NetWorker Review

PROS: Networker is robust, providing a variety of ways for you to do the backup. It can perform multiple scheduled backup requests and runs smoothly.

CONS: It can take a while to learn operating the platform. The many commands makes finding what you need a challenge.

PROS: NetWorker satisfies all your backup needs and allows you to set each with great flexibility.

CONS: Fixing problems may take longer with the many processes need to be done and the several commands needed to be checked on.

PROS: Regardless of how its GUI has been revised over the years, like a majority of UNIX-based apps, just about everything inside is a file/command line. This reassures me of complete product control. I love how it's logically made. For instance, its clients can be included in savegroups, and savegroups operating under a specified schedule. I like its mminfo command that allows to report on the backup status of clients. It's really worth learning!

CONS: It's basically a enterprise-based network backup tool. It contains an extensive GUI that appears to be a bit intimidating at first glance. After going through training on making client configurations and including it in the backup schedule, everything is straightforward. Just about about everything seen there is where you'd expect them to be. It's a recommended product that can easily justify on the work being done end-to-end.

PROS: When you have the required assistance, its support functions wonderfully. The wide range of hardware and software support is what I love with this product. EMC collaboration is beyond average. CHAT has proven its use in opening up an initial case. What I like about them is that they don't automatically assume anything without going through a thorough review.

CONS: Their support is falling a bit behind as a result of lesser headcount. Experience is also lacking. I'd wind up calling their mananger just to get the support required. Its Centers of Excellence is great, but not the experience and collaborative efforts seen in the augmentation of today's operational centers.

PROS: The thing that I like the most about this tool is its abundant features. Thanks to all of those, I can be sure that my backups that everything into account and are detailed and thorough.

CONS: If there's one thing that I would consider a hassle, it would be the time it takes to perform troubleshooting. But it only takes as long as it does because of the multiple options available, which I don't think is a negative at all.

PROS: Its UI in terms of file management is simple to utilize. It allowed us to offer a very efficient response time for file requests. These requests would pretain certain users. And also for specific time periods.

CONS: At present, there are Windows and UNIX versions available. Managers in IT who are utilizing the UNIX version would frequently look at them in a different manner as if the Windows version won't appear good enough for one to use the UNIX version. I never found that to be the case. Thing is, the comman line interface is what sets the difference between btoh versions. I'm going for the GUI.

PROS: I love how this product is extremely reliable. I've made use of this for almost two decades. It's a downright bad feeling when a system restore is required and it becomes impossible to retrieve your files back. That doesn't automatically mean other products are no longer dependable on such instances. Networker is the right fit for me.

CONS: On version 7.6, its restore progress window would go blank. Tha means, you can't see what's happening. I'm creating a new server through 8.2, so we'll need to determine it's more suitable. This issue could be attributedby a bottleneck within the server. In the end though, it's just a small hiccup.

PROS: The DDBoost by means of client direct is one feature that I like. It works exceptionally well in our NetWorker environment. Its data de-duplication helped reduced the load seen in the NetWorker server and Storage Nodes. This gave us the ability to cut back on the number of nodes within our backup environment. Hence, it saved plenty of of admin work needed for the environment upkeep.

CONS: When it comes to DDBoost, there's really nothing for NetWorker to report on. Specifically, it won't tell you when a client can't make a backup to a Data Domain appliance. This skips the Storage Node and keeps its bandwidth requirements mininimized.

PROS: Its DDBoot via client direct is one of its recent additions that I appreciate most in a NetWorker enviroment. It's widely distributed process in data de-duplication minimized the load on both SNs and NetWorker server. This helped us reduce SNs numbers within our backup environment. As a result, the admin effort neeed in preserving our environment is greatly minimized.

CONS: Making use of DDBoost is really nothing that NeWorker can report on. It'll inform you if a client can't make direct backups to a Data Domain appliance. It byasses the SN and minimizes SN bandwidth requirements.

PROS: Support is awesome if assistance can help you with whatever it is you need. The small number of support headcount is what's primarily responsible for the delays. At some point, a 5-minute delay was deemed unaccetapble. These days, having a 5-minute delay entails a really great day. Varying software and hardware support is what makes this product attractive.

CONS: Support is lagging a bit as a result of reduced head count and experience. I practically had to reach out the available manager just to have support on the line. Its "Centers for Excellence" basically involves the addition of support staff. It's not really a collaborative effort and experience in the augmentation of current data centers.

PROS: It's a great product for making backups. It's light on PC resources and I've yet to see a client triggering any problems in our servers for more than a decade. Like a majority of enterprise products in the market, Networker requires proper setup and finely tweaked to a certain environment where it works best. Networker has done a tremendous job, most critically in the utilization of NDMP backups. Even if NDMP is a bit complicated to configure and handle, its gain in performance has proven to be a major asset.

CONS: The default TCP port range is huge. It has a tendency to go against certain enterprise apps on some instances. Networker won't let you make port range adjustments. But then again, it can easily be overlooked. Networker frequently requires admin intervention and tuning, although not as much as that of its competitors