Top 5 Small Enterprise VMware vSphere Backup Solution Report From DCIG Features Arcserve ShadowXafe and OneXafe

The server virtualization software market will reach $10 billion by 2026. And VMware vSphere is the undisputed market leader in enterprise server virtualization, even with more server virtualization offerings than ever to choose from. In part, that’s due to VMware’s variety of software tools that complement vSphere and can support your small enterprise in deploying and managing it. While VMware can help your small enterprise create a stable, high-performing virtual infrastructure, you still need to protect the applications, data, and workloads hosted on your VMware vSphere VMs. For that, you need a backup solution specifically built for the task. On that subject, industry analyst Data Center Intelligence Group (DCIG) recently issued a Solutions Report in which Arcserve was named a Top 5 Small Enterprise VMware vSphere Backup Solution.

What to Look For in a VMware vSphere Backup Solution

DCIG initially evaluated more than 30 solutions designed to protect applications, data, and workloads on VMware vSphere. Only 18 met DCIG’s definition of a small enterprise VMware vSphere solution. And only five were good enough to make the final cut. DCIG noted six critical features that you should look for in an effective backup solution for your small enterprise, including:

1. Optimized backup and recovery of vSphere environments with up to 1,000 VMs

While some of the solutions covered can back up vSphere environments with more than 1,000 VMs, the best small enterprise solutions included features designed to meet the specific needs of vSphere environments with 50 to 1,000 VMs.

2. Protect Microsoft Windows guest operating systems

Your small enterprise likely hosts your applications, data, and workloads on Microsoft Windows platforms, so the solution should protect recent versions of Microsoft Windows Server and Microsoft Windows 10.

3. Integration and application-consistent backups for leading Microsoft applications

Look for a solution that integrates with and creates application-consistent backups of your Microsoft Exchange and SQL Server data and applications.

4. Replication support

Choose a solution that lets you copy and store backup data to another on-premises location or offsite for disaster recovery (DR) purposes. Learn more about backup best practices by reading this post about today’s new 3-2-1-1 backup rule.

5. Multiple restore options

The best solutions let you perform a wide range of restores, from granular file and folder restores to VM image restores.

6. Support when you need it

If anything goes wrong, every minute matters. Choose a solution that offers same-day and online support so you can solve problems quickly.

Arcserve ShadowXafe and OneXafe Solo: A Top 5 Solution

DCIG says Arcserve ShadowXafe software and OneXafe Solo give your small enterprise a solution designed explicitly for small enterprises looking to modernize their backup methodology. If your enterprise is adopting cloud backup and needs to perform recoveries in the cloud—or you want to create local backups and ensure fast recovery of your VMware vSphere environment—DCIG points out the ways that Arcserve ShadowXafe and OneXafe Solo stand out from the competition, including:

Secure access to backup software and data

With ransomware now targeting backups more frequently to prevent recovery, DCIG cites Arcserve OneSystem—the solution’s cloud-based management platform— which natively supports two-factor authentication (2FA) to ensure only authorized admins have access, at the same time safeguarding against admins making unauthorized or ill-advised changes to existing backup data or jobs.

Fast, easily administered VM recoveries

Downtime is painful, regardless of whether the cause is a cyberattack, user error, application failure, or ransomware attack. Arcserve ShadowXafe includes Arcserve’s VirtualBoot technology, giving your small enterprise access to instant VM recoveries. DCIG says that, while competing solutions offer this same functionality, VirtualBoot helps the Arcserve solution stand out because it doesn’t require admins to perform potentially disruptive Storage vMotion to re-host the VM on production storage. Instead, the solution relies on VirtualBoot to dynamically move your data from backup to production storage—without additional admin intervention.

Integrated disaster recovery-as-a-service (DRaaS)

Arcserve ShadowXafe offers an integrated DRaaS solution so your small enterprise can backup directly to the cloud, then configure and orchestrate one-click failovers to the cloud using Arcserve’s self-service portal.

Choose a Better VM Backup Solution

To learn more, read the complete Solution Profile or contact us to talk to a VM backup solution expert.