Backup Exec 2010 vs. BackupAssist V6

BackupAssist v6	Symantec Backup Exec 2010
www.BackupAssist.com	www.Backup Exec .com
$345.85 (Includes free email and phone support and 12 Months Upgrade Protection)	$1,162.66 (Includes 12 Months Essential Maintenance)

Introduction

BackupAssist and Backup Exec are often regarded as competing products for Small and Medium Businesses (SMBs). Although both provide excellent data protection for SMBs, the design philosophy behind each is vastly different, resulting in a difference in usability, maintainability and costs.

BackupAssist is designed to be simple and easy to use so that users can set up a backup strategy to protect their business. Instead of reinventing the wheel, BackupAssist builds upon proven Windows backup technologies that are widely supported to help you optimize your investment in Windows software and hardware. Backup Exec, by comparison, has been designed with the complex requirements of much larger enterprise organizations in mind, so small business users may find themselves paying for a number of high-level features that they do not need and are never going to use.

This document discusses the strengths and limitations of each product to help I.T. decision makers understand how the two compare.

Comparison matrix

Features	BackupAssist	Backup Exec
Installation, usability and setup
7-minute install and setup
Windows Servers, Hyper-V Server support
Linux/Unix, Mac OSX, Novell, VMWare, Citrix support
Functionality and feature sets
Backup capabilities
Local full system backup
Local System State/Active Directory backup
Remote System State / Active Directory backup		A
VSS application backup (SQL, Exchange, Hyper-V)
Full, Differential, Incremental and Copy backups
Open file backup via VSS		A
Remote open files backup
Non-proprietary backup file formats
Software compression/encryption
Continuous data file protection
Exchange Information Store backup (remote/local)
Exchange mailbox backup (remote/local)		A
SQL database backup (remote/local)		A
SharePoint, Lotus Domino, Oracle, SAP application, DB2, Netware SMS		A
Reporting and notifications
Backup reminders: email and network broadcast
Email backup reports
Printable backup reports
Media usage included in the backup report
Printable summary of job settings
Integration with SBS Console
Centralized Monitoring	Web-based	A LAN/SAN/WAN
Can edit jobs from central management console
Daily summary email for all backup jobs
Web console for backup report analysis
Customizable PDF reports
Offsite backup
Online storage/Cloud compatible	B	A
File name obfuscation
Encryption during transfer and on the backup host
Hardware support
Tape drive
Tape autoloaders and libraries
Hard drives (external and internal)
CD/DVD/Blu-ray drives
RDX/Iomega REV and Quantum GoVault drives	Tailored settings	Generic settings
FTP/FTPS/SFTP servers
NAS devices
Hardware specific settings for each device
Virtual Server backup and restore
Hyper-V support
One-pass Host level backup
VMWare support
Tool for documenting Hyper-V settings
Media management and scheduling
Calendar-based scheduling
Industry standard rotation schemes
Fully automated and managed media rotation
Customized rotation schemes
Multiple scheduled backup Jobs
No requirement to prepare media before use
Intelligent space management on backup destination
Restore capabilities
Restore without the use of third party software
Bare metal restore
Hardware Independent Restore
System State / Active Directory restore
Restore individual Active Directory components
NTFS streams restore
Exchange mailbox and public folder restore
SQL database restore (Inc. point-in-time restore)
Granular restore of Guest Virtual Machines	B	A
Other features
Integrates with Windows Authentication
File exclusions
Backup runs without user logged on
Import/export settings
Holiday Exclusions
TrueCrypt-compatible encryption
Runs Scripts pre and post backup		DOS command line
Runs Scripts based on outcome of backup
Adjustable timeout periods
In-built troubleshooting tools
Auto Discovery of unprotected data
Dynamic performance load balancing
Supports media spanning
Pricing and licensing
Exchange backup included in base license
Add-on required for Exchange mailbox backups	Unlimited servers	Required per server
Add-on required for SQL database backups	Unlimited servers	Required per server
System State/ Active Directory backup included in base license
Additional license for non VSS open file backups

A - Agent on each server / option / required : a separate agent must be purchased and installed on each remote server where data has been selected for backup or an option must be purchased to perform required backup. More information on Backup Exec agents and options available here:

http://www.symantec.com/business/products/agents_options.jsp?pcid=pcat_business_cont&pvid=57_1

B - Add-on required : a separate add-on must be purchased to perform required backup. More information on BackupAssist add-ons available here: http://www.backupassist.com/purchasing/purchase.php

Installation, usability and setup

Installation

As BackupAssist was designed for Small and Medium Businesses it has a much smaller footprint than Backup Exec. BackupAssist's download size is less than 1% the size of Backup Exec and its install size is also about 1% the size of Backup Exec.

