Best of TechEd Finalist: Quest Litespeed for SQL Server 6.5 Continues a Smart Backup Evolution

Earlier, I spoke with David Gugick (director of product management) and Jason Hall (SQL Server presales) of Quest Software about their product Quest Litespeed for SQL Server, which provides intelligent, configurable database backup and recovery. No question about it—Litespeed is a top-tier product for SQL Server environments, widely used for good reason. You probably know Litespeed for its peerless object-level and table-level recovery functionality, but the product continues to evolve in exciting ways. I learned about some of the key differentiators that have been introduced in version 6.5.

A big concept in the new version of Litespeed is its Fast Compression technology, which provides significant improvements in SQL Server backup performance. Aimed squarely at the prospect of cutting monthly storage costs, Fast Compression reduces backup times and improves database recoverability. Fast Compression de-duplicates and compresses backups on the server by leveraging LiteSpeed’s highly regarded data-compression features, the SQL Server differential backup engine, user-defined thresholds, and a multi-layered validation system to manage the entire database backup process. Fast Compression simplifies a once-difficult administration task and fixes the negative side-effects of performing nightly, full database backups when only a small percentage of the actual database has changed. LiteSpeed also features two new compression levels: one for maximizing compression and the other for organizations that have lower CPU availability for their backups.

And I was impressed by the array of other new functionality in the new version. The team seems particularly proud of the new Double-Click Restore feature, which permits a system back up to a single executable restore file. The product’s Backup Resilience can autocorrect backup problems and let you configure intervals at which to retry writes. And a major usability enhancement is the product’s Backup Templates, which let you apply a customized backup plan to a group of backup servers.

Not to be ignored is the product’s 24/7 support model, which is included in the purchase price. It’s all part of Quest’s confidence in a well-established and esteemed product that continues to hit the sweet spot. Check it out at the company website.