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In PowerStoreOS 3.5 and later, users can backup volumes and volume groups directly to a PowerProtect DD series appliance with Storage Direct, PowerStore’s native backup integration technology. This feature eliminates the requirement of a backup host because all backup traffic is offloaded to the storage appliances. After creating a remote system connection, PowerStore connects and transfers data to the PowerProtect DD appliance leveraging the DD Boost protocol as seen in the following figure.
Figure 31. PowerProtect DD Remote System type
The PowerProtect DD appliance can either be physical or PowerProtect DD Virtual Edition (DDVE). The DDVE is supported either on-premises or within a supported cloud provider. For a list of supported public cloud providers, review the PowerStore Simple Support Matrix on the Dell Technologies E-Lab Navigator.
Using PowerStore’s native snapshot technology, backups are initiated directly from PowerStore Manager. Backups are initiated through a new protection rule called Remote Backup Rules. This feature supports various operations that are outlined below, under Backup Sessions, Retrieve Sessions, Resources, and Instant Access Sessions. These options are found from the Protection > Remote Backup section of PowerStore Manager.
Figure 32. Protection > Remote Backup list view
Backup Sessions are created when a protection policy that contains a remote backup rule is assigned to a supported resource. Backup Sessions have the following operations:
Retrieve Sessions are remote backups that have been fetched from the PowerProtect DD appliance. Retrieving a backup can be initiated from the Protection > Remote Backup > Resources tab or from within the Protection tab of a volume or volume group that has been previously backed up. When a backup has been retrieved, users can manage the backup just like a snapshot (create a thin clone using snapshot, refresh using snapshot, or restore from snapshot). When finished with the Retrieve Sessions, users can:
Resources provides a list volumes and volume groups that have been backed up to the PowerProtect DD appliance. Resources have the following operations:
Instant Access Sessions allows hosts to access a volume or volume group snapshot directly from the PowerProtect DD appliance. This allows hosts to view the content of a snapshot without needing to retrieve it to the PowerStore system. Instant Access sessions can be created from the Protection > Remote Backup > Resources page, or from the Remote Snapshots tab within the Protection tab of a resource. The following option is available on the Instant Access Sessions tab:
Instant Access has the following restrictions:
Note: In PowerStoreOS 4.0, an enhancement to storage networks allows users to create multiple storage networks with defined purposes. When using Storage Direct, it is required that the Replication purpose only be added to a single storage network within the cluster. The Storage (iSCSI) purpose must also be assigned to the network with the replication purpose and be configured on a port/network that has connectivity to the remote PowerProtect appliance.