Yes we are listening. Some "other" systems do use non proprietary backup implementations with standard TAR formats. Unfortunately the backup companies dictate the format for enterprise level backup solutions. NDMP is not a real solution for enterprise level backups, but it the only implementation currently available for NAS systems. MO

-----Original Message----- From: owner-toasters@mathworks.com [mailto:owner-toasters@mathworks.com]On Behalf Of Marion Hakanson Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2001 1:14 PM To: Karen Schoenbauer Cc: Fayek, Ahmed; veritas-bu@mailman.eng.auburn.edu; 'dl-ndmp-users@mentor.com'; toasters@mathworks.com Subject: Re: [Veritas-bu] NDMP restores

Karen wrote:

NDMP restoresNDMP restores can only be restored to the same NAS vendor

type.

So if I did an NDMP backup to a NAS vendor box called NetApp1, I can run a restore to NetApp2 as longs both boxes are NetApps. You can not restore a NDMP backup to a solaris box or to a different NAS vendor.

Actually, that doesn't hold true for all NAS systems. With BudTool, one can restore NetApp NDMP backups to a Solaris host using "ufsrestore", although you lose the CIFS (NT) ACL's. I've done this on several occasions, and it's a side benefit of BudTool's philosophy of using the OS/vendor native backup utility and writing that image to tape. Yes, you do need the vendor's software to do a restore, but you don't even need BudTool, if you're sufficiently prepared.

Personally, I'd rather see NAS systems adopt something like the relatively accessible POSIX-tar-compatible format that QuickRestore uses. Then one could use GNU tar or "pax" as a fall-back, and one would have a lot less trouble with the problem of long-term archival. Anybody out there listening?

Regards,

-- Marion Hakanson hakanson@cse.ogi.edu CSE Computing Facilities