Abstract
This IBM® Redbooks® Solution Guide provides an overview of how to use the IBM TS7620 ProtecTIER® Deduplication Appliance Express and the Network Attached Storage (NAS) support for Linux- and UNIX-based client backup environments. The File System Interface (FSI) with NFS support helps facilitate rapid data restoration, and the IBM HyperFactor® algorithm helps maximize disk usage by eliminating data duplicates in-line from the incoming backup data streams. The TS7620 Appliance Express comes pre bundled with internal disk storage included in a customer-installable, ready-to-run configuration. The ProtecTIER system can be integrated into an existing backup solution, and provides deduplication when saving files with backup solutions such as IBM Tivoli® Storage Manager, Symantec Netbackup, EMC Networker, and IBM i Backup and Recovery and Media Services (BRMS).
Contents
This IBM® Redbooks® Solution Guide provides an overview of how data backup and restore processes can be speeded up by using the IBM TS7620 ProtecTIER® Deduplication Appliance Express and the Network Attached Storage (NAS) support for Linux- and UNIX-based client backup environments. The File System Interface (FSI) with NFS support helps facilitate rapid data restoration, and the IBM HyperFactor® algorithm helps maximize disk usage by eliminating data duplicates in-line from the incoming backup data streams. The TS7620 Appliance Express comes pre bundled with internal disk storage included in a customer-installable, ready-to-run configuration. The ProtecTIER system can be integrated into an existing backup solution, and provides deduplication when saving files with backup solutions such as IBM Tivoli® Storage Manager, Symantec Netbackup, EMC Networker, and IBM i Backup and Recovery and Media Services (BRMS).
For more detailed information on how data backup and restore processes can be speeded up for rapid data backup and restore using NFS on IBM ProtecTIER TS7620 Deduplication Appliance Express, refer to the following IBM Redbooks publication: IBM ProtecTIER Implementation and Best Practices Guide, SG24-8025-02.
Figure 1 shows a solution that uses Tivoli Storage Manager to back up to and restore data from the self-contained disk storage in the TS7620 Deduplication Appliance Express. The TS7620 is configured for FSI-NFS, which emulates UNIX file system behavior and presents a virtualized hierarchy of file systems directories and files to UNIX-based clients using NFS protocol. The ProtecTIER Manager graphical user interface (GUI) is used to monitor the TS7620 Deduplication Express. With ProtecTIER Version 3.3, this GUI can be used to upgrade the ProtecTIER system to new code levels.
Figure 1. Using an IBM ProtecTIER TS7620 Deduplication Appliance Express with FSI support
Did you know?
- FSI enables backup servers to run backup applications to the ProtecTIER appliance over IP networks, without requiring Fibre Channel connectivity. Using NFS to support your virtual server environment over IP networks provides advantages over using Fibre Channel in terms of cost and complexity.
- FSI support enables existing tools and capabilities to integrate a ProtecTIER NAS-based backup target into the existing environment.
- No knowledge of tape and drive interfaces is required. FSI support provides a file-based interface.
- CIFS and NFS can coexist in the same repository.
Business value
ProtecTIER deduplication can be used to perform faster, more frequent backups and quickly restore backed up data to maintain business continuity.
Using data deduplication, you can reduce the amount of space that is required to store data on disk. With deduplication, repeated instances of identical data are identified and stored in a single instance. This process saves storage capacity and bandwidth. Data deduplication can provide greater data reduction than previous technologies, such as Lempel-Ziv (LZ) compression and differencing, which is used for differential backups.
Data deduplication is performed while the data is being backed up to the ProtecTIER server (in-line deduplication), in contrast to after the data is written to the server (post processing). The advantage of in-line data deduplication is that the data is processed only once; no additional processing is needed after the backup window. In-line data deduplication requires less disk storage because the native data is not stored before data deduplication.
