Selecting a Data Protection Method

Applies To: System Center Data Protection Manager 2007

Data Protection Manager (DPM) 2007 offers the following data protection methods: disk-based (D2D), tape-based (D2T), or a combination of disk-based and tape-based protection (D2D2T).

The data protection method is configured at the protection-group level. If you want to use different methods to protect two data sources, the data sources cannot belong to the same protection group.

The following table compares the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Comparison of Data Protection Methods

Method Advantages Disadvantages When to use

Disk-based protection only

  • Speed of data recovery.

  • Speed of data backup.

  • Backups are less likely to have errors.

  • Ability to have redundancy to handle failure using technologies such as RAID.

  • Less manual intervention, such as changing tapes.

  • Disks are not a simple solution for archive needs, because of the cost of disks and the inconvenience of storing offsite.

  • When you have a limited data loss tolerance.

  • When you need faster recovery times.

Tape-based protection only

  • Can be stored offsite for security and as a contingency for disaster recovery.

  • Easy to increase capacity by adding more tapes.

  • Slower and more cumbersome recovery process.

  • Prone to errors.

  • When data loss tolerance is more generous.

  • When recovery time objective is generous.

  • For data that does not change frequently and does not require backup as frequently.

  • For lengthy retention period.

Both disk-based and tape-based protection

  • Combined advantages of above, while balancing out each method's disadvantages.

  • A single point of management.

 

 

See Also

Concepts

Planning Protection Configurations