Unitrends for an SMB
July 27, 2016
Unitrends for an SMB
Score 7 out of 10
Vetted Review
Verified User
Overall Satisfaction with Unitrends Recovery Series Backup Appliance
Unitrends Recovery Series Backup Appliance is used for the entire enterprise. It backs up data stores, VMs and SQL databases.
- SQL Client works very well. Databases can be restored/renamed at any place in time based on the backup scheme/schedule. I have had several instances of using the Backup/Restore to aid in software deployments/upgrades/testing.
- Attaches to storage well. Attached our Tegile array as a SAN and it can easily see the shares directly.
- Ability to temporarily mount a backup image to dynamically retrieve files is very helpful, users can then browse and select files they want back. Therefore I don't have to ask which files they need, my time back and forth not wasted.
- Email configuration! They need to get up to date with settings necessary to use Office 365. Cannot specify ports or protocol, no 587, no TLS. I have had to set up a relay on my DC to facilitate getting the standard daily log emails. *** They KNOW this is a huge problem. ***
- Initiating backups when a filesystem ~changes. If a LUN is changed, or a datastore extended, the snapshot is no longer valid and the next scheduled backup fails, understandably) Usually, the message is "backup failed : full required", but it does not initiate a full to protect the data, it waits until the next "scheduled" backup to perform the full. I have argued for hours with them regarding this and they fail to ~understand my stance that they are leaving the data unprotected for this time period. The appliance KNOWS that a full is required and that no subsequent backups will be valid until the full is run, so why wait? Run the full immediately.
- Backups are REQUIRED to run a business and the relative costs vs. the capabilities were important. We are small startup and capital is tight, but protecting the business data is paramount. Sizing the appliance to the environment was a nice feature with expandability.
- Ease of use and having one environment was important. We all wear multiple hats in a small company. I cannot be just a backup administrator.
- Legato and Symantec Backup Exec
Legato (post EMC) was a complete disaster. They ruined that product. Unitrends has far better VM support. SQL clients about equal.