Disk-To-Disk Backups; Disk-To-Disk-To-Any Backups; Creating A Virtual Library - HP BB118BV - StorageWorks Data Protector Express Package User's Manual & Technical Reference

improved access to data for both backup and restore. Data Protector Express provides default support for
D2D backups through the use of virtual tape libraries, drives, and cartridges.
To further enhance backups to disk is the ability to then transfer these backups from the disk location
(virtual media) to physical backup media. Often referred to as disk-to-disk-to-tape (D2D2T), this process
of backing up files first to a virtual device and then to a physical device creates a flexible backup and
restore environment.

Disk-to-Disk Backups

Data Protector Express supports the creation of virtual backup devices on both a local hard disk or on a
network. Virtual backup devices emulate standard tape libraries and can be set up with any number of
storage slots. Once created, you can back up data to the virtual device (D2D) instead of to physical
media. You can also select the virtual device along with other available physical devices and let Data
Protector Express use it along with physical devices during normal processing of jobs.

Disk-to-Disk-to-Any Backups

Data Protector Express supports disk-to-disk (D2D) backups for high speed backup and restores. A
common problem for D2D backup systems is how to represent and manage the backup disks. Simply
copying files to a backup disk will eventually fill it up and additional backups will not be possible unless
you manually delete backed up files that are no longer needed. What is required is an automated
way to reuse space on backup disks. Data Protector Express provides this automation through the
use of D2D libraries.
A Data Protector Express D2D library is functionally equivalent to a physical, or real, tape library. Like
a physical tape library, a Data Protector Express D2D library has one or more tape drives and a set
of storage elements (slots) containing tape cartridges. These tape drives, storage elements, and tape
cartridges are all virtual (that is, they appear to be real tape drives, storage elements, and tape cartridges
to Data Protector Express, but they are not real devices or media and only exist within Data Protector
Express). All operations, such as backup, restore, and most media operations, can be performed using
the D2D library.
To perform D2D backups, simply create a regular backup job and select a D2D library as the backup
device.
To illustrate how Data Protector Express D2D libraries automate reuse of space on backup disks, consider
of a backup job using a Simple-12 media rotation schedule and a D2D library as the backup device.
A Simple-12 media rotation schedule will use 4 tapes (or tape sets) for daily incremental backups, 4
tapes (or tape sets) for weekly full backups, and 4 tapes (or tape sets) for monthly full backups. This
provides full data recovery for the previous week, plus end-of-week backups for the previous month, plus
end-of-month backups for the previous 4 months. In this example, the backup job will use 4 (virtual)
tape cartridges for monthly full backups over the first 4 months. Thereafter, it will overwrite (or reuse)
the oldest monthly backup to create new monthly backups. This will automatically reclaim space on the
backup disks used by the D2D library.
To create a D2D library run the Create D2D Library wizard from the Wizards view.

Creating a Virtual Library

1.
Open the Favorites desk bar, Wizards, and D2D Device to display the D2D Device wizards.
2. Select the Create Virtual Library wizard to create a new virtual library.
3.
Enter a name for the library then select a machine where the library will be located.
Use the Browse button to select a machine within the Data Protector Express management domain.
4. Select Next to move to the Configuration page of the wizard
5.
Enter or scroll to the desired number of tape drives and storage slots (tape cartridges).
Selecting 2 or more tape drives can improve performance by allowing multiple concurrent backups
to occur to the virtual library.
192
Working With Devices