Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition

Reference Code: TA001704STG

Publication Date: August 2009

Author: Stephen Mann, Somak Roy, and Karthik Balakrishnan

Acronis – Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition Published 08/2009

© Butler Group. This Technology Audit is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied Page 1

TECHNOLOGY AUDIT

Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition Acronis

BUTLER GROUP VIEW

ABSTRACT

The Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 (ABR10) family of software solutions allows organisations to create server and workstation backups: either for rapid restoration in the case of a disaster, or for testing and development purposes. The ABR10 software portfolio provides backup capabilities for OS, data, applications, and settings, and the ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition extends this technology to Virtual Machines (VMs). Product functionality is based on Acronis’ patented disk-imaging and bare-metal restore technologies which can back up an image of an entire system and settings, and enable rapid restoration of the entire system or selected files. The growth of server virtualisation has necessitated specialised backup technology to address virtualisation-specific backup challenges and Butler Group is impressed with ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition’s ability to address these, particularly the range of options for managing the backup process, the licensing structure, the range of virtualisation platforms supported, and the introduction of deduplication capabilities to help with the optimisation of corporate storage.

KEY FINDINGS

Licensing is per physical server, supporting unlimited virtual servers at no extra cost.

Supports VMware, Parallels, Citrix, and Microsoft virtualisation platforms.

The included Acronis Universal Restore tool permits the recovery of server images to dissimilar virtual hardware.

Easy to use GUI and global dashboard offer a good degree of management and flexibility for scheduling and storing backups.

ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition delivers deduplication capabilities.

Application events, such as installation, do not trigger the backup process.

Good range of Linux and Windows server OS variants supported.

Targeted at companies with up to 3,000 servers and 500 to 5,000 workstations.

LOOK AHEAD

Acronis’ near-future technology roadmap includes plans to enhance its ABR10 product family with features such as Continuous Data Protection.

TECHNOLOGY AUDIT



FUNCTIONALITY

Virtualisation is amongst the most important technologies to have impacted mid-sized and large IT

organisations in recent years. It offers substantial flexibility and cost benefits, allowing IT managers and

systems administrators to consolidate servers, provision additional capacity for applications on demand,

provision servers with the right configuration for testing, and address disaster recovery and business

continuity concerns more effectively.

The mainstream adoption of virtualisation technology has driven the growth of a supporting ecosystem that

includes virtualisation monitoring, analytics, Virtual Machine (VM) migration, and backup tools. Some tool

categories have kept pace with the platform, whilst others have trailed the advancements in the core platform

technology. In Butler Group’s opinion, virtual server backup tools sit in the latter category – even though the

ease with which VMs can be provisioned and de-provisioned or migrated from one physical server to another,

and specific technicalities associated with virtualised environments all necessitate a focus on VM backup.

Consequently, IT organisations need backup technologies that have been specifically designed for virtualised

environments and can enable quick restoration of the operating system, data, settings, and applications,

without the manual re-installation of the operating system. Such a backup system also needs to support

incremental backup, and offer management overview and considerable administrative flexibility in the

configuration of backup processes. Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition delivers

against these requirements and is targeted at companies with fewer than 3,000 servers and between 500 and

5,000 workstations; ease-of-use is a product focus area.

Product Analysis

Acronis is a global software company with a decade-long history of providing backup software for servers,

workstations, PCs, and specific applications (such as SQL and Microsoft Exchange). It has recently

introduced its next generation backup and disaster recovery product portfolio for Windows and Linux

environments – Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 (ABR10) – which is designed to provide centralised

management of all backup and recovery activities. The new product portfolio replaces Acronis’ True Image

family of corporate products with a new architecture and design, and new functionaility that includes improved

virtualisation support, a global dashboard, increased scalability, single page-based ‘wizards’, and optional

data deduplication that can help organisations to optimise storage capacity. Acronis states that they are one

of the first vendors to provide backup and recovery integrated with data deduplication at an affordable price

point: the solution is priced by machine, not storage volume/CPU, to make it affordable for Small to Medium-

sized Enterprises (SMEs).

As with previous offerings, the core technology used within ABR10 products has been developed by Acronis

software engineering, with products grown organically rather than through acquisition. Table 1 provides an

overview of the functionailty within the Acronis ABR10 product family.

