“50% Faster” Backups With EMC NetWorker 8.0

EMC Corporation announced a new release of NetWorker Unified Backup and Recovery Software.

NetWorker 8.0 advances the vision for backup and recovery to support the data protection needs of IT environments. As enterprises transform their IT infrastructures to move to cloud computing models and deliver IT-as-a-Service, backup transformation is al foundational element. NetWorker has been equipped with new features and capabilities that align to the requirements of these transformational IT initiatives.

With over 23,000 customers, NetWorker has been a field-proven mainstay of the enterprise backup and recovery landscape for over twenty years. NetWorker has been enhanced now with a streamlined architecture for improved performance and scalability. It also delivers a deep integration with Data Domain deduplication storage systems and broadened support for Microsoft applications, as well as new multi-tenancy management which enables cloud service delivery.

NetWorker 8.0: Built for Backup Transformation

New NetWorker developments include:

• A new architecture that lowers server processing and delivers 3x more scalability, enabling users to do more with existing resources.
• A ‘Client Direct’ feature that enables NetWorker clients to backup directly from the application client to disk, improving performance by up to 50%.
• DD Boost integration with the NetWorker client that brings benefits to all backup workloads while enhancing Data Domain system performance. Benefits include lower network traffic, integrated management with clone-controlled replication, and automated configuration, monitoring and reporting capabilities.
• Microsoft data protection that is enhanced with new capabilities for SQL Server, including support for SQL Server 2012 and Granular Level Recovery for Exchange, SharePoint and Hyper-V.
• Multi-tenancy management that delivers logical zoning of data, devices and users in shared backup environments.

Complementing these new NetWorker capabilities are services from EMC Global Services that optimize the performance, reliability and efficiency of the backup environment. These include infrastructure assessments that provide recommendations for optimizing and stabilizing the current backup infrastructure, as well as EMC Health Check services that help improve the capacity, performance, and throughput of the environment. These offerings are part of Global Services’ deep portfolio for backup and recovery, spanning the entire technology adoption lifecycle.

Dan Yancey, systems engineer, Cook Children’s Hospital, said: "Our environment here at Cook’s is about 85% virtualized with approximately 650 virtual machines. We backup as much as 10 TBs nightly to a Data Domain system, then replicate to a second remote Data Domain system. As a long time NetWorker user, we were quite eager to participate in the 8.0 beta program, and were really pleased with the new enhancements to the product on several fronts. DD Boost at the NetWorker client combined with the new Client Direct feature improved backup performance to the point where we could run backups two times a day-or even more, which is really important in a large hospital environment. As a Microsoft shop, we found the additional application support features to be very helpful, and the new configuration wizards were very useful–especially to some of the newer team members who were not as experienced with the NetWorker product."

Michael Briggs, head of infrastructure, Cancer Research UK, said: "At Cancer Research UK, our goal is to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured and our IT department is viewed as a strategic weapon in this long-term battle. Our integrated EMC NetWorker and Data Domain systems are cornerstones in the protection of our scientific research, supporter data and mission critical applications. The EMC backup and recovery solution we implemented has performed flawlessly since we deployed it and will pay for itself within 18 months."

Jason Buffington, senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group, said: "EMC has delivered a rich set of new backup to disk enhancements for NetWorker users with its 8.0 release, some of which will have immediate impact in existing user environments and others that will help enable more progressive backup and recovery initiatives. Deeper integration with Data Domain, enhanced Microsoft workload support via its consolidated agent and the new Client Direct feature are high value additions that will make NetWorker 8.0 a particularly compelling proposition for large enterprises with diverse sets of backup data."

Shane Jackson, VP of Marketing, EMC Backup Recovery Systems Division, said: "With the introduction of NetWorker 8.0, EMC has clearly reinforced its vision that deep integration between backup software and backup appliances represents the future of backup and recovery for our customers. This major new release of NetWorker places competing products that much further behind the curve in terms of integration, performance, scalability and support for transformational IT initiatives."