Why architecture matters more than you think in cyber resilience

Two cyber resilience platforms can protect the same amount of data while requiring very different amounts of infrastructure to do it. As protected data volumes rise, architecture can determine both the hardware required and the wider operational footprint around it.

Scale-out platforms can make expansion straightforward, but every additional node brings its own resource requirements. Dell PowerProtect Data Domain reduces data early in the protection process and is designed to scale capacity without the same dependence on additional compute.

Myth 1: More data inevitably means more compute

Growing protected data volumes do not have to drive a proportional increase in infrastructure. PowerProtect Data Domain reduces redundant data as it is ingested, lowering the amount that needs to be stored as protected capacity grows.

In Dell's internal analysis of an environment protecting 2.1PB of mixed workloads, PowerProtect required just one server, compared with 23 for Cohesity and 64 for Rubrik.

Myth 2: Adding more flash is a simple way to scale

Flash can improve performance, but heavy reliance on it for capacity growth leaves infrastructure more exposed to component costs and supply constraints. AI workloads are adding further demand for flash and memory across the wider market.

PowerProtect Data Domain uses DRAM and flash primarily to accelerate performance. Capacity expansion therefore does not depend on scaling those resources at the same rate as protected data.

Myth 3: Architecture only affects storage capacity

The impact of architecture extends beyond the storage system itself. Additional servers and SSDs can increase power and cooling demands, while larger scale-out environments may also require more network infrastructure. A growing node count can mean additional switching and cabling, with more configuration work for IT teams.

In Dell's internal analysis, PowerProtect used 5.7kW in the modelled environment, compared with 15kW for Cohesity and 27kW for Rubrik - representing up to 80% lower energy use. As data volumes grow, those differences also shape the operating footprint around the protection platform.

Explore the full architecture comparison

This eBook sets out Dell's complete comparisons of server requirements, SSD use, energy consumption, and network infrastructure. It also explores the architectural choices behind PowerProtect's approach to data reduction and infrastructure efficiency.

For the full comparison and a closer look at the PowerProtect architecture and how it can benefit your business, download the eBook, 'Architecture Matters: Dell PowerProtect.'

 

 

 

 