TECHNOLOGY AUDIT



Figure 1: Acronis Solutions Overview

Source: Acronis D A T A M O N I T O R

Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition replaces the previously available Acronis

True Image Virtual Edition. It enables backup and recovery of complete VMs, the OS, the applications, the

data, and settings. ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition delivers an impressive range of configurable

options for managing backup tasks that include:

Remote administration and management dashboard.

Options for scheduling backup tasks (particularly important because of the resource strains placed

on the host machine) and the enabling of incremental backups.

Optional deduplication, the configuring of backup repositories for storage optimisation, backup to

multiple target systems, backup to dissimilar physical or virtual hardware (enabling users to migrate

seamlessly between physical and virtual environments), and local backup within a ‘secure zone’

within the same host system. The deduplication functionaility can be delivered at either source or

destination and applies to full, incremental, and differential backups.

Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition offers backup and recovery of virtual

environments through agentless, VMware Consolidated Backup (VCB), or agent-based backup methods. It

delivers physical to physical, physical to virtual, virtual to virtual, and virtual to physical migration capability in

VMware, Microsoft, Parallels, and Citrix virtual environments. Citrix and Microsoft in particular have made

serious forays into the server virtualisation space and Butler Group believes that virtual infrastructures will

continue to become increasingly heterogeneous (unlike when VMware had a near monopoly). Therefore,

Acronis’ support for the major platforms is vital to IT organisations wary of siloed backup-management

structures.

TECHNOLOGY AUDIT



The solution’s ability to create snapshots of a VM encapsulating the OS, files, applications, and state

information, and to then create a new VM from the image makes the technology suitable for a number of non-

backup and non-disaster recovery-related tasks. For example, a virtual machine with a required configuration

can be easily provisioned from an existing machine, making the technology suitable for testing and

development teams. However, ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition is not a mainstream imaging or real-

time VM transition tool, and is not typically used for high-availability purposes.

Overall, Butler Group believes that Acronis has assembled an impressive set of technologies that allow

flexible and efficient backup and recovery in heterogenous and significantly virtualised environments. The

vendor has an impeccable backup software pedigree and, in terms of functional capabilities, ABR10

Advanced Server Virtual Edition ranks highly against similar products aimed at the requirements of its target

market.

Figure 2: ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition Three-Tier Architecture


Product Operation

Acronis’ patented disk-imaging and restore technologies (which form the core of all its products) are used by

ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition to support corporate backup and restoration requirements for virtual

environments. ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition contains nine different modules: Acronis Management

Console, Acronis Management Server, Acronis Storage Node, Acronis Agent for Linux, Acronis Agent for

Windows, Acronis Agent for ESX/ESXi Virtual Appliance, Acronis Agent for Hyper-V, Acronis PXE Server

(boot from network), and Acronis Universal Restore. The Acronis Management Console, Management

Server, and Storage Node can be on different machines within the same network. Using the Management

Console, the agents can be deployed to all virtual machines in the network, agentless backup is available with

VMware and Microsoft.

TECHNOLOGY AUDIT



Figure 3: ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition Overview


Acronis Management Console

The Acronis Management Console is the management access point to all Acronis Backup & Recovery 10

Advanced Server Virtual Edition components and the hub for centralised management – allowing

administrators to connect to a remote computer, and manage backup and recovery operations. The

scheduling of individual and group tasks can be managed from within the console as well as backup archive

management activities. The Acronis Management Console also allows administrators to install Acronis

components onto remote computers. ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition also delivers a new global

dashboard feature.

TECHNOLOGY AUDIT



Acronis Group Server

The Acronis Group Server enables administrators to manage and view the status of the machines in the

network (in addition to managing the backup tasks for the machines) via the Acronis Management Console.

The Acronis Group Server, once installed, is connected through the management console to allow

administrators to view group status and quickly remediate issues with backup tasks. It also enables them to

create new, and modify or delete existing, group tasks.

