Reading this week that the folks from Raspberry Pi have shipped their 5 millionth unit made me think about the true cost of hardware. Here we have a basic computer that ships for less than $30 and now with version 2 shipping runs a vast number OS’s including Windows 10.
So what does this tell us? Well, for me it just proves while the hardware remains an important part of the equation, it’s the software that really matters. You only have to read the blogs to understand some of the solutions that are being created using this device. So the story here is, pick the correct hardware and any solution can be created. The same can be said for Data Protection; while I don’t want to play down data protection appliances it’s actually the software that’s making all the news. Take for instance EMC ProtectPoint, software that leverages the market leading backup appliance Data Domain, but rewrites the laws around backup. How? By removing the media server out of the equation and utilizing snapshots to create full backups on a platform designed to store hundreds of instances of backup.
OK, so this is a great solution for VMAX and Data Domain customers, what about those of you who are just using VMware. Again data protection in these environments is just as critical and just as challenging. Where better to turn than VMware itself. vSphere 6.0 now includes Data Protection as part of the OS. Utilizing the market leading Avamar software from EMC, vSphere Data Protection 6.0 offers all VMware customers a data protection solution embedded and managed from within the OS. Used with any hardware is will provide you with a reliable copy of all your virtual instances at the touch of a button. Used with Data Domain and DD Boost it will provide quick and global consolidation of all your backups.
So as with the Raspberry Pi, if you pick the correct hardware you give yourself a better than average chance to use software to create the best solution available.