IBM Storage Protect Reviews

IBM Storage Protect is my primary tool for backup and recovery. We also use it for immutable backups to protect against ransomware.

We use IBM Storage Protect for everything on-premises. The benefit is that it covers most solutions that we have. It covers everything that we have. Whereas some products, for example, we have Siebel databases and Oracle databases, and some products do not have native agents to back up those kinds of solutions. The newer products look at those technologies as legacy, so they do not have easy ways of backing those up.

I make use of the data deduplication and compression features of IBM Storage Protect.

The capability of IBM Storage Protect to offer both incremental and differential backups is very important. We need incremental backups and we need full backups. Both are necessary.

The impact of these features on our storage efficiency and costs is significant. These features have brought down the amount of storage that we need, which reduces cost by requiring less storage.

IBM Storage Protect is from a previous generation of backup software. In those days, backup software was complex in setting up and complex to manage. The new software, such as Rubrik, is very easy to use and more relatable to younger engineers because its interface design is more similar to Office 365 and the newer controls and labels that we are accustomed to.

The difficulty that we now have with IBM Storage Protect is that for this day and age, compared to other products that are out there, it seems complex. If we look back 15 years ago, all enterprise class backup software was complex, so IBM was not any different. However, many of these older systems, such as Commvault, still have the same complaint that they are very complex because they have tried to keep that same interface and the same way it works. This suits them, but it probably needed a complete overhaul to bring it into the ease of use that we have with modern software. However, that upgrade has not been done. IBM Storage Protect has not been upgraded into a modern platform. It still looks a legacy platform.

We have been using IBM Storage Protect at the GMC for about 2012.

IBM Storage Protect is very scalable. It is one of the most scalable platforms, and that is its strong point.

Support from IBM is very good, and they always have knowledgeable people. They are always reachable and they have good SLAs.

We work with IBM Storage Protect, but we have been looking at other products. We are potentially moving from IBM Storage Protect, which is why we are in talks with Rubrik, Veeam, and some other suppliers. At this stage, IBM Storage Protect is the backup software that we use.

Deployment of IBM Storage Protect was quite straightforward, but configuration and setting of policies took a bit of time.

Configuration and policies of IBM Storage Protect is where we set up backup policies and routines. That was a bit complicated. From talking with the people that I manage, it took them a few months to get things established and sorted. However, that is quite normal. None of these systems work straight out of the box.

I do not know the current licensing cost for IBM Storage Protect and how we get our support because our licensing model is not quite standard. We do not buy IBM Storage Protect direct from IBM. We buy our licensing through an IBM reseller, but IBM white boxes that to them. We do not know how much the licensing cost because we get the licensing and support and maintenance from the reseller, and they bundle all of that into one cost. We do not see the cost of the licensing.

IBM sells licensing in thousands of terabytes to the supplier, and the supplier is allowed by IBM to sell that on to us, along with services, packaged with services. In this way, we do not see what the cost of the license is and we do not know what the cost of the services is. All we have is the overall price of the support and maintenance and licensing package.

We have integrated IBM Storage Protect with disaster recovery solutions from third parties. We use Spectrum Protect to save backups to immutable backup storage to provide ransomware protection. Our overall review rating for IBM Storage Protect is 7 out of 10.

I am using Oracle Database as well as MySQL and MHSQL. In terms of security products, I have Tenable Micro. For the backup solution, I am using IBM TSM only, however, I am searching for a more robust solution for my central backup needs. 

I am looking into options like TSN, IBM, and Tably. Specifically, Tably is being considered for my core banking database, but I still need a solution that can cover all my Linux and Windows systems platforms, including the 5GS file system and other database backups. I am actively searching for another solution.

The best functional system I utilize is integrated with the data domain and DIGS backup solution, which makes it easily manageable and comprehensive. Incremental and differential backup features are built-in, which I frequently utilize on a weekly and daily basis. 