Depending on your configuration, this solution can provide some or all of the following benefits:
- Greater productivity because more frequent backups can be performed with the existing physical disk space
- Reduced energy consumption, which results from reducing the amount of disk in operation
- A smaller footprint, which reduces the amount of physical space that is required for the storage solution
- Fast restoration, which can often be more critical to business continuity than fast backup
- ProtecTier deduplication can reduce data storage by as much as 96%
- Disaster resilience using network replication; the bandwidth requirement is reduced because only the deduplicated data must be replicated
- Improved performance for frequent full backups because ProtecTIER servers have the best deduplication, the highest backup speed, and the highest restore speed for multiple full backups of the same objects
This solution enables you to take advantage of HyperFactor® technology, which uses a pattern algorithm that can reduce the amount of space required for storage of the backup environment by a factor of up to 25 times, based on evidence from existing implementations. The effect and result of HyperFactor processing is a factoring ratio., The factoring ratio is the ratio of nominal data (as a sum of all user data backup streams) to the occupied physical storage in the ProtecTIER repository. For example, a 10:1 ratio means that 10 times more nominal data is being managed than the physical space required to store it. Also, the 10:1 ratio means a 90% storage savings. The effectiveness of data deduplication depends on many variables, including the rate of data change, the number of backups, and the data retention period.
Figure 2 shows the relationship between HyperFactor processing and the possible storage savings.
Figure 2. Storage savings and deduplication ratio
Solution overview
A ProtecTIER system is configured to use FSI for deduplication and backup. The ProtecTIER system presents itself as a network-attached storage (NAS) backup target that is capable of using the HyperFactor algorithm and ProtecTIER native replication bandwidth reduction techniques for storing and replicating deduplicated data to make backup and WAN vaulting more cost effective. FSI enables backup servers that are running backup applications to connect over IP networks to ProtecTIER, without requiring Fibre Channel connectivity.
ProtecTIER for FSI supports two file systems and network protocols: Network File System (NFS) and Common Internet File System (CIFS).
- NFS is used primarily for Linux- or UNIX-based operating systems and provides remote access. Files on one computer can be viewed or edited from a remote computer.
- CIFS file sharing is Windows-based. The CIFS protocol allows join sharing of multiple devices, such as printers, files, and serial ports, between multiple users and administrators. The CIFS protocol supports remote mounts over TCP/IP that is using the Samba Server Message Block (SMB) protocol.
The ProtecTIER Manager 3.3 software includes FSI support for Windows-based servers as CIFS clients and UNIX-based servers as NFS exports. ProtecTIER emulates Windows file system behavior and presents a virtualized hierarchy of file systems, directories, and files to Windows CIFS clients. These Windows CIFS clients are able to perform normal Windows file system operations on the emulated file system content.
The ProtecTIER Manager software includes interfaces for:
- Managing network connections for the ProtecTIER backup server
- Managing FSI network connections
- Managing users and file systems
- Creating and managing NFS and FSI shares
- Simulating disaster recovery
Figure 3 shows the interface.
Figure 3. ProtecTIER Manager interface
Solution architecture
This solution uses a TS7620 Appliance as a deduplication server for FSI backup targets. The ProtecTIER TS7620 Deduplication Appliance runs Tivoli® Storage Manager as a backup application solution. If FSI-CIFS is installed, FSI-NFS can be installed on the same system. Any directory that is written or created as CIFS can be exported as an NFS mount point, and vice versa.
The TS7620 Appliance system is a stand-alone configuration (with one node), and up to two expansion units. It uses one server to transfer data from the backup server to the TS7620 internal storage.
The ProtecTIER File System Interface (FSI) presents ProtecTIER as a network-attached storage (NAS) backup target capable of using the HyperFactor algorithm and ProtecTIER native replication bandwidth reduction techniques for storing and replicating deduplicated data. The ProtecTIER FSI interface is intended to be used for backup and restore of data sets using a backup application.
Usage scenarios
Scenario 1
This use case consists of a very simple environment running on a Linux or UNIX system. It has a Tivoli Storage Manager Server attached to three Tivoli Storage Clients, which perform backups and restores to the IBM Storage TS7620 Deduplication Appliance Express (TS7620 Appliance) configured as an FSI-NFS environment. There are no physical cartridges.
Figure 4 shows the solution environment.
Figure 4. Simple environment with a Tivoli Storage Manager Server attached to three Tivoli Storage Clients
Scenario 2
This use case illustrates an environment with two TS7620 systems. One system is used as a primary site and the second system is used as a disaster recovery site. The system is configured as a Linux or UNIX system with a Tivoli Storage Manager Server attached to three Tivoli Storage Clients with the following attributes:
- A GMU customer has a primary site replicating 30 miles away.
