Backup Repository on Deduplication Appliance

NAKIVO Backup & Replication allows you to use advanced deduplication appliances for data protection.

Notes

  • Before creating a Backup Repository on a Dell EMC DD, you need to install BoostFS Plugin and create a storage unit on the data domain backup appliance. Refer to Integrating with EMC DD Boost for details.

  • Before creating a Backup Repository on an NEC HYDRAstor, you need to configure the NEC HYDRAstor and the machine on which NAKIVO Transporter is installed. Refer to Integrating with NEC HYDRAstor for details.

  • To create a Backup Repository on other deduplication appliances, refer to Backup Repository on NFS Share. 

 To create a repository on a deduplication appliance, proceed as described in the following sections: 

Create Backup Repository: Type

On the Type page of the Create Backup Repository wizard, select Deduplication Appliance and click Next to go to the next page of the wizard.

Note
Refer to Storage Integration Requirements to see the list of supported advanced deduplication appliances.

Create Backup Repository: Device

  1. On the Device page, select one of the devices:

    • Dell EMC Data Domain Boost

    • HP StoreOnce Catalyst

    • NEC HYDRAstor

  2. Click Next to go to the next page of the wizard.


Create Backup Repository: Name and Location

On the Name & Location page, specify the following:

  1. Name: Enter a name for the Backup Repository.

  2. Assigned transporter: Choose a Transporter that will manage (that is, write data to and read data from) this Backup Repository.

  3. Depending on the deduplication appliance, provide the following information:

    • Dell EMC Data Domain Boost

      1. Name: Enter the name of your Backup Repository.

      2. Assigned transporter: Select the assigned Transporter.

      3. Path to the share: Enter the path to the share folder in the following format: <backup_appliance>:/<storage_unit>. Refer to Creating a NAKIVO Backup & Replication Backup Repository on EMC Data Domain Backup Appliance for details. 

    • HPE StoreOnce Catalyst

      1. Name: Enter the name of your Backup Repository.

      2. Assigned transporter: Select the assigned Transporter.

      3. Connection type: Select one of the connection types to be used to access the Backup Repository:

        • IP address

        • Fibre Channel

      4. Depending on the connection type, do the following:

        • Server name (if IP address connection type is selected): Enter the server name or IP address of the HPE StoreOnce Catalyst.

        • COFC identifier (if Fibre Channel connection type is selected): Enter the COFC identifier. You can find your COFC identifier by going to Catalyst Settings>Fibre Channel in the StoreOnce Management Console.

      5. Catalyst store name: Enter the Catalyst store name.

      6. Username: Provide the username to the Catalyst store.

      7. Password: Provide the password to the Catalyst store.


    • NEC HYDRAstor

      1. Name: Enter the name of your Backup Repository.

      2. Assigned transporter: Select the assigned Transporter.

      3. Path to the mount point: Enter the path to the mount point in the following format: /opt/nakivo/repository/hsva. 

  4. Click Next to go to the next page of the wizard.

Create Backup Repository: Options

On the Options page, do the following:

  1. Set up Storage Savings & Encryption options:

    • Data size reduction: If this option is enabled, NAKIVO Backup & Replication enables the use of data size reduction for this repository to save disk space. Note that this may put additional load on the CPU. Disabling data size reduction is required if the target is a deduplication storage appliance. Click settings to configure the settings. A popup window appears. Set the following:

      • Compression: Select a compression level that will be used to reduce the data size in the Backup Repository. Note that higher compression levels consume considerably more CPU and may slow down VM backup speed. The following options are available:

        • Disabled: The data in the Backup Repository will not be compressed.

        • Fast: Lowest compression level.

        • Medium: Medium compression level.

        • Best: Maximum compression level.

        Note

        This option cannot be configured after creating the Backup Repository.

      • Store backups in separate files: Select this option to enable this backup repository to store data of every machine in separate backup files. Enabling this option is highly recommended to ensure higher reliability and performance. Leave this option unchecked if you wish to enable deduplication on a given backup repository.

      • Deduplication: Select this option to enable the backup deduplication method to reduce the backup size by excluding duplicate data blocks from the backup.

        Note

        This option is not available if the Store backups in separate files checkbox has been selected.

    • Encryption: This option is available only if the Backup Repository is created locally on the machine on which the Assigned Transporter is installed, and the machine is running a Linux OS. Select  Enabled from the drop-down list and specify an encryption password. (The password will be required for importing the Backup Repository into a new instance of the product.) The product will encrypt the repository destination (using ecryptfs for folders and cryptsetup (crypt-md) in LUKS mode for devices/partitions) prior to creating the Backup Repository.

      Note

      • Storage Savings and Encryption settings are locked to the recommended settings.

      • To avoid ecryptfs errors, make sure that there are no other folders and files except the NakivoBackup folder in the repository location.

      •  Backup Repository encryption can significantly influence backup speed.

  2. Set up Reliability & Maintenance options: 

    • Enable automatic repository self-healing: Leave this option selected to automatically trigger repository self-healing in case the product detects symptoms of problems in the backup infrastructure such as incorrect timestamps on metadata and data files. You can deselect this option and run self-healing manually.

    • Run repository self-healing on schedule: If required, select this checkbox to run repository self-healing on schedule. You can configure the schedule by clicking the schedule link when the option is selected. The default schedule is set to run every day at 11 AM.
      If Stop backup and recovery to run self-healing is selected, any jobs or recoveries which use this repository will be stopped to run scheduled self-healing. Otherwise, scheduled self-healing will be skipped in case there are running jobs or recoveries on this repository.

      • Run full data verification on schedule: If selected, NAKIVO Backup & Replication will run full verification of all data available in the Backup Repository on the specified schedule. The product will read each block of data and ensure that it is identical to the data block that was read on the source VM during the backup. This way, the product will verify each recovery points in the Backup Repository.
        If Stop backup and recovery to run backup verification is selected, any running jobs which use this Backup Repository will be stopped to run scheduled data verification. Otherwise, scheduled data verification will be skipped in case there are running jobs on this Backup Repository.

        Note
        Backup verification is a time-consuming process and consumes CPU of the Transporter assigned to the Backup Repository. It is recommended that you schedule backup verification during non-working hours.

    • Enforce explicit file system sync: When selected, explicit sync with the file system is enforced during all backup operations to this repository. This setting is considered more reliable but may lead to lower performance on certain storage devices. By default, the option is disabled.

  1. Schedule detaching of the Backup Repository: 

    • Detach this repository on schedule: Select this option if you want to detach and then attach the Backup Repository on a schedule. Detaching a Backup Repository saves its data and metadata in a consistent state and then stops the product's interaction with the Backup Repository (so that it can be copied or moved). You can use this feature, for example, for the disk-to-disk-to-tape (D2D2T) data protection approach, in which backups are stored on a disk for fast operational recovery, and copied to a tape (while the repository is detached) for archiving and long-term storage. 

    • Delete and re-create the repository on attach: If this option is selected, all data in the Backup Repository will be erased prior to attaching it to the product. As a result, jobs that write to this Backup Repository will create full VM backups. You can use this option, for example, to create full daily, weekly, or monthly VM backups and write them to tape or removable media.

  1. Click Finish to finish creating the Backup Repository.