Symantec Backup Exec 2010 Enhancements

Symantec Monday introduced Backup Exec 2010, which now integrates optional deduplication technology and adds support for VMware and Microsoft virtualization technologies.

Backup Exec 2010 now offers three ways to implement data deduplication, which removes duplicate information as data is stored, backed up or archived. Depending on customer requirements, the dedupe can be done at the client/server level, which requires lower bandwidth and less storage capacity; at the media server, which requires extra hardware but frees the servers’ processors of the overhead; or via a third-party dedupe appliance like the Quantum DXi family of disk based backup appliances.  That third method takes advantage of Symantec’s Open Storage Technology (OST), which, when done in conjunction with its data protection software, allows storage devices to automate the backup of data between multiple appliances.

Also new with Backup Exec 2010, which is targeted at midrange business customers, is unified archiving due to the embedding of Symantec’s Enterprise Vault technology,  Enterprise Vault allows the archiving of Microsoft Exchange e-mails and files into a separate archive. It can be used to store those files in separate archives, and to delete the original data as needed.

Backup Exec 2010 also includes granular data recovery technology for use in virtual environments,  previous versions let customers back up Exchange, SQL and Active Directory data and restore individual e-mails. With Backup Exec 2010, however, customers will be able to back up virtual servers that include such data, and then restore individual files to either virtual or physical servers.