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Optimizing Backup and Recovery with Next Generation VTL Solutions
Disk technologies are faster and inherently
more reliable than tape, making it an ideal backup method for restoring recently
lost files or accelerating disaster recovery efforts. Technological advancements
have also made D2D backup an even more compelling value proposition.
However,
tape still plays a critical role in backup and
recovery efforts, especially when it comes to data retention and archival.
Fortunately, with the emergence of
VTL's, you can get the best of both worlds - the advantages of
high-speed disk technologies for expediting backup processes while benefiting
from the portability and security of tape for longer-term, offline storage.
When used together, VTL and tape-based backup yield
optimal data protection with improved performance, streamlined operations
and increased reliability.
Disk-based backup is gaining market momentum as
an economical and highly effective way toreduce backup windows and boost
recovery timeframes while ensuring compliance with mounting regulations and
corporate governance demands. Since disk technology is faster and inherently
more reliable than tape, it's an ideal nearline backup method for restoring
recently lost files or accelerating disaster recovery efforts. In addition, new
iSCSI disk-based solutions and the emergence of inexpensive SATA (Serial ATA)
drives have lowered overall costs, leading to an even morecompelling value
proposition for disk-to-disk (D2D) backup and recovery.
Disk drives offer direct random access, enabling
multiple concurrent backup sessions and read/ write efficiency improvements. The
resulting productivity gains and lowered operating expense can lead to
significant time and cost savings. In comparison, tape technology, which uses
sequential access, is much slower. Still, tape plays a vital role in backup and
recovery operations, especially when it comes data retention and archival.
A virtual tape library (VTL) offers the best of
both worlds: the advantages of high-speed disk technologies for expediting
backup processes while benefiting from the portability and security of tape for
longer-term, offline storage. When used together, VTL and
tape-based backup yield optimal data protection
with improved performance, streamlined operations and increased reliability.
BakBone Software Inc. has capitalized on this capability with its VTL plug-in
module for NetVault: Backup, which lets administrators design any number of
customized virtual tape libraries, each with its own specific number of tape
drives, slots and sizes to meet particular requirements. BakBone has applied the
same paradigm and nomenclature used with physical tape libraries (e.g., drives,
mediapools, rotation cycles, etc.) to streamline overall management.
NetVault backup software by BakBone is available
in all
Scalable NAS Storage Solutions from Snap Server
by Adaptec.
Since NetVault: Backup treats the VTL like a
physical tape library, it doesn't require different or additional
administration. BakBone's VTL supports full, incremental and differential
backups while integrating seamlessly with real tape library resource management.
In addition, the direct-access restore feature simplifies overall operation by
supporting file restores from disks or tapes withoutany disk re-staging. The
increasing popularity of BakBone's VTL has led to the development of a
next-generation solution, NetVault: Backup's shared virtual tape library (SVTL).
SVTL enablesadministrators to create and share a VTL with multiple NetVault:
Backup machines for extended functionality, higher performance D2D backup and
even faster restores.
NetVault: Backup Virtual Tape Library
What is a virtual Tape Libarary (VTL)?
A VTL is a built-in tape emulation feature that gives disk
storage the “look and feel” of a tape library with the added benefits of greater
speeds, reduced costs and sophisticated media management capabilities. A VTL
lets an administrator “virtualize” a tape resource on disk. With BakBone's
capability, the VTL structure and backup data are stored on top of the file
system host, which can be a NetVault: Backup server or any other heterogeneous
NetVault: Backup Client Node licensed as a Smart Client. A NetVault: Backup
domain can host one or more VTLs, and a host can own one or more VTLs. A VTL can
be used independently of the file system (e.g., NTFS, UFS, ext3, etc.) as well
as the disk system (e.g., IDE, RAID, SCSI, Fibre Channel, DAS or iSCSI). Both
file- and block-level backups and restores are supported. When acting as a tape
library, a VTL can host one or more client backups connected through a local
area network (LAN). The media manager doesn't distinguish between a VTL and a
physical tape library, which simplifies the process of setting specific backup
policies, including retention dates, rotation schemes and media groups. Save
sets can be accessed wherever they reside and incremental backups can be sent to
disk for ultra-fast restores. With BakBone's VTL strategy, tape becomes a
crucial component of a broader data protection strategy— rather than its primary
ingredient.
With NetVault: Backup, multiple copies of backup jobs can be
created from the VTL to tape or vice versa. By storing backup data on a VTL,
administrators can run data copy or duplication jobs offline, without impacting
network, application server or workstation performance. VTLs eliminate the
mechanical penalties
of tape backup over a network, such as “shoe-shining,” or a slow data-stream
host. VTLs capture data—whether it's trickled, blasted, or gently passed
along—and saves it on virtual media slots as a “saveset.” Ultimately, this
method of capturing data produces substantial performance improvements while
slashing backup windows dramatically........
Click Here for the detailed
pdf of VTL - Next Generation Solutions optimizing disk to disk.
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