NetVault SmartDisk 11.4.5 - Installation Guide

Nondeduplicated instance deployed on a dedicated server

In NetVault Backup environments where only one NetVault SmartDisk Instance is required for a NetVault Backup Domain with one or more NetVault Backup Servers and you want to have the backups across all the NetVault Backup Servers stored together, you can deploy a single NetVault SmartDisk Instance on a dedicated server that has no NetVault Backup Server or Client software installed. In the following example, data from all NetVault Backup Clients stream backup data on a user-defined port to the single NetVault SmartDisk Instance that is deployed on the dedicated server.

Reviewing deployment options for deduplicated instances

In environments where only one NetVault SmartDisk Instance is required for a domain with one or more backup servers and you want the backups from all backup servers deduplicated together, you must deploy a single NetVault SmartDisk Instance on a dedicated server that has no backup server software installed.

IMPORTANT: You cannot deploy a deduplicated instance on the same machine on which NetVault Backup Server software is installed.

In the following example, data from all NetVault Backup Clients stream backup data on a user-defined port to the single NetVault SmartDisk Instance that is deployed on the dedicated server.

In environments where multiple NetVault SmartDisk Instances are required for a domain, you must deploy each NetVault SmartDisk Instance on its own dedicated server. In the following example, two NetVault SmartDisk Instances are required and they are deployed on two dedicated NetVault SmartDisk Servers. The NetVault Backup Clients from both NetVault Backup Servers can stream backup data on a user-defined port to either deployed NetVault SmartDisk Instance.

IMPORTANT: You cannot deploy multiple NetVault SmartDisk Instances on the same machine, whether it be a backup server, backup client, or dedicated NetVault SmartDisk Server.

Reviewing deployment options for disaster recovery

The data stored in a NetVault SmartDisk Instance is best protected from disaster if you deploy multiple NetVault SmartDisk Instances in a disaster-recovery scenario.

If you do not use deduplication, the primary NetVault SmartDisk Instance can be deployed on the backup server, backup client, or dedicated NetVault SmartDisk Instance. The secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance is deployed on a dedicated backup server and connected to the primary backup server as a second NetVault SmartDisk Device. The secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance is typically deployed in an offsite location to provide maximum protection.

If you do use deduplication, the primary NetVault SmartDisk Instance must be deployed on a dedicated NetVault SmartDisk Instance. The secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance is deployed on a dedicated backup server and connected to the primary backup server as a second NetVault SmartDisk Device. The secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance is typically deployed in an offsite location to provide maximum protection.

The backups that are targeted to the primary NetVault SmartDisk Instance are copied to the secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance as the target for a secondary copy backup or as an independent Data Copy backup that specifies the primary NetVault SmartDisk Instance as the source and the secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance as the destination.

IMPORTANT: Third-party replication or mirroring technology is not supported for the replication of the NetVault SmartDisk Storage Pools. Data that is replicated using third-party technology, including deduplication appliance replication technology, is not recoverable.

If a failure of only the primary NetVault SmartDisk Instance occurs, you can restore backups from the secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance. Primary backups can also be targeted to the secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance until the primary NetVault SmartDisk Instance is ready to resume the primary role.

If a complete failure of the production site occurs or a failure of the primary backup server occurs, a backup server with the identical Machine Name as the primary backup server in the production site must be deployed in the disaster-recovery site. After the backup server with the identical Machine Name is running in the disaster-recovery site, the secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance can be added to the backup server as a NetVault SmartDisk Device and scanned. After the backups have been scanned, they can be restored and the secondary NetVault SmartDisk Device can become a target for primary backups until the primary backup server is returned to working order.

IMPORTANT: A NetVault SmartDisk Device can only be scanned into a backup server that has the identical Machine Name as the original backup server that performed the backups.

After the primary backup server is ready to resume the production role, the secondary backup server is shut down. If backups were targeted to the secondary NetVault SmartDisk Instance while it performed the role of the primary NetVault SmartDisk Instance, it must be scanned back into the primary backup server.

NOTE: The primary and secondary backup servers cannot be running at the same time.

Defining a Storage Pool strategy

The fourth step in defining your NetVault SmartDisk Deployment Strategy is defining your strategy for the NetVault SmartDisk Storage Pools.