It has not even been a year since we announced and delivered NetWorker 8.1 – an update jam-packed with new features built on the new architectural foundation laid by NetWorker 8. And here we are again, with a release that continues to make advancements in:
- Integration with primary and protection storage
- Application owner empowerment
- Industry-leading protection for enterprise applications
Let’s delve a little deeper into the highlights.
SNAPSHOT MANAGEMENT FOR NAS DEVICES
This release expands the current snapshot support for block-based EMC arrays and RecoverPoint to now also include file-based snapshots for EMC VNX, EMC Isilon, and NetApp. Moreover, it offers the unique ability to not only create and manage NAS snapshots using NetWorker, but also discover and catalog native snapshots created by NAS storage administrators. The backup administrator is then able to take secondary action, such as a rollover of the snapshot to a Data Domain system while the storage admin maintains policy and control over the original. To learn more, watch the video whiteboard on YouTube or take a look at the NetWorker Snapshot Management white paper on emc.com.
ENHANCED VMWARE PROTECTION
Continuing to build on the new VMware support powered by Avamar technology in Networker 8.1, NetWorker 8.2 now adds Instant Access support as well. Just as with Avamar, you may now gain critical access to virtual machines that have been backed up to a Data Domain system in the event of a disaster. Visualization of the VMware environment being protected by NetWorker from the NetWorker Management Console (NMC) has been built back into the solution with the ability to also view container hierarchy and properties as well as protection levels of all the VM’s. In addition, the ability to optionally run a VMDK-level backup, in addition to standard “full image” level protection, has been added. Take a look at the updated VMware Protection with EMC NetWorker white paper for a deeper look.
MICROSOFT DATA PROTECTION VISIBILITY AND CONTROL
EMC continues to provide unparalleled protection for Microsoft environments. Featured enhancements in this release include a new EMC Data Protection add-in for Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM) and updates to the plug-in for Microsoft SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS). While the add-in for SCVMM now enables Fabric, Cloud, and Tenant administrators to manage recovery of data backed up by NetWorker based on their administrator role, the enhanced plug-in for SSMS now enables the SQL DBA to recover their data as well as run their own backups on demand. If you think these new features are cool, just watch the demos using the hyperlinks above!
New support for Microsoft applications does not stop there! Also featured in NetWorker 8.2 is protection for SQL Server 2014, including its new in-memory features. As with Avamar 7.1, NetWorker also supports protection of SQL Server 2014 hybrid cloud deployments, described in detail in the What’s New in Avamar 7.1 blog by Phil George earlier this week. To better understand new SQL Server features, watch the whiteboard video on YouTube. Finally, both NetWorker and Avamar also provide new support for SharePoint Remote Blob Storage (RBS) deployments enabled by both EMC SourceOne and Metalogix StoragePoint, including granular level recovery with EMC Select Partner Kroll Ontrack with PowerControls 7.1.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! …
The NetWorker Module for SAP has added new support for SAP HANA deployed in both single node and scale-out environments. Better yet, NetWorker offers comprehensive, application consistent protection for SAP HANA from Day One. What that means is NetWorker is supporting native backup and recovery options available from SAP for SAP HANA using all of the NetWorker value-add features you know and love, such as NetWorker Client Direct multi-streamed to Data Domain systems as well as NetWorker backup to disk Advanced File Type Devices (AFTD).
And, the NetWorker Module for MEDITECH is first to market with support for next generation MEDITECH Backup Facilities (MBF) technology for EMC VMAX and VNX arrays, including EMC RecoverPoint. MEDITECH now puts the backup application—in this case, NetWorker–in control over all snap/clone operations and who could do it better for EMC arrays than EMC? Besides now enabling support for the latest and greatest VMAX and VNX snap/clone features, including VP_Snap and VNX_Snap, support for NetWorker Client Direct will enable customers to considerably reduce the media management infrastructure they are using today.
Well, there you have it… the highlights of the NetWorker 8.2 announcement. And I do mean ‘highlights.’ There are many other new features I didn’t delve into including, but not limited to, DD Boost over WAN, Data Domain Secure Multi-Tenancy, Backup and Recovery Manager Mobile, enhancements to Block Based Backup and new support for Parallel Savestreams for Windows, multi-stream backup of archived logs for IBM Domino, and more…
Don’t forget to stay in touch by joining the conversations in the NetWorker Online Community and let us know what you think! And, stay tuned here, on The Protection Continuum, as we plan deeper dives into some of these new features in the coming months.