just one person is required for administration and backup tasks.

The backup responsibilities are handled by two people, but there isn't even a dedicated person for it. We also have other responsibilities, so we are two part-time administrators.

Since the product is not on the front banner of Dell, the support may not be the best. We encountered some issues, and despite escalating the matter, the Dell team couldn't assist us. But the problem was more related to VMware than Dell. We were using an old version of VMware, and that caused problems with scheduling tags. We tried to seek help from Dell's support because we couldn't back up the so-called dynamic groups. These groups should automatically classify sources for backup based on tags, but it didn't work as expected. So, we had to manually allocate the VMs to groups. It wasn't a significant issue for us, though. However, I understand that Dell's attention is currently focused on its PowerProtect products.

We are generally satisfied with Dell's support. All our servers are from Dell, including all ESXs. Support for other products is excellent, without a doubt. However, Dell NetWorker can be a bit complicated, and when it's functioning properly, we have no issues. But when we face specific problems, it becomes extremely difficult to debug and provide feedback on the issue. Even with the assistance of Dell support, we couldn't make much progress. There were numerous rounds of joint sessions, but unfortunately, it didn't resolve the problem.

Neutral

The initial setup is very easy. It's incredibly fast. We once attempted to install Commvault, but it took us several days, and we couldn't get it to work. 

While deploying NetWorker was a breeze and could be done in just a few minutes. I even demonstrated this to the Commvault team, and they were bewildered. They couldn't believe that I could set up a new NetWorker installation within 20 to 23 minutes. So, for me, it is simple and intuitive. I personally don't face any issues.

We are in the educational sector, and I believe we receive significant discounts.

I don't know the exact RRP (Recommended Retail Price) for this product. We have some sort of a deal between the local Dell for Asia Pacific and our university. Our pricing is very good.

Firstly, I would suggest finding out the future prospects of NetWorker within Dell. I don't know how many more years Dell will support NetWorker. Dell seems to be pushing its new product, PowerProtect, which is a discouraging fact for me. 

If Dell intends to maintain both products, it should make it clear that the future of backup solutions lies in both PowerProtect and NetWorker. However, this is not clear at the moment.

Overall, I would say it's an easy nine.

I use the solution in my company as it is a product that has been sold to many customers, especially to those who need a foolproof, solid, and stable backup and restoration solution.

The use case for Dell NetWorker has been for customers with at least 60 to 75 machines for which they need a backup tool, and after that, it can go up to a couple of thousand machines. The product is useful for those who require a working solution without much technical fixing needed to make it work. The tool's restoration part is the most important, which allows users to check if the restore part is working properly with Dell NetWorker's help. The aforementioned reasons prompted me to continue selling the product to our company's customers.

The most valuable feature of the solution is a function in Dell NetWorker that works if the data that you are supposed to restore is resilient. If the data you want to restore is incomplete, then it has some functionality that will restore everything that is okay and skip the part that is not okay, so you get almost everything back.

Based on my experience, it was tricky to get support when I started working with the tool. The support is an area with concerns where improvements are required. Once the product starts working, users get good support.

I have been using Dell NetWorker since 1997.

It is an extremely stable product.

The scalability part of the product is very positive since you can scale it up or down as much as you like without any limitations.

In Sweden, where I used the tool, there were around a hundred users.

It was tricky to get the support to start working on your problem, but once you get to contact them, they offer professional help quickly.

I had technicians and engineers in my company to take care of the setup part of the product. The setup process of the product was straightforward. 

The product's setup phase can be completed in a day. My company hands over the product to the customer once they learn how it works.

The product can be deployed on an on-premises model. It can be deployed in the cloud or on-premises.

Earlier, users had to make yearly payments towards the licensing costs of the product. The licenses were expensive, but users used to get the best device to use.

My company did evaluate other products like Backup Exec, NetBackup, and IBM Tivoli Storage Manager against Dell NetWorker. My company chose to work with Dell NetWorker because of the backup and restoration speed that it offered, along with stability.

During my experience with the product, it did not have the deduplication feature in it unless you bought Dell EMC Data Domain and hardware appliance.

It is a really stable product and is one of the best solutions in the market. Based on my experience, the product has no limitations.

