What is our primary use case?
The primary use case of this solution is for backup.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is that you can do a bare-metal restore even with dissimilar hardware. I can restore my image on a Dell server that I got from an HP server, as long as the specs are in tandem if they are sufficiently processed.
I cannot do physical to physical, it must not be like hypervisor disk without virtualization.
The built-in encryption makes this product suitable for the financial industry. Data in the manufacturing sector is different from that of financial services.
What needs improvement?
They do a lot of maintenance. In the span of six months, maintenance is done at least twice and you are told that it is coming up, with apologies for the inconvenience. It's a distraction, and it interferes with the backup schedule. Also, it can happen at a time where some critical systems are required to recover.
I would like documentation or a video demonstration on how to restore active databases. At this point, it can restore pictures and common files, but we want to be able to support all kinds of customers so backing up and restoring active databases are important.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with Acronis Backup for three years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This solution is stable, we haven't experienced any issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It's a scalable solution.
How are customer service and technical support?
You can reach support easily, either through chat or by phone.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I have used Veritas in the past, but I had a very bad experience and it has traumatized me so I don't speak about that product.
I have used Commvault and that solution is quite similar to Veeam, although I would say that it is more mature than Veeam.
Actifio is better than these other solutions, but because of the price, I rate it behind Acronis. Nobody who is not a well-established enterprise will be comfortable paying for Actifio.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. It was actually easy.
The first client was in a different city and it was just one visit to review the environment to size it accordingly.
Our technical team installed a few agents on the PCs.
The maintenance is done remotely, with remote support and no onsite requirement. This is for a cloud-based setup.
What about the implementation team?
Because the provisionings are for a Cloud product, the product is given an item and you give them credentials.
It was an easy installation because of the training and the person that was on standby when we completed the deployment.
We didn't find ourselves calling for assistance because the training was thorough. They take a lot of time to train before deployment.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The icing on the cake is the price, as it is quite affordable. The pricing is comparable to the newest solution available on the market, Altaro. They are in the same price range.
We don't have hybrid because with that kind of licensing required you will incur twice the expenses.
They are very supportive of the price, even when your subscription is due and you have not paid they give you a grace period, they are quite understanding and give you that personal touch.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I evaluated Mozy at the time I was evaluating Acronis Backup. Acronis could do what Mozy could not. I realized that they had a local distributor for us, who offered us a lot of help.
What other advice do I have?
It's best to go full cloud or even purchase the storage from Acronis rather than having an on-premises install where you have to purchase advanced licenses, only to go to the cloud. That is the challenge that I had with Actifio.
They provide you with regular training for partners.
The very first person that I interacted with was the local distributor. They were knowledgeable it was obvious that they had continuous training.
You are free to install this software on any hardware that you have, the challenge is the hardware itself, such as the media server with Commonvault. There is one called Quorum, which uses the OnQ operating system. They dictate the type of hardware you install in your backup, just like the DPS in Dell EMC. That way you don't run into issues with support.
I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.
Which deployment model are you using for this solution?
Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
Backup VMware is difficult.