Backup Destinations

Backup destinations are integral to the backup process, comprising media pools and storage devices or device clusters. A media pool is a collection of media volumes, while a device cluster represents a group of storage devices managed as a single entity. For instance, a tape library is a physical example of a device cluster.

Compatibility Considerations

It is essential to match the media pool with the appropriate storage device. For example, a 4-mm media pool is incompatible with a DLT device.

Note. Specifying backup destinations by device cluster, especially in SAN environments is advisable. This approach allows DPX to select the best device within the cluster automatically, optimizing throughput with features like SAN Resource Sharing Option (SRS).

Selection of Backup Destinations

Default Destinations

Set a default backup destination (media pool and device cluster) for each node group upon its creation. This default must be compatible with the node group’s requirements.

If a default destination exists for a node group, it can be used for backups unless a specific job requires a different destination.

Destination Selection for Backup Jobs

For jobs involving multiple nodes, select a compatible destination for each source node. This ensures that the backup process is tailored to the specific needs of each node.

Selecting a Backup Destination

For each backup job, you need to select destinations that are compatible with the source nodes involved. This process is especially important for jobs that span multiple nodes, allowing for the selection of different compatible destinations for each source node.

Note. If your selection is invalid, an error message will appear. This may occur if the media type is incompatible with the device type.

Special Considerations for Backup Destination Selection

When configuring backup destinations, it is essential to ensure that the selections are valid and compatible with the data being backed up. DPX automatically checks the validity of selections for Base Media Pools and Base Device Clusters and propagates these selections to Incremental and Differential backups. However, if different destinations are desired for Incremental and Differential backups, these must be manually adjusted.

Node-Specific Destination Selection

Single Node Selection: For a single node, all sources selected must go to the same destination. If the node destination is changed after making the source selection, the new destination is propagated to all selected sources for that node.

Multiple Nodes Selection: If multiple nodes are involved, you can select different destinations for each node by selecting a source node or its descendants and immediately selecting the destinations for that node. Repeat this process for each node involved.

Backup to DiskDirectory

Backup to DiskDirectory allows for backing up data to a local directory acting as a virtual tape device.

Warning! This method does not protect data in the event of disk failure.

Configuration Requirements

Device Type: Must be set to DISKDIRECTORY.

Media Type: Must be set to DISKDIRECTORY.

Device ID: Must be a complete path to the directory that is your desired backup destination.

Operational Rules

• Backup and Restore Jobs: Define and run these jobs in the usual fashion.

• Exclusion of Disk Devices: Disk devices (directories) should not themselves be backed up; exclude them manually from all backup definitions.

• Appending to DISKDIRECTORY Volsers: Currently, appending to DISKDIRECTORY volsers is not supported. If a volser in a DISKDIRECTORY pool is expired (status is empty), it can be reused for a later backup, overwriting the file with new backup data.

Warning! Ensure that the Backup Destination Option Unlabeled Tape Usage is set to Label unlabeled tapes on the first pass when reusing an empty volser for DiskDirectory.

Backup to a NetApp AltaVault storage appliance requires configuring the appliance as a DiskDirectory device. This setup supports file-level backup, NDMP backup, and DPX Archive.