Backup Software That Supports DPM

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Published : September 27, 2005

If you have the opportunity to select new backup software, we recommend that you choose backup software that is specifically designed to work with DPM. This software supports VSS and the DPM VSS Writer service (DPM Writer).

DPM Writer is a service that manages backup shadow copies of DPM replicas, and shadow copies of the volume that contains the DPM and Report databases, for purposes of data archival. The DPM Writer service is used by the DpmBackup command-line tool or by a DPM-enabled VSS requestor. DPM Writer implements a Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) writer for DPM. VSS Requestors can use the DPM VSS Writer to back up and restore volumes protected by DPM. Requestors can also use DPM Writer to back up the DPM and Report databases.

Backup software that supports DPM offers two principal advantages:

  • It minimizes the number of steps involved in archive and restore operations.

  • It organizes the archived replicas so that they appear to have been backed up directly from the protected file servers. Organizing the backup this way helps make the process of restoring data more intuitive.

For information on specific software designed to work with DPM, see the “Featured Technical Content” section on the DPM Web site (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?linkid=33686).