Disk-Assisted Backup Whitepaper

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Disk-assisted backup white paper

Backup to disk and how to implement it with HP Data Protector software

Overview............................................................................................................................................ 2

Reduced recovery time ......................................................................................................................... 2

Improved backup performance.............................................................................................................. 2

Increased success rate of backups completed.......................................................................................... 3

No or reduced need for multiplexing of backups to tape ..........................................................................3

Branch office backup consolidation........................................................................................................ 4

Object consolidation............................................................................................................................ 5

Backup to disk implementation with HP Data Protector software ................................................................ 6

Overview ........................................................................................................................................ 6

Synthetic full backup and virtual full backup............................................................................................ 6

Synthetic full backup......................................................................................................................... 6

Virtual full backup ............................................................................................................................ 6

How does virtual full position against synthetic full?.............................................................................. 7

How HP Data Protector software synthetic backup works ...................................................................... 7

How HP Data Protector software synthetic backup restore works............................................................ 8

Distributed file media format (DFMF) .................................................................................................. 9

HP Data Protector software object consolidation prerequisites .............................................................. 9

Command Line details .................................................................................................................... 10

Object consolidation details in HP Data Protector software GUI........................................................... 11

HP Data Protector software File Library and Object Copy ....................................................................... 14

HP Data Protector software Jukebox and Standalone file device .............................................................. 25

For more information.......................................................................................................................... 30

Summary of content (30 pages)