Acronis Agents for Linux and Windows

Acronis provides both Windows and Linux Agents. The Windows agents enable the remote management of

backup and restoration tasks on all Windows systems across the network and the Linux Agent for Linux

servers. However, organisations wishing to install Acronis in an all-Linux environment will need at least one

Windows-based system such as a laptop, desktop, or server.

Acronis Universal Restore

Acronis Universal Restore, which is included in Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual

Edition, allows the restoration of a full system image of an operating system (including all applications and

settings) to dissimilar physical or virtual hardware.

Figure 4: ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition Implementation


TECHNOLOGY AUDIT



Product Emphasis

The ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition delivers against the key corporate backup and recovery

requirements: the need to create and quickly restore a VM backup image with a high level of administrative

flexibility, particularly the ability to configure parameters governing the backup task (scheduling, full, and

incremental backup), the backup archives, and modes of backup (such as simultaneous, in the same physical

host, and bootable media); and support for heterogeneous virtual infrastructures with the ability to restore to

dissimilar hardware. Importantly, Acronis concentrates on its core competencies to provide a broad span of

backup and recovery technology through an integrated solution.

Butler Group believes that Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition is a VM backup

solution that is well aligned with the requirements of companies with even a minor virtualisation presence.

The solution has a high level of functional capabilities and stands out with its deduplication functionality,

licensing structure, and support for the major virtualisation platforms. Acronis’ product roadmap, which

includes Continuous Data Protection, also focuses on enhancing the flexibility with which backup tasks can

be managed.

DEPLOYMENT

Acronis states that Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition has been engineered with

a focus on easy installation. Installation wizards and assistants allow administrators with even limited

technical expertise to set up the software, deploy the agents, and connect the machines to the management

console. Where needed, Acronis engages with systems integrators and reseller partners to help client

organisations select the appropriate Acronis product set and the right implementation strategy.

The average time for implementation is dependent upon the customer project. In Acronis’ experience, a

typical installation of a physical server with six VMs takes up to one hour. The Acronis Management Console,

Management Server, and Storage Node can be installed on different machines within the same network, with

agents deployed to all VMs in the network through the Acronis Management Console.

Post implementation, maintenance overheads are minimal – typically the solution needs only one hour per

week, although this will vary depending upon the size of customer deployment. The software informs the

administrator about the status of all tasks via e-mail, in the system log, or in a global dashboard. To facilitate

operation, Acronis provides on-site training for administrators via its Enterprise Solution partners and

administrators who will receive accreditation upon successfully passing required testing. Acronis is also soon

launching Acronis Academy, a new worldwide training programme, within which new training courses and a

new certification concept have been defined and Certified Acronis Trainers will offer both classroom and on-

site training for Acronis’ partners and customers.

The Acronis Advantage support programme provides a variety of support options for customers that include

self–service knowledge bases, pay-per-incident, and two subscription-based, annual support programmes.

Acronis Advantage Standard offers 10x5 support (Monday to Friday 8.00–18.00 CET) via phone, chat, and e-

mail. Acronis Advantage Premier offers 24x7 support services again via phone, chat, and e-mail. With

Premier’s priority support, a business-critical incident receives an initial response within one hour, compared

to Acronis Advantage Standard where a response is ensured within a business day.

TECHNOLOGY AUDIT



Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition supports the key Linux and Windows server OS

variants, which include, but are not limited to, Windows Vista x32 and x64 editions, Windows XP, Windows XP

Professional x32 and x64 editions, Windows 2000 Server SP (Service Pack) 4+, Windows Server 2003 SP 2+

x32 and x64 Editions, Windows Server 2008 all SP x32 and x64 Editions, Red Hat Enterprise 4 and 5, CentOS 4

and 5, Fedora 9 and 10, Ubuntu 8.10 and 9.04, Debian 4, SLES 10, OpenSUSE 11, Asianux 3.0, Microsoft

Hyper-V Windows Server 2008, and VMware ESX/ESXi version 6.5 and above.

PRODUCT STRATEGY

Acronis’ target market is horizontal and has traditionally included small, mid-sized, and upper mid-sized

companies across all verticals, with the product being particularly successful across the Education,

Healthcare, and Automotive sectors. Now, with the introduction of the Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 product

family, scalability enhancements make the Acronis portfolio more attractive to enterprise customers with

between five and 3,000 servers and 500 and 5,000 workstations.

