IBM returns to virtual server data protection

Spectrum Protect Plus uses VADP as well as blockchain

IBM is having another go at virtual server data protection with its new software, developed to simplify data recovery. Spectrum Protect Plus (SPP), which can be deployed either stand-alone in virtualised environments or integrated with Spectrum Protect software, and can be deployed in just one hour, the company says.

Designed for use by virtual machines (VMs) and application administrators, SPP uses snapshot technology for rapid backup, recovery and data management. It can also be used for data cloning, to support and automate DevOps workflows.

The agent-less tool can be deployed as stand-alone software in small environments, or integrated with the (agent-based) Spectrum Protect for physical and cloud-based data protection.

Data protection and monitoring functions are built in, based on automated Service Level Agreements to provide backup status and support retention compliance.

The much-desired ‘single pane of glass' view is built in to SPP. CIOs can use it to gain a single view of the backup and recovery status of files across the data portfolio, as well as eliminate silos. Senior IT managers can use the tool to self-serve their data availability, ‘without complexity'. Data lifecycle management is also built in.

Tivoli Storage Manager was IBM's most recent backup-and-restore product for virtual environments, using the VMWare vStorage API for Data Protection (VADP). SPP still utilises VADP, but also leverages blockchain technology. "It's written so much more efficiently," senior analyst Randy Kerns, who works for the Evaluator Group, told SearchDataBackup.

SPP works using incremental backups, i.e. it only stores what has changed since it was last run. These backups are stored as read and write snapshots, with instant restores saved in a repository: they can be utilised for data protection, or other uses such as testing or analytics.

IBM will launch SPP in beta this September, with general availability later in Q4.