Copying snapshots to secondary backup storage

If your primary backup storage is a vSnap server, you can copy snapshots from the primary backup storage to secondary storage for longer-term data protection. Secondary storage is not available for container data that is backed up to cloud storage.

The following secondary backup storage targets are available for copy operations:
  • IBM Cloud® Object Storage (including IBM Cloud Object Storage Systems)
  • Amazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3)
  • Microsoft Azure
  • Repository servers (for the current release of IBM Spectrum® Protect Plus, the repository server must be an IBM Spectrum Protect server)
These targets support the following storage types. The storage type that you use depends on factors such as your recovery time and security goals.
Standard object storage
Standard object storage is a method of storing data in which data is stored as discrete units, or objects, in a storage pool or repository that does not use a file hierarchy but that stores all objects at the same level.
Standard object storage is an option when you copy snapshot data to an IBM Spectrum Protect server or a cloud storage system. When snapshot data is copied to standard object storage, only the most recent backup is copied. Previous backups are not transferred during cloud copy operations.
Copying snapshots to standard object storage is useful if you want relatively fast backup and recovery times and do not require the longer-term protection, cost, and security benefits that are provided by tape or cloud archive storage.
Tape or cloud archive storage
Tape storage means that data is stored on physical tape media or in a virtual tape library (VTL). Tape storage is an option when you copy snapshot data to an IBM Spectrum Protect server.
Cloud archive storage is long-term storage method that copies data to one of the following storage services: Amazon Glacier, IBM Cloud Object Storage Archive Tier, or Microsoft Azure Archive.
When you copy snapshot data to tape or to a cloud storage system, a full copy of the data is created.
Copying snapshots to tape or cloud object archive storage provides extra cost and security benefits. By storing tape volumes at a secure, offsite location that is not connected to the internet, you can help to protect your data from online threats such as malware and hackers. However, because copying to these storage types requires a full data copy, the time required to copy data increases. In addition, the recovery time can be unpredictable and the data might take longer to process before it is usable.
When you are copying data to tape from IBM Spectrum Protect Plus to the IBM Spectrum Protect server, it is not a good idea to use the IBM Spectrum Protect tiering function. If you are archiving data to tape, you must use a cold cache storage pool. For more information about tiering, see How do I tier data to tape or cloud storage?. For different scenarios and more information about how to set up storage, see Configuration for copying or archiving data to IBM Spectrum Protect.

Adding secondary backup storage and creating backup policies

To copy snapshots to secondary storage, the following actions are required:
Action How to
To copy snapshots to a repository server
  • Set up IBM Spectrum Protect Plus as an object client in the IBM Spectrum Protect server environment.
  • Add the storage to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus.
 See Configuration for copying or archiving data to IBM Spectrum Protect and Registering a repository server as a backup storage provider.
To copy snapshots to cloud storage, add the storage to IBM Spectrum Protect Plus. Follow the instructions for your selected storage type:
Create a backup policy that includes the storage. See Create backup policies.

Example deployments

The following figure shows IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deployed in two active locations. Each location has inventory that requires protection. Location 1 has a vCenter server and two vSphere datacenters (and an inventory of virtual machines) and Location 2 has a single datacenter (and a smaller inventory of virtual machines).

The IBM Spectrum Protect Plus server is deployed in only one of the sites. VADP proxies and vSnap servers (with their corresponding disks) are deployed in each site to localize data movement in the context of the protected vSphere resources.

Bi-directional replication is configured to take place between the vSnap servers at the two sites.

Snapshots are copied from the vSnap server at the secondary site to cloud storage for long-term data protection.

Figure 1. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deployment across two geographical locations with copy to cloud storage
This figure depicts IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components in two locations

The following figure shows the same deployment as the previous figure.

However, in this deployment, snapshots are copied from the vSnap server at the secondary site to IBM Spectrum Protect for long-term data protection.

Figure 2. IBM Spectrum Protect Plus deployment across two geographical locations with copy to IBM Spectrum Protect
This figure depicts IBM Spectrum Protect Plus components in two locations