APTARE StorageConsole vs NetApp OnCommand: Provide ...

COMPETITIVE BRIEF

APTARE StorageConsole vs NetApp OnCommand: Provide Ubiquitous and Complete Visibility Into Storage Environments Supported Environments with APTARE® StorageConsole® • Symantec™ NetBackup™ and Backup Exec™ • IBM Tivoli® Storage Manager (TSM) • EMC® Avamar®, Networker® and Data Domain® • HP Data Proctor and CommVault Simpana®

APTARE provides both a holistic and drill-down vendoragnostic view into storage infrastructure and can differentiate between physical, virtual, allocated and used storage while reporting on data as it flows through the data lifecycle. Complete visibility into storage infrastructure ensures the health and performance of storage environments while creating management efficiencies and cost savings. User performance improves, compliance efforts are enhanced and storage resources optimized. With so much at stake, it’s important to choose the right reporting solution that provides both a holistic and drill-down view into storage infrastructure from the array to the host.

Here is how APTARE StorageConsole compares with NetApp OnCommand. Data Protection Visibility Recognizing the need to provide a complete view of data lifecycles, APTARE StorageConsole includes visibility into data protection and backup processes, including support for Symantec NetBackup, Symantec Backup Exec, IBM Tivoli Storage Manager, EMC Avamar, EMC NetWorker, EMC DataDomain, HP Data Protector and Commvault Simpana. In addition, powerful analytics helps organizations with risk mitigation, SLA setting and tracking, auditing and compliance, accurate forecasting, chargeback/showback and troubleshooting. OnCommand does not provide any visibility into data protection processes, leaving a huge whole in the data lifecycle.

Chargeback Providing a holistic yet detailed view of the storage environment is important for chargeback, and APTARE makes it easy to identify and track the total amount of storage allocated while providing insight into how much is utilized by physical or virtual host, what is being

APTARE StorageConsole vs NetApp OnCommand

replicated and which data is backed up on disk or tape. This provides the full chargeback story so clients, departments and geographies can be charged accordingly. OnCommand, on the other hand, cannot track utilized storage by hosts or data protection metrics—providing an inaccurate record of actual storage costs.

Why APTARE? • Complete visibility into data protection and backup processes • Powerful analytics to organize risk mitigation and SLA setting and tracking • Universal and detailed view into department chargebacks • Provides a single open database for storage administrators who need to monitor and report on performance, capacity and backup status • Flexible fully customized reporting interface and data repository that supports most IT initiatives • Vendor agnostic in hardware and software environments • Non-restricted database schema with full integration

Single Integrated Database The APTARE StorageConsole framework was built from the ground up and provides a single, open database with access to all the information a storage administrator would need to monitor and report on performance, capacity and backup status. The information is automatically collected from arrays, switches, hosts, drives, tape libraries and other storage infrastructure, making sure to take into account physical versus virtual storage and allocated versus used storage as well as replication and dedupe technologies. This integrated database is in sharp contrast to OnCommand’s multiple database instances and the need for an additional database for the reporting server.

Scalability Regardless of the size of the deployment, APTARE requires a single data repository and user portal without the need for master rollups or a separate reporting engine. The more complex OnCommand solution requires multiple instances—each with their own MySQL database—and a separate reporting engine.

Single User Interface A storage administrator attempting to get a holistic view of the storage environment who uses NetApp will have to learn and use multiple interfaces including OnCommand Insight GUI, Akorri BalancePoint GUI, NetApp Management Console GUI and Operations Manager Console GUI. APTARE consolidates visibility into the entire storage environment on a single pane of glass in one integrated interface where terminology, navigation and commands are consistent throughout the framework.

Data Extensibility APTARE is based on a flexible, fully customized reporting interface and data repository that supports any IT initiative from chargeback and forecasting to auditing and compliance. Virtually any reporting metric that provides insight into the storage environment and business processes can be captured, analyzed and reported on. A complete list is impossible to list here, so visit our Customer Report Library for a complete rundown. Unfortunately for NetApp users, OnCommand has a restricted database schema with limited database integration, and only a subset of the data collected by individual instances is sent to the reporting engine.

APTARE StorageConsole vs NetApp OnCommand

Strategic Partnerships with HDS and EMC NetApp is a fierce competitor with many of the top storage hardware vendors, limiting their development access to the latest device software. Being vendor agnostic, APTARE has developed strategic relationships with Hitachi, EMC and yes, even NetApp, working closely with these companies on support for new devices and roadmap. APTARE is able to stay on top of new advances in thin provisioning, virtualization, dynamic tiering and other storage technologies as they are being developed, giving our customers a leg up on quickly and seamlessly integrating them into their management apparatus.

Vendor Agnostic Storage environments are often made up of various hardware platforms and backup software solutions. Administrators rely on virtualization to create efficiencies and dedupe and replications technologies for data protection. While NetApp supports its own hardware first and may be perceived to have an agenda when supporting customers, APTARE’s mission is to provide the best solution regardless of hardware or software.

Multi-Tenancy The domain concept inherent in the APTARE StorageConsole framework allows dedicated devices to remain separate from internal or external customers, enabling the underlying analysis for utility models, self-service, customer-specific views, additional revenue through enhanced reporting and root cause- and exception- based reporting. OnCommand does not provide a platform for multi-tenancy.

In Closing Storage environments are growing increasingly complex, making end-to-end, vendoragnostic visibility into storage processes increasingly critical to supporting business initiatives. Organizations need a solution that provides both a holistic and drill-down view into storage infrastructure and can differentiate between physical, virtual, allocated and used storage while reporting on data as it flows through the data lifecycle. While NetApp OnCommand falls short in many respects, only APTARE StorageConsole provides this level of complete visibility and analysis throughout all aspects of the storage environment.

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