	BackupAssist v6	Symantec Backup Exec 2010
Trial software download	25MB in size. 4 minutes to download.	3.1GB in size 4 hours to download
Software installation time (does not include setup time)	1 minute	90 minutes
Pre-requisites	Requires .NET framework 2.0 or above (installed on most current versions of Windows)	SQL Server database installed as part of the installation process

Usability

Major differences: · BackupAssist is designed for ease of use: intuitive and simple enough for users of all levels of experience. · New users of BackupAssist can be up and running with their first job in just 7 minutes.

Features in common: · Monitor the live progress of a backup job · View events and alerts.

Usability is perhaps the biggest difference between BackupAssist and Backup Exec. BackupAssist has been designed to enable users of all experience levels to implement best-practice backup strategies with ease. Intuitive wizards help you configure a backup job in minutes, and a searchable help file and online knowledge base gives you the information you need without you having to read an extensive administrator's guide. BackupAssist also provides troubleshooting tools in the administration console and links to online knowledge base articles in the backup report that help you solve the majority of issues without you having to contact support, saving you time and money.

Navigation through the BackupAssist administration console is straightforward and everything can be accessed from the main screen. Jobs are listed in alphabetical order and indicate what time a job will run, the date and time it last ran, the result of the last backup, the next run date, the rotation scheme applied and the job status. From this screen you can also run, clone, delete or suspend any job. The progress of any job can be viewed within the Monitor screen, even if you are logged in via a remote connection. Detailed event logging information is also available from the Events window.

Backup Exec 2010 Jobs Window

BackupAssist v6 Jobs Window

Setup

Major differences: · BackupAssist allows you to completely configure a job through one wizard · No pre-configuration of hardware, media sets or post-configuration of rotation policies required

Using a single wizard, BackupAssist guides you through the steps to create a working backup of your system and critical data. Unlike Backup Exec, prerequisite tasks like installing drivers and remote agents, pre-configuring backup devices and setting up complex media pools using policies, are not required.

In addition, the backup of local and remote Exchange and SQL servers is configured from the BackupAssist Administration Console and does not require installation of additional agents on remote target servers, like it does in Backup Exec.

BackupAssist Job Creation Wizard	Back Exec Job Creation Wizard

Functionality and feature sets

Backup capabilities

Instead of reinventing the wheel, BackupAssist builds upon the best available backup technologies - standard programs that are proven and widely supported. This means your backups will always be readily accessible, unlike with Backup Exec, which locks your data into propriety formats, making it difficult to retrieve in future. While many backup software companies spend a fortune developing their own backup engines, which invariably increases the software cost for the consumer, our research and development budget goes entirely towards helping you maximize your investment in Windows technology and making it work better for you.

BackupAssist also combines multiple backup technologies so users can protect themselves from the entire range of data loss scenarios. BackupAssist users can pick and choose the components that suit their needs:

• Windows Imaging : Fast, effective drive imaging with hardware-independent, bare-metal restore
• NTBackup : Backup files, folders, system state and Active Directory
• File Replication : VSS aware file copying for file system mirroring and backup, with fast differentials
• ZIP64 File & Data : VSS aware, ZIP64 compliant backups with compression & AES-256 encryption, with support for tape drives (even on Server 2008).
• Rsync Internet Backup : VSS aware, bandwidth efficient internet-based backup using the world famous Rsync protocol
• Hyper-V Backup : Simple one-pass image backup of the Hyper-V Host to restore any item you need from any of your Guest VMs!
• Exchange Backup : Backup Exchange at both the Information Store and Individual Mailbox levels
• SQL Backup : Choose daily or near-continuous protection for SQL Server

Offsite backup to the Cloud

Offsite Cloud backup continues to increase in popularity for small and medium businesses due to its convenience and affordability. By purchasing an inexpensive add-on you can take advantage of BackupAssist's Rsync Internet backup engine to easily achieve fully automated, set-and-forget secure offsite backups to any Rsync-enabled cloud provider. Your data is protected with AES-256 encryption both during transfer and on the cloud backup destination and files names are obfuscated so that data on the host is safe from prying eyes.

Backup Exec also offers a cloud backup solution, but it requires you to purchase an additional license, the Backup Exec Deduplication Option, which costs over $2300. See here for more details.

Hardware support

Major differences: · BackupAssist provides specific functionality for different hardware types. · Backup Exec treats all devices as either a tape or hard disk drive.

A major feature of BackupAssist is the tailored support it provides for backup hardware. BackupAssist maximizes the usage of your hardware by providing device-specific functionality. Once you select the hardware that you want to back up to, BackupAssist automatically gives you options specific to that type of hardware. By contrast, Backup Exec treats all devices as either a tape or a simple hard drive.

BackupAssist Hardware Device Support	Back Exec Hardware Device Support

USB disks

USB, Firewire and eSata connected hard drives are a popular choice for backup, but they can be prone to problems if they are treated like ordinary hard drives. BackupAssist specifically addresses these problems:

· Safely removing hardware after the backup - so no data is lost or corrupted when the drive is unplugged

· Automatically assigning the correct drive letter so your backup still works even if the drive is plugged in to a different port

· Scanning ports for the backup drive even if it has been "safely removed" - so if you forget to swap the drive and it has been safely removed (soft ejected), BackupAssist will remap its drive letter and proceed with the backup.

By contrast, Backup Exec treats USB devices as simply another hard drive. This can compromise the reliability of your backups. For example, if the USB device has been safely removed but is still physically connected to the server, Backup Exec will not detect the device and the backup will fail as a result.

DVD and Blu-ray burners

Major differences: · BackupAssist provides support for DVD and Blu-ray burners; Backup Exec does not.

It is often necessary, especially for archiving purposes, to back up your most critical data to write-once media like DVD. This method of backup is also popular for smaller organizations that have less data to protect. BackupAssist provides optical disc burning support "out of the box".

FTP, FTPS and SFTP servers

Major differences: · BackupAssist provides support for FTP, FTPS and SFTP Servers; Backup Exec does not

An easy way to transfer your most critical data offsite is to FTP it to a server in a different geographical location. BackupAssist makes offsite replications easy by providing support for FTP, FTPs and SFTP (the three file transfer protocols).

Removable Disk Cartridge Support - RDX, REV, GoVault

Major differences: · BackupAssist provides support for RDX devices, Iomega Rev and Quantum GoVault drives; Backup Exec does not.

Removable disk cartridge devices provide several benefits: portability, robustness and a rich backup history. BackupAssist will detect and eject such devices and provides tailored schemes with optimized media usage. For example, a 160GB cartridge may store 3 x 50GB backups, and if you have 5 cartridges (one for each day of the week), you will always have at least 15 days' worth of data.

NAS devices

Major differences: · BackupAssist provides tailored support for NAS devices.

NAS is supported natively by BackupAssist and BackupAssist also caters for the explicit authentication required by many Linux-based NAS devices.

Media management and scheduling

Scheduling

Major differences: · Best practice schemes are built into BackupAssist; Backup Exec only has the GFS scheme built-in. · BackupAssist assigns a scheme to a single job; Backup Exec creates multiple jobs for this task.

Features in common: Scheduling can be customized

A comprehensive backup strategy should allow you to restore data from different points in history and give you multiple, redundant backups. This is achieved with an appropriate backup rotation scheme, and for the new user, it can be confusing to set up. BackupAssist makes this easy by giving you a comprehensive array of best-practice media rotation schemes, from which you can choose. A visual representation of each scheme is also provided so that you easily tell when backups will run and how media should be moved on-site and off-site.

Also unique to BackupAssist is that each rotation scheme is tailored to suit the hardware device being used. For example, BackupAssist has a range of rotation schemes for USB Hard Drives, where Tape-based schemes are not appropriate. Schemes provided include rotating HDDs daily, the option to include separate weekly and monthly backups, or the alternative option of performing a weekly full backup and daily incrementals.

BackupAssist Calendar View	BackupAssist Tailored Schemes

Both BackupAssist and Backup Exec allow you to customize your schedule to change the backup mode, backup method, archiving day and so on, but only BackupAssist allows you to do this for each individual job.

Media management

Major differences: · BackupAssist provides the option for media tracking to make sure that the backup operator is swapping media in accordance with the schedule · With BackupAssist users can manage their backup storage space using the intuitive backup file retension feature · BackupAssist makes it easy to keep local copies of your backups for fast restoration

BackupAssist provides media tracking so you can easily tell if the backup operator has been swapping media correctly by viewing the backup report. You can also determine what to do if the wrong media is inserted: back up and warn the user or abort the backup. BackupAssist also makes it easy to manage backup files on your hard drive, removable disks, NAS or FTP Server. So whatever your preferred retension scheme (keep old backups based on size, age, or number of backups), you can configure BackupAssist to meet your needs. The File Replication and Rsync engines also use Single Instance Store technology so that only one unique copy of each file is stored on your backup destination.

