Each of these solutions will perform adequately in a real-world network. Interoperability among backup tape media formats has always been a problem. Although each of the vendors in this roundup still uses a proprietary tape format, there are now some common backup formats that provide some interoperability. For networks with multiple operating systems, interoperability also means integrating into your existing environment and making different versions of the product work together. For instance, the Windows NT and NetWare versions of ARCserve are very similar, so there are few training or handling differences.
Automation is an important attribute of flexible network backup software.
ARCserve's push agents automate and accelerate backups from client PCs. Seagate Storage Manager provides excellent guidance on tape rotation and selection so that even a less experienced employee can initiate a backup session. Though you'll spend most of your time working with the backup side of these products, the restore functions are just as important. The products here each offer advanced features for restoring a file. For example, you can schedule a restore and keep a database or log of which files were restored and when.