What is our primary use case?
We use it to back up all of our data. The only servers that I do not have on here are my VoIP servers. I have a SQL database. I have an ERP server. I've also got a couple of file servers and a couple of domain controllers. I also back up my Hyper-V host machines. So, pretty much everything that we have is backed up here.
We are on the latest version, which is 660268.
How has it helped my organization?
It has reduced our admin time by approximately 95%. In the previous backup utility that we used, we were basically manually running a command every night to copy and paste anything that had a newer date than the previous day. On top of the fact that we had to manually launch that every night, we also had to make sure that we covered every drive that was going to be involved for that particular night's changes. Now, I can add servers and just plug them in there. Everything is already pre-configured, so I just add the machine.
Previously, we were using a tape backup. As our quantity of data expanded, when we would do the backup process at night, it was quite cumbersome, and very often, it would extend into the better part of the next day. If someone realized at 9:00 that there is a file that got corrupted or was deleted, they would notify me, and I would tell them that I will restore that, but I have to wait until the last night's job completes. After the job is complete, I had to go back and find the tape that had the copy of what they were looking for. Very often, that person would be waiting until the end of that day before they could resume whatever tasks they were trying to do, whereas now, it doesn't matter what's going on, on the Rapid Recovery side. My backups occur every hour, and it takes a snapshot. In a worst-case scenario, they may have to go back and repeat whatever they lost in that hour's time, but I can restore files for them almost immediately, and they can get right back to it. It has made a huge difference in that regard because previously, sometimes, they had to wait the entire day before I could get in and actually restore with the tape that had the data that they were missing.
It enables us to recover complete systems, applications, and data with little to no disruption to the work environment. I personally have not had to do that, but my counterpart has had to recover an entire server. He lost his exchange server at one point, and although, it did take him a couple of hours to get everything back up and running efficiently, he was able to back it up to the last good backup. Within an hour or two, he was able to get everything back up and running for users without a whole lot of data loss.
I use incremental backups daily. When I first bring a brand new machine, I take a base image, and then every subsequent backup going forward is incremental. The full base images are obviously redundant, and they fill up your repository quite quickly. Prior to adding additional storage, we didn't have a whole lot of wiggle room. We just didn't have the space to take another entire snapshot of the data. Incremental backups kind of do the dedupe and keep everything at the most efficient level of data so that you have everything you need, but you don't have a lot of fluff in there. You don't have extra copies of the same thing that you can grab from four different backup files. It is there, deduped. You just have your one pristine copy, which helps keep your storage really streamlined so that you're only using what you need versus a lot of excesses.
Incremental backups have reduced storage costs. We have roughly about 7 terabytes of storage, and while storage is not extremely expensive these days, it still adds up. So, if I were needing to have multiple copies of 7 terabytes at a time, it will cost you serious coin to have enough devices to hold that much in addition to buying licensing for that much. If all of your data sits in 7 terabytes, why would you want to pay licensing for 10 terabytes? That just doesn't make good business sense.
Incremental backups help to reduce the impact of our production environment or network resources. We replicate over the WAN. While we do have adequate bandwidth, if we were having to replicate base images consistently, it is obviously going to be pulling some of our resources for replication, whereas the incremental backups really replicate in a matter of minutes. We might have a couple of minutes here and a couple of minutes there when a replication job is happening, but they're pretty seamless. I don't know if anyone even notices. If we were replicating, it would be a consistent drain on our bandwidth until that huge file is replicated. So, incremental backups just keep everything running smoothly, quickly, and efficiently.
It affects the peace of mind when it comes to knowing our backups are completing. I do get an email if ever, for one reason or another, a job is not running. I typically reboot all of my servers over the weekend, and on one of my servers, when the agent did not start for any reason, I received an email that said that this job was missed because the agent is offline. So, I logged in and manually started it. There was no issue, and everything was up and running again. Similarly, my SQL backups will email me and tell me that the logs are truncated. No news is good news, but I know that if there is a blip of any sort, I'm going to get a notification email alerting me to take a look so that I can nip it in the bud right away. It is reassuring to have this communication.
It has been our experience quite often that files get deleted, but you do not notice that for a very long period of time. So, if something is deleted and no one caught it for six months, it's extremely important to know that you are going to be able to still recover that data.
