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Serverless
Backup
Level 2 Automation
The
term "serverless" backup is technically incorrect for
this second level SAN backup application. The server
still plays a role in the backup operation, using NDMP
(Network Data Management Protocol) to manage communications
between the SAN storage devices, and ensure that the
backups are completed successfully.
However, because server intervention is minimised, and
all data is sent directly over the SAN and not via the
server as in traditional backup operations, the server
has no direct role in transferring data. This significantly
increases performance while improving reliability of
automated backup processes. Conventional LAN backup
operations consume a vast amount of resources, including
server CPU cycles, I/O busses and LAN bandwidth as data
moves from a server-attached RAID device to a local
or network-attached tape library. All aspects of server
and network operations are impacted, imposing a significant
performance hit.
This
adverse effect is also persistently rising in line with
data growth, and is one of the main drivers in forcing
frequent LAN upgrades, as available backup windows reduce,
the backup sizes increase, and bandwidth is congested.
LAN traffic load controls and quality of service issues
are not best served by intensive backup applications.
Server-free
backup architectures remove virtually all of this processing
overhead as data is transferred over the high-speed
Fibre Channel SAN directly between the source and target
storage devices, thus eliminating traditional backup
overhead.
Server-free
backup solves the backup dilemma by utilising Fibre
Channel bandwidth to dramatically increase the rate
at which data can be moved, eliminating repeated data
movement by enabling direct transfers between SAN storage
devices, reducing the server resources required to move
the data, and delivering this functionality on live
production systems.
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