Quadric Software

Top 5 Reasons Alike is the Best Backup Solution for XenServer

Alike’s integration with Citrix XenServer has always been a major part of its design. While this blog post covers only the top 5 reasons Alike is the best backup solution for XenServer, you’ll see just why IT pros around the world choose Alike to protect their XenServer environments.

Top 5 Reasons Alike is the Best Backup Solution for XenServer

5. Disk and Memory Backups

Disk and Memory backups in Alike protect both the virtual machine’s disk state, as well as its running memory. This powerful feature provides the ability to restore a system to an active running state, as if resuming from a suspension state with all the applications and services still running from the time of the backup. This prevents downtime during the snapshot/backup procedure.

The Disk and Memory backup method is compelling to users who need to protect transactionally sensitive systems, without the need for a quiesced or similar protection. Plus, it’s easy to set up a backup job using Alike’s unique disk and memory backup feature for XenServer. The gif below demonstrates just how easy it is.

4. Flexibility to Choose Agentless or Agent-Based Backups

Alike provides the flexibility to choose between agentless and agent-based protection. And because these two methods are 100% compatible with each other, users have the power to use either an agentless or agent-based backup for different systems within their environments.

Additionally, Alike’s easily adjustable job options give users the freedom to switch methods any time to back up the same systems. All forms of recovery will always be available, no matter which method you choose. Learn more about the differences between Alike’s agentless and agent-based backups.

3. The Best Global Deduplication and Storage Savings in the Business

Alike’s unrivaled global deduplication provides much of the solution’s powerful performance and efficiency. In some cases, users have seen up to 98% compression rations, saving them valuable resources and money. According to one Alike user, the source-side, global deduplication technology played a major role in shrinking his organization’s Recovery Point Objective (RPO) by 300%.

In a recent case study, System Administrator, Anthony Hoppe tells Quadric that he tried another solution before testing Alike. One of the disadvantages of the competitor’s solution for Hoppe was the fact that he could not deduplicate the data unless the XenServer hosts were pooled. “I wanted everything deduplicated,” says Hoppe, “and with Alike, you can pool or stand alone.” For Hoppe, and for many Alike customers, the solution’s global deduplication was definitely a selling point.

2. Changed Block Tracking (CBT) for XenServer

Changed Block Tracking was introduced with Alike v4.5, and offers customers with Citrix XenServer (6.5 and above) environments the ability to backup VM’s more rapidly than ever before. Not only does this option significantly improve job performance; it also reduces the amount of I/O required to process them.

CBT works by maintaining a single (reserved) snapshot on each VM at all times. While it does require a snapshot to backup only the data that has changed (also known as the delta detection process), this snapshot is only temporary and will be removed on the next run of the job. Watch the CBT video tutorial to see just how fast backups can be using CBT for Citrix XenServer.

1. Certified Citrix Ready Since 2010

And finally, the number one reason Alike is the best backup solution for XenServer—No one does XenServer better. And we do mean no one. Since our inception, Quadric Software has been dedicated to the this open source platform and to providing a solution designed to be fully integrated with Citrix XenServer. Alike’s Citrix Ready Certification is part of that commitment.

The Citrix Ready program was designed to help customers identify third-party solutions that added the greatest value to Citrix Delivery Center Infrastructure solutions. In 2010, Quadric Software’s Alike completed a rigorous verification process to ensure compatibility with Citrix XenServer.

Vendors and customers trust Alike because the Citrix Ready certification attests to Alike’s superior quality and ensures that our product is fully compatible with Citrix products and ready to go from the moment it is deployed. Because XenServer customers can trust the Alike solution to deliver efficient, reliable backups from the start, many System Administrators have called Alike “hands down the best backup solution for XenServer.”

Why is Alike the Best Backup Solution for XenServer?

It’s simple. Alike’s powerful features, such as unmatched global deduplication and CBT for XenServer, along with a host of other benefits make Alike the best backup solution for XenServer. No other solution was specifically designed for Citrix XenServer, and no other backup vendor is as dedicated to the Xen platform. To learn more about the benefits of Quadric Software’s Alike backup solution for XenServer click here.

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