Cohesity DataProtect

Basic Information

• Model: Cohesity DataProtect is a software-defined solution available as self-managed software deployed on Cohesity Hyperconverged Nodes or consumed as a Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) offering.
• Version: Continuously updated. Recent versions mentioned include 6.8.1_u5, 7.1, and 7.2.2.
• Release Date: Public launch of Cohesity DataProtect was in October 2015. The Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) offering became generally available in December 2020.
• Minimum Requirements: For physical server agents, 56 MB of disk space is required on Windows systems and 360 MB on Linux systems. The underlying Cohesity DataPlatform requires a minimum of a three-node cluster (physical or virtual) for self-managed deployments.
• Supported Operating Systems:
  • **Hypervisors:** VMware vSphere (6.5 and later, some sources mention 5.5 and later), Microsoft Hyper-V (2022, 2019, 2016, 2012 R2), Nutanix AHV, and RHeV.
  • **Physical Servers:** Windows, Linux (RHEL, CentOS, OEL, Debian, Ubuntu), AIX (7.x), and Solaris.
  • **Cloud:** AWS EC2, Azure VM, Google Compute.
  • **Containerization:** Kubernetes (Vanilla, Red Hat Open Shift, VMware Tanzu Grid and Grid Service).
  • **Databases:** Oracle (11g R2, 12c, Oracle RAC), Microsoft SQL (2008 or later), SAP Oracle, SAP HANA, SAP Sybase ASE, SAP MS SQL, Sybase IQ, IBM DB2 LUW, Sybase ASE, MongoDB with CDP, Hive, Hbase, Cassandra, CouchbaseDB, MySQL Enterprise Commercial Edition, PostgreSQL, Datastax Enterprise, Hortonworks Hadoop.
  • **Applications:** Microsoft Exchange (2010 SP3 or later), Microsoft Active Directory, Microsoft 365.
  • **NAS:** Supported.
• Latest Stable Version: Cohesity DataProtect is under continuous development. Recent versions mentioned in documentation and CVEs include 6.8.1_u5, 7.1, and 7.2.2.
• End of Support Date: Not explicitly stated; governed by Cohesity's product lifecycle policies.
• End of Life Date: Not explicitly stated; governed by Cohesity's product lifecycle policies.
• Auto-update Expiration Date: Not explicitly stated; updates are part of the subscription and service model.
• License Type: Subscription-based service, available per user or with custom retention options. It operates on a pay-as-you-grow model.
• Deployment Model:
  • **Self-managed Software:** Deployed on-premises on Cohesity Hyperconverged Nodes.
  • **Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS):** Consumed as a service, hosted on public clouds like AWS and Microsoft Azure.
  • **Hybrid Cloud:** Supports deployments spanning on-premises, public cloud, and edge sites.

Technical Requirements

• RAM, Processor, Storage: Cohesity DataProtect runs on Cohesity Hyperconverged Nodes, which are x86 servers providing compute and storage. Specific RAM, processor, and storage requirements for the cluster depend on the deployment size, protected data volume, and performance needs, with scalability starting from a three-node cluster.
• Display: Not applicable for the core software solution; managed via a web-based user interface.
• Ports: Requires specific firewall ports to be open for communication between Cohesity SaaS Connectors and physical servers, and between primary and disaster recovery Cohesity clusters for SiteContinuity.
• Operating System: The Cohesity platform runs on Cohesity SpanOS, a Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux)-enabled operating system. Agents are available for Windows and various Linux distributions.

Analysis of Technical Requirements: Cohesity DataProtect is a software-defined solution designed for flexibility and scalability. Its core infrastructure relies on Cohesity's hyperconverged architecture, which integrates compute and storage. This design allows for a "pay-as-you-grow" model, enabling organizations to scale resources as data protection needs evolve. While specific hardware specifications for the underlying nodes are not detailed, the solution is built to leverage standard x86 server hardware or cloud resources. Agent-based protection for physical servers has minimal disk space requirements. The distributed nature of the platform and its cloud-native design emphasize network connectivity and proper port configuration for seamless operation across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. The use of a hardened Linux-based OS (SpanOS) for the platform underscores its enterprise-grade foundation.

Support & Compatibility

• Latest Version: Cohesity DataProtect is regularly updated. Recent versions include 6.8.1_u5, 7.1, and 7.2.2.
• OS Support: Comprehensive support for a wide range of operating systems, hypervisors, cloud environments, and applications, including VMware vSphere, Microsoft Hyper-V, Nutanix AHV, RHeV, Kubernetes, AWS EC2, Azure VM, Google Compute, Windows, Linux (RHEL, CentOS, OEL, Debian, Ubuntu), AIX, Solaris, various enterprise and modern databases, and Microsoft applications like Exchange and Active Directory.
• End of Support Date: Specific end-of-support dates are not publicly listed and are typically managed through Cohesity's official product lifecycle and support policies.
• Localization: Not explicitly detailed in public information, but as an enterprise solution, it generally supports common enterprise locales and character sets.
• Available Drivers: Cohesity provides agents for protecting physical Windows and Linux servers, which act as the necessary software components for data interaction.

