Oracle Solaris operating systemsWindows operating systemsAIX operating systems

Back up NAS file systems using Network Data Management Protocol

Windows, AIX®, and Solaris backup-archive clients can use Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) to efficiently back up and restore network attached storage (NAS) file system images. The file system images can be backed up to, or be restored from, automated tape drives or libraries that are locally attached to Network Appliance or EMC Celerra NAS file servers, or to or from tape drives or libraries that are locally attached to the IBM Spectrum Protect server.

NDMP support is available only on IBM Spectrum Protect Extended Edition.

For Linux x86_64 clients, incremental backup can also be used to back up NAS file system snapshots. See the incremental command and snapshotroot, snapdiff, createnewbase, and diffsnapshot options for more information.

After configuring NDMP support, the server connects to the NAS device and uses NDMP to initiate, control, and monitor each backup and restore operation. The NAS device performs outboard data transfer to and from the NAS file system to a locally attached library.

Filer to server data transfer is available for NAS devices that support NDMP Version 4.

The benefits of performing backups using NDMP include the following:

  • LAN-free data transfer.
  • High performance and scalable backups and restores.
  • Backup to local tape devices without network traffic.

The following support is provided:

  • Full file system image backup of all files within a NAS file system.
  • Differential file system image backup of all files that have changed since the last full image backup.
  • Parallel backup and restore operations when processing multiple NAS file systems.
  • Choice of interfaces to initiate, monitor, or cancel backup and restore operations:
    • Backup-archive client GUI (available only for connections to IBM Spectrum Protect Version 8.1.2 or later servers, or V7.1.8 or later V7 servers)
    • The backup-archive client command line interface (available only for connections to IBM Spectrum Protect V8.1.1, V8.1.0, or V7.1.7 or earlier servers)
    • Administrative client command line interface (backup and restore operations can be scheduled using the administrative command scheduler)
    • Administrative web client

The following functions are not supported:

  • Archive and retrieve
  • Client scheduling. Use server commands to schedule a NAS backup.
  • Detection of damaged files.
  • Data-transfer operations for NAS data stored by IBM Spectrum Protect:
    • Migration
    • Reclamation
    • Export
    • Backup set generation