HP ProLiant ML310 G3 Storage Server - Manual (Page 56)

will not work to back up the previous versions of the file system. To answer this particular issue, shadow
copies are available for back up in two situations. If the backup software in question supports the use of
shadow copies and can communicate with underlying block device, it is supported, and the previous
version of the file system will be listed in the backup application as a complete file system snapshot. If the
built-in backup application NTbackup is used, the backup software forces a snapshot, and then uses
the snapshot as the means for back up. The user is unaware of this activity and it is not self-evident
although it does address the issue of open files.
Shadow Copy Transport
Shadow Copy Transport provides the ability to transport data on a Storage Area Network (SAN). With
a storage array and a VSS-aware hardware provider, it is possible to create a shadow copy on one
server and import it on another server. This process, essentially “virtual” transport, is accomplished in a
matter of minutes, regardless of the size of the data.
NOTE:
Shadow copy transport is supported only on Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, Windows Storage
Server 2003 Enterprise Edition, and Windows Server 2003 Datacenter Edition. It is an advanced
solution that works only if it has a hardware provider on the storage array.
A shadow copy transport can be used for a number of purposes, including:
• Tape backups
An alternative to traditional backup to tape processes is transport of shadow copies from the
production server onto a backup server, where they can then be backed up to tape. Like the other
two alternatives, this option removes backup traffic from the production server. While some backup
applications might be designed with the hardware provider software that enables transport, others
are not. The administrator should determine whether or not this functionality is included in the
backup application.
• Data mining
The data in use by a particular production server is often useful to different groups or departments
within an organization. Rather than add additional traffic to the production server, a shadow copy of
the data can be made available through transport to another server. The shadow copy can then be
processed for different purposes, without any performance impact on the original server.
The transport process is accomplished through a series of DISKRAID command steps:
1. Create a shadow copy of the source data on the source server (read-only).
2. Mask off (hide) the shadow copy from the source server.
3. Unmask the shadow copy to a target server.
4. Optionally, clear the read-only flags on the shadow copy.
The data is now ready to use.
Folder and share management
The HP ProLiant Storage Server supports several file-sharing protocols, including DFS, NFS, FTP, HTTP,
and Microsoft SMB. This section discusses overview information as well as procedures for the setup
and management of the file shares for the supported protocols. Security at the file level and at the
share level is also discussed.
NOTE:
Detailed information on setting up and managing NFS and NCP shares is discussed in Microsoft
Services for Network File System (MSNFS) .
56 File server management