IBM Storage Protect

Score7.4 out of 10

42 Reviews and Ratings

Community insights

TrustRadius Insights for IBM Storage Protect are summaries of user sentiment data from TrustRadius reviews and, when necessary, third party data sources.

Pros

Progressive Incremental Backup Approach: Users have praised Tivoli software for its progressive incremental backup approach, which backs up only the changed data after the initial full backup. This method has been noted to lead to benefits such as reduced network bandwidth usage and storage space requirements.

Archiving and Retrieval Services: Customers value the tool's archiving and retrieval services, considering it a cost-effective solution for storing data that needs to be retained for extended periods due to compliance requirements.

Migration and Recall Service Feature: Reviewers find the migration and recall service feature provided by Tivoli software beneficial for effective space management on client systems and servers.

Reviews

12 Reviews

A good backup tool even if you need to learn it first

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

January 7, 2025

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

IBM Storage Protect is our key product to protect the data. It is an important tool that helps us to backup either database data either users laptop data. The tool allows to create a local backup and also a copy in the Cloud in order to have a secure backup of all our data.

Pros

Protects database data
Protects fileserver data
Copy data to the cloud storage
Protects users laptop data

Cons

User interface
Documentation

Likelihood to Recommend

It is a very good tool once you learn and deploy it, but it can cause some issues if you do not have trained personnel to use it.

Cristian Racu

Deputy CEO in Information Technology at Biroul de Credit (11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

15 years of experience

View profile

Tivoli Storage Manager

Rating: 2 out of 10

Incentivized

December 6, 2022

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Saving information about each file, logical volume, or database that it backs up, archives, or migrates

Pros

backs up
archives
recovery

Cons

performance degradation in server database backups after upgrades

Likelihood to Recommend

provides automated storage management services to workstations, personal computers, and file servers from various vendors, with various operating systems.

Verified User

Program Manager in Engineering (5001-10,000 employees)

Vetted Review

2 years of experience

Tivoli (TSM) Backup Solution for Mid- or Large-Size Organizations

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

March 4, 2022

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using Tivoli (TSM) backup software as backup and recovery solution in our environment. We use this product to take all types of backups at OS and database level, like filesystem level backup, OS backup (AIX mksysb), etc. We use this software for daily purpose of backup and recovery for virtual and physical environment.

Pros

Tivoli (TSM) takes backup by using progressive incremental backup, which means that once it takes the full backup, it only takes the backup of changed data. By using this technique, it provides lots of benefits, like using less network bandwidth and taking less storage space.
Tivoli basically provides an archive and retrieval service for data at a cheaper cost that needs to be stored for long period due to compliance.
Tivoli (TSM) backup software provides the feature of migration and recall service for space management on client systems or servers.

Cons

Tivoli is not manageable from the GUI console and I believe it needs a dedicated resource to manage the software.
Tivoli (TSM) configuration is complex, granular, and scalable with customizable configuration features, but it requires a good administrator that has a strong knowledge of the product.
It needs additional agents or plugins for administration; for example, I have to use an MMC plug-in on the servers.

Likelihood to Recommend

Tivoli (TSM) software is best for the policy-based management of file-level backups with automatic data migration between storage tiers. It's the best way to save on the cost of storage and other resources. I really like the deduplication functionality of source and destination data, which helps to save the network bandwidth and storage resources. The administration of Tivoli is still complex, which means you need good skills to manage this product. Although, a new version is coming with a better GUI, but it will still require good command-line skills to make Tivoli do everything.

Naveen Sharma

Consultant in Information Technology at DCM Infotech Ltd (1001-5000 employees)

Vetted Review

1 year of experience

Great for large-scale enterprises and health care

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

January 7, 2022

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We are using IBM Spectrum Protect 8.1.12 in our environment to back up multiple servers with variety of OS and DB applications. It addressed our problem in managing multiple clients with huge data. The scope of DB backups can be utilized in a wide variety of DB backups.

Pros

Large number of clients backed up
More data managements
Mass data fragmentation

Cons

GUI should be more user friendly
Support for PMRs
Reporting

Likelihood to Recommend

It will be well suited in large-scale enterprises and health care where data governance is very important, per country laws.