Additionally, the solution has proven to be robust, especially being an IBM product, making it easier to manage and configure for my core banking system running on AIX. My local partner manages all these aspects efficiently, which contributes to my satisfaction.

It's adequate for my core banking, however, I am looking for another solution for all systems. It is not compatible with other operating systems like Windows or Linux, and lacks a consolidated dashboard from Browser Spectrum. This is why I am searching for another solution. The product also lacks any centralized graphical user interface (GUI), such as Jarek Pod, and I am limited to using a console-based text user interface, which my local partner handles completely.

I have been using the solution for six years.

The product is always stable and reliable.

Currently, I have no plans to scale with Pearson in the future. I'm uncertain about its capabilities, although TSM is a generic and robust product, which is why I continue using it for my core banking. 

However, I am searching for another solution for aspects like a graphical user interface and compatibility with other operating systems.

Support is good from IBM, although it mainly comes from my local partner. All issues are handled by my local partner and not directly by IBM.

Neutral

My local partner, Akral, is the only IBM partner in Bangladesh. This is a significant consideration for me, as having a local partner or support engineer is essential. It makes support and management more comfortable for me.

It's expensive. I acknowledge the cost associated with it.

I am searching for another solution.

You can choose any solution. The overall product rating is eight out of ten.

People mostly use IBM Spectrum Protect for protection of comprehensive workloads such as databases, file systems, and file servers NDMP and NetApp, usually in combination with tape libraries or object storage.

In terms of functionality, there weren't any special features, but commonly used features such as compression and automation were helpful, along with server-less functions that allow for easy upgrades.

IBM Spectrum Protect has excellent integration capability.

One point for improvement for IBM Spectrum Protect is security, as IBM has not been investing as much as in the past. There is a need for additional layers of security to fill the gaps, which is why we are using Cobalt Iron.

I have been working with IBM Spectrum Protect for approximately 15 years until now.

The stability rating for IBM Spectrum Protect would be six or seven out of ten.

Scalability is great in IBM Spectrum Protect; there are several options available to scale.

Technical support from IBM deserves a rating of six or seven out of ten.

Neutral

I'm not working for IBM anymore as it split to Kyndryl because there was a spin-off of services. Now it's Kyndryl services under the Kyndryl roof, and IBM is used more for AI.

I am not working with IBM Cloud Object Storage anymore. I'm now supporting the Cobalt Iron solution only, focusing more on non-IBM products, while Kyndryl is providing IBM products.

The initial setup process for IBM Spectrum Protect is complex, not simple.

I provided a review on PeerSpot about Cobalt Iron approximately two years ago.

Based on my experience, I rate IBM Spectrum Protect six out of ten.

Neutral

I run IT infrastructure for a banking group based in Southeast Europe, I am in charge of IT infrastructure.

Traditionally, we used it across two locations, supporting various systems like XADC's platform and Unix power systems. It was utilized depending on the business impact technologies, with multiple levels of protection copies and retention periods defined by our business and products department.

We plan to use it for archiving and as the third copy of data in a remote location.

As a highly regulated institution, like any bank in the European Union East, we have mandatory requirements for data protection in case of data loss, cyberattacks, or some kind of catastrophic event. We test it regularly, daily. 

These are the main benefits, but there's also a practical one for forensics, which we don't use as often, but it does happen from time to time. 

Spectrum Protect allows us to retrieve a point-in-time view of our data, like the balance sheet or any other information at that specific point. So, the benefits are for security, regulatory compliance, and even for forensic or business needs.

Integration with IBM products is out of the box, and fully supported across everything from mainframes and Unix platforms to the latest container platforms. It supports all major operating systems, application stacks, databases, and file systems out of the box, providing essential features like security, compression, and encryption for enterprise-class protection in financial institutions like banks.

Moreover, the incremental forever strategy in our backup processes has been in place for more than a decade. At this point, it's not so much a choice as it is a standard we've adopted. 

