Category: Data Reduction

I have made no secret about my skepticism of using dual controller architectures for inline deduplication, specifically at the enterprise level. My concern was that the workloads in enterprise backup environments would essentially overwhelm the capacity of just using two controllers and negatively impact backup jobs. However a recent briefing I had with Data Domain’s VP of Product Management, Brian Biles, has started to change my perspective as to why doing inline deduplication using dual controller architectures is becoming a more viable option for enterprise environments.

I have expressed skepticism in the past about Diligent Technologies’ ProtecTIER™ in light of the fact its primary go-to-market strategy is the enterprise open systems and mainframe environments. This strategy prompts me to exercise extreme diligence about their technology and architecture before endorsing it. The reason? The speeds and feeds that ProtecTIER is likely to encounter in enterprise shops are unlike what inline deduplication appliances will experience in small and midsize businesses and enterprises.