OpenStorage Technology (OST), by Veritas, provides a logical disk interface for use with network storage devices. QoreStor can use OST via QoreStor plug-in software to integrate its data storage operations with NetBackup and Backup Exec.
RDA with OST allows for better coordination and tighter integration between QoreStor system backup, restore, and optimized duplication operations and data management applications (DMAs). For a list of the supported applications, see the QoreStor Interoperability Guide.
Integration is done via a RDA with OST plug-in developed for QoreStor, through which data management applications can control when the backup images are created, duplicated, and deleted. The major benefit of RDA with OST is that it allows the deduplication operations to happen on the client side so that network traffic can be reduced.
The RDA with OST plug-in allows data management applications to take full advantage of such QoreStor features as data deduplication, replication, and energy efficiency. QoreStor systems can access the OpenStorage API code through the plug-in, which can be installed on the media server platform choice you make (Windows or Linux). The OST protocol allows the supported backup applications to communicate directly with QoreStor and determine whether a specific chunk of data already exists on the system. This process means that if the data already exists, only the pointers need to be updated on QoreStor, and the duplicate chunk of data does not need to be transferred to the system. This process provides two benefits: it improves the overall backup speed, and also reduces the network load.
When RDA with OST is used with QoreStor, it offers the following benefits:
- OST protocol provides faster and improved data transfers:
- Focused on backups with minimal overhead
- Accommodates larger data transfer sizes
- Provides throughput that is significantly better than CIFS or NFS
- RDA with OST and DMA integration:
- OpenStorage API enables the DMA-to-media server software communications
- QoreStor storage capabilities can be used without extensive changes to DMAs
- Backup and replication operations are simplified by using built-in DMA policies
- QoreStor and RDA with OST:
- Control channel uses TCP port 10011
- Data channel uses TCP port 11000
- Optimized write operations enable client-side deduplication
To better coordinate and integrate OpenStorage Technology (OST) with QoreStor data storage operations, the following guidelines list the required components and supported operations. For details on the supported operating systems and data management application (DMA) versions, see the QoreStor Interoperability Guide.
QoreStor licensing is all-inclusive, so that no additional licensing is required to use OST or the optimized duplication capability. The OST plug-in that gets installed on a supported Linux or Windows media server platform is a free download. However, Veritas NetBackup requires that you purchase an OpenStorage Disk Option license. Similarly, Veritas Backup Exec requires that you purchase the Deduplication Option to enable the OST feature.
- OST Media Server Component:
- An OST server component resides on the QoreStor server.
- For Linux media server installations, use the Linux OST plug-in and the Red Hat Package Manager (RPM) installer
- For Windows media server installations, use the Windows OST plug-in and the Microsoft (MSI) installer
- Windows-based OST plug-in
- Linux-based 64-bit OST plug-in
- Supported OpenStorage (OST) protocol:
- Supported Veritas DMAs
- Supported OST operations
- Backup (Passthrough writes and Optimized writes)
- Restore
- Replication
- Auto Image Replication (AIR)
The Network Data Management protocol (NDMP) is used to control data backup and recovery between primary and secondary storage in a network environment. For example, a NAS server (Filer) can talk to a tape drive for the purposes of a backup.
You can use the protocol with a centralized data management application (DMA) to back up data on file servers running on different platforms to tape drives or tape libraries located elsewhere within the network. The protocol separates the data path from the control path and minimizes demands on network resources. With NDMP, a network file server can communicate directly to a network-attached tape drive or virtual tape library (VTL) for backup or recovery.
The QoreStor VTL container type is designed to work seamlessly with the NDMP protocol.
iSCSI or Internet Small Computer System Interface is an Internet Protocol (IP)-based storage networking standard for storage subsystems. It is a carrier protocol for SCSI. SCSI commands are sent over IP networks by using iSCSI. It also facilitates data transfers over intranets and to manage storage over long distances. iSCSI can be used to transmit data over LANs or WANs.
In iSCSI, clients are called initiators and SCSI storage devices are targets. The protocol allows an initiator to send SCSI commands (CDBs) to the targets on remote servers. It is a storage area network (SAN) protocol, allowing organizations to consolidate storage into data center storage arrays while providing hosts (such as database and web servers) with the illusion of locally attached disks. Unlike traditional Fibre Channel, which requires different cabling, iSCSI can be run over long distances using existing network infrastructure.
iSCSI is a low-cost alternative to Fibre Channel, which requires dedicated infrastructure except in FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet). Note that the performance of an iSCSI SAN deployment can be degraded if not operated on a dedicated network or subnet
The VTL container type is designed to work seamlessly with the iSCSI protocol. For details, see Creating a VTL type container .