Since the technology is reliable, it simplifies the backup process significantly. Now, our focus can primarily be on managing full backups and creating some offline copies. The incremental forever approach is widely accepted and has been for over ten years.

It's proven, enterprise-class, reliable, and fast. Spectrum Protect works with a multitude of platforms and databases, not limited to Windows or Linux, making it a leading enterprise-class backup and restore solution.

Another good thing about IBM Spectrum Protect is its flexibility, offering both a graphical interface for younger or less technical users and command-line integration for existing automation tools or scripts. 

This versatility is a continuation of its legacy from Tivoli Storage Manager, enabling full command-line operation for automated processes. 

Additionally, its graphical user interface (GUI) is particularly user-friendly for tasks that don't require programming. So, it covers all user requirements, whether they prefer manual or automated operations.

Data deduplication's effectiveness varies by case. But it comes with some penalties, using deduplication might impact encryption performance, but it's still viable depending on regulatory compliance and stringent security requirements. 

Despite potential trade-offs, deduplication can lead to significant cost savings in environments with high data redundancy or uniformity by reducing storage needs. Although the decreasing cost of cloud storage and microtape has lessened its impact on decision-making, deduplication can still offer a lot of savings.

From what I've seen in evaluations of various products, most have similar features. Some are quite modern, opting not to support legacy systems, which can offer a more streamlined, better user experience. 

Yet, for more traditional organizations like ours, support for legacy systems is seen as an advantage, not a drawback. It really depends on the users. 

IBM Spectrum Protect, along with a few other vendors who support legacy systems, fits us well. I imagine newer, smaller organizations might find greater benefits in vendors that are cloud-native or don't support legacy systems in the same way. So, it all comes down to the specific needs and usage scenarios.

The latest enhancement, such as out-of-the-box cloud support, meets our expectations. It's particularly competent in areas we prioritize, like compliance with regulations, GDPR, data protection, and encryption. So, there isn't anything specific we find lacking at the moment.

It was formerly known as Tivoli Storage Manager, but it was changed to Spectrum Protect within the last 10 to 15 years, totaling about 20 years of experience.

Incidents or problems are rare, thanks to the system's stability and reliability.

Being enterprise-class, IBM Spectrum Protect can scale up and scale out depending on our needs. 

It supports redundancy, ensuring data can be stored in multiple, secondary locations for added security. This allows for easy expansion and compatibility with a variety of disk storage systems, including those with petabyte capacities far exceeding our needs. 

Additionally, it supports both virtual tape libraries (VTLs) and physical drives, making it a versatile solution.

IBM Spectrum Protect is used by a broad range of users within our organization. Directly, we have around 30 to 50 specialized administrators and people who use it intensively on a daily basis in the system department. 

Additionally, business users, database administrators, and application users also interact with it to some extent. Overall, the entire IT department, comprising a couple of hundred people, utilizes IBM Spectrum Protect at some level.

IBM usually operates through vendors, but direct support is also available. We have an implementation partner for routine issues and direct access to IBM support for escalations. Their knowledge and regional coverage are commendable. 

With regional support available both on-site and online within a 500-kilometer range, their support is definitely on the higher end.

Positive

We've chosen EMC NetWorker from Dell EMC for the next five years. Previously, we were based on IBM Spectrum Protect.

The hardware is installed, and now we're parameterizing and setting up the software. We expect it to be fully operational in the next couple of weeks.

It's ongoing due to the transition. We're migrating the previous dataset, among other tasks. We've relied heavily on IBM platforms, hardware, and operating systems, especially when our infrastructure was mostly mainframe-based. 

IBM Spectrum Protect was our platform of choice for the last five to seven years. However, we're now seeking a more contemporary solution with cloud support, which led to its replacement a few months ago.

The setup complexity largely depends on the environment. There's a significant learning curve, but, there are partners trained and knowledgeable in this area. The key to a smooth setup is engaging in planning workshops and clearly defining the scope and goals. 

