Restoring entire file systems
Using a file system image backup optimizes restore operations when an entire file system must be restored. For example, in disaster recovery or recovery from a hardware failure.
Restoring from an image backup minimizes concurrent mounts of tapes and positioning within a tape during the restore operation.
Consider
the following information when you run file system restore operations:
- Combine image backups with progressive incremental backups for the file system to allow for full restore to an arbitrary point-in-time.
- To minimize disruption to the client during backup, use either hardware-based or software-based snapshot techniques for the file system.
- Perform image backups infrequently. More frequent image backups
give better point-in-time granularity, but there is a cost. The frequent
backups affect the tape usage, there is an interruption of the client
system during backup, and there is greater network bandwidth needed.
As a guideline you can run an image backup after a percentage of data is changed in the file system, since the last image backup.