About Client Direct in NetBackup Direct-IO for SpanFS
Client Direct is a key optimization feature in NetBackup Direct-IO for SpanFS that enables backup clients to send data directly to the SpanFS storage cluster, bypassing the media server for the data path. This approach significantly enhances performance, reduces resource consumption on media servers, and improves scalability for backup and recovery operations.
In traditional OST implementations, backup data typically flows from the client to the media server, and then to the storage target. With Client Direct, NetBackup clients equipped with the Direct-IO OST plug-in can deduplicate and stream data directly to SpanFS, while the media server continues to manage job control and metadata.
In the initial release, Client Direct is supported on RHEL and Windows operating systems. Other platforms such as AIX require a media server to act as an intermediary.
Following are the primary advantages of using Client Direct in NetBackup Direct-IO for SpanFS:
Source-side deduplication: Reduces data volume before transmission, saving bandwidth and storage.
Improved Performance: Eliminates intermediate hops, resulting in faster backups and restores.
Reduced Media Server Load: Frees up media server resources for other tasks.
Scalable Recovery: Leverages SpanFS's distributed architecture for parallel recovery across cluster nodes.
The workflow:
The NetBackup media server initiates the backup job.
The client, equipped with the Direct-IO plug-in, deduplicates and streams data directly to SpanFS.
SpanFS distributes the data across its cluster using its View Domain architecture.
The media server manages job control and metadata but does not handle the data payload.