Transcription of FAQs-Quantum NDX / RDX
1 FAQs-Quantum NDX / RDX 1. Where is the NDX/RDX support forum located? At this time, there are no support forums for the NDX product. In the meantime, please refer to the faqs below and the product documentation available under the DOCUMENTATION tab located at: 2. Can the NDX-8d or NDX-12d be used for primary storage, as well as for data protection? Yes. You can use the NDX-d units for backup data, or in other roles, such as a file server or print server. You may wish to use it for roles beyond data protection if your backup data leaves spare capacity. 3. What is the difference between DATASTOR and DXi deduplication?
2 DATASTOR Shield uses bit-level compare deduplication, which occurs on the client (desktop, laptop, or server). The data is deduplicated before being sent over the network back to the NDX-d unit. This reduces the amount of incremental data stored, as well as traffic on the network. The DXi uses inline (before data is written to disk), variable-block deduplication, which occurs on the DXi. 4. The UPS that powers my NDX-8 has rebooted. Now, all my drives have a green light on top, but the secondary light underneath is flashing red. Even so, I can still log in and use the system. Is there something that needs to be reset, or are the HDDs trying to self-repair?
3 The Red LEDs indicate that the system is verifying and repairing its RAID array. This is normal in any RAID-configured system when an unexpected power loss occurs. Until the verify/repair process completes, performance may be slower than normal. 5. What disaster recovery options are available for the NDX-d units? Many options are available for disaster recovery. If you have a second site, you can purchase a second NDX-d unit and add the Advanced Feature Pack, so that you can replicate remotely between the two NDX-d units. Or you may replicate to the cloud from the DATASTOR Shield Software. For same-site disaster recovery, you have options.
4 These configurations do not require the Advanced Feature Pack for replication. However, if you want bare-metal restore or SQL and Exchange support, you would need purchase the Advanced Feature Pack. o You can install RDX internal drives (in the tower only) and/or use USB-connected RDX drives on both the tower and rack. o OR you can purchase an RDX 8000 or SuperLoader 3 LTO Tape Autoloader. You can then configure the DATASTOR Shield Software to automatically have the NDX-d unit copy data to the RDX device or LTO Tape, and then take the cartridges offline/offsite for disaster recovery purposes. o In addition, any USB device, like an external hard drive, can be connected to the NDX-d and used as a copy target for disaster recovery.
5 You should take the device offsite after the data has been copied to it. Reference the DATASTOR help menu for steps on how to save the System Recovery Environment to Media and how to Protect Your Archive Manager Settings. 6. What is the advantage of purchasing an NDX unit for primary storage with my NDX-d series unit? Because the NDX-8 and NDX-12 units use Windows Storage Server as the operating system, DATASTOR Shield will perform an agentless backup of the NDX, sending only deduplicated data over the network, and storing it on the NDX-d unit. The NDX-d and NDX units are identical in hardware, capacity, and operating system.
6 This makes sizing, management, and operation easy, since the units are compatible. In addition, both units have the same Microsoft Windows user interface used in the rest of your IT infrastructure. 2 7. What does agentless backup mean, and how does it work? Agentless means that quantum DATASTOR Shield does not require software to be installed on the Windows client systems being backed up. Instead, DATASTOR Shield pushes a scheduled task out to each client system being protected. When this task runs, it points back to an executable on the NDX-8d that contains the deduplication engine. The client system passes back only changed bits of data (deduplication).
7 This generally results in a 20:1 deduplication ratio, vs. the 2:1 compression ratio achieved with typical backup software. This means that only 1/10 as much data is sent over the network and stored with DATASTOR Shield, compared to with traditional backup software. 8. Can I install Microsoft applications on the NDX-d or NDX units? Yes. One of the key advantages of using Windows Storage Server is that Microsoft Windows applications can be installed and run on the NDX Series NAS devices. 9. Can quantum DATASTOR Shield software be used on virtual machines? Yes. quantum DATASTOR Shield will work the same way on a VMware or Hyper-V Windows virtual machine as it does on a non-VM machine.
8 In addition, it can back up Hyper-V machines at the system (bare-metal) level. 10. Can quantum DATASTOR Shield protect data from non-Windows systems? Yes. However, the data would be deduplicated on the NDX-d and not on the client. Data from non-Windows systems is accessed through a share and is copied to the NDX in non-deduplicated form. The data is deduplicated on the NDX-d and stored by a local protection plan. A planned future enhancement will allow for deduplication on Linux-based systems before data is sent over the network. 11. What benefits do the NDX-d units provide over other NAS devices? quantum s NDX-8d and NDX-12d are designed for data backup and disaster recovery.
9 There is nothing to install, as the units come pre-configured with DATASTOR Shield client-side deduplication software and perform an agentless backup and there is no software to install on clients, either. Customers can generally be up and running backing up data in about 15-20 minutes. Moreover, DATASTOR Shield comes complete with deduplication technology to control data growth and reduce data stored by up to 90%. Customers using other NAS devices to back up have to install software on the NAS device, or more likely, on a separate backup server. They also have to install backup software agents on all the desktops, laptops, and clients being backed up.
10 In addition, they have no way to control data growth and quickly run out of space on their NAS server, forcing them to delete previous backups and potentially important files. In addition, customers often have to deal with ISV software that costs 4x as much as DATASTOR Shield, and must navigate through complicated licensing and warranty requirements. The amount of data stored when using quantum 's NDX-8d and NDX-12 devices is significantly reduced. This allows customers to keep up to two years of backups online (or more, depending on storage requirements), while reducing network traffic by up to 90% because backup data is deduplicated before being sent over the network.
