The Forrester Wave: Enterprise Open Systems Virtual Tape Libraries

January 31, 2008
The Forrester WaveT: Enterprise
Open Systems Virtual Tape
Libraries, Q1 2008by Stephanie Balaourasfor IT Infrastructure & Operations Professionals
Making Leaders Successful Every DayFor IT Infrastructure & Operations Professionals Includes a Forrester WaveT
January 31, 2008
The Forrester WaveT: Enterprise Open Systems Virtual Tape Libraries, Q1 2008FalconStor, Fujitsu Siemens Computers, And EMC Are The Top Market Leadersby Stephanie Balaouraswith Simon Yates, Galen Schreck, and Rachel A. Dines
EXECUTIVE SUMMARYForrester evaluated 12 virtual tape library (VTL) vendors across 58 criteria and found that FalconStor Software leads for the completeness of its product o?ering and strategy. Fujitsu Siemens Computers leads for its host support, architecture, and tape integration. First-to-market EMC continues to have a very competitive VTL. Quantum shows substantial promise with a VTL that supports both pre- and post-processing deduplication. NetApp has one of the strongest product strategies as it transforms itself into a heterogeneous data protection vendor. Sun Microsystems and COPAN Systems have created unique o?erings with partner software and their own intellectual property. SEPATON leads pure-plays with the most complete o?ering. HP and IBM have improved VTL o?erings but lack market traction. Deduplication pioneers Data Domain and Diligent don't integrate with tape but show promise with customers that want tape elimination.
TABLE OF CONTENTS NOTES & RESOURCES2 The Problem: Back Up More Data, More Often, Forrester conducted product evaluations in In Less Time, With The Same Budget September 2007 and interviewed 12 vendor VTLs Improve Backup And Help Control Costs companies: COPAN Systems, Data Domain, Diligent Technologies, EMC, FalconStor Software, There Are Two Opposing Philosophies In The VTL Market: Tape Is Good And Tape Is Bad Fujitsu Siemens Computers, HP, IBM, NetApp, Quantum, SEPATON, and Sun Microsystems.3 Enterprise Open Systems Virtual Tape Library Evaluation Overview Related Research DocumentsEvaluation Criteria Focused On Ecosystem, "Will Data Deduplication Finally Make Disk As Scale, Strategy, And Traction Cheap As Tape?"Evaluated Vendors O?er VTLs That Scale To July 23, 2007Meet Enterprise Requirements "Choosing A Virtual Tape Library"6 VTLs Are Maturing, But There Are Some Areas December 15, 2006Of Di?erentiation10 Vendor Pro?lesLeaders: FalconStor, FSC, EMC, Quantum, Sun, SEPATON, NetApp, And COPAN SystemsStrong Performers: HP, IBM, Data Domain, And Diligent Technologies13 Supplemental Material
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THE PROBLEM: BACK UP MORE DATA, MORE OFTEN, IN LESS TIME, WITH THE SAME BUDGETIt's often assumed that enterprises are transitioning more and more of their backups to disk because they're simply frustrated with tape. Tape is slower than disk, it's prone to more errors and failures, and it is di?cult to manage hundreds - and potentially thousands - of individual tape cartridges. The reality is that enterprises aren't frustrated with tape. Many of its inherent challenges have been addressed through more intelligent automated tape library systems. They simply can't back up all the critical corporate data they need to with tape alone because: 1) There is more data to back up than ever before; 2) there is less planned downtime during which to complete backups; 3) application owners want more frequent backups and faster restores; and 4) IT operations must improve backup and restore service with its existing budget.
VTLs Improve Backup And Help Control CostsVirtual tape libraries are disk subsystems that use tape emulation to appear as phy... [download for more]