Is our configuration a LAN Free Backup Environment ?

LAN Free backup is when you present tape drives directly to the system that is being backed-up. This functionality typically requires a special license.

Thanks for your advice.

Is the license required for EMC VNX or BackupExec ?

Besides, from your reply, does it mean that

1) Server (With BE Agent Installed) retrieves data from SAN via FC

2) Data is then passed to the BE Server via LAN

3) BE Server backed up the data to Tape Library via FC.

If this understanding is correct, the FC connection between the BE Server and Tape Library shortens the time to write data from BE Server to the Tape Library.  Is it correct ?

Your advice is sought.

Hi,

In other words, what we lack is the BE "Shared Storage Option" License.

Besides, does my understanding of our current data flow (i.e. SAN --> Server --> LAN --> BE Server --> FC --> Tape Library) is correct ?

Thanks again.

if you are not using shared storage option, then that looks correct to me. The question is do you need Lan-free backups ?

If it doesn't cost much, is there any reason for not opting for LAN free backup ?

Regards,

Tony

you don't typically do this for every host in the environment. You do it for hosts where there is a lot of data that needs to be backed up in certain window or for hosts where there are millions of objects and it would make sense to do raw lan-free backups. This makes it a more complex configuration to support.

Sorry for my poor writing.

I just wonder if the price of the BE "Shared Storage Option" is not too expensive, we can just purchase it.  In this way, I *think* all backup will be LAN-Free (Without additional zoning" .... etc).

However, from your reply, it seems that my understanding is not correct.

Just wonder whether the "Shared Storage Option" is applied to individual server OR just 1 license is required on the Media Server ?  Besides, why you mention  that the support becomes complex ?

Your advice is sought.

you will need to talk to your Symantec sales people about the price. 

It is an expensive and complex configuration in terms if infrastructure involved. First of all you will need to add another HBA to your systems just of tape connectivity, you do not want to present tape devices using the same HBAs you use for storage connectivity. Dedicated HBAs will require more ports on the switch, more patches, more cables, more zoning ..etc, you get the point. Lastly you will need a lot more tape drives because they will be shared among the hosts. Talk to Symantec, they can help you size for this LAN-Free backups based on the number of clients, daily backup, retention.

Hi,

Thanks for your advice.  It is really much more compliacted than I think of.

In other words, the TL2000 Tape Library is connected to the FC Switch and zoned with the BE Server ONLY for the speed of transfer of data between them. 

Can we just connect the Tape Library to BE Server with SCSI connection only ?  Will it be a huge performance difference ?

Thanks again

what kind of drives are in the library .. LTO3/4 or 5 ?

LTO5

Thanks

you only have two options for LTO5, 8G FC or 6G SAS