Backups are much faster because only files that have changed are backed up, and this means you can have a much longer backup history. For additional speed and convenience when restoring your data you can choose to store a second copy of your backup on a local or network location. This means that you do not need to call your off-site storage facility to get last night's backup shipped over if a file is accidently deleted: simply recover from the local copy instead.

Reporting and notifications

Major differences: · BackupAssist provides integration with the SBS Performance Report · BackupAssist sends customized reminder and maintenance notifications · BackupAssist generates an intuitive media usage report to help identify data growth problems before they occur

Features in common: · Both products allow you to email the backup report or print it out · Reports can be viewed from the Administration Console

The most critical aspect of a backup strategy is to make sure that the media rotation scheme is followed correctly. BackupAssist minimizes the possibility of human error by reminding the backup operator which media to insert either via email or a network broadcast. You can also schedule maintenance notifications to remind someone to perform maintenance tasks like inserting a cleaning tape or defragmenting a disk.

Unlike Backup Exec, BackupAssist also integrates the result of the backup into the Windows SBS Performance Report so system administrators can easily view the status of the last backup. In addition, only BackupAssist has a Media Usage Report that shows you how much of your backup media is being used, which helps you plan for hardware upgrades.

BackupAssist Media Usage Report	Backup Exec Backup Report

Centralized Monitoring

With the BackupAssist Centralized Monitoring Console (CMC) you can monitor multiple BackupAssist installations from one location, create personalized reports for your clients, and view data growth over time. Instead of receiving one email per job that you're monitoring, the CMC can process all of your BackupAssist installations and deliver one summary email of the backup status to you every day. A summary at the top highlights problem sites so you are aware of problems as soon as they occur.

Microsoft Hyper-V backup and restore

Major differences: · Backup Exec's Hyper-V solution is more than 6 times the cost of BackupAssist's. · Backup Exec offers a separate agent for VMware servers; BackupAssist does not. · BackupAssist includes the Hyper-V Config Reporter to document Hyper-V settings.

Features in common: · Both products offer granular restore technology, allowing you to retrieve individual files from any Guest Virtual Machine using only a single backup of the Host.

BackupAssist and Backup Exec offer similar functionality for Microsoft Hyper-V backup and restore. Backup Exec requires the purchase of a separate agent for Microsoft Hyper-V backup, which supports an unlimited number of virtual guests running on a Hyper-V Host machine. With the base license of BackupAssist you can create an image of your Hyper-V Host and the VM Granular Restore Console Add-on, a separate license, is required to enable the granular restore of individual files from Guest VMs.

With both products you can use a single image backup of the Hyper-V Host to retrieve individual files and documents from any Guest Virtual Machine on that Host. This means that there's no need for separate backups of the Host and Guest.

The Hyper-V Config Reporter

The BackupAssist VM Granular Restore Console Add-on also includes the Hyper-V Config Reporter, which you can use to automatically document Hyper-V Host and Guest configuration settings should you migrate a guest machine from one host to another, or restore a guest machine to a new host. The Hyper-V Config Reporter creates a HTML report of the configuration settings for each Hyper-V Guest VM, and the Hyper-V Host settings, containing everything you need to recreate the Hyper-V Host. It comes free with the VM Granular Restore Console Add-on.

Pricing and licensing

Major differences: · BackupAssist is designed to have a simple licensing model and value pricing · BackupAssist does not require remote agents on each Exchange or SQL Server

Quotations are made difficult when products have complicated licensing models with many options and add-ons. BackupAssist's licensing model is simple and offers excellent value because you only pay for what you need. Using just a base license, you can backup:

· local system data (system state & Active Directory)

· any number of local and networked files and directories

· any number of local and networked Exchange Information Stores

You can add backup capabilities by purchasing BackupAssist Add-on products as your I.T. requirements change. For example, using one SQL Server Add-on, you can back up any number of local or remote SQL databases. Using one Exchange Mailbox Add-on, you can back up any number of mailboxes on local or remote Exchange Servers. There is no need for remote agents or multiple license purchases.

