2 Posts
0
894
May 19th, 2021 13:00
Networker: client-side dedupe with 3rd party back end storage
Simple question: Is Networker able to do client-side/host-side deduplication with a third party array? I.E., no DataDomain or Avamar in the picture - just the NetWorker software?
We are looking at solutions and trying to consider all options. We want the benefits of deduplication being performed on the host prior to sending across the wire and are hoping to explore this further with NetWorker and our existing choice of back-end storage.
Thanks in advance!
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barry_beckers
393 Posts
1
June 7th, 2021 03:00
As far as I know NW does not support any other deduplication appliances natively in the sense that you could be using client direct, so that the client itself starts the deduplication already on client end by talking to the dedupe appliance in question. NW would still support many dedupe appliances, but it would then be target side dedupe only.
So where datadomain supports others backup providers that are willing to hook into boost, the other way around their products don't hook into any other dedupe appliance natively. It would be able to backup to a competitor's dedupe appliance, but as said then it would be target side dedupe (so dedupe starts only once backup data has ended up on such an appliance by using a networker storage node (either shared NW SN (for multiple clients to use) or dedicated), which I think would be trough use of AFTD (advanced file type device) whereby the dedupe appliance would be mounted on a NW SN as CIFS or NFS share.
Or you'd have dedupe appliances that would offer VTL (virtual tape library) functionality to backup to it using virtual tape and virtual tape drives over a SAN (which ideally would be separated from any storage SAN). Also that is target side dedupe.
I consider myself lucky to be able to use NW and DD so to have client side dedupe, so not to have all of the backup traffic to go over the network all the time. Also while replicating (cloning, or called CCR (clone controled replication) cloning specifically between datadomains), it would use much less bandwidth once there is some data already on the receiving end.
bingo.1
2.4K Posts
0
May 19th, 2021 17:00
I am not sure whether I understood your question correctly.
No, NW is not able to do an online replication of data among two clients. What you of course can do is to setup a cluster where the client could use the data from more than one host in case of a failover,
You talk about the "just the NW software". This makes me thinking that you mean the NW server databases to prepare for a desaster. Of course you may cluster a NW server in a similar way as a NW client. However, I personally have only had one customer during all my work who ever did that an this was a DEC installation about 25 years ago.
If you just mean to transfer the important NW databases to prepare for the NW disaster recovery of the NW server: Yes, you can clone the bootstrap to any supported device (for instance to a network device (AFTD)) which you then have to mount as a local device if you want to recover from). As the bootstrap is pretty small compared to the file index databases, there is no really need to xfer it in a deduped way.
However, if you want to replicate the deduped data to another third party solution, this will not work as the appropriate 'drivers' will just be missing there. Remember that you just replicate the appropriate 'metadata'. And of course ... who will support such an installation in the end?
caalger
2 Posts
0
June 7th, 2021 06:00
Thank you! This is exactly the information I was looking for. Much appreciated for your thoughtful and complete answer!