Part 1 of the “Compass Protects It All” Series
Enterprise environments rarely run on a single platform. Most organizations operate a mix, such as Windows Server in the data center, Linux across x86 and Power architectures, AIX for critical workloads, and older systems like Solaris or HP-UX, or even Windows 2003 that still support essential applications. Add macOS endpoints and IBM i, and the picture becomes even more complex.
This technical variety can put a strain on operations and bring significant risk to the business. Backup strategies often mirror the fragmentation: separate tools for each platform, policies that don’t align, disparate security controls, and recovery processes that vary by system. Each product requires its own set of unique skills and operational quirks, not to mention licensing requirements that complicate management. The results are higher costs, slower recovery, and increased risks —conditions that leave more room for mistakes when it matters most.
The Hidden Cost of Fragmentation
One of our customers, a financial services firm, had managed six different backup tools for more than 200 servers running Windows, Linux, AIX, and Solaris. Each tool required specialized training. Recovery times varied dramatically depending on the platform, and reliance on multiple backup tools complicated audits and amplified operational risk.
This situation is common in enterprises with diverse infrastructures. Fragmentation creates gaps, and those gaps become liabilities in a world of cyber threats and strict regulations. It also becomes a barrier to innovation and agility for organizations that are desperately trying to keep up with the times.
One Platform, Everything Protected
Cobalt Iron Compass® changes that equation. Instead of stitching together point products, organizations can protect Windows, Linux, IBM AIX, HP-UX Itanium, Solaris SPARC and x86, macOS, IBM Storage Scale, NAS devices, databases (Oracle, SQL, MySQL, dB2, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, and others), enterprise applications (SAP, HANA, Exchange, and others) and IBM i — all through a single platform. Compass provides native integration across operating systems, databases, and applications.
That means enterprise workloads such as Oracle on AIX, SAP HANA on Linux, SQL Server on Windows, and IBM i via VTL can all be managed under one solution. Legacy systems remain covered without the need for separate “best-effort” tools. IBM Power investments retain their full value because AIX, Linux on Power, and IBM i protection is built in, not treated as an afterthought.
Not only can Compass protect all of the workloads in your classic brick-and-mortar data centers, but it can give you the same experience in your co-located facilities as well as in the cloud. In fact, in the cloud customers can even begin to explore backup options that don’t exist on-premises.
And the benefits go beyond coverage. Consolidating backup removes technology management silos and brings data protection processes under one framework, while cutting the time that teams spend on training and infrastructure maintenance. For organizations balancing hybrid architectures and compliance demands, this simplicity translates into resilience. Backup becomes a strategic advantage rather than a patchwork of stopgaps.
What’s Next in This Series?
This post is just the beginning. Stay tuned for further insights into how unified backup works in these real-world environments:
- Operating Systems & Legacy Platforms —How Compass handles Windows, Linux, AIX, HP-UX, and other platforms without creating silos.
- Databases & Enterprise Applications — Why consistent protection matters for Oracle, SAP HANA, SQL Server, and other critical workloads.
- Virtualization & Hybrid Cloud —Practical ways to simplify backup for VMware, Hyper-V, NAS, and hybrid deployments.
Ready to see what unified backup looks like? Start with a free assessment of your landscape and discover how comprehensive protection can simplify your operations.
< Back to Blog