Backup Modes

Backup modes are ways you can back up data. The backup modes are:

Block	A DPX Block Data Protection backup provides seamless block-level backup from primary NetApp storage systems and other primary systems (such as Windows, UNIX, or Linux based operating systems) to secondary storage systems. For a comprehensive discussion about Block backup, see Chapter 10: Block Backup in the User’s Guide.
Agentless VMware	Agentless VMware backup provides robust protection in VMware environments. All backups are done through one or more proxy servers, which communicate with VMs through vSphere. Backup agents are not required on VMs or any VMware components, thus VM data protection is “agentless”.
NDMP	An NDMP backup backs up data on Network Attached Storage (NAS) appliances using Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP). DPX handles the details of communication between nodes running NDMP-compliant software. For a comprehensive discussion about NDMP Backup, see Chapter 46: NDMP Backup and Restore.
Image	Image backup performs a block-level backup, typically to tape. Free space is not backed up. Image backup is used only to provide a base backup for remote seeding and to protect Catalogic DPX Open Storage Server. For remote seeding, Image runs only as a base backup; for protection of Catalogic DPX Open Storage Server, Image runs as an initial base backup followed by incrementals. Image backup is not supported for incremental or differential backup of clients. However, if incremental or differential Image backup information exists in the Catalog from an upgraded environment and the Image backups are preserved, the backups can be used for restores. For Linux Users, note that only base backup is supported for remote seeding purposes.
File	In a File backup, data is logically backed up by file and directory. File backup is what you normally think of when you think of backups.

Catalog Backup is a special mode for backing up the Catalog. For more information about Catalog Backup, see Backup: Protecting the Catalog Data in the User’s Guide.

Note. For all backup modes, sparse files on Linux are not treated as sparse files during backup or restore.