Symantec is to add deduplication to the backup clients and media servers for NetBackup and Backup Exec. This will allow Backup Exec customers equality of deduplication with NetBackup customers.

These moves were first reported last month. Currently, NetBackup users can manage third-party deduplication appliances from Data Domain, EMC, FalconStor and Quantum through an OpenStorage API interface. Symantec says integrated deduplication is available today in NetBackup and Enterprise Vault, offering deduplicated archiving, deduplicated backup storage and global deduplicated remote office backup. Backup Exec customers are feeling left out as a result.

Symantec will also add deduplication to the backup client and media server in NetBackup 7, thought to be due in 2010.

Backup Exec will have the OpenStorage API added to it, and so be able to manage third-party deduplication appliances like NetBackup. At this point, Symantec reckons it will be the only vendor to manage integrated dedupe and third party deduplication. It says its customers can then choose the most appropriate approach and manage it all in one place.

It wants its data protection software to be closely involved in deduplication to counter the threat of it it being bypassed in a world pushing tape - the traditional target of backup software - further and further away from active and operational data and towards archives storing relatively inert data.

With two separate backup software technologies, the company has had difficulty in adding deduplication facilities at an equal rate and NetBackup features have surged ahead. That lead will now be clawed back by Backup Exec and the two products should exit 2010 roughly equal in deduplication functionality. ®

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