Using Network Attached Storage for Reliable Backup and Recovery

Microsoft Corporation and HP Using Network Attached Storage for Reliable Backup and Recovery Microsoft Corporation Published: March 2010 Abstract Tape-based backup and restore technology has for decades been the primary mechanism by which data is protected from corruption or loss, and it continues to be the most often-used method for archiving data. However, managing multi-server tape-based backups in a local area network (LAN) environment can become too complex for small and midsize businesses as they grow. Using HP s Network Attached Storage (NAS) servers on the Windows Storage Server 2008 platform, NAS streamlines management operations, lowers the total cost of ownership (TCO), and offers a rapid backup and restore solution using disk-to-disk backup solutions.

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Contents Introduction... 1 Tape-Based Backups... 2 Disk-to-Tape Backups... 3 Direct-Attached Backup... 3 Centralized LAN Backups... 3 Disk-to-Disk Backups... 5 Network Backup Components... 8 Hardware Components... 8 Software Components... 8 Network Attached Storage... 9 NAS Implementation... 10 NAS for LAN-based Backups and Restores... 11 NAS Backup Scenarios... 12 NAS for Client Backup... 12 NAS for Remote Site Replication and Central Backup... 13 Windows Storage Server 2008... 14 HP NAS Backup Solutions Using Windows Storage Server 2008... 16 HP StorageWorks NAS Solutions... 16 Related Links... 19 iii

Introduction Data is a business most valuable resource. Protecting data from corruption, user error, hardware failure, theft, or site disaster is widely recognized as a critical part of business operations. Despite this, not all data is equally protected. While backing up data on a relatively small number of servers can be effectively controlled by a system administrator, client data on desktops and notebooks is notoriously vulnerable to loss or corruption. As businesses expand, the amount of data that requires storage and protection has increased exponentially, yet the window of time during which data can be backed up without negatively impacting business operations has decreased. Both of these factors have combined to make the system administrator s job of storing and protecting data fundamentally more challenging. Tape-based backup and restore technology has for decades been the primary mechanism by which data is protected from corruption or loss, and it continues to be the most relied-upon method for archiving data. However, managing multi-server, tape-based backups in a local area network (LAN) environment can become complicated for small and midsize businesses as they grow. A more effective solution is to dedicate a network attached storage (NAS) server as both the target for disk-to-disk backup and as the source for subsequent tape-todisk backup solutions. Data from production servers and clients can be staged on a NAS server before backup to tape, or remain on the NAS server to be rapidly restored as required. NAS storage is in a central location and doesn t require local tape hardware. Point-in-time (snapshot) data imaging capabilities provide extremely fast backup and rapid restore advantages for disk-todisk technology and make it simple for a system administrator to make more frequent, and therefore more up-to-date, backups. When implementing new backup technology it is important to consider your data restoration objectives and any service level agreements (SLAs.) For example, you must think of the terms of Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) - how long it takes to retrieve the data - and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) - the specifics of how much data is allowed to be lost in a failure. This paper compares tape-, disk-, and network-based storage technologies in use today. We will also discuss ways in which HP storage solutions built on the Windows Storage Server 2008 platform leverage NAS to streamline management operations, lower the total cost of ownership (TCO), and offer a rapid backup and restore solution using disk-to-disk backup solutions. While NAS provides a benefit to the backup strategy of an organization - users can store and retrieve data directly on a NAS, assured that the data is protected by enterprise level features - it is important to also understand the pivotal role a NAS can play as a central location for data access. 1

