Choose from the following topics:
Unlike the file system iDataAgent which backs up folders and files, the Image Level iDataAgent backs up complete volumes or mount points, and restores them using Volume Level Restore; for certain operating systems it is also able to restore folders and files using a File Level Restore.
Generally, only blocks that contain data are backed up; empty blocks are not, with the following notes:
CXBF devices on AIX do not support online file system expansion or shrink using the chfs command. If a volume or file system controlled by a CXBF block-filter driver is extended or shrunk, it will fail. Therefore, you must de-configure the CXBF device before using chfs.
Server downtime is almost completely eliminated by capturing an image of a production server's disk with data snapshot technology (e.g., QSnap), then using the Image Level iDataAgent to back up the snapshot.
The following file system types are supported for backup and restore operations:
For Windows data, it is possible to restore data from one file system type to another through Volume Level Restore. The following such Volume Level Restores are supported:
After such a restore, sometimes Windows Explorer may still show the volume having the same file system type as before the restore, even though Computer Management shows the new (correct) type. After a reboot, Windows Explorer will show the correct file system type. For File Level Restores, only data backed up from NTFS volumes can be browsed and restored to NTFS or FAT volumes.
|
The following table lists the file systems and restore types supported for each supported operating system:
| File System | Operating System | CXBF | Checksum | Back Up Data Blocks Only |
Volume Restore |
File Restore |
|
| CXBF | Checksum | ||||||
| Unix File System (UFS) Includes read-only partitions on Unix, as long as the production server and backup host are configured as the same computer |
Solaris | X | X | X | X | ||
| Extent 2 File System (ext2) | Linux | X | X | X | X | X | |
| Extent 3 File System (ext3) | Linux | X | X | X | X | X | |
| RAW volumes | Linux Solaris |
X | X | ||||
| Reiser File System (reiserfs) | Linux | X | X | X | |||
| VERITAS File System (VxFS) | AIX | X | X | ||||
| VERITAS File System (VxFS) | Solaris | X | X | ||||
| Veritas Volume Manager (VxVM) | Solaris | X | X | X | X | ||
| Journal File System (JFS2) | AIX | X | X | X | X | X | X |
| 'X' File System (XFS) | Linux | X | X | X | |||
|
For a complete listing of applications supported for each operating system, see Image Level - Application Support.
When the Image Level iDataAgent is installed, the following levels are automatically created in the CommCell Browser:
|
apollo:
Client Image Level: Agent |
<user_defined_subclient>: User-defined subclients |
To perform a data protection operation using this Agent a specific Product License must be available in the CommServe® Server.
Review general license requirements included in License Administration. Also, View All Licenses provides step-by-step instructions on how to view the license information.
The Image Level iDataAgent is designed to work in conjunction with the following snapshot engines, which provide snapshot functionality for data protection operations:
For more detailed snapshot support information, refer to Support Information - Snapshot Engines.
The Image Level iDataAgent uses LAN Copy Manager to read block-level data directly from the specified volume(s) and transmit it to the designated MediaAgent over the LAN, which then writes the received data directly to the destination. For more information, see Copy Managers.