Catalogic DPX Block Data Protection

After an initial block-level base backup, subsequent backups are automatically incremental backups of only changed blocks.

Supported Backup Storage Types

Catalogic DPX can send backup data to either Windows-attached storage or NetApp storage. These types of backup are referred to as follows:

Block backup to DPX to open storage

This type of backup requires the installation of the Catalogic DPX Open Storage Server. Storage is attached to the Catalogic DPX Open Storage Server, which communicates with the master server. The storage must be made available to the Catalogic DPX Open Storage Server as physical or logical volumes. A typical setup provisions one or more Windows drive letters such as D: and E:.

Block backup to NetApp storage

This type of backup can send backup data directly to the NetApp Data ONTAP 7-Mode storage or to the NetApp Clustered Data On Tap (CDOT) storage.

Block backup to Catalogic vStor

This type of backup will send data directly to a physically or virtually deployed vStor server that has been added to the DPX enterprise.

The backup operation is essentially the same, the only difference being the storage destination selected.

Major components in the Catalogic DPX Block Data Protection

There are major components in the Catalogic DPX Block Data Protection:

Block backup

Uses the Catalogic DPX block-level agents to back up nodes to the Catalogic DPX Open Storage Server, the NetApp storage, or Catalogic vStor servers.

Application Recovery

Rapidly recovers Oracle Databases, Microsoft SharePoint, Microsoft SQL Servers, and Microsoft Exchange Server data with a high degree of granularity.

Instant Access

Enables rapid mounting of backup data sets as read/write volumes. Provides near-instant recovery of critical applications and data without transferring data.

Bare Metal Recovery

Provides simple, robust one-step bare metal recovery for Windows and Linux nodes from routine daily backups. Can also be used to deploy a complete system image to multiple machines.

NetApp Snap Vault Management

Manages NetApp SnapVault data with the management console.

DPX Archive

Archives data from the Catalogic DPX Open Storage Server to tape media. During a recovery job, if backups are unavailable, recovery proceeds automatically from archive media.

Attention! Previous versions of Catalogic Data Protection Software supported Image backup for general data protection. Beginning with Catalogic DPX 4.2, Image backup is reserved for remote seeding operations, the base Image backup, and protection of the Catalogic DPX Open Storage Servers, the base, and incremental Image backup. Do not attempt to mix Image and Block backup on a node, as these operations are not compatible.

Additionally, Catalogic DPX supports file-level backup to DiskDirectory. See Specifying Destinations for the Backup Job in the Reference Guide.

For information related to Exchange, see Chapter 19: Microsoft Exchange Server. For information specific to SharePoint, see Chapter 18: Microsoft SharePoint.

The Catalogic DPX Block Data Protection natively supports many applications, including Oracle, Exchange, SQL Server, and SharePoint. Applications that are not directly supported by the Catalogic DPX can still be protected by one of the following methods:

• Take the application offline (cold backup). This causes the application to dump data to a volume that is then protected.

• Use the Catalogic DPX scripting to coordinate quiescing the application for backup. See Implementing Pre-Script and Post-Script for Snapshots Operations.

• For VMs, use the VMquiesce option; see Backing Up VMware VMs.

Seeding a remote secondary for backups over a slow WAN can be accomplished with the Catalogic DPX Block Data Protection. See Chapter 31: Remote Seeding with NetApp Storage or Remote Seeding with Catalogic DPX OSS.

See also. For the latest system compatibility details regarding supported hardware, file systems, applications, operating systems, and service packs, see the Compatibility Guide.