Tape-Based Backups Backing up servers directly to tape has been the primary method of data protection for decades. Tapes are inexpensive and mobile compared to disk-based backups and have long provided a cost-effective data protection solution. However, tape-based backups are typically much slower than their disk-based counterparts. They are far more prone to both long delays in locating the media needed for a restoration and to problems during a restoration. When multiple operating systems are in use (each with their own backup processes) the restore process can become even more complex. Planning for a Tape Backup Proper planning for a backup (tape-based or otherwise) is key to success. System administrators must focus on making sure data is backed up in the most reliable way possible. However, despite intensive management, tape backups can be unpredictable. For example, poor quality media or interruptions during the backup process can result in the failure to restore backed up data. Some important considerations when planning a backup strategy are: Working with a Shrinking Backup Window. One of the biggest considerations with a tape-based backup is the length of time it takes to complete. At the same time that businesses are increasing the amount of their data, the window of time allotted for incremental backups (usually done nightly) and full backups (done across weekends) is shrinking due to business circumstances. Practicing a Trial Restore. To determine whether tape media, tape drives, and backup applications are all working as intended administrators must back up data and do a trial restore before a crisis occurs. The correct tapes must be located (possibly from a remote site), and in the case of incremental backups, restored in order. Given that even with the best equipment, tapes still must be read sequentially, part of a practice restore is to find individual files and assess how rapidly a restore could complete. Working with Unprotected Client Data. Client data on desktops and notebooks, unless copied to the server by the individual user, are usually not backed up to tape. This should be accounted for in any backup and restore plan. 2

Disk-to-Tape Backups Many of the challenges found with tape-based storage can be addressed by moving to a centralized, disk-to-tape backup model in which a single server is designated as the backup server. This single server can control the backup schedule and coordinate writing backups of all the networked servers to a single direct-attached tape device. Disk-to-tape backups can be performed as: Direct-attached backup Centralized LAN backups LAN-free backups Direct-Attached Backup The most common method of backing up servers is to directly attach a tape backup unit to each server and back up the stored data on this unit or an embedded tape directly in the server. This method is simple to configure and provides high performance due to I/O bandwidth only being used by a single server. On the other hand, TCO can be high for directattached backup because each time a server using direct-attached storage exceeds its capacity additional servers must be added, as well as new tape drives for each server. As overall management of decentralized backups becomes a higher cost endeavor, businesses generally look for more cost-effective long-term solutions. A solid alternative for small environments is the Server Backup application provided in Windows Server 2008. Centralized LAN Backups As the number of servers in an organization increases, designating a single backup server on the local area network (LAN) becomes an attractive, cost-effective data protection solution. This single server can manage backups of all servers on the network - all data is backed up to either tape or a disk attached directly to the backup server. This approach effectively consolidates tape and disk backup equipment, and centralizes backup management. Figure 1. LAN-based backups to a NAS backup server 3

Centralized backups can be controlled by two types of servers: Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2008 General Purpose Backup Server. General purpose servers enable any production server on the LAN to be designated as a backup server while still supporting client applications. Dedicated Backup Server. A dedicated backup server is loaded with the backup applications and does not support any of the applications users normally access on a general purpose server. This dedicated arrangement optimizes backup performance by not competing for computing resources on a general purpose server. LAN-free Backups LAN backups pass all data over a network to the backup server. Because backups are intensive I/O operations, application server performance can experience degraded network bandwidth in a LAN backup, especially the first time a full backup is made. This network slowdown may not materialize if the volume of data on the servers is moderate. In most cases, there isn t a problem when making incremental backups in which only the file changes are saved. The least costly method for preventing the LAN backup network performance issue is to restrict backups over the LAN to times when there is low application traffic. If the backup window is small (or eliminated), an alternate solution is to install a second LAN dedicated to backup and restore traffic only. Another solution is to upgrade from existing networks (typically Gigabit Ethernet) to 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GE), which can increase data transmission speeds to 10000 Mb/s, vastly improving congestion problems. 4

