HP Data Protector Software Performance White Paper

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Glossary
cell
A set of systems that are under the control of a Cell Manager. The cell typically represents the
systems on a site or an organizational entity, which are connected to the same LAN.
Cell Manager
The main system in the cell where the essential software of Data Protector is installed and from
which all backup and restore activities are managed.
CSI (Command Screen Interface)
A non-graphical user interface which is based on a menu structure.
DAS (Direct Attached Storage)
DAS is a digital storage system directly attached to a server or workstation, without a storage
network in between.
Disk Agent (DA)
A Data Protector component needed on a client to back it up and restore it. The Disk Agent
controls reading from and writing to a disk. During a backup session, the Disk Agent reads data
from a disk and sends it to the Media Agent, which then moves it to the device. During a restore
session the Disk Agent receives data from the Media Agent and writes it to the disk.
EIDB (Enhanced Incremental Database)
Conventional incremental backup backs up files that have changed since a previous backup, but
has certain limitations in detection of changes. Unlike conventional incremental backup,
enhanced incremental backup reliably detects and backs up also renamed and moved files, as
well as files with changes in attributes.
GUI (Graphical User Interface)
The Data Protector GUI is a cross-platform (HP-UX, Solaris, Windows) graphical user interface,
for easy access to all configuration, administration, and operation tasks.
HBA (Host Bus Adapter)
A host bus adapter connects a host system (the computer) to other network and storage
devices.
IDB (Internal Database)
The Data Protector IDB is an internal database, located on the Cell Manager, that keeps
information regarding what data is backed up, on which media it resides, the result of backup,
restore, copy, object consolidation, and media management sessions, and which devices and
libraries are configured.
LAN (Local Area Network)
A computer network covering a small geographic area, like a home, office, or group of buildings.
MA (Media Agent)
A Data Protector process that controls reading from and writing to a device, which reads from or
writes to a medium (typically a tape). During a backup session, a Media Agent receives data
from the Disk Agent and sends it to the device for writing it to the medium. During a restore
session, a Media Agent locates data on the backup medium and sends it to the Disk Agent. The
Disk Agent then writes the data to the disk. A Media Agent also manages the robotics control of
a library.
PCIe (PCI Express)
PCI Express, officially abbreviated as PCIe (and sometimes confused with PCI Extended, which
is officially abbreviated as PCI-X), is a computer system bus/expansion card interface format.
SAN (Storage Area Network)
An architecture to attach remote computer storage devices such as disk array controllers and
tape libraries to servers in such a way that to the operating system the devices appear as locally
attached devices.