HP DL320s - ProLiant 9TB SATA Storage Server NAS, User Manual

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of snapshots is the ability to instantly recover data from shadow copies, reducing the number of times
needed to restore data from tape.
Shadow copy planning
Before setup is initiated on the server and the client interface is made available to end users, consider the
following:
• From what volume will shadow copies be taken?
• How much disk space should be allocated for shadow copies?
• Will separate disks be used to store shadow copies?
• How frequently will shadow copies be made?
Identifying the volume
Shadow copies are taken for a complete volume, but not for a speci fi c directory. Shadow copies
work best when the server stores user fi les, such as documents, spreadsheets, presentations, graphics,
or database fi les.
NOTE:
Shadow copies should not be used to provide access to previous versions of application or e-mail
databases.
Shadow copies are designed for volumes that store user data such as home directories and My Documents
folders that are redirected by using Group Policy or other shared folders in which users store data.
Shadow copies work with compressed or encrypted
fi les and retain whatever permissions were set on the
fi les when the shadow copies were taken. For example, if a user is denied permission to read a fi le,
that user would not be able to restore a previous version of the fi le, or be able to read the fi le after
it has been restored.
Although shadow copies are taken for an entire volume, users must use shared folders to access shadow
copies. Administrators on the local server must also specify the
\\servername\sharename
path to
access shadow copies. If administrators or end users want to access a previous version of a fi le that does
not reside in a shared folder, the administrator must fi rst share the folder.
NOTE:
Shadow copies are available only on NTFS, not FAT or FAT32 volumes.
Files or folders that are recorded by using Shadow Copy appear static, even though the original data is
changing.
Allocating disk space
When determining the amount of space to allocate for storing shadow copies, consider both the number
and size of fi les that are being copied, as well as the frequency of changes between copies. For
example, 100 fi les that only change monthly require less storage space than 10 fi les that change daily. If
the frequency of changes to each fi le is greater than the amount of space allocated to storing shadow
copies, no shadow copy is created.
Administrators should also consider user expectations of how many versions they will want to have
available. End users might expect only a single shadow copy to be available, or they might expect three
days or three weeks worth of shadow copies. The more shadow copies users expect, the more storage
space administrators must allocate for storing them.
Setting the limit too low also affects backup programs that use shadow copy technology because these
programs are also limited to using the amount of disk space speci fi ed by administrators.
HP ProLiant Storage Server 45