NetBackup

In computing, Veritas NetBackup (earlier Symantec NetBackup) is an enterprise-level heterogeneous backup and recovery suite. It provides cross-platform backup functionality to a large variety of Windows, UNIX and Linux operating systems.

NetBackup features a central master server which manages both media servers (containing the backup media) and clients. Core server platforms include Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, Tru64, Linux and Windows.

NetBackup OpsCenter, which comes bundled with the NetBackup 7.0 distribution and replaces the NetBackup Operations Manager^[1] (NOM) component used in previous versions, can manage multiple NetBackup environments. NetBackup comes with support for many hardware devices like tape drives, tape libraries, disk units. It supports, amongst many other features, hot backups for major database products like Oracle; it can natively backup and restore the virtual machines of major virtualization products like VMware Infrastructure, can use Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP), and has tape vaulting. NetBackup also enables LAN-free and server-free backups in SAN fabric environments.

History

• In 1987, Chrysler Corporation engaged Control Data Corporation to write a backup software solution.^[2] A small group of engineers (Rick Barrer, Rosemary Bayer, Paul Tuckfield and Craig Wilson) wrote the software. Other Control Data customers later adopted it for their own needs.
• In 1990, Control Data formed the Automated Workstation Backup System business unit.^[3] The first version of AWBUS supported two tape drives in a single robotic carousel with the SGI IRIX operating system.^[2]
• In 1993, Control Data renamed the product to BackupPlus 1.0 (this is why many NetBackup commands have a 'bp' prefix). Software improvements included support for media Volume Management and Server Migration/Hierarchical Storage Management.
• In late 1993, OpenVision Technologies acquired the product and Control Data’s Storage Management 12-person team. This is why, on UNIX platforms, NetBackup installs into /usr/openv. During this time, OpenVision renamed Backup Plus to NetBackup.^[2]
• On May 6, 1997 Veritas acquired OpenVision Technologies, including absorption of the NetBackup product line.^[4]
• In 2005 Symantec acquired Veritas and NetBackup became a Symantec product.^[5] Also at that time, Symantec released NetBackup 6.0, the 30th version of the software.
• In 2015 Symantec announced they would be splitting off the Information Management Business which contains NetBackup, into a new public company named Veritas Technologies Corporation.^[6]

Main features

• NetBackup Accelerator
  • Technology to provide faster full backups by eliminating the need to read the entire file system
• Intelligent Data Deduplication and Auto Image Replication (AIR)^[7]
  • Client or server-side deduplication via data deduplication engine that can see into the backup streams
  • AIR supports backup image replication to other netbackup domain (datacenter)
• NetBackup Replication Director
  • Managing snapshots and replications from NetBackup and providing the ability move them to secondary storage. Snapshots and replicas act as recovery points and get cataloged
• NetBackup Search and Operational Restore
  • Built-in indexing and the ability to restore files through search. Operational restores let operators or application owners to self-serve their restore needs.
• Security
  • Data Encryption
  • Access Control
• Performance
  • Synthetic Backups
  • Disk Staging
  • Checkpoint restart
  • Multiplexed Backup
  • Multi-streamed Backup
  • Inline Copy
  • Online NetBackup catalog backup
  • Instant Recovery for vmware^[8]
• Management and Reporting
  • Java administration console and activity monitor
  • Web-based management reporting (VERITAS NetBackup Operations Manager)
  • Tape volume, drive and library viewing
  • Error message identification, categorization and troubleshooting
  • NetBackup vCenter plugin
  • Add-in for Microsoft SCVMM Console
  • Localization/Language packs
• Media Management
  • Enterprise Media Manager
  • Automatic robotic/tape drive configuration
  • Broad tape device support
• Heterogeneous Support
  • Broad platform support
  • Bare-metal restore, supports P2V as an option.
  • Support for leading networking topologies
  • Advanced software and hardware snapshot support
  • NetBackup RealTime
  • OpenStorage (OST) support^[9]
  • Backup as a Service (BAAS)
  • Limited IPv6 support
  • Cloud storage/connector

Major releases

• 7.7 was released in July 2015 ^[10]
• 7.6 was released in October, 2013 ^[11]
• 7.5 was released in March, 2012
• 7.1 was released in February, 2011
• 7.0 was released in February, 2010
• 6.5 was released in August, 2007
• 6.0 was released in October, 2005 (30th release)
• 5.0 was released in December, 2003
• 4.5 was released in 2002
• 3.4 was released in June, 2000
• 3.0 was released in November, 1997
• 2.0 was released in June, 1996 (12th release)
• 1994: OpenVision coined the name NetBackup and released release 1.6

See also

• List of backup software
• Symantec Operations Readiness Tools (SORT)
• Veritas Software

References

External links

• Netting out NetBackup Official NetBackup Blog
• Symantec Operations Readiness Tools (SORT)
• NetBackup documentation
• NetBackup docs at Oracle Corporation