After months of hype, PHD Virtual has finally released their latest VMware backup solution, esXpress 3.5. I have used esXpress for a while now, and was glad to see the new version released.
Some new features of esXpress include:
- Fault-tolerant – VMware DRS/HA aware and VMotion compatible
- Source-Side Global De-Duplication Across Entire ESX Farm
- Multi-user Instant File Level Restore
- High Performance – up to 16 backup streams per ESX host
- Built-in Incremental Replication
- Cost Effective licensing per host with unlimited sockets/cores
I must say throughout my time using esXpress, I have been pleased with the simplicity, scalability, and performance of PHD Virtual’s backup solution. If anyone does not know, esXpress uses a “VBA” which is a small virtual machine that is started to perform the actual backup of your virtual machines. Based on the licenses you purchase, you can run anywhere from four to eight VBAs during your backup jobs. Another great feature of the software is that there is no agent or VCB involvement.
In this new release of esXpress, de-duplication has also been introduced. Just like the VBA, a small de-duplication virtual appliance runs as the target for your backup jobs. In our environment, we are seeing a high consolidation ratio on customer’s machines. For instance, for some of our SaaS customers who run hundreds of the same Windows server templates, the de-duplication feature reduces the customer’s backup footprint tremendously by backing up the common data of all the virtual machines once.
This is by no means a comprehensive review of the product. I suggest if you are looking for a fast and reliable backup platform for your VMware environment, check out esXpress.
About Justin Giardina
Justin Giardina is the Chief Technology Officer of iland Internet Solutions, a global provider of Hosted VMware, managed collocation and high-speed IP network and data services. As CTO, Mr. Giardina implements company and network solutions to increase productivity and eliminate downtime, while recognizing and deploying technological advances. Mr. Giardina oversees all aspects of iLand's technical operations, including budget, design, purchasing and installation; while also managing the company's technical team.
Mr. Giardina has over 15 years of IT experience. Prior to joining iLand, Mr. Giardina led network engineering and system administration teams in the consulting and petrochemical industries. Mr. Giardina attended the University of New Orleans in Louisiana. He is also an active member of various professional organizations, including Houston's Ubuntu Users Group and the Plone project.
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