If it's set up correctly, IBM Spectrum Protect can provide support. Crucial to this process is the support from local IBM, vendor, and partner experts. Their expertise is a vital consideration during the selection process, ensuring that the solution is well-supported by regional expertise.

I have been involved in deploying IBM Spectrum Protect. The process is generally straightforward. The solution is widely used by enterprise companies, and there is a robust community and a wealth of knowledge available.

Maintenance of IBM Spectrum Protect isn't particularly challenging, provided that proper sizing and performance planning are undertaken from the start. 

Key to the smooth operation is maintaining a main business agreement for access to new releases, patch management, and security patches. Incidents or problems are rare, thanks to the system's stability and reliability. When issues do arise, we receive excellent support from IBM or our vendor and consultation support partner. Typically, we encounter such issues once every year or two, but they are resolved swiftly.

IBM Spectrum Protect is a preventative tool that doesn't directly generate revenue, it's essential for compliance in highly regulated industries. 

When considering the potential costs of data loss or system downtime, investing in IBM Spectrum Protect is a wise decision.

Licensing IBM Spectrum Protect can be somewhat confusing for new users due to the options available, such as licensing on a capacity or per server basis. It often necessitates a workshop with a vendor or partner to clarify these options. 

This complexity isn't unique to IBM but is a characteristic of enterprise-level software licensing that requires thorough planning. 

Initially, the licensing details can seem scary, but with adequate involvement in the topic, it becomes manageable and understandable with proper planning.

Considering these are enterprise prices, they are comparable to other options in this class of software. 

The total cost of ownership (TCO), calculated over five years, showed that the price difference among competitors was within 15% to 20%. So, the price variance isn't particularly drastic.

Comparing IBM Spectrum Protect with other solutions involves considering specific details that can often be subjective. We conducted a thorough analysis of different enterprise platforms and found no major differences between them, whether in terms of features or performance. 

Ultimately, the decision often boils down to factors such as price and local support. IBM excels in these areas, having a strong presence in the region for over thirty years and a robust partner network. The choice among the top three vendors we considered was closely contested, with price being the deciding factor, as their offerings were very similar in features.

Success with IBM Spectrum Protect depends on detailed planning, covering the scope of platforms to be protected. It works well across various platforms, especially with IBM's own products, like IBM databases and Unix servers. 

The planning phase should thoroughly address technical, business, security, and compliance requirements to avoid over or underutilizing capacity, which can be costly. These tools are complex and expensive, so planning is critical to avoid costly mistakes.

I would absolutely recommend using IBM Spectrum Protect. It has served us and other companies within our banking group very well. While the differences among competing solutions were minimal, ultimately, factors like the pricing model influenced our decision. The differences in cost were marginal, around 10%.

Overall, I would rate the solution an eight out of ten. It might be seen as leaning towards the legacy side, missing some features of newer solutions, but it covers a broad range of platforms, which suits our use case well. 

The main drawbacks would be its complexity and high pricing. However, these aspects are common across similar solutions. If our circumstances were different, we might consider a more modern system, but as a legacy-based company, IBM Spectrum Protect fits our needs well.

So IBM Spectrum Protect is part of our Cyber Recovery as a service delivery to other MSPs, an IT company, and also in clients. 

The reason why we're using IBM is both the beneficial support that we have and can provide. But also security. We do provide AirGap solutions. From there, we also see, based on statistics, that both IBM Spectrum Protect and also the other software that we're using, which is Rubrik, are rarely an issue when it comes to ransomware attacks, in comparison with Veeam or NET Backup or DPM, or other vendors.  

The deduplication and compression features are the most valuable features. For example, one of our clients has a quarter of a terabyte that we are protecting and the deduplication and compression of that data is in the back end around 75%, which means that it's just magic.

If IBM could provide a partial module, that would be great.