Disk-to-Disk Backups Disk-to-disk backups can utilize the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) technology which provides frozen imaging of data. VSS can address on-disk data inconsistency problems caused when an application is running during a backup. To utilize VSS, the application vendor must supply a VSS writer. This writer allows a server backup tool to verify, through information passed from the application, that all disk-based information to be backed up is in a consistent state. With the widespread adoption of VSS, most enterprise applications that utilize disk-based data provide a VSS writer for their application. When software such as Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager is installed on a NAS device, a server can then create point-in-time images using copy-on-write technologies. Copy-on-write has the following benefits: Open File Backups. Users no longer need to stop working while applications are shut down during the backup process. Instead, NAS with point-in-time imaging capabilities can complete all in-progress data transactions, write all previously cached data to disk, and pause new writes to disk. These steps can ensure data consistency without ever taking the application offline. The process of creating the point-in-time copy takes only seconds (even for gigabytes of data,) compared with the hours that it can take to do backups directly to tape. Rapid Restores. Restores of point-in-time copies from the NAS storage disk are considerably faster than restores from tapes. Access to disks is direct, whether they are physically on site or accessed remotely. Data on disk is can be read in random manner instead of sequentially as is the case with tape. Using point-in-time copies, restoring smaller amounts of data such as individual files can be more efficient and less expensive when restoring from disk. Remote Replication. In the past, a common method of preventing data disasters was to physically take tapes offsite for storage. In contrast, application data written to the primary disk can now be replicated to off-site locations via a network connection. Replication to remote sites ensures that data is up-to-date, since the replication essentially occurs in real-time. The replication process, whether synchronous and asynchronous replication both ensure high fidelity copies of the data. Synchronous Replication. With point-in-time backups, data on the primary disk is identical to the data on the secondary disk(s) at all times. Each new update to disk can only proceed when the previous update is completed. The advantage of this method is that data at the secondary failover sites is always up-to-date. Asynchronous Replication. The data written to the secondary disk(s) can lag behind writes to the primary disk. Asynchronous replication allows the application to resume processing before writes to the secondary disk are complete, thus enabling multiple updates to occur concurrently. While asynchronous replication means that the secondary failover site(s) can be slightly out of date, the system administrator can limit the extent to which the secondary sites fall behind. (This process, known as throttling, is accomplished by stalling the application writes until the secondary disk writes catch up.) Asynchronous 5

replication is highly tolerant of latency, making it an optimal method for high volume networks or distances exceeding those suitable for synchronous replication. System Center Data Protection Manager Microsoft System Center Data Protection Manager 2007 (DPM) is natively a disk-based backup engine with support for tape and cloud. DPM is architected to provide best-of-breed protection for Microsoft operating systems and applications, including virtualized environments. DPM supports Microsoft File Servers, Microsoft Virtual Servers (specifically Hyper-V and Virtual Server 2005,) SharePoint Services, SQL Servers, and Microsoft Exchange. Support is available for client desktops as well as server system state protection. By concentrating on these key services, DPM can cover many different platforms, messaging systems, or databases. DPM focuses on the ways in which covered services work and store data, and utilizes the protected services native capabilities for restoring data. It presents the data to be protected in the same context as the application the data originates from. For example, SQL Server data are presented as databases, Hyper-V data as virtual machines, and Exchange Server data as Exchange Storage Groups. In the case of Exchange protection and recovery, DPM uses the Exchange recovery storage group for certain types of restoration action. For File Server recovery, the DPM store can be integrated with the end client interface through the End User Recovery tool. This tool enables transparent access to DPM data - critical for evaluation of the ease and access for restoration for any backup solution. It also provides end users a way to perform individual backups of their own data. The actual method DPM uses to collect data from the clients is to request volume shadow service (VSS) snapshots then store those snapshots on its own storage. DPM 2007 uses the concept of an express full backup of applications. This is done using the application-specific VSS writer to identify which blocks have changed in the primary application data, and then sending only those updated blocks to storage. Recovery is possible at almost any point in time by first recovering the primary application data to a 15-minute interval, then recovering the transaction logs up to the most recent transaction. DPM 2007 maintains up to 512 shadow copies of the primary application data. In addition, it continuously synchronizes the transaction logs of these applications as often as every 15 minutes. It is important that the DPM data store not use a NAS data store because a failure of the NAS data store would result in the loss of the primary and backup data. DPM storage can be directly attached storage, or storage connected through other mediums. This is a great efficiency for DPM because all DPM-protected services come with a VSS writer. For example, an Exchange 2007 VSS writer is provided as part of Exchange 2007 installation. 6