We're kind of restructuring things, so we're not doing it currently, but we have another business that is owned by the same owners. They also use Rapid Recovery, but they are about four miles from here. We replicate. So, we have a copy on DL4000, and then we also have a copy on a SAN. We then replicate across the WAN to a core in their location, so we've got multiple copies. Primarily, we've started thinking about worst-case scenario disasters. Even though we have DL4000 and we have the raw data on a SAN, but in case a tornado goes through and wipes out our building, both copies would up in the clouds. So, we started doing replication across the WAN. Once you get the original configuration set up, it is pretty much set it and forget it. I do look at it every day and check for errors and the likes of that, but for the most part, it is pretty self-supporting. It doesn't require a whole lot of administration, which is really beneficial because you have enough other things going on throughout the day. You don't have to babysit it all the time.
It includes deduplication, replication, and virtual standby without having to pay extra. From a storage standpoint, the dedupe was important because we did not want to run into a situation where the data size was growing exponentially. In terms of replication, we wanted to be able to ensure that we had multiple copies in the event of a disaster. We wanted to make sure that we had a game plan for the worst-case scenario, and that it was something that we can trust and would fit the bill if we were facing that kind of scenario. We feel confident that it would do what it says it's going to do. We, fortunately, didn't have to rely on virtual standby. However, one of my counterparts in another sector of our business has used it, and it has worked out very well for him. Just seeing his experience and knowing that if we were facing a similar dilemma, it would work is immeasurable.
What is most valuable?
The local mount utility is most valuable. I do restores fairly regularly. Thankfully, I have not ever lost an entire server that I've had to resurrect, but I certainly have people who erroneously saved over a file or have deleted a file. So, we've done that quite a bit. We still have the DL4000 appliance, and we had, kind of, extrapolated that out over a five-year period. Now, we're in year six, so we had to add storage, which we did as a SAN next to DL4000, but prior to adding in that extra storage, we, here and there, would run into situations where for whatever reason, it would want to be pulling a new base image, and then we would run out of storage. So, we would utilize the archive feature and archive the old data that we want to hang on to, but we don't necessarily need it taking up current data storage. Being able to export out really old data is most valuable to us. Then, we just store that on a NAS that we keep in another building.
It is very easy to use. I've been using it for quite a long time. When we first got it set up, we had to do some tweaking because it was our first experience with a backup solution. So, we were just learning how it works and what to expect. We were understanding the whole process. Overall, if you know anything about backup solutions, I feel like this one is pretty self-explanatory.
What needs improvement?
I don't really think that there is a whole lot that needs to be changed. It would be nice if you could deploy the agent without having to reboot. When I upgraded my core to the latest version, I also wanted to update all of my servers, but I had to put that off because I can't just shoot it out there. I have to make sure it is at a time when I can do a reboot right away.
I do have one application that does not run on a server. It runs on a workstation that still is running Windows 7, and this new version does not have an agent for Windows 7. That would be something that would be helpful for me, but I totally understand why they're not doing that because, of course, Microsoft wants you to get off Windows 7. So, it can't necessarily be classified as an improvement, but it would be helpful for me.
Buyer's Guide
Quest Rapid Recovery
July 2022
Learn what your peers think about Quest Rapid Recovery. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: July 2022.
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For how long have I used the solution?
It has been about six and a half years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not had any problems with it. It is pretty much a set-it-and-forget-it solution. I've not really ever felt as though I needed to constantly be checking on it to ensure that it was still running or that something was going to get stuck, and I was going to have a problem. It has been very stable for us.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Initially, we started out with DL4000. We have added onto that in the form of external storage because DL4000 itself really was not conducive to adding additional drives, but in all honesty, I feel like the ability to add external storage has actually opened up a lot of opportunities for us to change our environment.
We initially were licensed for an appliance, and just this last year, we converted our license to allow us to build a new core just on a new piece of hardware. Ultimately, because our DL4000 is six years old, we wanted to have a new core built so that in the event DL4000 starts to fail because it is a physical device, we could easily roll on to the new core that we're building. So, from a scalability standpoint, we added more storage, and now, we've converted our license so that we can build a new core, and subsequently, we can just have storage attached rather than all in one appliance.
It is just two of us who work with this solution. It is primarily me, but I do have a counterpart who is my backup. So, if I'm away or out of town, he can step in, take over, and check things. He can add or delete, whatever the case may be, but primarily, I run it. Obviously, he is always kept in the loop so that if something does come up, he is aware and knows what needs to be done, but primarily, it is my baby, and I take care of it.
I don't have any plans to increase usage, but the only reason for that is because I feel as though we are already using it to its full capacity within our organization. We have it backing up every single one of our servers. The only other thing that potentially could change would be if we would decide that we wanted to start backing up every client machine, but at this point, I don't believe that we would ever do that.
How are customer service and support?