Verified User

Administrator in Information Technology (1001-5000 employees)

Vetted Review

5 years of experience

All-in-one backup solution

Rating: 10 out of 10

Incentivized

December 6, 2021

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

In the company, we have a variety of Operating Systems, including AIX, Linux, and Windows. Spectrum Protect is able to back up all of them in a single environment, and not only the OS (the basic agent is for backing-up files) but it can also backup Databases, Emails, ERPs, and NAS devices. It is an all-in-one solution for your backup needs.

Pros

Single pane of glass for backups
Runs in most of the Operating Sistems
Can backup to disk and tape

Cons

Complexity is a problem since it runs in many different environments, and each has their own particular setup process
There is room for improvement in the "Operations Center" console
Some of the tasks must be done in CLI

Likelihood to Recommend

If a company is looking to consolidate [its] backup solutions, Spectrum Protect is the best choice in the market. If you also need to have an air-gapped solution, Spectrum Protect has the option of sending the backup to tape (and it can also replicate the information to another site if needed).

Gerardo Fernandez Ruiz

Storage Specialist in Information Technology at Compañia Proveedora de Sistemas SA de CV (11-50 employees)

Vetted Review

10 years of experience

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Pricey for the feature set, but solid at what it does.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

December 12, 2019

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use it for file-level backups for all Windows and Linux server (275+), and Exchange mailbox-level backups. We have a 3-year recovery SLA for deleted files, and Tivoli makes retention policy configuration pretty easy.

Pros

File-level backups on all servers.
Granular retention policy. Some files we keep 3 years, others 30 days.

Cons

Exchange agent is a bolt-on that is not manageable from the console. You have to use an MMC plug-in on the Exchange server.
No SharePoint agent (anymore... there used to be one).

Likelihood to Recommend

Tivoli does well running file-level backups, but Exchange is clunky and restores are really hard. With no SharePoint agent, if you use SharePoint you will need another product like AvePoint DocAve. The web-based GUI console is MUCH improved over earlier versions, but you will still need to be a command-line guru to make Tivoli do everything, and local (node) config files still rule. This product was originally ported from Unix and retains may of its 'nix roots.

Scott Reese

Information Technology Specialist in Information Technology at Michigan Supreme Court (201-500 employees)

Vetted Review

11 years of experience

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TSM for your Enterprise Backup

Rating: 9 out of 10

Incentivized

September 24, 2019

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

IT department uses TSM for daily backups and restores. It also handles DR replication from a Fastback appliance located elsewhere.

Pros

The concept of "forever incremental" is very appealing to my understanding of how backups should happen.
The backups are tuned for fast restores and they sure are fast.
The media management is very good.

Cons

It may have a significant learning curve for people unfamiliar CLI.
The database can become corrupt and will require repairs. I have not had a case when I lost any data or inventory though.

Likelihood to Recommend

Large scale installations with traditional client agent backups. This does not suit pure virtual environments. Having said that, TSM does have another product specifically for the virtual environment. We have not used it.

Another positive point is that the clients can be configured to have separate individual storage which is important when considering GDPR compliance.

Verified User

Professional in Information Technology (201-500 employees)

Vetted Review

10 years of experience

Alternatives for the assurance of information

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

July 11, 2019

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

The product is being used to back up the information used by the company's information systems that support different business processes. Currently, it addresses the retention of data that are vital for the administration of the company.

Pros

Organized management of backup copies.
Stability in the operation of the tool.
Diversity in backup policy configuration.

Cons

The tool administration platform must be improved.
You should look for simplicity for the configuration complexity of suite products.
The online viewing tool should be more stable.

Likelihood to Recommend

Suitable scenarios:

Backup copies of database systems with high capacity.
Replication between Spectrum Protect systems works very well.
Scenarios where a lot of information is handled.

Scenarios that should be improved:

The backup of virtual environments must be improved.
Dependencies must be reviewed with products for which Snapshots are configured.

Leonardo Molinares

Senior System Architect in Information Technology at Redsis (201-500 employees)

Vetted Review

Reseller

10 years of experience

Tivoli Storage Manager works VERY well for Db2 and zLiniux

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

April 11, 2019

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use Tivoli Storage Manager (TSM) primarily to store our database backups and logs. I believe it is used in other capacities for OS and file system backups, but I am not a user in that area and my review will focus on database and log backup storage. We use other solutions for mass storage as well - but due to the tight integration with Db2 and TSM, we will probably always use Tivoli in some aspect.

Pros

Tight integration with Db2. As an IBM product, it works seamlessly with Db2. You can query what is stored in TSM via Db2 itself. You can also use DB scripts to maintain the items being stored there.
Like most of its competitors, Tivoli handles deduplication well.
Provides a GUI for browsing and maintaining items stored there. I rarely use this feature, due to the next item I will post:
Command-line interface directly from my Db2 database servers.
Both client and server-side deduplication, compression and encryption are available.
If the requirements are zLinux and DB2 support then it's the most solid solution.
Can be complex to implement, but once up and running, it is rock-solid and immensely scalable.
Scalability is huge. Can be added onto easily.

Cons

For Oracle and SQL Server, there are other solutions that provide more "bells and whistles" such as storage-side restores, alerting, etc.
We sometimes struggle with passwords expiring, etc. It is not a complete "hands-off" solution, as it requires SOME maintenance (not much, really).
VMware backup capabilities lag behind competitors.
Very Client Driven (which is a mixed bag). I like this feature. New, younger users may not.

Likelihood to Recommend

For either Db2 or zLinux, Tivoli is hands-down the best solution. For Oracle and other operating systems, there are more advanced solutions available. Some of these features are considered "game-changing" by our Sys Admins. Of the three solutions I've dealt with, Tivoli ranks right in the middle with cost, features, and complexity. A nice solution (and the best for the options I listed above), but not cutting-edge.

Verified User

Employee in Information Technology (1001-5000 employees)

Vetted Review

9 years of experience

TSM for Windows Review

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

September 20, 2017

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Tivoli Storage Manager is being used across the whole organization to provide backup at the file level backup. This protects the business by including all the users My Document level files, which are mapped to a central file sharing server. In the unlikely event a user deletes a folder or file(s), we can rely on TSM to quickly and effectively restore the deleted file(s) or folders. Very reliable system. Tivoli support is also good and has assisted when needed.

Pros

Good Support
GUI interface is straightforward and easy to navigate.
CLI is also an option to check on health or status of Tape Library.

Cons

I do not see anything at the moment that requires change or adjusting. TSM works great for what we need it to do.
Note worth mentioning: We never had the opportunity to explore the VM backup functionality, as we are currently using VMware snapshots. This data protection solution came highly recommended to any business environment running VWware / virtualization.

Likelihood to Recommend

Well suited for file level backup, data recovery needs 30, 60, or 90 days, or perhaps the last 3 iterations of a file change. Version we are running not suited for VMware backups, but IBM does have a VMware TSM version that will accommodate. Assess and be aware of what exactly the business data recovery requires.

Verified User

Professional in Information Technology (201-500 employees)

Vetted Review

7 years of experience

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Tivoli Storage Manager works VERY well for Db2 and zLiniux

Rating: 8 out of 10

Incentivized

April 11, 2019

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Pros

Tight integration with Db2. As an IBM product, it works seamlessly with Db2. You can query what is stored in TSM via Db2 itself. You can also use DB scripts to maintain the items being stored there.
Like most of its competitors, Tivoli handles deduplication well.
Provides a GUI for browsing and maintaining items stored there. I rarely use this feature, due to the next item I will post:
Command-line interface directly from my Db2 database servers.
Both client and server-side deduplication, compression and encryption are available.
If the requirements are zLinux and DB2 support then it's the most solid solution.
Can be complex to implement, but once up and running, it is rock-solid and immensely scalable.
Scalability is huge. Can be added onto easily.

Cons

For Oracle and SQL Server, there are other solutions that provide more "bells and whistles" such as storage-side restores, alerting, etc.
We sometimes struggle with passwords expiring, etc. It is not a complete "hands-off" solution, as it requires SOME maintenance (not much, really).
VMware backup capabilities lag behind competitors.
Very Client Driven (which is a mixed bag). I like this feature. New, younger users may not.

Likelihood to Recommend

Verified User

Employee in Information Technology (1001-5000 employees)

Vetted Review

9 years of experience