There are three primary scenarios for using disk and tape support with DPM. Each takes advantage of the disk-based storage and connectivity to tape devices DPM offers: Disk-to-Disk. This is the preferred option for DPM. It essentially takes the snapshot information from the disks of the protected clients and stores the information on the DPM server. For disk-based protection, Microsoft recommends that your DPM server have at least double the amount of disk space of the data it is protecting. This is because it is not just storing the data but also changes in the data over a long period of time. To estimate the amount of disk space you would need, go to http://blogs.technet.com/dpm/archive/2007/10/31/data-protection-manager-2007-storagecalculator.aspx and download the DPM 2007 Storage Calculator spreadsheet. Disk-to-Disk-to-Tape. Data from the protected clients is protected primarily on DPM storage but is also periodically written to tape. Disk-to-Tape. DPM is used as a tape backup program. It takes data from the protected clients and writes directly to DPM-attached tape devices. The actual deployment topology used will depend on business requirements, the speed at which you need to restore data, the functionality to be offered to end-users, available hardware and budget. DPM also provides bare metal recovery services through the DPM System Recovery Tool (SRT.) In the event of a complete system replacement or catastrophic failure, SRT facilitates bare metal recovery of the DPM server and DPM-protected clients. During a DPM bare metal recovery, all partitions are recreated and the content is restored to a selected point in time. The content is then available through a SRT boot agent even for systems that can no longer boot from their local operating system. 7

Network Backup Components Network backups have traditionally been thought of as more complex in design than directattached tape backups. However, given the centralized nature of network backups and the subsequent reduction in components - especially local to each backup source - a network solution can actually reduce the number of components in a network, simplify the backup process, and reduce the effort needed for a server backup process. The following tables introduce the components necessary to back up over a network and the types of backups that can be done. Hardware Components Component Client Systems Backup System Tape and Disk Devices, Cloud Storage Network Description The systems requiring data backup. Also known as data source systems. The system on which the software controlling backups resides. Also known as backup engine or host backup server. In a disk-to-disk backup configuration the host backup server will also have a large amount of directly attached storage or connectivity to a SAN or DAS. Devices that provide the primary storage medium for backed up data. For tape devices they can be combined with tape autoloader subsystems to simplify tape management. The wiring components between the client and the backup systems. Includes network interface cards (NICs,) switches, hubs, and cabling. In the small and medium size business setting, an Ethernet-based network is the most common infrastructure. Software Components Component Job Scheduler Backup Agent Software Replication Engine Description Allows system administrator to manually configure or automate backups. Scheduling jobs ensures that no two servers try to write to tape at the same time. Software running on the client system that works with the backup system to perform backup actions. Enables data to be copied from the source to the backup device. These agents often called push or pull agents can reside on either the client, where the data is pushed to the backup system, or on the backup system, where data is pulled by the host off the client. Replicates data from one server and location to another. Replication can be used instead of backup software in certain scenarios but is often used for continuous recovery protection to augment normal backup procedures. 8

Network Attached Storage Until the advent of network attached storage (NAS), data and server storage were either embedded directly into a server, or were external to the server, but still directly attached to it. This external approach had two significant drawbacks: Additional servers were needed to meet the increased demand for storage capacity. The file processing functions (such as data storage and retrieval) competed directly with applications for system resources. NAS technology fundamentally changes this model by removing storage from the production servers and placing it on separate devices that directly attach to the Ethernet LAN or to a connected storage area network (SAN). While this solution can be costly, NAS servers can be integrated into a SAN environment, allowing tape backups over the SAN instead of the LAN. There must be a dedicated SAN infrastructure such as a dedicated Fibre Channel switch in place, and there must be cables in place for a Fibre Channel SAN or additional Network Interface Card and network for an iscsi SAN. When used with a SAN, the NAS server is a file server head, and its storage capacity resides on the SAN. If there are multiple NAS servers, this approach has the advantage of making the tape device available to any of the NAS servers plugged into the SAN. Using a NAS server enables disk-to-disk backup solutions. Data from production servers and clients can be temporarily staged on a NAS server before backup to tape (more commonly, though, data remains on the NAS server.) This allows for rapid resolution when required as a centralized backup solution. Dedicating a NAS server as the backup engine that controls disk-to-tape backups can also be effective. Point-in-time (snapshot) data imaging capabilities provide extremely fast backup and rapid restore for disk-to-disk technology. System administrators can make more frequent, and therefore, more up-to-date backups. Not only are disk-to-disk backups becoming more costeffective as disk media prices decline, but because of the robustness of the NAS storage disks, disk-to-disk backups can be more reliable than disk-to-tape backups, thereby increasing data availability. Note that when the NAS is the primary storage location for data it is vital that the NAS content be backed up to an alternate disk or tape solution. 9