- The customer is using the primary TSM while in data recovery testing.
- In a real disaster, a stand-by server is used.
- There are no physical cartridges. TSM backs up to and restores from an NFS file share.
Figure 5 shows this environment with two TS7620 servers: GMU1 and GMU2.
Figure 5. Example environment with two Tivoli TS7620 servers
Integration
The solution requires an IBM ProtecTIER TS7620 appliance, the IBM System Storage® ProtecTIER Entry Edition software Version 3.3, and IBM Tivoli Storage Manager Version 6.3. The ProtecTIER TS7620 appliance can be integrated into an existing TCP/IP network.
Supported platforms
This solution requires an IBM ProtecTIER TS7620 appliance and ProtecTIER Manager software.
The ProtecTIER Manager (PT Manager) application is a graphical user interface (GUI) that you use to view, configure, manage, upgrade, and troubleshoot the operation of the IBM TS7600 ProtecTIER family of products. The workstation for the installation of the PT Manager is not included in the ProtecTIER system.
The IBM ProtecTIER Manager software can be installed on x86 hardware that is running one of the following 32- or 64-bit operating systems:
- Windows operating system (Windows 2003, Windows XP, or Windows 7)
- RedHat Linux (Enterprise 4 or higher)
Ordering information
Table 1 shows the program numbers for the IBM products that are used in this solution.
Table 1. Ordering part numbers and feature codes
| Program name | Description | Program number/version |
| ProtecTIER V3.3 Entry Edition preload | This feature must be selected to instruct IBM manufacturing to install the ProtecTIER Entry Edition software on the TS7620 server. The software (5639-PTC) must be ordered separately. | 9318 Version 3.3 |
|---|---|---|
| IBM System Storage TS7620 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance | This feature must be selected to instruct IBM manufacturing to install the ProtecTIER Entry Edition software on the TS7620 server. The software (5639-PTC) must be ordered separately. | 3959-SM2 N/A |
| IBM System Storage TS7620 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance | Optional expansion unit. For this solution, this expansion can be used only with the 3959-SM2 appliance | 3959-EXP N/A |
| IBM Tivoli Storage Manager | Tivoli Storage Manager is a centralized policy-based data backup and recovery software. The software enables a user to back up, restore, archive, and retrieve data from a hierarchy of data storage areas. The storage areas, known as pools, can be a hierarchy of disk, optical, and tape-based media. | 5680-E01 Version 6.3 |
A TS7620 base unit with 6 TB capacity can be upgraded to a 12 TB model with a software upgrade. No additional hardware is required. For additional capacity upgrades, up to two 3959-EXP expansion units can be added.
Related information
For more information, see the following documents:
- IBM System Storage TS7600 with ProtecTIER Version 3.3, SG24-7968
- IBM ProtecTIER implementation and Best Practices Guide, SG24-8025
- Implementing IBM Storage Data Deduplication Solutions, SG24-7888
- IBM System Storage TS7620 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance Introduction and Planning Guide, GA32-0913
- IBM System Storage TS7600 - ProtecTIER v.3.3 User's Guide for FSI Systems, GA32-2235
- IBM System Storage TS7600 with ProtecTIER User’s Guide for Enterprise Edition and Appliance Edition, GC53-1156
- IBM System Storage TS7620 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance Express Introduction and Planning Guide for VTL, OpenStorage, and FSI systems, GA32-0913
- IBM System Storage TS7620 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance Express Installation and Setup Guide for Installation and Setup Guide for VTL, OpenStorage, and FSI systems, GA32-0914
- IBM System Storage TS7610 and TS7620 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance Express V3.3, Maintenance Guide, GA32-223.
- IBM System Storage TS7610 or TS7620 ProtecTIER v3.3,Deduplication Appliance Express V3.3, Software Upgrade Guide, SC27-3641
- IBM System Storage TS7610 and TS7620 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance Express V3.3, Service Guide, GA32-0915
- IBM TS7620 ProtecTIER Deduplication Appliance Express
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