ExaGrid: A Scalable Approach To Disk-based Backup

From several years Tenaja Group is into the adoption phase of enterprise disk-based data protection. Over these years, we've seen customer knowledge rise dramatically. In our frequent discussions with end users looking to deploy this critical technology, we have learned that they now have high expectations for their diskbased solutions: IT teams demand easy integration with their existing backup infrastructures, non-disruptive scalability, capacity optimization, multi-site coverage, all coupled with a compelling ROI story. Solutions that fall down on one or more of these attributes are simply not seeing the wide spread customer adoption enjoyed by competing vendors. One company that we see shaping up strongly against these customer purchasing criteria is ExaGrid Systems Inc. With a true next-generation architecture, ExaGrid leverages the economic benefits of industry-standard hardware on a "scale-out" grid platform, while incorporating a range of advanced software functionality to optimize capacities across geographies. The ExaGrid platform perfectly represents where the entire industry must follow: Easily deployed, self-contained disk-based data protection "clusters" designed to fit into any existing enterprise data center and deliver results out-of-the-box. To help customers wrestling with purchasing questions, in this profile we will look at some of key criteria enterprises should consider in their evaluation of disk-based data protection vendors, and then take a look at how ExaGrid is matching up against these criteria. At the end of the day, we're very positive on the prospects available to ExaGrid in this very critical market and we think customers will agree. The future of disk-based data protection resides in simplicity, scalability and reliability. We happen to think ExaGrid is the posterchild for this trend.

What Really Matters In Diskbased backup
For the purposes of this profile, we will assume that prospective customers of diskbased data protection already understand the most basic benefits of this technology. Indeed, so much ink has been spilled on this subject in the past months, we need not consume our readers' time stating the many obvious advantages of disk-based backup over its tape predecessors. However, what we are finding in our regular interviews with IT teams is that a core set of expected criteria are finally emerging around what constitutes a minimally viable disk-based data protection architecture. While each enterprise might approach these criteria with a slightly different nomenclature or emphasis, we can itemize the recurring themes here in a manner that sets the foundation for a deeper discussion.