NAS Implementation Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2008 NAS servers are dedicated file and print servers. They do not have the application overhead that general-purpose servers carry, and they are designed to be high capacity storage devices with greater scalability than multi-purpose servers. They are also highly efficient at moving files between production servers or clients and the storage. NAS servers have many advantages: Rapid Installation. NAS appliances are preconfigured with the necessary software for effective storage management and seamless integration into the existing network. Standalone NAS servers can be plugged directly into the network cable, configured, and be up and running in less than 15 minutes. NAS servers are managed using the Windows Server Manager interface which can be accessed through the console, a remote desktop session. Support for Heterogeneous Environments. NAS servers make pooled storage available to multiple operating systems, thus making it unnecessary to maintain multiple machines for separate storage. This lowers costs and streamlines management. Windows NAS solutions from HP support CIFS and NFS file sharing protocols (among others) thus enabling file serving of both Windows and Unix files. Server Consolidation. By shifting the file serving and storage burden off of a generalpurpose server onto a high storage capacity NAS server, overall equipment costs and associated licensing expenses decline. Pooling storage on a NAS server makes it simpler for users to access files as well as streamlining storage management. Improved Server Performance. Production servers experience less bandwidth congestion and improved performance when they are relieved of the burden of file serving. This translates directly into improved response time for end users. Highly Available Data. NAS servers can be designed with redundant components such as failover Ethernet controllers and hot-swappable drives to ensure that storage remains available even in the event of a hardware failure. The separation of storage functions from production work ensures that in the event of storage problems the production servers remain online. Conversely, file data is still available through the NAS device should there be a problem with a production server for restoration or relocation purposes. 10

NAS for LAN-based Backups and Restores Microsoft Windows Storage Server 2008 Because the file serving and storage requirements on a LAN can be directed to the NAS server, it is a simple and highly effective step to bundle backup software into the NAS and enable centralized backups and restores. Using NAS as a backup device provides the following additional advantages: Consolidation of Backup Equipment. With storage attached to the network rather than directly attached to the server it is no longer necessary to attach a tape device to each server for backups if tape-based backups are needed. Tape equipment can be consolidated directly onto NAS servers. This allows businesses to invest in a limited number of high quality tape devices. Streamlined Backup Management. Using a NAS device to control the backup and restore processes simplifies management by centralizing backup operations. System administrators no longer have to go to each individual machine to execute backups. Using the Server Manager interface, the NAS device can be scheduled to backup all servers to tape which can prevent write conflicts between servers. Client System Backups. Notebooks are not typically configured for tape backups, and rarely do users consistently back up desktops or notebooks. NAS backup servers provide a means by which to automate the backup process for these client systems. An alternative to backing up data from the client machines to a NAS is to use the client operating system s folder redirection capabilities. Using the client system backup method, common data storage locations such as My Documents are redirected to a NAS location to ensure all client data is stored on NAS storage. Client-side caching is also used so clients have copies of the data that is redirected to the NAS when offline. Effective Management of Backup Windows. All backups can be scheduled and controlled through a NAS server. Data is backed up from NAS disk-to-tape when network traffic is minimal. Disk-to-Disk Backups. Disk-to-disk backups are enabled by backing up client data to a NAS server. Disk-to-disk backups are faster than disk-to-tape, thus reducing the backup window time. When point-in-time software capabilities are used, backups can be accomplished in seconds. For backed-up data that must be frequently accessed, disk-todisk restores are much less time-consuming than restores from tape. Disk-based backup technologies only store changes made to the data since the last backup was taken. This allows many months worth of snapshots to be available without requiring the amount of disk space equivalent to each day s complete data set - the actual disk space required is based on the amount of change each day. 11