Dell NetWorker released a new version many years ago to cover a new operating system's latest version, but it didn't work. My company had to face a lot of problems with our customers until Dell acknowledged the problem and the fact that there was a need to do a little bit more work. The aforementioned area consists of the details of when I faced some issues with the product.

The benefit of having Dell NetWorker in infrastructure was to ensure that there was a backup and restore environment that was stable, worked well, and could deliver when needed.

I rate the overall tool a nine out of ten.

We have a centralized data domain system with a 100% virtualized environment. The product helps us with VM Backup, NAS system backup, and file system backup.

The product is a good backup solution and has helped our organization in most data storage scenarios.

Dell NetWorker's valuable feature is its ability to configure the network for immutability, specifically for backups. It is the most essential feature nowadays. We can take immediate backups. It has a good compression ratio as well.

The NDMP backups, especially NAS, could be optimal. We receive complaints from various vendors related to its slow performance. Additionally, it required full backups and configuration every week or two. There could be a possibility of constructing full backups from incremental data intelligently, similar to TSM. Further, they could adopt a progressive backup methodology.

We have been using Dell NetWorker for six years.

I rate the product's stability a seven out of ten.

I rate the platform's stability a seven out of ten.

The technical support services are good, especially when we have connected with the right individuals or specialists.

The decision to move from TSM to Dell NetWorker was primarily driven by Dell/EMC infrastructure use. We wanted to maintain a unified vendor approach across the entire converged infrastructure.

The initial setup is straightforward. However, PPDM is a lot easier to deploy than NetWorker.

We never encountered any challenges for data backup and restore. It is a big advantage considering the return on investment.

It is inexpensive compared to new products like Rubrik or Cohesity. They offer discounts to government organizations.

We have to keep Dell NetWorker updated as many security fixes need to be done. With everything shifting to the cloud, the organization beginning with the transition should consider hybrid solutions. This approach will help them back up both the cloud and on-premise versions in a hybrid environment.

I rate it a seven out of ten.

The main benefits of Dell NetWorker include its efficient incremental backup windows and the comprehensive training available for protecting various environments using NetWorker and Data Domain.

It offers seamless integration and can handle many VMs without adding workload or requiring additional backup time.

It provides a more convenient solution because it can integrate with multiple applications.

To integrate with the library and Oracle, we must make multiple changes to the OS and the database. However, with another solution, we only need to install the backup software, configure it, and run the backup without any changes to the OS. 

I encountered an issue with Insight, but by using the VR backup, I rebuilt the indexes and successfully brought the server up on the VR side.

It is stable.

It is scalable. 2000 servers are using this solution.

I've handled around 2,200 backups, and the high compression rates are impressive, achieving up to 99% deduplication and compression. This greatly increases capacity, reduces costs, and improves efficiency. From my experience, using the Avakapindi tool is the best approach. However, when it comes to Dell NetWorker, some challenges exist, particularly with integrating applications like SaaS and EVR. While integration with more straightforward databases like MySQL is manageable, advanced databases and applications like MongoDB, SAP, DB2, and Postgres are challenging to install and understand, especially from a DBA perspective.

Another issue is that with NetWorker, everything must be managed directly on the server. You can't install the agent or manage backups and restores from the front end; you must log in to the server. This is inconvenient for cloud providers, where accessing the server directly isn't always an option. Ideally, all backup and restore activities should be possible without server access, but with NetWorker, server-side limitations require logging in for updates, agent installation, and other tasks.

Most of the customers who are using NetWorker have a data domain.

Ultimate verification software is very useful for installing the networker in our environment. Deploying this solution takes two to three hours and three people.

It was easy to bring up and monitor the server, making it feasible in our environment. For example, it can be done despite encountering a couple of issues.

Pricing is considerable. We often need to purchase Data Domain to obtain the necessary licenses for NetWorker. Typically, they purchase Data Domain and then get the licenses for NetWorker and Avamar as part of the package.

Data Domain is a powerful solution, especially when integrated with Zenfone. It delivers the best backup performance and superior data aggregation and compression ratios unmatched by other backup solutions. One more thing to add is that achieving high performance during the backup window and optimizing deduplication and compression can greatly enhance the overall process. However, this can also impact the speed and efficiency of data restores.

I recommend the solution.

Overall, I rate the solution a seven out of ten.