Databases may house an organization's most critical information, but to a backup administrator, they are a major headache. Appearing as monolithic containers, they are often backed up full, increasing backup time and consuming CPU, network and storage resources. Recovery is always an issue as well. No wonder that the quest for improved database backup and recovery capability is at the heart of many storage hardware and software purchase decisions.

Often, people don't fully understand the multitude of options open to them. They may overbuy software from backup and storage vendors that have overlapping or redundant functionality, and end up never using one or the other of their purchases. Or they select an approach that isn't the best fit for their environment. Once you understand your options, you can pick the appropriate solution.