Analysis of Overall Support & Compatibility Status: Cohesity DataProtect offers extensive compatibility across diverse IT infrastructures, from traditional on-premises physical and virtual environments to modern cloud-native and SaaS workloads. This broad support is a significant strength, allowing organizations to consolidate data protection for heterogeneous environments under a single platform. The continuous release of new versions and updates indicates active development and ongoing support for evolving technologies. While specific end-of-support dates are not readily available, the subscription model implies ongoing access to updates and technical assistance. The provision of agents for various operating systems ensures deep integration and protection capabilities for a wide array of data sources.

Security Status

• Security Features:
  • Zero Trust Principles: Designed with zero-trust security principles.
  • Immutability & WORM: Immutable snapshots and Write Once, Read Many (WORM) capabilities prevent unauthorized modification or deletion of backed-up data.
  • Encryption: Software-defined AES-256 encryption for data in-flight and at-rest, FIPS 140-2 compliant. Node-to-node communication uses TLS 1.3 & AES-256-GCM from cluster version 7.1.1.
  • Authentication: Multifactor Authentication (MFA), granular Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Single Sign-On (SSO) with SAML v2 and OpenID Connect (supporting Okta, Duo, Ping, Microsoft Entra ID), Active Directory integration, and certificate-based authentication.
  • Ransomware Detection: ML-based ransomware attack detection and vulnerability scanning.
  • Secure OS: Cohesity SpanOS is Security-Enhanced Linux (SELinux)-enabled, with password-protected GRUB and disabled single-user mode.
  • Network Security: Default firewall rules block non-essential protocols and ports.
  • Dual Control: Quorum feature for multi-level approval on sensitive administrative changes.
• Known Vulnerabilities: Several CVEs have been identified in past versions, including:
  • CVE-2023-33295: Incorrect access control due to lack of TLS Certificate Validation in DataProtect prior to 6.8.1_u5 or 7.1.
  • CVE-2021-28124: Man-in-the-middle vulnerability in DataPlatform support channel (versions 6.3 up to 6.3.1g, 6.4 up to 6.4.1c, and 6.5.1 through 6.5.1b).
  • CVE-2021-36795: Permission issue in Cohesity Linux agent allowing privilege escalation (versions 6.5.1b to 6.5.1d-hotfix10, 6.6.0a to 6.6.0b-hotfix1).
  • CVE-2021-28123: Undocumented Default Cryptographic Key Vulnerability in DataPlatform (versions 6.3 prior 6.3.1g, 6.4 up to 6.4.1c, and 6.5.1 through 6.5.1b).
  • CVE-2019-11242: Man-in-the-middle vulnerability related to vCenter access in DataPlatform version 5.x and 6.x prior to 6.1.1c.
  Cohesity rates and prioritizes confirmed vulnerabilities using Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) version 3.
• Blacklist Status: Not applicable.
• Certifications:
  • FIPS 140-2 compliant for encryption.
  • ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified for Cohesity cloud services.
  • Common Criteria certification for Cohesity DataPlatform & DataProtect Version 6.3.1e.
• Encryption Support: AES-256 encryption for data at rest and in transit, FIPS 140-2 validated. TLS 1.2 for point-to-point communication and TLS 1.3 with AES-256-GCM for node-to-node communication (from version 7.1.1).
• Authentication Methods: Supports Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), Single Sign-On (SSO) via SAML v2 and OpenID Connect, and certificate-based authentication.
• General Recommendations: Implement Zero Trust Security, leverage immutable snapshots, and utilize ML-based ransomware attack detection.

Analysis on the Overall Security Rating: Cohesity DataProtect demonstrates a robust and multi-layered security posture, built on zero-trust principles. Key strengths include FIPS 140-2 validated AES-256 encryption for all data states, immutable snapshots, WORM capabilities, and comprehensive authentication methods like MFA and RBAC. The platform's secure operating system (SpanOS) and network controls further enhance its defensive capabilities. While historical CVEs exist, Cohesity actively manages vulnerabilities using CVSS v3 and maintains ISO 27001 certification for its cloud services, indicating a commitment to ongoing security. The Quorum feature for dual control adds an important layer of protection against insider threats or compromised administrative accounts. Overall, DataProtect is designed to provide strong cyber resilience against modern threats, including ransomware.

