Storage Analyst III at a energy/utilities company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 5
Highly reliable, scalable, and beneficial duplication security
Pros and Cons
  • "The most valuable features of Dell EMC PowerProtect DD are the duplication security and uptime."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use Dell EMC PowerProtect DD for backing up a target.

    What is most valuable?

    The most valuable features of Dell EMC PowerProtect DD are the duplication security and uptime.

    Dell EMC PowerProtect DD works well with other solutions, such as NetWorker. It's really easy to pass over to Data Domain and vice versa. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Dell EMC PowerProtect DD for approximately 10 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability of Dell EMC PowerProtect DD cannot be beaten, it is highly stable and reliable.

    Buyer's Guide
    Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain)
    September 2023
    Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2023.
    734,024 professionals have used our research since 2012.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability of Dell EMC PowerProtect DD is very good.

    We have around 2000 employees and all the infrastructure that goes with it. We back up maybe 250 to 300 servers.

    How are customer service and support?

    I have had excellent support because I am not using overseas support. I try to have support agents in Utah USA, and Canada.

    How was the initial setup?

    The implementation of Dell EMC PowerProtect is straightforward. However, there are lots of options available. There are three different types of compression. It mainly dupes the data, and it also does local compression on the data domain itself. Once you choose the compression, you then have to decide whether you're going to do an entry backup or a straightforward input, big bucket type of backups, and only have one directory for your data.

    When you purchase Dell EMC PowerProtect DD, you always have help from EMC. They will help you get familiar with whatever is new to you. 

    When you spend the kind of money for this solution you do receive good support to help you through any issues, it is not complicated.

    What about the implementation team?

    We have two people that manage the solution, but the two people are more to cover sickness, training, vacation time, et cetera. A single person can do the maintenance.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The price of Dell EMC PowerProtect DD could improve, it is expensive.

    What other advice do I have?

    My advice to others is to ensure they understand the solution well so that when they do implement it, it is done correctly for the business. Lots of different companies use it in different ways. I was with EMC for 10 years and I have spent the last 15 years supporting EMC customers, every implementation is unique because everybody has different ways of doing things. They don't always follow best practices, they will follow their business best practice rather than the vendor's best practice. They want a different thing out of a backup environment.

    If my business said that they were going to change to a different backup product, I'd be looking for another job because I wouldn't trust my data with anything else.

    I rate Dell EMC PowerProtect DD a ten out of ten.

    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Regional Key Account Manager at ACT
    Real User
    Top 20
    Valuable deduplication feature; capacity software increases price
    Pros and Cons
    • "Good starting capacity and scalability."
    • "They still have hardware different from the software."

    What is our primary use case?

    The primary use case of our customers is to do backup for their data.

    What is most valuable?

    One of the most valuable features is that it looks for the deduplication, which can reduce the amount of the data.

    What needs improvement?

    One improvement to the solution would be in the integration with backup software. They still have hardware different from the software.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We have been working with Data Domain for around 10 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    The stability and performance of the solution is good.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Data Domain is suitable large enterprises. Because it's scalable, the solution is targeted toward medium to large enterprises.

    How are customer service and support?

    The technical support is good. It's better than others, but if they are not familiar with the problem, they have to take their time. But in general, they are good.

    How was the initial setup?

    I have a team that takes care of the deployment. They say it's easy but it takes some time, in terms of policies and integrating with infrastructures the customer already has. These are the challenges but it's easy to use.

    A medium project takes around seven days to implement and integrate. A large project, 200 terabytes or 300 terabytes of data, will take around 15 days to 20 days to integrate with all the servers and backup software.

    The solution comes with three years warranty and support from the vendor, but we have a lot of users with electrical outages, or unexpected errors happen. So we replace the hardware in terms of the hard disk or the controller, or we do maintenance in terms of upgrading the firmware on all of it.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The solution was cheap; now it's becoming more expensive. For example, if you buy it for 10 terabytes, you have to buy 10 terabyte also of software for it. It's called the capacity software. It increased our prices.

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    I've compared Data Domain to NetBackup Appliance. The pros for Data Domain are the starting capacity and the scalability, but the pro for the NetBackup Appliance is it's being integrated with their backup solution, which is NetBackup software. In terms of the integration with the software and the ability to have it, if you have a problem with your backup, you can restore it on the same machine. So, it's better in terms of NetBackup. 

    Overall, whenever we integrate Data Domain with NetBackup software, it's been good.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate the solution a seven out of ten. It's a good product that we recommend.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain)
    September 2023
    Learn what your peers think about Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain). Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: September 2023.
    734,024 professionals have used our research since 2012.
    Ozgur Fakir - PeerSpot reviewer
    Senior Technology Consultant at GlassHouse
    Reseller
    Top 10
    Good compatibility, great documentation, and easy to set up
    Pros and Cons
    • "It is a stable solution."
    • "We would like faster instant recovery."

    What is most valuable?

    The data application compression is great. I also like Cyber Sense, Cyber Lock, fast parallelizing insights, and Sure Backup.

    The initial setup is easy.

    It is a stable solution. 

    You can scale the product well. 

    The interface is good. We are very familiar with it and are comfortable using it. 

    The documentation is good. They are very accessible. 

    The compatibility is very good. 

    What needs improvement?

    We would like faster instant recovery.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've used the solution for around 20 years. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's very stable. I can replicate the Data Domain, virtual addition, to my local physical version. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The product is scalable. If you want to expand it, you can. 

    In my client's company they have about 1,000 people on the product.

    We likely will continue to expand the solution. 

    How are customer service and support?

    In my company, we handle the technical support on our side. We are an insured company for Dell also. We have about 100 technical people that can assist.

    How was the initial setup?

    The product is very simple to set up. It's not overly complex or difficult. 

    It takes about half an hour to compare all the data and for Data Domain to be set up in Azure. Also, I can see the source image and open Data Domain, and just share the source to my DPS solution, the networker. It works better.

    You only need one person to maintain the solution. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The price is reasonable. However, it varies from project to project. While we've tried cheaper options, the features just weren't as good. 

    Which other solutions did I evaluate?

    We just want to learn the difference between the DPS solution in Azure and Azure's own backup solution. I'm trying to measure for my customer if the DPS solution has different features for a better backup from an Azure site's backup.

    I can compare the instructions in the also Azure site as well. I have a lot of mechanical Data Domain on my site. Also, I have got Data Domains on the Azure site.

    What other advice do I have?

    I've been a consultant for 20 years. I'm a distributor. 

    I would advise others to try it out. 

    Our customers work with a solution partner, and we offer training. It's good to have some help and insights at first.

    It's a market leader. I'd rate it an eight out of ten. 

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
    PeerSpot user
    Pre-Sales and Technical Manager at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
    Real User
    Top 10
    Excellent features for deduplication and fast transfer
    Pros and Cons
    • "The features that I have found most valuable with Dell EMC PowerProtect DD are its deduplication feature and its DD Boost protocol for fast transfer, which is amazing."
    • "I would like to see some kind of integration with the ransomware in the next release."

    What is our primary use case?

    We use it mostly combined with software, such as NetWorker, and the Data Domain works as a repository for the information.

    What is most valuable?

    The features that I have found most valuable with Dell EMC PowerProtect DD are its deduplication feature and its DD Boost protocol for fast transfer, which is amazing.

    What needs improvement?

    I have seen documentation from other products saying that they protect against ransomware and I haven't seen this in Data Domain. I don't know if it is a good idea to have it in the appliance, but I would like to see some kind of integration with the ransomware in the next release.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Dell EMC PowerProtect DD for about 15, 20 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It is working stably. I haven't had any trouble with the implementations I have done.

    The backup solutions are from EMC umbrella. I have been using them for more than 20 years. All the implementation I have done for the past nine years+ have combined NetWorker and Data Domain.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    In terms of scalability, you can grow it and you can put additional units as needed.

    In terms of the number of people required to maintain the solution, that depends on the size of the customer environment. As an example, we have a customer with about 50 physical and virtual servers. They have two Data Domains with an administrator, but it is maintained by only one person.

    How are customer service and support?

    I haven't dealt with support because I haven't had any problems with the equipment.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup is pretty straightforward. It is pretty straightforward to implement - nothing very complicated. Most of the work is in the software part, so it depends on the software solution, not Data Domain particularly.

    The software part also depends on the amount of servers we are trying to protect. It also depends on the amount and types of database and applications. That is the complex part of these types of implementations.

    What other advice do I have?

    My advice to anyone considering this product is that the most important thing is to have a good sizing. If the sizing at the beginning is good, you won't have any trouble with the implementation or using the product. But if you have a bad sizing, it's going to be a headache.

    On a scale of one to ten, I would give Dell EMC PowerProtect DD a 10.

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Darshan Kolambkar - PeerSpot reviewer
    Sr Technical Architect at a financial services firm with 10,001+ employees
    Real User
    Top 10
    Offers data compression and deduplication for large organizations and has great technical support
    Pros and Cons
    • "The most important feature is the level of data compression provided by Dell EMC. It's a leader in data compression and deduplication, and the level of compression isn't available with any other vendors in the market."
    • "The only problem is that it's more expensive than any other vendors available in the market."

    What is our primary use case?

    This solution is deployed on-premises.

    What is most valuable?

    The most important feature is the level of data compression provided by Dell EMC. It's a leader in data compression and deduplication, and the level of compression isn't available with any other vendors in the market.

    What needs improvement?

    The only problem is that it's more expensive than any other vendors available in the market. Overall, the product has a very large portfolio, and even the support level is great, but the challenge is the cost.

    I would like to see a direct cloud backup solution. I should be able to directly take a backup into the cloud instead of having another product in between PowerProtect. It should be flexible enough to support the cloud.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been working with this solution for almost six years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's very stable.

    How are customer service and support?

    They have very experienced guys, and we have exchanged information with the offices in Singapore and Europe. I would rate them 4 or 5 out of 5.

    How was the initial setup?

    For the initial setup, you need to involve some of the OEM or service providers. You need support from the vendors because the complete design should be perfect, otherwise the product will not be deployed as per the requirement.

    For maintenance, it's very limited because automations are available, but we need people to keep track of all the backup jobs that are in progress. You need a team that has experience with these products, but it depends on how large your environment is. If you have multiple offices in multiple countries, you need a large number of staff who can support these products.

    It has a lot of automation which is supported, and it supports cloud-based implementation as well. The cloud side of it is very easy to create. You don't need to build anything in the cloud. If you're using it on-premise, you need people to manage and maintain it.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The price is really high compared to other vendors. The licensing cost is huge. Normal, mid-tier companies or small-scale companies wouldn't be able to afford it easily. Only bigger organizations like enterprises can afford this kind of product.

    What other advice do I have?

    I would rate this solution 8 out of 10.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    General Manager at Datacoast
    Reseller
    Reasonably priced with nice dashboards and good functionality
    Pros and Cons
    • "Its pricing is not overly expensive."
    • "It helps if you have in-depth knowledge in order to use it correctly."

    What is our primary use case?

    I have an IT company and have tested it in order to see if I could resell it to clients.

    What is most valuable?

    They have a very nice, clearly laid out dashboard.

    The functionality has been excellent.

    So far, the solution is stable. 

    Its pricing is not overly expensive. 

    What needs improvement?

    I still need to try all the features and functions. As a reseller, it's important I understand it and I have only used it for a few weeks. It helps if you have in-depth knowledge in order to use it correctly.

    Scaling can be better.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I've worked with the solution for 15 days so far. I was testing it.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    I'm not sure about the stability. I haven't yet tried it with big companies. I just tested the solution for a little bit. So far, for that purpose, it was stable. I didn't come across bg or glitches, and I haven't seen it crash or freeze. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The scalability could be better. I'm not sure how it would scale for bigger organizations. 

    We have just two people using the solution right now. It's myself and an administrator.

    How are customer service and support?

    I haven't needed any help yet and therefore have not used technical support.

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    I'm not sure if we used a different solution previously.

    How was the initial setup?

    The solution is moderately straightforward to set up It's not easy or difficult. 

    The deployment took about one to two hours. It didn't take long. 

    What about the implementation team?

    I handled the implementation myself. I did not need help from integrators or consultants. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The price of the product is pretty reasonable. 

    What other advice do I have?

    We are dealing with the latest version of the solution.

    We haven't had any difficulties with the solution while testing it. Maybe once we try to deploy to a sizeable company, we will find challenges. However, so far, it is good. 

    I'd recommend the solution. It's worked well, and it has good Google reviews. 

    I would rate the solution eight out of ten. 

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
    PeerSpot user
    Vedat Gunes - PeerSpot reviewer
    BI & Analytics Manager at a insurance company with 1,001-5,000 employees
    Real User
    Top 5Leaderboard
    Reliable, scalable, but performance could improve
    Pros and Cons
    • "Dell PowerProtect DD is a stable solution."
    • "The usage of this solution is a bit difficult to develop processes, and it takes a long time to market permits."

    What is our primary use case?

    I am using Dell PowerProtect DD for data extraction for extract, transform, and load(ETL) processes. This is a tool that receives data from operational platforms, or systems, such as in my factory in insurance, underwriting, claim management or health provisioning, et cetera. It receives the data from the source systems and not from the data warehouse platform by doing transformation or by loading the data or after loading the data. 

    What needs improvement?

    The usage of this solution is a bit difficult to develop processes, and it takes a long time to market permits.

    For how long have I used the solution?

    I have been using Dell PowerProtect DD for 15 years.

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    Dell PowerProtect DD is a stable solution.

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    Dell PowerProtect DD is scalable but there are better tools.

    The data engineers are using this platform in my company. There are 15 data engineers, and all of them are using this tool.

    How are customer service and support?

    We are using technical support from the producers, and it is not good. I'm not happy with the technical support.

    I rate the support from Dell PowerProtect DD a two out of five.

    How was the initial setup?

    The initial setup of Dell PowerProtect DD is complex. Its initial setup is a bit complex because it uses many services on the operating system. Sometimes it is hard to solve the issue while installing the solution on-premises.

    I rate the initial setup of Dell PowerProtect DD a three out of five

    With the Dell PowerProtect DD, it is not possible to deploy the solution by ourselves. We deployed, and upgraded the solution, it took more than a month because there were problems, and the producer need to solve the issues. This is what took time.

    What about the implementation team?

    We needed to get help to implement the solution because the producers because it is not easy.

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    If we do not move to the cloud solution and stay with our on-premise version we will miss some new features.

    I rate the price of Dell PowerProtect DD a three out of five.

    What other advice do I have?

    I rate Dell PowerProtect DD a six out of ten.

    Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

    On-premises
    Disclosure: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
    PeerSpot user
    Marinos  Savvides - PeerSpot reviewer
    Pre-Sales Consultant at Logicom Sales Inc
    Consultant
    Top 20
    Good deduplication and compression with helpful compatibility with other products
    Pros and Cons
    • "We have found the product to be scalable."
    • "The pricing could be lower."

    What is our primary use case?

    We're a system integrator, and we're providing services for a number of customers. It's not like we are using these products ourselves.

    What is most valuable?

    The deduplication and compression are great. 

    We started looking at Data Domain together with the Dell Cyber Recovery solution to have them work together.

    The solution is stable.

    We have found the product to be scalable. 

    The interface is fine.

    It has good documentation.

    Compatibility with other products is okay.

    What needs improvement?

    I cannot speak to the exact areas that need improvement at this time. 

    The pricing could be lower. 

    For how long have I used the solution?

    We've used the solution for a couple of years now. 

    What do I think about the stability of the solution?

    It's a stable, reliable product. It doesn't crash or freeze. There are no bugs or glitches. The performance is good. 

    What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

    The solution is scalable and pretty simple to grow. We work mainly with medium to enterprise-level organizations, and it works well across both. 

    How are customer service and support?

    Technical support is quite good. We find them to be helpful and responsive. 

    Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

    We are mostly also working with Dell. 

    How was the initial setup?

    I've never handled a deployment and, therefore, cannot speak to the implementation process. 

    What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

    The cost could be lower. Sometimes it's not very competitive.

    The licensing depends on the specific solution sizing, however, there are cheaper solutions that I have seen in the market. For example, HP tends to cost less. 

    What other advice do I have?

    We are a partner of Dell and a reseller. 

    I'm a presales consultant.

    It's a very stable product. It has some drawbacks in that it's quite expensive compared to other solutions. We mostly use it for enterprise customers. So they could improve a bit on the options for pricing. Beyond that, it's a solid product.

    I'd rate the solution seven out of ten. 

    Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
    PeerSpot user
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
    Updated: September 2023
    Buyer's Guide
    Download our free Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.