Software Alternatives, Accelerators & Startups

Backup Exec VS unRAID Server

Compare Backup Exec VS unRAID Server and see what are their differences

Backup Exec logo Backup Exec

Backup Exec provides simple, complete backup and recovery protection for your business, to cover all data wherever it resides. Try free for 60 days.

unRAID Server logo unRAID Server

A scalable, consumer-oriented, server operating system.
  • Backup Exec Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-01-07
  • unRAID Server Landing page
    Landing page //
    2023-07-31

Backup Exec features and specs

  • Comprehensive Support
    Backup Exec supports a wide range of platforms, including virtual, physical, and cloud environments. This makes it highly versatile for diverse IT infrastructures.
  • Intuitive Interface
    The software features a user-friendly interface that simplifies the process of backup and recovery, reducing the learning curve for new users.
  • Efficient Deduplication
    Backup Exec offers efficient data deduplication, which helps in saving storage space and reducing the overall backup time.
  • Strong Encryption
    The solution provides robust encryption both during data transmission and at rest, ensuring high levels of security for sensitive information.
  • Reliable Recovery Options
    Backup Exec provides a variety of reliable recovery options, including granular recovery for applications like Microsoft Exchange and SharePoint.

Possible disadvantages of Backup Exec

  • Cost
    The software can be expensive, particularly for small to medium businesses with limited budgets.
  • Complex Licensing
    The licensing model for Backup Exec can be somewhat complex, making it difficult for users to determine the most cost-effective licensing option.
  • Performance Issues
    Some users have reported performance issues, particularly with large-scale environments, which can affect the speed and efficiency of backups.
  • Limited Advanced Features
    While comprehensive, Backup Exec may lack some advanced features that are available in other enterprise-grade backup solutions.
  • Technical Support
    Although support is available, some users have found that response times can be slow and the quality of support can vary.

unRAID Server features and specs

  • Ease of Use
    unRAID provides a user-friendly web interface that simplifies the process of setting up and managing a NAS, making it accessible even for users without a deep technical background.
  • Flexible Storage Management
    It supports a mix of drive sizes and allows users to add drives as needed without rebuilding the entire array, offering significant flexibility in storage expansion.
  • Data Protection
    unRAID uses a parity drive system to protect against data loss. It allows recovery of data if one drive fails, similar to traditional RAID setups, but with more drive flexibility.
  • Docker and Virtual Machine Support
    Supports running Docker containers and virtual machines, enabling additional services and software to run directly on the server.
  • Energy Efficient
    Spins down drives that are not in use, reducing power consumption and extending the lifespan of the drives.

Possible disadvantages of unRAID Server

  • Cost
    Unlike some open-source alternatives, unRAID is not free and requires purchasing a license based on the number of attached storage devices.
  • Limited RAID Configurations
    Does not support some RAID levels (like RAID 5 or 6) natively, which can be a limitation for users seeking those specific features.
  • Single Parity Disk Limitation
    By default provides single or dual parity options, and users needing more robust redundancy need to consider this limitation.
  • Performance
    Write speeds to the array can be slower compared to traditional RAID configurations due to the parity calculations, which might affect large write operations.
  • Community-driven Support
    While there is an active user community, official support might not be as immediate or extensive as commercial solutions.

Analysis of Backup Exec

Overall verdict

  • Overall, Backup Exec is considered a reliable and effective backup solution for businesses of various sizes. It is especially praised for its ease of use, comprehensive feature set, and strong support from Veritas. However, it's essential to evaluate it against specific business needs and IT infrastructure to ensure it aligns with organizational goals.

Why this product is good

  • Backup Exec by Veritas is known for its robust data backup and recovery capabilities. It supports a wide variety of platforms including Windows, Linux, and virtual environments, making it versatile for different IT landscapes. It offers features like deduplication, integrated data protection, and multi-cloud support which enhance its efficiency and scalability.

Recommended for

    Medium to large enterprises looking for a scalable and versatile backup and recovery solution, IT managers and administrators who need comprehensive support for both physical and virtual environments, and organizations that require flexible cloud integration options.

Backup Exec videos

Backup Exec 15 Review by an Independent Technician

More videos:

  • Tutorial - Backup Exec 2014 Tutorial and Review by an Independant Technical Consultant
  • Review - Installation of Veritas Backup Exec 21

unRAID Server videos

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Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to Backup Exec and unRAID Server)
Cloud Storage
76 76%
24% 24
Storage
0 0%
100% 100
Monitoring Tools
100 100%
0% 0
Cloud Computing
0 0%
100% 100

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Reviews

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unRAID Server Reviews

15 Best FreeNas alternatives in 2020
One of the special features of unRAID Server is that it boots from a USB device and it can store memory up to 38TB. UnRAID Server can be used in any IT companies and big corporates where there are large sized files and folders. It has both registered and unregistered versions. This server runs perfectly on any operating system such as Windows, Apple, Linux, Mac,and UNIX. It...

What are some alternatives?

When comparing Backup Exec and unRAID Server, you can also consider the following products

Acronis Backup and Recovery - Acronis Backup is a data recovery solution that offers more ways of storing and recovering drives, folders and files as compared to other similar solutions.

OpenMediaVault - OpenMediaVault is the next generation network attached storage (NAS) solution based on Debian Linux.

SolarWinds Backup - Modern server backup software

SnapRAID - A backup program for disk arrays. It stores parity information of your data and it recovers from up to six disk failures.

Altaro VM Backup - Altaro VM Backup is a leading virtual machine backup and replication platform specially designed for VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V environments.

TrueNAS Core - TrueNAS Core (formerly FreeNAS) is a storage operating system strong and robust enough to meet the needs of enterprise level businesses.