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Disk-assisted backup white paper Backup to disk and how to implement it with HP Data Protector software Overview............................................................................................................................................ 2 Reduced recovery time ......................................................................................................................... 2 Improved backup performance ..................................................................................
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Overview Advancements in technology and price reductions have recently made it possible to use disk together with tape to improve data protection.
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The backup window can also be reduced by using backup to disk, running many backups in parallel. This is especially attractive for incremental backups due to the following reason: Tape backups are fast as long as the tape drives are streaming, that is, enough data is being sent to the drive so it does not have to stop and then re-start when it receives more data.
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Multiplexing also has some drawbacks: • Data from multiple clients and/or applications is mixed on the same tape, hence you cannot accurately identify the data that the tape holds (for example, it would be difficult to say that your Exchange data is on one tape, or that another tape is the backup of server A). • Restoring data from a multiplexed tape can be slower because the data blocks of a particular client or application will not be aligned on the tape.
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Figure 2. Object consolidation The incremental forever paradigm means that except for the first backup, where a full backup is performed, only incremental backups are executed. This concept presents the most efficient way of backups—only few changed data is backed up. However, without object consolidation, the restore process would last far too long, since all incremental backup sessions would have to be restored.
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Backup to disk implementation with HP Data Protector software Overview In this second part of the document, it is detailed how HP Data Protector software can be configured and administered for backup to disk. A new device type, called File Library, is available with HP Data Protector software that provides advanced backup-to-disk functionality.
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How does virtual full position against synthetic full? Figure 3. Synthetic full Virtual full Synthetic full Virtual full Space efficient full No Yes Storage type Disk and Tape Disk only Competitors Yes No HP HP Data Protector software Yes Yes How HP Data Protector software synthetic backup works HP Data Protector software synthetic backup enables you to merge a full backup (or a synthetic full backup) and any subsequent incremental backup into a new, synthetic full backup.
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Figure 4. Figure 4 shows how a synthetic full backup is created. The Restore Media Agent (RMA) reads the full backup from the backup medium, which can be a tape or a disk. The data is sent to another RMA, which reads the incremental backups from the File Library and consolidates the data. The consolidated data is then sent to the Backup Media Agent (BMA), which writes the synthetic full backup to the backup medium. The backup media can be a tape or a disk.
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backup. The restore is significantly simpler and quicker than that without the synthetic full backup. In the figure, both possible (1+2) restore chains are shown. Figure 6. In Figure 6, a synthetic backup was performed and then copied. This provides additional safety. The restore to the latest possible state can use any of the three different (1, 2, or 3) restore chains shown.
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• The restore chain must be complete, meaning that all the object versions that comprise it have the status Completed or Completed/Errors and all the media holding these object versions are available. • The necessary backup devices are configured and the media prepared. • You need a Media Agent installed on every system that will participate in an object consolidation session. • You need appropriate user rights for starting an object consolidation session (Start backup specification).
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Object consolidation details in HP Data Protector software GUI Figure 7. Defining a file device library with DFMF enabled Select this option to enable the File Library for virtual full backup. Backing up to a File Library with distributed file media format is a prerequisite for virtual full backup. If you are not planning to use virtual full backup, do not select this option. Note Media that use distributed file media format cannot be exported or imported.
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Figure 8. Defining a backup specification with enhanced incremental backup enabled Select this option to enable enhanced incremental backup. Unlike conventional incremental backup, enhanced incremental backup reliably detects and backs up files with changes in name, location, and attributes. It is also a prerequisite for subsequent object consolidation (synthetic backup). Note After you select this option, incremental backup will run in the enhanced mode only after a full backup is performed.
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Figure 9. Create an interactive object consolidation after various backups of different kinds Select the points in time of the desired objects to consolidate. You cannot select full backups, because they as such cannot be consolidated. Selecting a point in time selects the entire restore chain. If several restore chains for the same point in time exist, all of them are selected, but only one will actually be used.
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Figure 10. To restore a specific version select a backup version of a file or directory. By default, the most recent backup version is restored. Click "..." for more information on each version. HP Data Protector software File Library and Object Copy HP Data Protector software Advanced Backup Disk provides a disk-staging solution, with single file restore directly from disk or tape.
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(immediately after the backup, or at a scheduled time) automatically copy the file-based media to a physical medium such as LTO. So this becomes a method to perform disk staging of slower backups (for example, over a slow LAN), followed by high-speed backup to a physical device. And while this is not to a “virtual tape” device, it does provide file-based backup capability without the need to invest in another physical piece of hardware.
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Figure 11.Defining a File Device Library: Device Type Next, define the directory and the number of writers that you want to create the File Library for. If the user does not specify this number, the default value will be used. This default value is determined by the number of directories. The directory has to be created on the disk device prior to configuring the File Library. The user is able to enter several directory names. The directories have to be on different file systems.
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depot expires, HP Data Protector software will be able to reuse this file depot. Only in the case that the customer has sessions with small amounts of data or backup of logical and archive logs should the media belong to the pool with appendable policy. Figure 12.
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Figure 13.
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Figure 14.
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Figure 15.
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Figure 16. Defining a File Device Library: Media Pool For each file library, a new Media Pool will be created internally. The File Library will create new slots/file depots on demand. The user can choose when to create a new file depot/media only after all disk space is used, or only in the event that none of the already existing media is available for backup. If the first option is chosen, HP Data Protector software creates a new file depot.
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Delete button. A confirmation dialogue box will pop up so that this action can be confirmed. The user can also change the properties of the selected directory/directories by clicking the Properties button. A new dialogue box will pop up, in which the user can change the maximum size of the file depots that are going to be created in the selected directories, the minimum size for creation of new file depots, and the free space on the disk. Figure 17.
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Figure 18. Object Copy: Dsik Staging Backup to Tape To restore a file, HP Data Protector software will, as default, choose the fastest medium to restore from. For instance, if the restoration medium is not specified, and the same file version exists on both tape and disk, HP Data Protector software automatically chooses the disk device, as this is the fastest.
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Figure 19.
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Figure 20. Restore: Auto-select or Manual Select the Source Copy HP Data Protector software Jukebox and Standalone file device HP Data Protector software allows you to configure a Standalone or Jukebox file device. To simulate a tape library, HP Data Protector software allows you to create a file jukebox, for example, on which you create and format file media and use as a backup device.
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Figure 21.
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Figure 22.
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Figure 23.
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Figure 24.
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For more information For more information on HP Data Protector software, visit: www.hp.com/go/dataprotector © 2006 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty.