Item: NAKIVO Backup & Replication
Rating: 9
Author: Carlo Marsura

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We had to carry out a technological renewal of our software infrastructure based on Vmware Vsphere with storage on Qnap nas made of file share storage, ~60 virtual machines, 3.4 TB of data. We were looking for an easy-to-manage solution capable of backing up both network shares and Vsphere, possibly without having to allocate new hardware or expensive software resources.

Pros and Cons

Can be installed natively on nas appliances leveraging the use of underutilized appliances. No need to install the software on Windows or Linux Servers.
Backup natively Vmware Virtual Machines and File Shares (you need to buy the right license modules).
Destination storage for backups (or of the backup copies) can be Microsoft shares, Amazon S3, Wasabi, Backblaze and remotely to other sites using their transporter vm.
To not overload the system with overlapping jobs, they can be chained one after the other.
Rapid add/remove/reorder priority of vm to backup and their backup archive. Jobs can be easily changed or chained.
Quick support service

The file share recover via CIFS should be able to recover files directly into the filesystem (along with security settings) instead of downloading a zip file.
Currently, backup of File Shares to Amazon S3/Wasabi is not supported.
Email notifications should have a customizable subject that supports the use of some predefined variables that will be expanded when sending.
It would also be useful to see on the Backup view of a repository the number of recovery points for each object and the backup type for each row.
When navigating the Backup view of VM repository and there are several protected virtual machines, you have several pages to navigate to reach a specific vm. However, after entering the detail view of a backup, when you click the "<" on the page, you are returned to the first page of repository instead of being returned to the nth page you were on before.
On the Backup view of a VM repository, it would be nice to have a tooltip showing the summary data of the backup you are hovering over (or by clicking the hyperlink).

Most Important Features

No need for an additional appliance to install it
Minimal resource needs
Clear web interface

Return on Investment

The software is well balanced with respect to the features it offers

Alternatives Considered

Acronis Cyber Backup, Veeam Backup & Replication and Altaro

Can be installed on Qnap nas. It is more price friendly

Key Insights

Do you think NAKIVO Backup & Replication delivers good value for the price?

Yes

Are you happy with NAKIVO Backup & Replication's feature set?

Yes

Did NAKIVO Backup & Replication live up to sales and marketing promises?

Yes

Did implementation of NAKIVO Backup & Replication go as expected?

Yes

Would you buy NAKIVO Backup & Replication again?

Yes

Likelihood to Recommend

File share backup is less rich in terms of restore features, but the basic functions are supported. It have all you need to plan backup jobs. Backup and restore of virtual machines is the strongest function of Nakivo. When backing up to Amazon S3, keep in mind that you will be taxed also based on the I/O you make and this will be more prominent cost with Nakivo.

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NAKIVO Inc
commented a year ago
Dear Carlo Marsura, Thank you for taking the time to share your positive feedback about NAKIVO Backup & Replication. We are thrilled to hear that our software has been meeting your expectations and has helped to streamline your backup processes. We appreciate your suggestions for improvement and we are happy to inform you that we are already working on a future version of File Share/NAS Backup that would allow storing backups in a public cloud. Additionally, we would like to provide you with some advice on how to view the number of recovery points in a Backup Repository, the types of backups (full/incremental), the size of each recovery point, the backup schedule, and immutability information. You can find this information by going to Overview > Repositories and selecting a backup to view all the related information. For more details, you can refer to our help center article: https://helpcenter.nakivo.com/User-Guide/Content/Settings/Backup-Repositories/Viewing-Backup-Repository.htm?Highlight=backup%20repository We also wanted to let you know that starting from NAKIVO Backup & Replication v10.7, you can access an updated UI that includes the number of recovery points in a Backup Repository, the types of backups (full/incremental), the size of each recovery point, the backup schedule, and immutability information. If you have an older version, you can access the updated UI by updating your instance of the solution. Thank you again for your review and your valuable feedback. We are committed to continuously improving our software and providing our users with the best backup and replication solutions.

Pratical and flexible backup software for small/mid size companies

Overall Satisfaction with NAKIVO Backup & Replication