Rapid NFS and Rapid CIFS enable write operation acceleration on clients that use DR replication and NFS or CIFS file system protocols. Similar to OST and RDS, these accelerators allow for better coordination and integration between DR Series system backup, restore, and optimized deduplication operations with Data Management Applications (DMAs) such as CommVault, EMC Networker, and Tivoli Storage Manager. For the current list of qualified DMAs, see the DR Series System Interoperability Guide.
Rapid NFS is a new client file system type that ensures that only unique data is written to the DR Series system. It uses user space components and file system in user space (FUSE) to accomplish this. Metadata operations such as file creates and permission changes go through the standard NFS protocol, whereas write operations go through RDNFS.
Rapid CIFS is a Windows-certified filter driver that also ensures that only unique data is written to the DR Series system.
All chunking and hash computations are done at the media or client server level.
Rapid NFS and Rapid CIFS require you to install a plug-in on the client or media server, depending on your DMA and configuration. For details, see the Configuring and Using Rapid NFS and Rapid CIFS chapter.
DR Rapid is developed by Quest and provides a logical disk interface for use with network storage devices. DR Rapid allows for better coordination and integration between DR Series system backup, restore, and optimized duplication operations with backup applications, such as NetVault Backup.
The DR Series system and backup application integration is done by using DR Rapid plugins developed by Quest. Plugins allow backup application control over backup image creation, deletion, and duplication. They also allow deduplication and compression operations to happen on the client-side so that network traffic can be reduced.
DR Rapid allows the supported backup applications to communicate directly with the DR Series system and determine whether a specific chunk of data already exists on the system. If the data already exists, only the pointers need to be updated on the DR Series system, 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.
OpenStorage Technology (OST), by Veritas, provides a logical disk interface for use with network storage devices. The DR Series system appliance can use OST via DR Rapid plug-in software to integrate its data storage operations with NetBackup and Backup Exec. OST is part of DR Rapid at Quest.
RDA with OST allows for better coordination and tighter integration between DR Series system backup, restore, and optimized duplication operations and data management applications. For a list of the supported applications, see the DR Series System Interoperability Guide.
Integration is done via a RDA with OST plug-in developed for the DR Series system, 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 DR Series system features as data deduplication, replication, and energy efficiency. DR Series 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 the DR Series system 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 the DR Series system, 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 the DR Series system, 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
- DR Series system storage capabilities can be used without extensive changes to DMAs
- Backup and replication operations are simplified by using built-in DMA policies
- DR Series system and RDA with OST:
- Control channel uses TCP port 10011
- Data channel uses TCP port 11000
- Optimized write operations enable client-side deduplication
- Replication operations between DR Series systems:
- No configuration required on source or target DR Series systems
- Replication is file-based, not container-based
- Triggered by DMA optimized duplication operation
- DR Series system transfers the data file (not the media server)
- After duplication, DR Series system notifies DMA to update its catalog (acknowledging the second backup)
- Supports different retention policies between source and replica
To better coordinate and integrate OpenStorage Technology (OST) with the DR Series system 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 DR Series System Interoperability Guide.
The DR Series system 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 DR Series system
- 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