It's been part of our cyber recovery service for around three years now. We currently use version 8.1.19.

I would rate the stability an eight out of ten. It could also improve a little bit first.  

Comparing a point with, you know, the cloud backup with IBM, it's comparing two different universes. Sounds may be strange, but the SaaS realm, in comparison with the old on-prem, that's two different ways of building, designing, and providing services. And that's why it's so different.

It is pretty scalable. I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten. So we are protecting like 10,000 plus objects.

My experience with the support was perfect.

The initial setup is super complex.  The reason is that all the on-prem backup software that you can utilize—each and everyone that says, "Oh, it's just a few clicks, and then you're up and running"—quite often, very poorly written, really it's kind of crappy. When it comes to IBM, it's a true enterprise product, meaning that you can scale it and you can design it the way you want. 

So from our perspective, we have designed it to scale on individual companies, meaning that each and every client has their own dedicated solution, which we host for them. And since it's an enterprise product, we can also design it the way we want. So IBM is not one, two, three, or four clicks. It takes a lot of experience to set up IBM Spectrum Protect correctly. 

But once it's up and running, it's one of the most stable on-premises backup solutions I've ever seen. I've been working in this field for almost 25 years, and I've never seen a solution that's as reliable as IBM Spectrum Protect.

We have automated the deployment process. So we deploy it in a few minutes. But if you're a first-timer setting up Spectrum Protects, you will say because you did wrong, then you have to redo it. It's because of talking from experience.

So what it takes a few days to get that properly set up a few hundred Protect servers. So, the deployment takes a few days. 

License-wise regarding IBM, it's licensed per terabyte. And that is after compression and deduplication.

There are additional costs if you want that as a managed service, there's a management fee depending on the client size. But it's still really cost-efficient. 

We see a lot of clients moving away from their own backup solution and purchasing our services based on IBM since it saves them a lot of money and also a lot of headaches. Because no one really wants to work with backups. The cool guys and girls, they don't work with backups. They work in development. We are the boring guys across Sweden. We love the backup and resources. So that's what we do.

I would suggest doing a POC. 

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

We use the product as a primary backup solution for enterprise or tier-one workloads. We implement a disk-to-disk-to-tape (D2D2T) strategy for our data backups for long-term retention.

The platform’s most valuable feature is its ability to verify the recoverability of backups. It helps us take data backup at different levels to be used during structural disasters. 

The product’s recovery process in terms of agent installation needs improvement. There could be an agent-less backup and recovery mechanism.

In the next release, I would recommend the inclusion of a feature that integrates an immutable cloud storage option to the data store. It could enable users to create policies for moving critical data to immutable storage. In the event of a ransomware attack or a disaster, this would serve as an additional layer of protection, allowing for data recovery. Additionally, users should have the flexibility to seamlessly take backups both on-premises and in the cloud, based on defined policies.

We have been using IBM Spectrum Protect for three years now.

I have never encountered a system downtime. I rate the platform’s stability an eight out of ten.

The platform is incredibly scalable. We can add as many devices as required. We can manage multiple servers and databases. It can manage database stores for large-scale enterprises. I rate the scalability a nine out of ten.

For hardware-related support, particularly in terms of replacement and other hardware concerns, I rate the technical support services a nine out of ten. However, when it comes to software support, there is an absence of local experts leading to a need for assistance from overseas personnel for software-related issues.

We have previously used Symantec, Veritas NetBackup, and Commvault. As per my evaluation, Commvault could be considered among the top-tier products globally, followed by NetBackup. The availability of skilled resources for configuration can significantly influence the choice of a backup solution. IBM Spectrum Protect can be ranked third.

The initial setup has medium complexity. Initially, the process was facilitated with the assistance of a consultant from the IBM support team. Later, when we encountered an issue with the database and needed to restore from a backup, our team was able to set it up independently in about a day. It required one administrator to handle the setup and maintenance of 82,000 devices.