Acronis follows a two-tier go-to-market strategy with its products being sold through the channel and through

its resellers. The company’s business partners include Seagate, VMware, Citrix (Acronis products are

certified as ‘Citrix Ready’), and Microsoft. Technology partners include Seagate, VMware, Citrix, Microsoft,

HP, and IBM.

Standard Acronis licence conditions require that every product, including options, running on a server or a

workstation has a separate licence, whether the program is installed completely, runs as an agent, or is

started from a boot device. Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition is the only

exception, however, and alternatively requires a separate licence for each physical host machine on which

the software is executed, allowing an unlimited number of VMs per host server. Thus the product has a cost-

effective licensing structure and, whilst this licensing model is not unique in the VM-backup arena, Butler

Group views this licensing aspect as an important enabler of flexibility and cost savings.

Acronis operates a perpetual licence model with the average project value circa US$2,000 in its volume

business. Annual support and maintenance is charged at between 18% and 22% of licence costs – Acronis

Advantage Standard support cost for the first year is included in the purchase price with the Acronis

Advantage Premier support available for an additional 4%. Larger projects have a value of circa US$25,000

given that they require additional implementation support with the service costs dependent on the

deployment.

Acronis undertakes one major release for the product per annum and its near-future technology roadmap

includes expanding capabilities such as Continuous Data Protection (CDP).

COMPANY PROFILE

Acronis’ main office is in Burlington, Massachusetts and it also has offices in London, Paris, Munich,

Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, and Moscow. Since 2000, through its flagship Acronis True Image family, Acronis

has been a provider of backup, disaster recovery, deployment, and migration software, focused on ensuring

business continuity and reducing downtime in computing environments. Acronis states that its products allow

organisations of all sizes to seamlessly move, manage, and maintain their digital assets when and where

needed, whatever the circumstances.

TECHNOLOGY AUDIT



Acronis is a privately held company with a total of 650 employees, more than half of which are engaged within

the Research and Development, and Support functions. Acronis has over 3 million installations and 140,000

corporate customers worldwide for its Acronis True Image product family and quotable clients include AT&T,

BASF, Bayer AG, British Telecom, Chevron Texaco, Cisco, Conoco-Phillips, DaimlerChrysler, Experian,

FDIC, Fujitsu, Gates, Hewlett Packard, Honeywell, Keane, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, Kyocera,

Lufthansa Airlines, Microsoft, Oxford University, Seagate, Shell Oil, Siemens AG, Toshiba, Tyco Electronics,

US Air Force, and Volkswagen.

Table 1: Financial Details

Year ending 2008 2007 2006

Revenue (US$ Million) 120 95 52

Change on Previous Year (%) 26 83 –


SUMMARY

Rapid disk-to-disk backup and restoration is a growing and extremely competitive area. This highly populated

market includes some of the largest and most prominent global software companies, and given the continued

growth of server virtualisation adoption, many vendors have changed or expanded their product sets to meet

the requirements of backing up VMs. Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition is

therefore competing with products from large infrastructure management vendors such as IBM and specialist

backup vendors, and with the tools provided by virtualisation platform vendors such as VMware.

Whilst Acronis may be smaller than some of the competing vendors it has an impeccable backup technology

pedigree and over 3 million installations, and ABR10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition’s functionality compares

well with the rest of the market. Overall, Butler Group believes that Acronis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced

Server Virtual Edition merits a closer look by any company about to embark on a server virtualisation initiative

or seeking to improve the management of its existing virtual infrastructure.

Table 2: Contact Details

Main Office

Acronis

23 3rd Avenue

Burlington, MA 01803

USA

Tel: +1 (781) 222 0920

Fax: +1 (781) 222 0919

www.acronis.com

UK Office

Acronis Ltd.

The Light Box, 111 Power Road

Chiswick, London, W4 5PY

UK

Tel: +44 (0)203 176 0340

Fax: +44 (0)203 004 1898


TECHNOLOGY AUDIT

Acronis – Acro

© Butler Gr

nis Backup & Recovery 10 Advanced Server Virtual Edition Published 08/2009

oup. This Technology Audit is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied Page 10e 10

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