Frequently Asked Questions on NetBackup Accelerator
NetBackup Accelerator is an exciting feature introduced in NetBackup 7.5 and NetBackup Appliances software version 2.5. This blog is not a substitute for NetBackup documentation. NetBackup Accelerator transforms the way organizations do backups, I am compiling a list of frequently asked questions from NetBackup Community forums and providing answers.NetBackup 7 for VMware Virtually Eliminates Backups!
I love a good infomercial. In the short span of 30 minutes, they try to convince me that their product is completely revolutionary and I cannot live without it. They predictably offer to deliver not one, but two for the price of one (S&H charges excluded). I know their claims are exaggerated. I know I don’t need one, let alone two. I am highly skeptical. Yet, I’m sold!The power of NetBackup Deduplication: Distributed processing and secure backup streams
Data deduplication is the most popular form of storage capacity optimization. Deduplication makes it possible to store more on disk with less backend storage, hence it is a very promising method to eliminate or minimize tape as the backup medium.All new NetBackup 5220: The complete and purpose-built backup appliance
IDC defines(1) a purpose-built backup appliance as a disk-based solution that utilizes software, disk arrays, server engine(s), or nodes that are used for a target for backup data and specifically data coming from a backup application (e.g., NetBackup, Backup Exec, Networker etc.). These products are stand-alone disk systems purpose built to serve as a target for backup. Symantec’s NetBackup 5200 series appliances, while purpose built for backups, are much more than a traditional PBBA. For example, the all new NetBackup 5220 appliance can be deployed as a NetBackup master server, media server or both. This modular appliance can be used for implementing a brand new NetBackup domain for a remote office or enterprise without needing additional software based backup application to manage data protection for clients. NetBackup 5220 is not just a purpose built backup target, it is a complete backup solution by itself. NetBackup 5220 is the newest member in NetBackup appliances family. The system features v 2.0 of appliance software which is based on NetBackup 7.1.0.1 code. The appliance starts at 4TB of deduplication storage which is ideal for remote office/branch office use cases. As mentioned earlier, the appliance can function as an independent all-in-one NetBackup system or it can be configured as a media server reporting to a central data center. The Auto Image Replication (A.I.R) feature makes it possible for these appliances to replicate to remote NetBackup domains for Disaster Recovery readiness. There is no need to have a backup server and a duplication appliance as in the case of using a traditional PBBA. Moreover, the 4TB model may also be used as the driver for NetBackup 5000 series based global deduplication appliances thereby providing 192TB of deduplication pool. The storage on NetBackup 5220 can be expanded up to 36 TB by adding a Symantec Storage Shelf. Another key feature for NetBackup 5220 is the support for SAN Client. We will talk about this in a separate blog. Thanks to Symantec V-Ray, NetBackup 5220 appliances provide unprecedented visibility into virtual machines, giving you faster recovery and reduced storage costs in virtual environments. Whether you have Hyper-V or VMware (or even both), the appliance understands the data stream with embedded stream handlers whereby it can identify the file boundaries and strip out the meta data before deduplicating the segments. This level of content intelligence makes it possible to deduplicate across virtual, physical, application and NAS systems without brute force resource intensive processing. VMware Intelligent Policy makes it possible to set data protection in auto pilot mode, no need to manually add/remove virtual machines into backup policies. Highly customized rules can be engaged to ensure visibility while automating protection. Do you know that NetBackup 5220 is designed to kill the VTL? We will talk about it next week! 1 Worldwide Purpose-Built Backup Appliance 2011–2015 Forecast and 2010 Vendor Shares, Robert Amatruda, IDC Research Director, Data Protection and Recovery, May 2011Don't Get Duped by Dedupe
If you are evaluating dedupe solutions, the dedupe ratios claimed by dedupe vendors are bound to intrigue you. I have seen claims of dedupe rates as high as 50:1 and I am sure there are claims of even higher dedupe than that. Are such dedupe rates realistic? Speaking truthfully, yes, but one must understand the assumptions and the math behind such high dedupe rates.Symantec NetBackup 5220 Appliance featured at SC ’11 Super Computing conference
When Lisa Graff, VP/GM of Intel’s Platform Engineering Group took the stage at a special event during SC ’11 Super Computing Conference in Seattle, I was not the only one who had wondered why the new launch was named EPSD 3.0
DR of the Living Dead
With the one-two punch of an earthquake in the Mid-Atlantic US followed closely by a hurricane potentially hitting the same region, Disaster Recovery is probably a popular discussion right now in the Washington DC area. Of course Business Continuity professionals write contingency plans for all types of disasters, not just ones caused by nature. Don’t you want to ask God, or MHow much does a deduplication solution really cost you?
There are a number of deduplication solutions from various vendors available for you to choose from. There are plenty of discussions about various kinds of deduplication solutions and how those help to reduce the amount of secondary storage required for backups.