EMC's Data Domain has got itself DD Boost software which pre-processes backup data on a media server to increase deduplication speed by up to 50 per cent.

The software is installed on a media server and is integrated with either Symantec NetBackup or Backup Exec. It is a library and is used to identify segments in incoming data. The segment IDs are checked with the connected Data Domain array which says which ones are new. These are compressed on the media server and sent over the wire, reducing both local network traffic and the overall transfer time for the data.

Data Domain says that overall resource use on the media server is reduced by 20 to 40 per cent because of a reduced data copy overhead. It also says the aggregate backup throughput on its arrays increase by up to half as much again. Its DD880 is now rated at 8.8TB/hour because of DD Boost, up from the initial 5.4B/hour.

EMC will add DD Boost support to its own NetWorker backup software and expects to get the same benefits.

This is bad news for other backup software vendors. Even if they support Data Domain hardware their performance will suck compared to Backup Exec, NetBackup and the coming refreshed NetWorker. There is no mention in the EMC release of an open API for the media server software/DD Boost interface and no mention of a backup software supplier partner program.

Other deduplication array vendors, such as Quantum and Sepaton, now face another hurdle to jump, because their ability to boast of shorter backup times due, for example, to post-process dedupe just got reduced. In-line dedupers face the same problem; Data Domain has pressed the gas pedal and threatens to leave them behind.

Suppliers of disk-to-disk backup and Virtual Tape Libaries are in a similar bind. Life must be sweet for Data Domain boss Frank Slootman with this boost to his product set's appeal which screws the competition. ®