The platform is neither highly priced nor inexpensive. I rate the pricing a seven out of ten.

IBM Spectrum Protect played a crucial role in supporting your disaster recovery efforts, especially in the recent challenging situation our business went through. We were able to successfully recover all the primary data with no issues.

While deduplication and compression significantly contribute to saving storage space, it is important to consider the impact on recovery times. It takes additional processing time while rehydrating data to recover extra copies.

If we compare IBM with Veeam, in terms of ease of managing backup and recovery, Veeam can be rated as an eight. Whereas, IBM can be rated as nine when compared to other enterprise products to take backups of different environments.

For organizations running IBM Power Systems and mainframe environments with risk-based architectures, I recommend opting for IBM Spectrum Protect. For those managing Windows-based machines, Cisco-based setups, VMware, and similar environments, I suggest considering Veeam or other products.

Overall, I rate IBM Spectrum Protect an eight out of ten.

IBM Spectrum Protect is designed for data centers, catering to large enterprises, including banks, insurance companies, etc. There is competition in the market for data protection solutions. Price is a significant factor in this competition. We must explore alternative solutions beyond Spectrum Protect, especially concerning virtual environments, cloud infrastructure, and other emerging technologies.

Customers need a clearer understanding of how to implement IBM Spectrum. However, issues revolve around financial constraints. If you lack the correct service contract, resolving problems can be time-consuming, requiring escalation and waiting. Sometimes, the solutions provided are standard and could be more helpful. The initial advice is often to update to a newer version, which may not address the specific issue. In our experience, newer versions sometimes resolve different errors. Overall, there is room for improvement in the service aspect.

I have been using IBM Spectrum Protect since 1998.

The product is stable.

Depending on the customer, the solution is for all types of businesses, including enterprise, medium, and small businesses. They always use Spectrum Protect for protection. There is a limitation in the database for Spectrum. You have a database extension for every new version. The biggest problem is when you have millions or billions of small objects to archive and retrieve, you reach the limit of any product.

I’ve used Veeam because it is better for virtualization and cloud data.

The product is expensive.

We have the requirements for cybersecurity. Spectrum Protect or other products do not have the technology. They need external products to meet this requirement.

We utilize various storage solutions across different data centers, including tape and disk storage. It is immutable, preventing external changes. External tools may be required to verify backup integrity. Additionally, there's another product called IBM Spectrum Protect Defender, which aids in backup verification. However, other products can integrate with various tools depending on specific backup needs and at a lower cost. The service cost for IBM is very high.

In the event of problems, we open a support call and discuss issues with the lab, which is crucial given the critical nature of some situations. Spectrum Protect's development trajectory differed from Veeam's as it initially didn't prioritize virtualization, resulting in later integration efforts. The first version of IBM Spectrum Protect Plus had shortcomings, though subsequent iterations like Plus may have improved. However, I need more direct experience with Plus to offer a comparison.

Veeam holds a stronger market presence, particularly concerning cloud and virtualization, as it was developed with these trends in mind. The evolving landscape, including cloud services like Microsoft Office 365, demands versatile backup solutions with various storage and connectivity options, whether Amazon, Google, or others. This necessitates interfaces tailored to different cloud environments and storage types.

Previously, our focus primarily revolved around IBM Protect, which centered on systems storage and tape libraries alongside platforms like AIX. However, the current landscape predominantly features Linux and Windows environments. Despite these shifts, AIX remains notably stable.

Overall, I rate the solution an 8 out of 10.

We use the solution for backup and restore.

The tool needs CPU, but it works fine.

The best point about IBM Storage Protect is that it can use IBM tape environments, which we still use and will continue to use in the future.