Why architecture matters more than you think in cyber resilience
# DELL Technologies # Architecture Matters PowerProtect - Economically efficient cyber resilience Read this eBook to learn how Dell PowerProtect's efficient architecture delivers superior scale and economics compared to scale-out platforms like Rubrik and Cohesity in an era of AI-driven data growth and rising flash costs. # Welcome to your Dell Architecture Matters guide With the rise of AI, organizations are generating and protecting more data than ever before. At the same time, the infrastructure required to protect that data—memory, flash, power, networking, and data center capacity—is becoming more expensive and harder to scale. Many modern data protection platforms promise simple scale-out growth, but in practice these architectures often lead to infrastructure sprawl, inefficient resource utilization, and rising operational complexity as environments expand. Overcoming these challenges requires a new architectural approach. This eBook explores why architecture matters in modern cyber resilience. It examines how different design choices impact efficiency, scalability, and long-term economics—and shows how Dell PowerProtect's purpose-built architecture protects more data with significantly less infrastructure than scale-out alternatives from vendors such as Rubrik and Cohesity. ## SECTION 1 ## Architectural Efficiency ## SECTION 2 ## Why Architecture Matters ## SECTION 3 ## Architectural Advantages ## SECTION 4 ## Architecture Outcomes # **Architectural Efficiency** # PowerProtect: CPU-Optimized Deduplication Engine Modern cyber resilience platforms must protect exponentially growing data volumes without driving proportional increases in infrastructure. Dell PowerProtect Data Domain addresses this challenge through an architecture designed to maximize efficiency at every stage of the data protection process. Up to 75:1 data reduction. Achieved through purpose-built inline deduplication that eliminates redundant data as it is ingested, significantly reducing the storage required to protect growing datasets. This approach minimizes memory overhead while maintaining consistent performance, enabling the architecture to scale efficiently as data grows. By dramatically reducing the amount of data that must be stored, this architecture allows organizations to protect more data while controlling infrastructure growth, cost, and complexity, all without compromising the speed or confidence of recovery. # PowerProtect: Memory Efficient Architecture Modern data protection architectures often rely heavily on flash and memory to scale capacity, increasing cost and infrastructure dependency over time. **PowerProtect Data Domain** takes a different approach—using **DRAM and flash** to accelerate performance rather than as the primary mechanism for growth. Memory and flash accelerate metadata processing, caching, and data movement rather than serving as the main mechanism for capacity expansion. This design maximizes performance while minimizing dependency on expensive flash resources, enabling the system to scale efficiently as data volumes increase. # PowerProtect: Network Efficient As data volumes grow, moving and storing large datasets can place increasing strain on network bandwidth and system resources. PowerProtect Data Domain addresses this challenge by reducing data before it ever leaves the source. Inline deduplication identifies and eliminates redundant data before it moves across the network, significantly reducing the amount of data that must be transmitted and stored. This network-efficient approach also reduces the overall cost of storage, making it an ideal solution for businesses of all sizes. With PowerProtect Data Domain, you can feel confident in your ability to efficiently manage large amounts of data without worrying about crippling network bandwidth or storage costs. # Why Architecture Matters # Market dynamics are changing the economics of infrastructure Architecture matters more than ever because the market environment has changed. AI workloads are consuming a growing share of global flash and memory supply, and manufacturers are prioritizing those workloads. The resulting cost and supply pressure shows up most in SSD-heavy architectures, because they rely on the same components that AI infrastructure is competing for—and this is not a short-term cycle. Architectures that use memory and flash more efficiently—and move less data across the network—can significantly reduce infrastructure costs and resource demands. Given these realities, how comfortable are you being architecturally dependent on flash and memory as your environment grows? **Why It Matters:** IDC expects memory supply growth to be only 16% and 17% year-on-year respectively, far below demand - meaning high prices aren't going away. 1 # Architectural Advantages To deliver a cyber resilience architecture, that protects 2.1PB of mixed workloads, including virtual machines, file systems and databases, here's what the infrastructure looks like for Dell Technologies, Rubrik and Cohesity. PowerProtect needs far fewer servers.² ## **64x** fewer servers | Vendor | Number of servers | | —- | —- | | rubrik | 64 | | COHESITY | 23 | | DELL Technologies | 1 | # Architecture Outcomes ## **84%** fewer SSDs | Company | Number of SSDs | | —- | —- | | rubrik | 128 | | COHESITY | 92 | | DELL Technologies | 14 | PowerProtect needs far fewer SSDs.3 SSDs are exactly where the market price and supply pressure is. Fewer SSDs means fewer refresh events, fewer procurement issues, and fewer things to troubleshoot. ## PowerProtect uses less power.⁴ Power is the downstream tax. When architectures consume more flash and compute, they also consume more power and cooling. This is one of the fastest 'silent' costs in a datacenter. | Vendor | Energy use (kW) | | —- | —- | | Rubrik | 27 | | Cohesity | 15 | | DELL Technologies | 5.7 | | Vendor | Uplinks | | —- | —- | | Rubrik | 256 | | Cohesity | 92 | | Dell Technologies | 4 | ## PowerProtect uses less network ports.5 This is where customers feel operational drag: ports drive switching, optics, cabling, configuration, and change risk. When you go from 8 uplinks to 100+ uplinks, you're scaling infrastructure complexity. # Architecture Outcomes # Architecture determines cost, risk, scale ## Platform design is the driver of enhanced efficiencies ### The Stakes are Higher than Ever AI is driving SSD supply & pricing pressure Scale-out magnifies infrastructure costs ### The Real Cost of Scale-Out Cohesity and Rubrik consume more SSDs, ports and power ### PowerProtect: Scale Capacity Not Compute PowerProtect delivers unmatched efficiency and simpler operations # Key Resources and Links ## Key Assets * PowerProtect Data Manager * PowerProtect Data Domain * PowerProtect Cyber Recovery * Cyber Resilience Insights ## Customer Stories * RHB Customer Story * Emirates NBD Customer Story * LUS Customer Story * Palladium Customer Story * Kaui Customer Story ## Whitepapers * Cyber Resilience for the Modern Data Center * Omdia Economic Value Report 1. IDC — DRAM and NAND supply growth outlook and sustained pricing pressure 2. Based on internal Dell analysis 3. Based on internal Dell analysis 4. Based on internal Dell analysis 5. Based on internal Dell analysis # Build Cyber Resilience with Dell ## PowerProtect Discover more at Dell.com/CyberResilience © 2026 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All Rights Reserved. Dell Technologies, Dell and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Intel and the Intel logo are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

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