NAS Backup Scenarios NAS storage backups are done over a network, whether it is a LAN, WAN, VPN, or dial-up. In each case, backup engine software is loaded onto the NAS server to control the backup process, and backup agents are loaded onto the data source hosts to push the data to the backup engine. Because of heavy daytime use, backups of desktops and workstations are commonly scheduled for after business hours, when user activity is generally light. In contrast, because notebooks are generally taken home in the evening, they must be backed up during the day when they are docked onsite. NAS for Client Backup Backing up Desktops and Workstations 1. The system administrator loads the client agent software such as the Data Protection Manager agent onto each desktop computer or workstation. 2. The system administrator schedules the NAS device to back up data sources after business hours. 3. Data is transmitted over the LAN to the NAS device, which schedules pass-through to the tape device (disk-to-tape) for sequential backups of each desktop and workstation. For devices that are not permanently connected to the network, data is transmitted when possible without affecting production workloads. NAS for Server Backups Specialized software is required to back up multiple networked servers across different platforms. For example, Data Protection Manager offers remote server agents optimized for this type of backup. The application and hot agents offered by DPM provide open file backup capabilities using point-in-time (snapshot) imaging. This is particularly helpful for businesses that require 24x7 operations. Backing up Multiple Servers 1. The system administrator loads the backup software agent on each application server. 2. The system administrator schedules backups that do not require application downtime. 3. Snapshots are taken of data stored on the application server. 4. Snapshots are stored on the NAS device (disk-to-disk backups.) 5. Snapshots can be backed up from the NAS device to the tape device for archiving. 12

NAS for Remote Site Replication and Central Backup NAS backup and remote site replication technology can provide a centralized disaster recovery solution for organizations with geographically dispersed divisions or branches. At each site, data from production servers is stored on a NAS device then synchronously or asynchronously transmitted across the network to a centralized storage and backup NAS server. This NAS server in turn controls backups to the centralized tape device. When using Windows DFSR, a replication group is created between the central NAS server and each remote site. The central server replicates changes made from the remote site file servers to the central NAS server storage where the changes can then be backed up. DFSR has limitations that should be carefully considered when deciding if DFSR is a fit for your organization. For example, DFSR does not handle replication of files that are not open. Other NAS implementation considerations include: How you will load replication software onto each remote site s NAS server? Do you want to transmit data from each remote NAS server synchronously or asynchronously across network to the NAS central backup server (disk-to-disk?) Do you want the NAS device to back up to the target tape device (disk-to-tape?) 13

Windows Storage Server 2008 Windows Storage Server 2008 (WSS) is built upon the Windows Server 2008 platform, specifically to leverage the operating system s file serving and storage capabilities such as point-in-time copies (snapshots), storage management, and heterogeneous support. Windows Server 2008 operating system includes many critical features that are part of the core NAS functionality. These include file security features, administration, and file management features such as: Full integration with Active Directory. Active Directory is the directory service for the Windows platform. It provides both a database in which to store information about objects on the network such as applications, files, printers and users and a consistent way to name, describe, locate, access, and secure information across distributed computer systems. Active Directory simplifies administration, enhances security, and extends interoperability. Journaling. Transaction logging capabilities in the NTFS file system log changes to the directory structure and files, thereby enhancing data integrity. File Level Security. NTFS enables an administrator to put security access control lists on each directory and file, granting specific privileges to individuals and groups. File System Integrity. Windows Server 2008 introduces self-healing NTFS. This reduces the number of circumstances requiring a full chkdsk, which can impact file system availability. File Sharing/Locking. Individuals or applications can open a file for reading while another user or application is writing to it elsewhere. File Access Performance. Windows 2008 introduces SMB 2.0 and a rewritten TCP/IP stack that offers significant performance improvements over Windows 2003-based implementations. Encrypted File System. Enables the user to encrypt their files for extra security. The encryption is transparent to authorized users, but unauthorized users are unable to access or read files. BitLocker Drive Encryption. Enables volume-level encryption for enhanced security of servers that cannot be physically secured per normal security standards. Disk Quotas and File Screening. Enables system administrators to monitor disk space usage to ensure that systems do not unexpectedly reach capacity. Capacity can be monitored by both volumes and users. File Screening allows granular control over disk space utilization by defining policies on a per-folder basis for allowed and blocked file types. Distributed File System Replication. Enables system administrators to copy and maintain files and shared folders on multiple servers simultaneously. DFSR controls synchronization of data, and works both locally and remotely. DFSR replaces the File Replication Service that existed in previous versions of Windows. It uses a new Remote 14

