Increasingly, the new field of battle is in deeper integration between backup software and dedupe storage. Avamar started this wave a long time ago, and it remains the most advanced implementation. More traditional backup software is also moving in this direction:
- Symantec pioneered the idea using OST and Data Domain Boost to integrate NetBackup, and now Backup Exec 2010 with Data Domain and other OST licensees.
- Starting this summer, NetApp and SyncSort are offering channel-based integration packages for SyncSort to manage snapshots on FAS systems. Not quite Boost, but reacting to the same problem.
- Also starting this summer, Symantec are offering their own storage systems in some geographies for PureDisk. (I love OST, but how weird is it to be on the NBU 5000 team in the “No Hardware Agenda” company? It would be like working in DB2 support at Oracle.)
More over at Brian's blog.
