NAS backup: What are my options?
We are planning to replace our backup strategy from tape to NAS. What are my options for implementing this? What backup software supports NAS?

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Using disk storage, in this case NAS, as a backup target has been very popular with the reduction in disk costs and the realization that recovery time has significant value.

In a NAS backup architecture, the disk resides behind a filer head that shares file systems via NFS or CIFS, and backups are sent to those file systems. NAS filers are typically easier to maintain than traditional disk arrays.

There are several products that are oriented specifically for being a NAS backup target such as the NearStore from Network Appliance. When choosing your backup software, it is important to remember that you need software that supports NDMP when using NAS as a backup target.

 

This was first published in November 2005