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Disk-Assisted Data Protection
Disk-based backup is:| » | Easy to install, use, and manage compared to other backup devices. |
| » | Integrates seamlessly into existing environments with easy-to-deploy tape emulation and SCSI network connection. |
| » | Utilizes backup scheduling features in existing software applications to fully automate daily backup. |
| » | Provides simultaneous backup of multiple networked servers for better performance and efficiency. |
| » | Restores data from online backups quickly and easily, reducing the time it takes to recover lost files from hours to minutes. |
Disk-assisted backup solutions offer several advantages over pure tape solutions.
By backing up data from primary disk storage to a cheaper disk technology before migrating it to tape for archiving files can be restored quickly by IT staff or even users themselves.
Disk-to-disk (D2D) backup
In most disk-to-disk solutions, a disk array is divided into targets for each host that is being backed up. The target cannot be shared between hosts. Once a host has written to the disk, the migration to physical tape happens through that host. This means that the host is involved in the first backup to the disk, and to the transfer to physical tape. Disk to Disk solutions based on Microsoft DPM utilize replication and snapshot technology to protect Windows file servers on a near-continuous basis and can be directly backed up to tape without host involvement.
Virtual tape
Virtual tape is a disk device that appears to the (Storage Area Network) SAN as a tape library, tape drive or tape cartridge. By presenting a virtual tape device to the SAN, the pool of storage within it may be dynamically shared amongst multiple hosts. Virtual tape dramatically improves backup and restores performance.
Replication (snapshots, clones and mirrors)
Snapshots, clones and mirrors are the most common disk-assisted technology utilized in enterprise data protection solutions today. By leveraging your investments in high availability disk arrays, backups can be performed with zero interruption to your applications. Furthermore, data can be restored instantly from the saved images on the disk array.
Clustering
Clustering provides protection against basic hardware failure. A cluster of servers provides fault tolerance because if one server fails, one or more additional servers are still available to take over operations.
Tape and disk are not adversaries, they are partners
As part of a multi-level data protection model, Tape is the ultimate last resort in the seamless movement of data based on its value. As data becomes less relevant to day-to-day business operations, it can be shifted downwards onto less costly storage media such as tape. WORM tape fulfills the need for tamperproof, compliant data storage, without the high cost of optical disks.
