Dell PowerProtect DD (Data Domain) Reviews

The backup is very secure. The deduplication using EMC is very good. We are able to make systems and handle random cloning. EMC is a very stable solution for making backups.

The solution needs to improve its platform, especially backup features like DB2 and other system backups. 

They should reduce the CPC cost to customers. The product is becoming very expensive.

In the next release, EMC should support stable level listings at restoration and stable space level in the database. Sometimes if I want to take the stable level restoration, EMC is not available. Only this one part is lacking in the current version. 

The solution is very stable.

The solution is easy to scale. We have nine people on it and they are all system admins. We are planning to increase usage and to increase the license.

Technical support is excellent. I would rate it eight out of ten.

We previously used HP Data Protector. The HP Data Protector backup was not secure. We used to do a backup, but at the time of restoration, it would give us some issues on the restored data.  We were not able to access and stream data on HP. EMC is much easier in terms of restoring the backup properly. 

The initial setup is very easy. Any person can handle the initial setup of the solution.

I handled the implementation myself.

I would recommend the solution. I'd rate them nine out of ten.

Our primary use for this product is for backup purposes and compression.

There are a number of ways that it improved our organization with the processing of backups and saving disk space, but the costs are somewhat prohibitive.

The most valuable feature, beyond simply backing up our servers, is the data compression capability.

There are several things that can be improved with this product even though it is not bad. 

The biggest concern for us is the licensing model. In terms of feature capability, there are too many separate modular features that require licensing. I would like to see a Data Domain license for one cost that contains what we need to utilize the product to its full capability. I don't like the idea of having to worry about buying another license to do something else and add functionality. So I am suggesting that it would be good if they made the product more integrated and adaptable.

If I choose not to use only EMC products, it should allow me to make whatever integration I choose to do with ease. It is not so easy to do this.

The technical support after the initial deployment and having the service account manager on site was not so good. They should have better means of support while you are using the product to encourage success with the product and that you remain a customer. 

During the period where you have resident, live support to take care of issues the product remains stable because they help with any issues. Without a service account manager after the initial deployment, the support is poor. Because of this, stability starts to become a problem.

The solution is centralized to the company or business process, so I don't really have users using it as an application. I've got one division — a team — that takes care of data protection which makes use of Data Domain services.

The initial, on-premises EMC technical support is pretty good. I have no complaints about them. Although we did have some initial support issues with Data Domain during the implementation, we always had that EMC account manager available. He dealt with most of the support issues when they arose and he was resident on-site. He was there only for as long as he was required to be there. He was very good. So we didn't really have support issues with EMC product initially as they addressed problems fully. However, when we did not have the service account manager resident on-premises anymore, the level of service changed. The regular channels for support are poor and not so responsive or they don't come back with good with solutions.

EMC is a solution we are starting to move away from because of the cost more than anything. We are evaluating it along-side a Veritas product currently.

The installation and initial setup of the program was a straightforward process.

We did use EMC services for that initial implementation and had a service account manager on site.

I can't say I am very happy with the cost of the EMC product because we also have got a Veritas product. The comparison is that the EMC Data Domain solution is more expensive than the Veritas and they have similar capabilities.

We were satisfied at the time we made the purchase of the EMC product, but subsequently, we went in a different direction. We added another product because we decided the price was too high for the original solution and to continue to add licenses. We are running both environments now.

Anyone who is considering this as a solution should study the availability of the features and caveats surrounding the licensing. You will want to make sure that you are covered for all the capabilities that you require. Then, if you choose to go with the product, I suggest adding a service account manager as part of the initial scope of the project and implementation as that was very helpful to us. That sort of guarantees you will definitely have a more controlled approach to implementation and better continuity from your experience with EMC.

On a scale from one to ten, where one is the worst and ten is the best, I would rate the product about seven or eight. For us now it is a little closer to a seven.

A lesson that we learned in using the product is that its CPU capability does not match its storage capacity. These two things should be more in synch to enhance performance.

Primarily we use the solution as data storage and as a backup solution.

The solution's most valuable feature is the integrated deduplication function. Another valuable feature is the possibility for replication between two devices on different occasions.

The pricing could be better but it's still not too expensive. We haven't used the solution for long enough to really know what might be useful in a new release. We haven't used the full functionality yet and I'm not sure if all the functions are working as expected. We are using it, but it's not fully implemented.

We don't use technical support from EMC, but we do get it from our reseller, and they have been just fine in terms of offering assistance.

The initial setup was straightforward.

We had a reseller assist us with the implementation. We're very satisfied with the experience we had with them.

We use the on-premises deployment model.

I would recommend the solution to someone considering it. 

I would rate the solution seven or eight out of ten.

We've primarily been using the solution as a backup. What we understand is that we can create it with Veeam where Veeam backs up the network into Data Domain.

It's very easy to use Data Domain once it's been set up. The interface is also user-friendly.

The firmware upgrades could be simplified. I'm in the process of struggling to upgrade right now.

The dashboard could be more interactive.

The solution is very stable.

The solution isn't very scalable from what I understand, but I haven't attempted to scale the solution myself. We only have about ten IT personnel on it.

Technical support is good. I'm satisfied with them.

The initial setup was straightforward. I was finished with the setup after two to three hours.

We implemented the solution ourselves.

We are using the on-premises deployment model.

I would recommend the solution. I would rate it eight out of ten.

We use the on-prem deployment model of this solution and sometimes the public cloud. Our primary use case is for on-prem backup and for replication servers. 

The most valuable features are the deduplication and compression and the Data Domain Boost feature. It's compatible with other backup software. 

We have had deduplication and replication issues. When we used another backup software we noticed that it didn't have the same issues. 

Our customers would like to enhanced deduplication and compression features with Veeam software. 

It's stable. 

In terms of the scalability, I would rate it a ten out of ten. It's better than average. 

Their technical support is good. I would give it an eight out of ten. It could use enhancements. 

The initial setup was straightforward. It only takes around fifteen minutes or less. We required five staff members for the implementation. 

We used a service team for the implementation. 

There are a lot of different models and each one has a different price. Some models require spending more on additional fees. 

I would rate it 9.5 out of ten. 

The primary use is as a company backup.

The most valuable features are the DD Boost and the multiple applications and model platforms.

The solution needs a better cloud version. We need a solution that has a better understanding of the cloud.

The pricing model needs to be improved.

The stability is very good.

Scalability isn't the best.

The solution has excellent technical support.

The initial setup was straightforward. Deployment takes about two weeks with migration. You only need a few people for deployment and two or three people for maintenance.

We used an integrator to assist with the implementation.

I don't know the exact pricing, but I believe the solution is costly. You may also need to pay for extra features above the standard licensing.

We use the on-premises version of the solution. 

I would rate the solution nine out of ten.

Our customers have a lot of big data that they work with. The solution allows them to decrease the amount of data which can appear over the network and optimizes the bandwidth of the network itself.

The deduplication feature is the most valuable part of the solution.

The backup storage is also very good.

The solution could adjust the size of the discs. The processor or the cache on the Data Domain could be better.

Technical support is very good.

The initial setup is very straightforward. Deployment takes about a week. We needed two engineers to handle the initial setup.

EMC is very expensive for small customers. For enterprise-level companies, like banks, it offers a good price. 

We use the on-premises deployment model.

We're a reseller; we offer this solution to our clients.

I would rate the solution eight out of ten.

The primary use of the solution is inline deduplication.

The solution offers good storage. Also, deduplication and completion are the best features, in my opinion.

The pricing should be adjusted. Customers continuously talk about the price. They know it is a good solution and they really need the type of storage the solution offers, but it costs somewhere around $100,000 and up for enterprises. It's not cheap, but it's very important for data vendors. My customers are banks and petroleum sectors, so they need the backup and archiving systems. They can't leave a data center without it, even if the cost is high.

The solution is very stable. My customers have been very pleased with the solution so far.

The solution can scale up to one petabyte right now. It's very good for enterprise-level organizations.

I think this level of scale is still only for cloud providers. It's not for every customer. If I am a cloud provider or internet service provider, I can use it, as my scale is very, very, large. With any other company, you will not need more than 200 kilobytes. 

The level of technical support depends on your SLA. You have, for example, next business day, full support, full support plus, full support in four hours, onsite service, etc. 

EMC is under the Dell technologies portfolio. You've got one of the best technical support teams looking out for you. 

Pricing is related to size. A lower range solution might be about $33,000. My customers use higher range versions with a price of around $100,000. That's the price for both the hardware and the software.

I'm using the solution as a technical case professional. I'm selling it to my customers.

I sell the on-premises deployment model.

It's the best solution for deduplication and compression of storage, but the pricing is a little high. 

The solution works with any backup software. You might use it as a standalone or use it with VM, or solutions like Symantec, CMC software, etc. 

For those considering implementing the solution, I would say that they need to know their data gross and they need to allow for architecting. They need an understanding of their current backup situation and what they will need. They will need to remember to back up every day if their data is very, very important. 

When you are buying a backup solution, the Dell EMC team has an architecture team. They can be used to study the environment, so they can advise on what you need. A new user won't have to worry about it. Dell EMC will take care of everything.

Also, a user will still need to do data protection. They need to buy security devices for their environment. They should make a backup outside of their environment and make sure the backup is not connected to any internet connection to avoid hacking. 

I would rate the solution ten out of ten.