With the release of SimpliVity software version 4.0.0 HPE introduced the ability to externalize the backups created in SimpliVity outside the SimpliVity Data Virtualization Platform on a HPE StoreOnce backup target.
About HPE StoreOnce
StoreOnce is a stand-alone, disk-based data protection appliance that can be implemented as hardware or deployed as a software virtual storage appliance on VMware vSphere or Microsoft Hyper-V, and act as a backup target for the backup applications. Various models and sizes exist depending the requirements of the customer.
The key features of HPE StoreOnce are deduplication, compression, encryption, remote replication, and direct application-managed integration.
The StoreOnce portfolio spans from entry to enterprise and can expand into the cloud with HPE Cloud Bank Storage, tripling usable capacity
HPE StoreOnce appliances can be targeted through the traditional NAS or VTL (Virtual Tape Library) protocols or through the HPE StoreOnce Catalyst protocol. It is an enhanced backup protocol developed by HPE for disk-based backup targets and is supported by major backup vendors like Veeam and Commvault.
Catalyst enhances the performance by allowing shifting of the deduplication process to the client and not the target. It gives also better protection against ransomware and malware with API and encryption.
It is this Catalyst protocol that HPE SimpliVity will be using to send backups from the SimpliVity solution towards the StoreOnce appliance.
The solution
The integration with HPE StoreOnce offers the SimpliVity user a cost-effective secondary backup target, with the same ease of use as before. The backup the StoreOnce is just like it is another SimpliVity Cluster target.
The solution will maximize the backup efficiency since the deduplication and compression of the backups are directly handled by the StoreOnce appliance. No other software is needed or involved.
Of course, all the simplicity of making and restoring backups are done in the same way as a Simplivity backup through 3 simple clicks in the VMware user interface.
Practical details:
- Supported StoreOnce configurations are StoreOnce Gen3 platforms running 3.18.18 or higher, and Gen4 platforms with a minimum of 4.2.1 software.
- StoreOnce integration works for both VMware and Hyper-V deployments.
- Backup replication to StoreOnce uses the Federation network if available. The management network will be used if federation network is not available. 10GbE is recommended for optimal performance but 1GbE is supported as well on the management network.
- A dedicated Catalyst store should be used for HPE SimpliVity backups. There are no limits on the number of Catalyst stores that can be configured within HPE SimpliVity.
- For better performance it is advised to create a Catalyst Store per SimpliVity cluster, for the best efficiency it is best to create 1 large Catalyst store used by all SimpliVity clusters.
My take:
This will be a huge game changer in the hyper-converged world…
HPE SimpliVity already was a great story towards our customers with the integrated backup with a less-than-1-minute restore guarantee of an entire VM (big stuff in a world of cryptolockers), now we can also offer long-term and air gapped backups outside the hyper-converged solution for both high-performance and/or cost-effective data protection… Sweet!
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