CommVault SnapProtect With Dell Compellent Arrays

CommVault Systems, Inc. and Dell, Inc. continue to collaborate to automate and streamline the data management process and, at Dell World conference, CommVault announced new API integration between CommVault’s SnapProtect snapshot technology and Dell Compellent storage arrays, bringing the power of SnapProtect to bear for Dell’s entire portfolio of enterprise storage systems.

Building on their long-standing partnership, CommVault and Dell are announcing new snapshot integration between the powerful SnapProtect data protection feature of CommVault Simpana 9 software and Dell Compellent storage arrays leveraging Dell Compellent Data Instant Replay.

To accommodate increased demands for application uptime, customers can combine Dell Compellent pointer-based snapshots called Replays with application-aware Simpana software under a single end-to-end protection policy and management interface without requiring time-consuming customization or complex scripting. As a result, companies can improve SLA delivery, reduce internal IT costs and eliminate production backup windows.

CommVault’s SnapProtect technology, part of Simpana 9 software suite, simplifies and automates data protection and expedites rapid recovery operations by integrating data protection policies to control the Replay technology within Dell Compellent SANs.

These application-consistent snapshots provide high-speed recovery to meet critical service-level commitments while automatically tiering secondary retention copies to lower cost storage pools in enterprise IT environments.

SnapProtect policies help maximize the speed and efficiency of Dell Compellent Replays to reduce operational impact and meet recovery objectives for mission-critical applications and file systems.

The integration of SnapProtect with Dell Compellent storage systems brings with it snapshot support for Dell’s entire family of storage arrays, including the Dell EqualLogic PS Series, Dell PowerVault MD storage arrays and DL Backup to Disk Appliance – Powered by CommVault.

Data Protection and Recovery from Any Storage Tier
A Simpana software feature, SnapProtect enabler for Dell Compellent SANs can be leveraged by both new and existing customers to enhance protection of Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, SQL Server, and Windows, file system environments. Automated storage policies drive secondary protection copies to de-duplicated disk, tape or cloud storage for longer-term retention while reducing data lifecycle costs and compliance demands.

With automated policies and API integration developed jointly by Dell and CommVault, users select the Compellent Replay option, eliminating the complexity of coordinating actions, mapping application structures, creating, validating and aging off expired snapshots. Users also can monitor a set of application and file system protection policies within a centralized management console to minimize operations, alerting and reporting efforts.

Leveraging SnapProtect for Virtual Server Agent, Simpana software and Dell Compellent delivers the performance needed to protect demanding virtual server environments. Protecting hundreds of VM’s in a matter of minutes while creating rapid-fire, persistent, recovery copies. These Dell Compellent hardware snapshot-based recovery copies are created with minimal impact on production systems.

End-to-end policies simplify the creation and automate the movement of selective copies across tertiary tiers of disk, tape and cloud storage to meet organizational needs while reducing TCO. Users no longer need to track uncoordinated data movement across legacy backup tools as every data copy is accounted for under Simpana software’s singular approach to data management and embedded reporting capabilities to streamline auditing, costing and charge-back reporting.

The Simpana SnapProtect client ensures application-consistent recovery copies to simplify recoveries from any copy of application data while eliminating the complexities of recovering applications from snapshots, transaction logs and offline copies. To accelerate recoveries, users pick a point in time from the protection client collection to restore the application without the need to rewrite files and data into a usable application instance.

SnapProtect offers one-pass backup with multi-option restore operations and one-click recovery features expedite restores of entire storage volumes, distinct application stores and critical folder/file groups. Simpana software’s offline mining tools also support the ability to select granular messages, documents or Active Directory components from database snapshot copies.

Michael McMahon, Vice President Worldwide OEM Sales, CommVault, said: "The inadequacies of legacy backup and recovery solutions are glaring in today’s virtual data centers. The integration of SnapProtect with Dell Compellent storage is yet another way CommVault and Dell are continuing to strengthen our partnership by working closely together to find new, modern ways to protect enterprise IT environments and help customers leverage and extend the value of existing technology."

Phil Soran, President, Dell Compellent, said: "Dell and CommVault are helping enterprise customers reap the benefits of modern data centers. The integration of SnapProtect with Dell Compellent storage can help eliminate many of the performance challenges and migration pitfalls associated with traditional data protection platforms by improving integration, automation and scalability to work effectively in virtualized or physical environments."