SnapProtect 10 SP2: New Features

Continuing the topic about SnapProtect software: Backup architecture on NetApp FAS systems , this article focuses on the new features of SnapProtect. SnapProtect software combines high-speed Snapshot NetApp and tape replication to reduce downtime and data loss. This is a single management, creation and cataloging, application-consistent management console snapshot in the infrastructure, providing disk-to-disk-to-tape storage life cycle (D2D2T).



This backup scheme is implemented in accordance with the backup paradigm for NetApp FAS systems : the main and backup data are located on the storage system, and backups are performed on the basis of the Hardware Assistant Snapshot, interacting with applications, creating, thus, Application Consistent Backup.

New features starting with version SP 2:

Cloning Databases (SQL and Oracle)

• Example: A customer wants to create an application consistent SQL / Oracle database clone to perform Test / Dev operations
• Uses NetApp FlexClone functionality (and license) and snapshot features for consistent database cloning
• Cloning is done from SnapProtect Manager

Multithreading for Virtual Server Agent (VSA)

• Example: a customer wants to run VMware backups faster
• It is now possible to perform application consistent VMware backups of multiple virtual machines simultaneously, speeding up the process.
• The number of concurrent backups can be configured

Deferred indexing

• Example: A customer has many files that are indexed for a very long time, which can affect the speed of backups. The customer wants to separate backup schedules and indexing.
• Delayed indexing allows you to perform it on the second, remote storage system , after the backup is completed, completing the operation so quickly.
• Eliminates the load on the main system and speeds up the backup time
• It is possible to choose where indexing will be performed: on the primary or backup system

NAS Live View

• Example: A customer wants to be able to recover individual files from a NAS , but does not need to be indexed
• NAS Live Browse provides the ability to recover individual files from a NAS without file cataloging
• You can choose between the primary and backup systems to view and select the location from where the recovery will be performed.
• Also called “Browse From Snapshot"

Selective copying

• Example: A customer wants to back up only the first full weekly backups. If the week starts, for example, from Friday, the first full backup is performed on Friday or after that day and it will be selected for archiving
• Allows you to select one main snapshot, which will be used to perform archiving, based on certain rules
• Used for full backups and archives (not applicable for mirror replicas)

Extended retention

• Example: A customer has a business task to extend the storage time of monthly backups for a longer period than is usually done
• Using the Extended Retention function, the customer can expand the storage time of one full monthly backup to one year
• Allows you to specify up to three additional “extended” periods for full backups

VMware Database Exception

• Example: Allows you to exclude certain databases from VMware backups
• the exception function from Datastore allows you to exclude some databases using the “Filters” tab in the “Properties” menu in the VMware sub-client section

Block-Level Incremental Backups (BLI) for SMTape

• Example: The customer wants to increase the efficiency of copying operations to tape media by performing incremental backups.
• SnapProtect supports the BLI capability in DOT to perform full, and now incremental SMTape backups.

Improved support for Oracle

• Example one: The customer backed up an Oracle database on Linux and / or UNIX; And wants to have the same opportunity for Oracle on Windows
• Example two: Oracle log files grow without being able to manage them from SnapProtect
• SnapProtect now supports backups for Oracle on Windows and supports log file truncation for all platforms
• Including database hosting both on file systems, ASM , and for RAW devices

Vserver-Aware (or VSM -Aware) NDMP tape backups in Clustered Data ONTAP 8.2

• Example: A customer uses Data ONTAP 8.2 and uses NDMP to back up to tape devices. The customer wants to be able to move volumes between cluster nodes without affecting NDMP backups.
• SnapProtect now supports Vserver-aware NDMP tape backups starting with clustered Data ONTAP 8.2
• The process is completely transparent

Please send comments on errors in the text and suggestions to the PM .