Integrating DPM with Your Archive/Restore Solution

Published : April 8, 2005 | Updated : August 17, 2005

Before a deployment of DPM, the typical archive/restore solution includes a server running a backup application, backup agents that run on each of the file servers, and a tape library. The backup application archives the file server data to tape directly from the file servers. Figure 2.5 shows the typical archive/restore solution.

Figure 2.5   Typical Archive/Restore Solution

One option for integrating DPM into an existing archive/restore solution is to deploy DPM alongside the solution. The advantage of this approach is that it provides an opportunity to familiarize yourself with DPM without disrupting your existing infrastructure and processes. To integrate DPM in this way, you install a DPM File Agent on each of the file servers; each file server is then running both the DPM File Agent and the backup agent. Figure 2.6 illustrates this solution.

Figure 2.6   Deploying DPM Alongside an Existing Backup Solution

Another option for integrating DPM into an existing archive/restore solution is to use DPM to protect the file servers, and then use the backup application to archive the DPM server. Because the DPM server contains replicas of all of the file server data, archiving the DPM server is, in effect, equivalent to archiving the file servers. Advantages of this approach are that it significantly reduces the load on the file servers, and it virtually eliminates the backup window. To integrate DPM in this way, you install a DPM File Agent on each of the file servers, and install a backup agent on the DPM server. DPM then protects the file servers by creating replicas and shadow copies of the file server data, and the backup application archives the file server data by archiving the DPM server. Figure 2.7 illustrates this solution.

Figure 2.7   Archiving File Server Data from the DPM Server