Scenario 1

Consider the example where a SMB network contains 4 servers: 1 Domain Controller, 1 Exchange Server and 2 SQL Servers. The following table outlines the licenses you would need to back up these servers:

BackupAssist v6	Backup Exec 2010
· 1 BackupAssist base license + 12 months Upgrade Protection ($345.85) 1 SQL Server Add-on ($129) 1 Exchange Mailbox Add-on ($129)	1 Backup Exec for Windows Servers license + 12 months Essential Support ($1162.66) 1 Backup Exec Agent for Active Directory license ($1162.66) · 1 Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft Exchange Server ($1162.80) · 2 Backup Exec Agent for Microsoft SQL Server ($2325.32)
Total cost: $507 Footprint: single install on domain controller	Total cost: $5813.30 Footprint: requires installs on all 4 servers

Note : Prices are correct at time of writing (1^st Dec 2010), obtained from www.BackupAssist.com and www.symantec.com. Prices are in US Dollars. Technical support for Backup Exec depends on subscription; BackupAssist support is always free.

Scenario 2

For a SMB network that requires primary System Level protection and data replicated to the network and over the internet for secondary and tertiary levels of data protection, the table below shows the different add-ons, agents and options required for different types of backup:

Type of backup	BackupAssist	Backup Exec
System protection	$345.85 Base license + 12 months Upgrade Protection	$1162.66 Agent for Microsoft Active Directory
File-level data protection		$1162.66 Base license + 1yr Essential Maintenance
Exchange Server (complete)		$1162.66 Agent for Microsoft Exchange
Exchange mailbox level	$129 Exchange Mailbox Add-on
SQL Server databases	$129 SQL Server Add-on	$1162.66 Agent for Microsoft SQL Server
Internet / offsite data protection	$129 BackupAssist for Rsync Add-on	$2331.16 Deduplication Option [1]
Hyper-V backup/restore	$249 VM Granular Restore Console Add-on	1863.76 Agent for Microsoft Hyper-V
Centralized Monitoring	Saas Requires valid BackupCare subscription for each license monitored. $149 per year.	$2331.16 Central Admin Server Option
Complete suite	$1130.85	$11,176.72

*Prices in US Dollars are correct at time of writing (1^st Dec 2010) and were taken from www.BackupAssist.com and www.symantec.com.

Conclusion

Backup Exec offers a wide range of Operating System and Application support, and its extensive selection of remote agents and options indicate that it has been designed with the more complex requirements of larger organizations in mind. For SMBs who often have simple data backup requirements, Backup Exec, with its bulky feature set, large proprietary codebase for multiplatform support and resource intensive processes, can be perceived as bloated and cumbersome to run. Because Backup Exec is built for enterprise clients with IT departments wanting maximum flexibility and control, someone less familiar may spend many hours grappling with all the required components and working out where the controls are, just to set up a simple backup strategy. To help existing and new users become familiar with the complex process of installing drivers, remote agents, media pools using policies, configuring the software and administering the daily operation of Backup Exec, a 5 day Backup Exec 2010 Administration course is available. And when hardware, software and the labor involved with setting up Backup Exec are tallied, the total cost can be in excess of $10,000. This upfront investment can prevent some SMB owners from having a functional and effective backup system.

By focusing the BackupAssist design philosophy on the needs of SMBs and not overrunning it with unnecessary and complex functionality, BackupAssist is less cumbersome, simpler to setup and easier to use, even in the hands of someone new to the software. And because BackupAssist optimizes existing Windows backup technologies that are proven and widely supported, the cost savings in development and maintenance of the program are reflected in the price. With support for three levels of data protection available - local disaster recovery, network file replication and off-site/internet backup - the BackupAssist solution costs about $1000, whereas a comparable Backup Exec solution is over $10,000 dollars.

BackupAssist can clear the way for SMB customers who are using unsafe backup practices to own an affordable, rock-solid backup system. BackupAssist gives SMBs: a fit-for-purpose tool that is automated to help you setup a working backup system; a monitoring tool that can warn you when backups are not going as planned; a convenience tool that makes data recovery simpler because it produces backup files that use common formats like VHD, ZIP, PST and BKF; and a productivity tool that reduces the learning curve for you and your team because it is not based on a proprietary process or technology.

You may still be unsure whether BackupAssist is the right choice for your organization, but there's no need to make a purchasing decision now. Directly below is a link for you to download the latest version of BackupAssist, which you can install on your server. It's a fully functional version of BackupAssist that you can use for 30 days, absolutely free. This way you can compare BackupAssist with Backup Exec or any other backup software title you're considering and then decide.

Thank you for considering BackupAssist. If you need any help with our software or have any questions, please contact us at support@backupassist.com - we'd be happy to help.

[1] Backup Exec's Cloud Storage solution requires the use of Nirvanix's Storage Service, Backup Exec 2010 R2 and the Backup Exec Deduplication Option. More information is available on the Symantec website.