Linux-Optimized Tape Backup.

Despite its humble beginnings, Linux acceptance has grown to include the support of traditional and new computer hardware vendors alike. Linux environments have boldly moved into the enterprise class data center as a platform for mission critical applications like web servers and network attached storage heads. Even data intensive ERP and CRM applications that utilize massive databases are migrating to Linux. Linux has become a key player in the war to manage the digital data explosion.

The Linux operating system has also become prevalent in the computer industry's move to rack optimized, small form-factor servers. These high-density computer environments have led users into the data intensive world of high volume, consolidated storage and the need for a centralized management and backup strategy.

A key component in the effort to build a solid storage solution for a data intensive Linux environment is tape. When using tape, most traditional users back up incrementally throughout the week and do a full backup on the weekend. This can be a risky and very time-consuming task in a decentralized non-automated environment. Substantial data growth and a static or shrinking backup window would keep an IT organization on its heels and potentially open a company to data loss.

At first glance it would appear that a faster tape drive will resolve this problem, but while a faster tape drive can theoretically produce faster backups, they do not create a more reliable backup environment or guarantee execution within a backup window. Backup time and reliability are dependent upon several factors:

* server throughput;

* tape drive speed;

* number of tape drives;

* efficient drive utilization and;

* operator intervention

Additionally, the fewer tapes drives a user has, the greater the risk with each of these factors. Multiple entry-level (moderate speed) drives paired with automation produce the optimized value option for a backup infrastructure.

The addition of more tape drives within an automation solution is the most cost effective strategy for saving dynamically growing, mission-critical data within a static backup window. Besides reduced backup times, device redundancy will also substantially increase backup reliability. When utilizing fewer high speed drives as a backup solution, only a few paths are used for the transfer of backup data. While this seems efficient, it has potential of several single points of failure. Backup bottlenecks just shift from the tape drive to the network or the server. Sequential restores are also very tedious (Fig 1).

When utilizing many moderate-speed drives as a backup solution, many paths are used for the transfer of backup data. While this seems less efficient, it is a solution with several advantages (Fig 2):

* The redundancy to recover quickly from any failure.

* Bottlenecks are much more easily overcome by adding another entry-level, value-smart tape drive.

* Parallel backups with multiple inexpensive tape drives typically produce shorter total backup times at a lower cost.

* Parallel restores are inherently more reliable and decrease individual server recovery times.

As you can see, a few value-smart tape drives can meet the same backup window requirements as a single, high speed drive at a much better price with greater reliability. Even streaming speeds can improve by simply adding value-smart tape drives to an existing library or by scaling backup capacity with additional entry-level automation.

Because the "three p's," price, performance, and packaging, will be driving this group's choice, value-smart tape drive solutions such as the ValuSmart Tape 80 within an automation package add further reliability and savings. The ValuSmart Tape 80 half-high drive further establishes the industry-leading reliability, capacity, and performance found in the widely available DLTI drive. Its groundbreaking compact design features 80GB compressed capacity and 6MB/sec compressed transfer rate. The ValuSmart Tape 80 is read-compatible with the DLTl, DLT4000, and utilizes DLTtape IV media. Quantum's Super DLT drive will back read data written on the ValuSmart Tape 80, extending DLT scalability throughout the entire enterprise. Now storage servers or workstations can be backed up on one single tape cartridge housed in the server itself. Plus, its soft unload capability was designed specifically for automation. Along with leading price/performance metrics, the ValuSmart Tape 80 offers organizations a clear migration pat h because it is read-compatible with the DLT1, DLT4000, and utilizes widely available DLTtape IV media.

As the Linux operating system continues to thrive and create low cost options for data intensive applications, users will be motivated to utilize tape backup in a similar manner. Value-smart solutions will take on an even greater precedence as users demand more cost effective and efficient strategies for managing the rapidly growing data eruption.

Steven Berens is the vice president of marketing and Chris Bukowski is the product manager at Benchmark Storage Innovations, Inc. (Boulder CO).