Differential Compression (RDC) algorithm that only replicates changes to files instead of the entire file, resulting in less bandwidth utilization and faster synchronization. Distributed File System Namespace. Allows system administrators to create a single unified system that enables effective location of, and access to, files and folders shared across multiple servers. With a unified namespace, users are able to locate and use files as readily as if the information were only on a single machine. DFS can also help provide load balancing for files or folders that are accessed frequently. 15

HP NAS Backup Solutions Using Windows Storage Server 2008 The following are HP NAS backup solutions that leverage Windows Storage Server 2008. HP StorageWorks NAS Solutions HP NAS allows you to add affordable and expandable Windows-powered shared storage to your IT environment quickly and manage it more easily with HP StorageWorks X1000 and X3000 Network Storage Systems. These flexible and intelligent unified storage solutions offer file serving (NAS) and iscsi (SAN) services, powerful management tools, ready expandability, and a variety of configurations to meet virtually any deployment need. NAS systems are self contained, intelligent devices that attach directly to an existing LAN. A file system is located and managed directly on the NAS system, and data is transferred to clients over industry-standard network protocols (TCP/IP) using industry-standard file-sharing protocols. These multi-platform devices can be easily and seamlessly integrated into your network, providing a dependable and affordable way to back up your critical data. HP StorageWorks X1000 Network Storage Systems HP StorageWorks X1000 Network Storage Systems are the fast and easy way to add Windows-powered shared storage to your small or medium IT environment. The X1000 Systems offer you more for your money since it s a multi-protocol file server for Windows and UNIX/Linux clients and also iscsi storage for applications/virtual environments. Built on industry standards, the X1000 Systems are an economical and easy to manage solution for backing up to centralized shared network storage. The operating system is pre-installed and comes with HP StorageWorks X1000 Automated Storage Manager, a simplified configuration and management tool, to be up and running in minutes. HP StorageWorks X3000 Network Storage Systems Add IP-based gateway services to your enterprise or workgroup array/san quickly and manage them more easily with HP StorageWorks X3000 Network Storage Systems. These flexible and intelligent Windows-powered gateway solutions add file, print, iscsi, and management services to an array or SAN, or they can be used in conjunction with array storage to build an affordable and highly-available unified storage solution. Industrystandards protect your investment by providing compatibility with your network and applications, and a Microsoft Cluster Server (MSCS) license is included to provide high availability and reduce downtime. 16

Protect your data with HP Storage Network Storage Systems. They re built on Windows Server so it integrates seamlessly into your existing environment, runs your antivirus and backup on the box, and has a familiar look and feel. 17

Summary The NAS server is an out-of-the-box solution that can be deployed in minutes, without network downtime. The minimal management required for NAS servers can be accomplished through an intuitive graphical interface, rather than relying on command-line interfaces. NAS servers provide simple cross-platform file sharing and backups, greatly simplifying management of multiple platforms, making it a necessary and valuable part of your complete enterprise backup solution. HP s Windows Storage Server 2008 NAS provides both robust file serving and backup capabilities that enable both server and tape device equipment consolidation. 18

Related Links See the following resources for more information: Windows Storage Server 2008 technical details and further information at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2008/en/us/wss08.aspx HP Network Attached Storage information at http://www.hp.com/go/nas 19