Unitrends Backup and Recovery - the set it and forget it option.
February 09, 2021
Unitrends Backup and Recovery - the set it and forget it option.
Score 9 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Modules Used
- Unitrends Backup Software
- Unitrends Recovery Series Backup Appliance
Overall Satisfaction with Unitrends Data Center Backup and Recovery
When we initially purchased this package/appliance is was used for backing up all of our user profiles, shared folders and offsite server volumes for recovery. About 2 years ago we transitioned from roaming profiles to OneDrive for Business, so currently we are only backing up server volumes and the shared folders that still have to reside locally. We had purchased this solution to move away from tape backups as we were running out of space holding onto all of the tapes for 90-120 back ups. Also the tape method took a long time if we had to attempt to recover a single file for one person whereas now within a matter of minutes I am able to pull down a copy of the missing/corrupt file for the end user.
- User interface is nice and simple and their dashboard shows everything at a glance from protected assets, issues, and space left on the appliance.
- The time it takes to recover a file is able to be done in a few minutes as compared to having to mount a tape and have it index to try to locate the file needed.
- Their tech support is amazing and quick to respond to work with you on getting any back up errors or installation issues resolved.
- Recently have had an [issue] since changing over from a MESH topology to SD-WAN where all of the servers outside our main office were no longer able to be backed up "file level" style, we had to switch them to "Image level".
- The error reports for failed back ups can tend to be long and not always an easy read to determine what the issue is. Would be nice if the logs could link to a knowledge based article that could explain it better as well as offer possible solutions without having to contact support to get it resolved.
- Since we are using an appliance to hold the back ups it would be nice to have some method of seeing all the data stored in order to determine if some old jobs could be deleted. I know they have an aging policy but there has been a time when we were running low on space and I probably could have gone in to delete some back ups for servers that are not vital to recover.
- The availability to save/archive back ups from assets that are being removed from protection would be a nice option. I don't know if I am just missing it but when I remove an asset it always tells me that doing that will delete all back up jobs. This is something that I will have to ask next time I put in a support ticket or see if Unitrends has a place to ask for features to be added.
- Compared to the tape back up system that we were using we noticed an immediate savings within the first year of not having to buy $500 back up tapes. Normally we would have one for each day of the week and one for a full back up for the week. With keeping only the full weekly back ups for 90-120 days we were spending more on the tapes than I did a 4TB appliance.
- It has saved time for me personally for not having to keep swapping out tapes and taking them home with me for offsite storage.
- The speed in which we are now able to recover files has freed up more time for us. With the tape back up system we may have to mount multiple tapes to try to find the version the were looking for. With this package I am able to select dates and the file and it pulls them all down for me to share with the user so they can determine which one they need.
Do you think Unitrends delivers good value for the price?
Yes
Are you happy with Unitrends's feature set?
Yes
Did Unitrends live up to sales and marketing promises?
Yes
Did implementation of Unitrends go as expected?
Yes
Would you buy Unitrends again?
Yes
Unitrends is far easier to configure, use and administer as compared to Veritas. We selected Unitrends based on the live demo that they provided showcasing the ease of use [of] their recovery package. In the past I would have to contract engineers to come in or connect remotely to assist with the Backup Exec package which adds to cost factor of the product if I needed assistance with configuring new servers, but with Unitrends I simply deploy a small agent and add it to my existing back up jobs, and then just wait to verify that the back up was successful.