New workloads are not good for storage protect like container or virtual machines. IBM acknowledges that users and partners with companies do it better and integrate it into the product. It takes too much time to implement it in old Storage Protect. It have features for big databases and big data environments. Although, the product seems to be old fashioned, but it is stable, robust and works for the most use cases where a lot of data is to be protected. It could be easier to manage client data. You have to use configuration. It is not on modern architecture. They should change it on the client area. You can achieve a better environment using Protect. IBM tapes serves as an air gap, consumes less energy, and provides a resilient, stable environment with fewer infrastructure and environmental costs. Intergrating it can help store large amounts of data more cheaper than on disk.

I have been using IBM Storage Protect for 20 years.

IBM Storage Protect is a robust and stable tool for storage. We never had long outages. There were software bugs, but they were fixed quickly. We use it for restores, mainly for single items or single services, not for the entire environment. We've had some logical failures or user mistakes that required restoration, in bigger environments. We store data directly on tape without using VTL . This allows for incremental forever backups, meaning we transfer less data to the backup server compared to a normal backup environment. Therefore, there is no need for fancy deduplication appliances because Spectrum Protect transfers only the necessary data, avoiding unnecessary transfers. The tool has software issues like every software, but it's pretty stable. I rate the solution’s stability a nine out of ten.

The solution is scalable and is well-suited for enterprise. I rate the solution’s scalability a ten out of ten.

The customer support needs some better trained and knowledgeable people with experience.

Neutral

If we compare it with traditional old-fashioned backup tools like NetBackup or NetWorker from EMC, the ability to have the incremental feature is the DNA of the product. This is more interesting because data growth is everywhere. If you can achieve the same goal with less data to transfer, it could help you immediately. However, it depends on the size of your company. If you have a company with a lot of data, IBM Storage Protect is a backup tool for you. If you have medium to small size environments, then there might be a better product for you because you don't need the features what IBM Storage Protect provide.

We have a lot of cluster servers, server relations, and we tested that. IBM Storage Protect is rich on function which need to be set up by trained people.

The solution is expensive. I rate the product’s pricing a three out of ten, where one is expensive and ten is cheap.

The solution is for enterprise customers with a lot of data and various systems. It might not be the right solution for modern environments like VMware and OpenShift Kubernetes. The product is suitable as per the size. It is not useful for small and medium size businesses. If you have multi hundred terabytes of data with 5000+ employees, there are better tools. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.

The solution can back up every kind of workload in the environment. It is a very old and robust solution. The product evolves with technology. I have been working on it since it was just a physical server. If we are using tapes, we can ship them offsite. We can build our new server and recover the data. If we use the online application, we can start recovering from the disaster location.

The VM backups are very useful. Most companies use VMs. The solution also provides agents for databases like Oracle, SQL, and SAP HANA. It is also a useful feature. The deduplication and compression feature eliminates almost 80% of the data. We have been using the tool until now. It's working fine. We do not have any complaints. The technology is always evolving. I rate the product’s performance an eight out of ten.

There are new products in the market that might be more useful for various cyber threats like ransomware. IBM is not doing its best for such threats. The solution must protect against ransomware attacks better. It must let us know if something has gone wrong with the server. Cyber Recovery must be improved.

I have been using the solution for 17 years.

I rate the tool’s scalability a ten out of ten. Almost everything in my organization is getting backed up by IBM Spectrum Protect. We have thousands of users. We need ten administrators for maintenance.

The technical support is not the best. The support team must improve its response time and competence. It must jump on the issues and resolve them.

Neutral

The implementation is difficult. It is not intuitive. It needs special skills. People must do their research before implementing the solution.

The product is not cheap. Other backup solutions like Commvault are in the same price range. There are no additional costs associated with the tool.

There are a lot of other tools that are better than IBM Spectrum Protect. These tools offer ease of use. Spectrum Protect is not easy to administer. Other solutions are UI-based.

We are using other IBM products. The solution is integrated with SAP. IBM Spectrum Protect is a good tool. However, it has to include Cyber Recovery features. It will be more useful if the features are integrated with the product. Overall, I rate the solution an eight out of ten.