Devices are the target locations for data received from the protected servers, workstations, and virtual environments. By default, systems are configured with a single D2D device labeled D2DBackups. D2DBackups is configured to the maximum backup storage of the system, based on the identity of the system and the distribution of backup storage to instant recovery and legacy vaulting (see Storage allocation and distribution for details).
For Unitrends Backup systems, D2DBackups is deployed with 138GB of storage space. Add backup storage as described in Adding backup storage prior to adding a device.
While storage in D2DBackups is adequate in many cases, you can change the amount of space allocated to this device. As well, additional D2D devices may be added to help better organize backups. The original D2DBackups storage is logically divided into multiple devices. For physical systems, the total amount of space allocated to all devices combined must be within the system license limits.
Some reasons for creating additional D2D devices include:
• | Separating bare metal backups from file-level backups. |
• | Keeping application backups organized together in a separate area. |
• | Organizing servers based on their sizes. |
• | Separating servers with different retention period requirements. |
• | Placing one client on a separate device so it will run at highest priority (not be queued behind other jobs on one device). |
• | Separating source systems on replication targets. There are additional requirements and considerations when associating a device to a replication source. For details, see (Optional) Add a logical device to associate with a source system. |
Though adding devices can provide a level of organization, it also adds a level of complexity. If too many devices exist, balancing space allocation between the devices can lead to purging issues and other problems.
See the following topics for details:
1 | Select Settings > Storage and Retention > Backup Devices. |
2 | Click Add Device. |
3 | Enter a name for the new device in the Device Name field. |
This is the name that will be used whenever the device is selected. Device names must be unique and must not contain spaces.
4 | Enter the amount of data that can be stored on the new device in the Capacity field. |
Notes:
• | If the device will be used to store replicated backups for an associated source system, its capacity must be at least 128GB. |
• | If you have a physical appliance, all available storage is allocated to the default D2DBackups device. To split this storage into multiple devices, you must first decrease the D2DBackups capacity (see To modify a device). If you already have backups on the system, proceed with extreme caution. Decreasing D2DBackups capacity may cause existing backups to be purged. |
The Capacity field governs the amount of data that can be stored on the device. The system assures that the data on the device does not exceed the capacity limit. If the capacity chosen exceeds the system license, OR if there is not enough space on the file system to accommodate the allocation, an error message is delivered indicating the need to adjust the capacity limit. Options for Capacity settings are:
• | Standard Size - Use this to select from a list of values. Click the down arrow next to the device size, and select the desired capacity. |
• | Custom Size - If the desired size of the device is not populated in the standard size list, select this option to specify a capacity. |
5 | Enter a brief description for the device in the Description field. |
6 | In the Max Concurrent Backups field, enter the number of backups that can be run simultaneously on the system. |
The default value is three. The recommended range is three to ten, depending on network throughput, the number of devices defined, and the resources of the system.
7 | Check these boxes as applicable: |
• | Online box to indicate that the device is online and ready for backups to be written. |
• | Default box to make this the default device. The default device is used if no other device is specified. |
• | Select Storage box to select external storage for virtual systems. |
Note: The Pathname displays the location on the system where the backups are stored. This field cannot be edited.
8 | Click Confirm to add the device. |
Be careful when decreasing the size of a device as this may cause data to be purged. Note the following before you modify the device:
Notes:
• | For replication devices, capacity must be at least 128GB. Decreasing the size to less than 128GB is not supported. |
• | If you have a physical appliance, all available storage is allocated to the default D2DBackups device. To split this storage into multiple devices, you must first decrease the D2DBackups capacity. If you already have backups on the system, proceed with extreme caution. Decreasing D2DBackups capacity may cause existing backups to be purged. |
1 | Select Settings > Storage and Retention > Backup Devices. |
2 | Select the desired device. |
3 | Modify settings as desired. For details, see To add a device. |
4 | Click Confirm to save the changes. |
Warning! Once a device is deleted, any backups stored on that device are no longer accessible. The space occupied on the system may not be immediately available after a backup is deleted. Before data is removed, any referenced deduplicated data is migrated to other devices before the delete operation can complete.
1 | Select Settings > Storage and Retention > Backup Devices. |
2 | Select the desired device. |
3 | Click Delete Device. |
Note: For replicating systems, you cannot delete a device that is associated to a source system. You must remove the association before the device can be deleted. Go to Replication > System Management, select the source, uncheck the Select Device if Replicating Source box, and click Confirm.