They provide the ability to chat with technical support, which is very convenient. I would rate them a 10 out of 10. Although I don't need to contact them often, when I do, most often, I get a fairly rapid reply. Typically, my issue or requirement is easily resolved.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We didn't use a similar solution previously. Before Rapid Recovery, we had a tape backup. We had a tape device, and we just copied and pasted changes daily, and it was very cumbersome. When Rapid Recovery came along, I was like, "Oh my God, where have you been all my life?"
How was the initial setup?
To set it up initially, we had to do some tweaking. A lot of that was just understanding what we needed to do in order to accomplish what we were expecting, but once we got everything in place, it was actually quite easy. Now, I add new machines all the time. You just install the agent, set up your schedule, and you're good to go.
Its initial setup was pretty straightforward as I recall. I had the AppAssure crew for doing the setup. They were very astute at doing it. I just had to answer the questions, and they pretty much set it up. As I recall, I don't think there were any major blips or stumbling blocks that we had to deal with.
It probably took about a week on and off. We would set something up, and then we would test it for the evening and tweak it as needed the following day. So, it probably took three to four days.
In terms of the implementation strategy, the primary focus was obviously on the data. We put that on first and ensured that we've got a good clean backup of the drives that held the actual data files. From there, we moved on to backing up the server itself in terms of operating system partitions and that kind of thing.
What about the implementation team?
We had the AppAssure crew. We purchased it from a company named AppAssure, and they had a technical support department that was for deployment. So, we incorporated that into our purchase.
My experience with them was great. They were very easy to work with. They were very approachable. If I did have a question, I got a prompt response back. I do recall that there was a gentleman with whom I worked, and he would research things for me and email me at whatever time I was running into an issue. I have no complaints at all. They were very good.
In terms of maintenance, I primarily take care of the maintenance. I ensure that I keep DL4000 up to date with driver updates, Windows updates, and those kinds of things, but I do that for all of my servers, so it is not really something extra or DL4000 specific. Other than that, as I do with all of my devices, I keep an eye on them to make sure that if any drive issues are starting to occur or whatever I'm aware of. Other than keeping the Windows updates and the machine drivers updates up to date, there really isn't a whole lot of maintenance that's required.
What was our ROI?
We don't have an official ROI, but the ability to recover data that had inadvertently been lost, deleted, or corrupted has been immeasurable. So, if we were to do something from a financial standpoint, I'm sure it would be a number that we would be quite happy with. We purchased it in 2015, and it is still going strong. So, it was a good investment for us. I feel like our company would stand behind it that it has paid for itself over and over.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
In this last year, we added additional storage. The storage was separate, and it obviously didn't really have anything to do with Quest, but then we did have to purchase licensing to enable us to utilize that additional storage. I feel it was competitively priced in comparison to other backup solutions. It was reasonably priced for the ability for us to convert our licensing so that we were able to have the ability to build a core on our own and subsequently retire our appliance when the time comes. It was well worth the investment to do that because it afforded us a lot of future use without having to reinvest in a whole new solution.
When I purchased the change to the license, it was $1,600. I think that was for changing the license. I don't believe that I had to purchase technical support in a while, so I must've bought maybe for five years, but I don't feel there was a huge cost involved in technical support. Its cost was definitely worth it because we've had a fantastic experience with them.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did look at some other products. It has been quite a few years, but there was another product that was probably very similar to Rapid Recovery in terms of the concept of how it works. We ultimately decided to go with the AppAssure product at that time primarily due to the vendor, and that was because it was marketed and being sold by Dell.
We are very heavily Dell-oriented in our environment. The majority of our equipment is Dell. We have a very good working relationship with them. So, if we were going to purchase something like this, it just made sense. We felt as though we would be in good hands given our previous experience and our relationship with Dell. I know that Quest has broken away from Dell, but from a customer standpoint, I do not feel as though there has been any degradation in their response or their service since they have broken away from Dell, at least not for me. Their service has been very consistent.
What other advice do I have?
I would advise having a good and clear picture of what you want to achieve and accomplish. You should streamline the whole process. Their technical support people are very knowledgeable about their product. So, if you aren't prepared, they can definitely help you with the process.
I have done virtual machine tests at the very beginning, but the virtual machines at that point were very small. They weren't really loaded up with data, I just basically restored the virtual machine as just the OS, and those went very quickly. It has been several years.
I have not used Rapid Recovery to send updates to a virtual standby that can be activated if there is an issue with the primary machine. That's primarily because previous to purchasing more storage, we did not have the available storage to store them. We are doing some restructuring right now, and that is on the list of things that we will be doing.
I would give it a 10 out of 10. It has surpassed our expectations time and time again. I don't have any complaints about this solution. It has really been very stable. It has been a great tool for us.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
On-premises
Disclosure: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.