Performance & Benchmarks

• Benchmark Scores: Specific numerical benchmark scores (e.g., IOPS, throughput) are not publicly detailed. However, Cohesity claims "high-performance," "lightning fast recovery," "near-zero Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs)," and "near-instant Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs)" to meet business SLAs.
• Real-world Performance Metrics:
  • Recovery Speed: Rapid recovery of virtual machines (VMs), large volumes of unstructured data, and Oracle databases of any size to any point in time.
  • Efficiency: Reduces data protection costs by 70% or more through efficient storage utilization, global deduplication, and compression.
  • Scalability: Offers unlimited scale for enterprise data across on-premises, edge, and cloud locations.
• Power Consumption: Not explicitly detailed for the software. Power consumption is dependent on the underlying hardware infrastructure (Cohesity Hyperconverged Nodes or cloud resources) chosen by the customer.
• Carbon Footprint: Not explicitly detailed for the software. Efficiency gains from deduplication and consolidation may indirectly contribute to a reduced environmental impact by optimizing hardware usage.
• Comparison with Similar Assets:
  • Vs. Rubrik: Cohesity DataProtect offers comprehensive features combining backup, archiving, and file services in a unified interface. It excels in data deduplication (scoring 9.6 vs. Rubrik's 9.1) and has a slightly better data encryption rating (9.4 vs. Rubrik's 9.3). Cohesity claims to be 25% more space-efficient than Rubrik. Rubrik is often praised for simplicity and rapid recovery, and strong API support.
  • Market Share: As of November 2025, Cohesity DataProtect holds a 2.4% mindshare in the Backup and Recovery category, compared to Rubrik's 5.3% and Veeam Data Platform's 10.0%.

Analysis of the Overall Performance Status: Cohesity DataProtect emphasizes high performance, particularly in recovery operations, aiming for near-zero RPOs and near-instant RTOs. Its architecture is designed for efficiency, leveraging global deduplication and compression to significantly reduce storage costs and optimize bandwidth usage. While specific raw benchmark numbers are not widely published, the focus is on delivering rapid, reliable recovery and efficient data management across diverse environments. Comparisons with competitors like Rubrik highlight Cohesity's strengths in comprehensive feature sets, storage efficiency, and strong encryption, positioning it as a robust solution for demanding enterprise data protection needs.

User Reviews & Feedback

User reviews and feedback for Cohesity DataProtect generally highlight its strengths in consolidating data management, ease of use, and robust recovery capabilities.

• Strengths:
  • Unified Platform: Users appreciate its ability to converge multiple data management tasks—such as backup, recovery, archiving, and analytics—into a single, easy-to-navigate interface. This eliminates legacy backup silos and simplifies operations.
  • Efficiency and Scalability: Praised for its efficient use of storage through global deduplication and compression, leading to significant cost reductions. It offers robust scalability for growing data needs.
  • Rapid Recovery: The speed and ease of restoring virtual machines (VMs), files, and large volumes of data are frequently cited as major advantages, minimizing downtime and meeting strict SLAs.
  • Cloud Integration: Strong integration with public cloud providers and its cloud-native architecture are seen as beneficial for hybrid and multi-cloud strategies.
  • Stability and Support: Users report high stability and reliable performance, often accompanied by prompt support.
  • Security: Features like immutable snapshots and FIPS certification contribute to strong data resilience against ransomware and cyber threats.
• Weaknesses:
  • Troubleshooting Complexity: Some users note that troubleshooting can occasionally require manual intervention, particularly in complex environments with numerous integrations.
  • Feature Parity: While comprehensive, some comparisons suggest competitors might have an edge in specific areas like real-time sync capabilities.
• Recommended Use Cases: Cohesity DataProtect is recommended for organizations seeking to protect a broad range of data sources, including virtual and physical servers, traditional and containerized applications, databases, NAS, and SaaS workloads. It is particularly well-suited for environments requiring robust ransomware protection, rapid disaster recovery, and simplified data management across on-premises, cloud, and edge locations.

Summary

Cohesity DataProtect is a comprehensive, software-defined data protection solution designed to simplify and secure enterprise data across diverse environments. Its core strength lies in converging backup, recovery, replication, and target storage onto a single, web-scale platform, eliminating traditional data silos. The solution offers flexible deployment models, available either as self-managed software on Cohesity Hyperconverged Nodes or as a Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) offering hosted on major public clouds like AWS and Azure.

Key strengths include its extensive compatibility with a wide array of hypervisors, operating systems, databases, applications, and cloud services, ensuring broad coverage for heterogeneous IT infrastructures. Performance is characterized by "lightning fast recovery" with near-zero RPOs and near-instant RTOs, crucial for meeting stringent business SLAs. The platform achieves significant storage efficiency through global deduplication and compression, reportedly reducing data protection costs by 70% or more.

Security is a paramount feature, built on zero-trust principles. It incorporates AES-256 encryption (FIPS 140-2 compliant) for data at rest and in flight, immutable snapshots, WORM capabilities, multifactor authentication, granular role-based access control, and ML-based ransomware detection. While past vulnerabilities have been identified, Cohesity maintains a proactive vulnerability management program and holds certifications like ISO 27001 for its cloud services.

User feedback generally praises DataProtect for its unified management, ease of use, and effective recovery capabilities, though some note occasional complexity in troubleshooting. Compared to competitors, Cohesity stands out for its comprehensive feature set and superior data deduplication efficiency.

In summary, Cohesity DataProtect is a robust, scalable, and secure solution ideal for enterprises seeking to modernize their data protection strategy, consolidate disparate systems, and enhance cyber resilience across hybrid and multi-cloud environments. Its focus on rapid recovery, efficiency, and strong security features makes it a compelling choice for critical data management needs.

The information provided is based on publicly available data and may vary depending on specific device configurations. For up-to-date information, please consult official manufacturer resources.