NetWorker - Backup software

Business-Critical Data Protection

Product Overview

NetWorker protects the critical business data of more than 10,000 enterprise customers worldwide by simplifying, centralizing, and automating backup and recovery operations across Unix, Windows, Linux and NetWare platforms in DAS, NAS, and SAN storage environments. Built upon an open, highly scalable client-server architecture, NetWorker reduces management overhead by providing "lights out" protection of storage assets in the largest corporate data centers and the smallest satellite branch offices.

With NetWorker, companies and organizations can standardize on one application to provide complete, fast, and reliable protection of business-critical information across a heterogeneous enterprise, resulting in lower downtime costs, less management overhead, and greater ROI of storage resources.

NetWorker Editions

There are currently 4 different editions of Networker with varying features and characteristics for different types of customers. These different editions will adapt from an enterprise type customer with very large servers, clustered environments, serverless backups, etc.. to small networks in corporate environments such as remote branch offices, mixed operating system environments, and new system deployments within growing enterprises.

All editions offer a scalable backup protection solution, "Hot" DataBase backup options, varied client platforms and a host of other features and options.

Browse below to view more details about each edition.

  • NetWorker Power
    NetWorker Power Edition is ideal for customers with very large servers, deploying clustering technologies, or with requirements to drive high-speed devices.
  • NetWorker Network
    NetWorker Network Edition is a backup and storage management solution for enterprise networks, supporting options that add client connections, and deliver advanced data management services.
  • NetWorker Business
    NetWorker Business Edition is an entry-level version of NetWorker targeted at the heterogeneous workgroup, departmental and small-business environment, protecting a wide variety of operating system platforms including Solaris, HP-UX, Tru64, IRIX, AIX, Linux and MS Windows (including clients for Windows XP Professional)
  • NetWorker Workgroup
    NetWorker Workgroup Edition is a high-performance storage management solution for small networks in corporate environments, and ideally suited for remote branch offices, mixed operating system environments.

Features and Benefits
Centralized, Automated Protection for Heterogeneous Enterprise

    Supports wide range of backup platforms, clients, storage systems, file systems, volume managers

    Protect terabytes of information for hundreds / thousands of networked servers and workstations

    Standardize on one application to protect the largest data centers and the smallest branch offices

    Minimize downtime costs, reduce management overhead, increase ROI of storage resources

Robust, Scalable Client-Server Architecture

    Tape interoperability between Unix, Windows, and Linux backup platforms, increasing disaster recovery and platform migration capabilities

    Advanced indexing architecture eliminates risk of corruption, speeds file recovery

    Recover data without admin assistance

    Single meta data index simplifies management, increases resiliency

    Separate browse and retention policies

NetWorker DiskBackup

    Backup unlimited NetWorker Clients directly to disk and increase backup performance.

    Recover individual files directly from online disk to reduce downtime.

    Automated tape cloning and staging from the disk to tape for "off-site" disaster recovery.

    Single-step file recovery directly from tape to client in the case of a disaster

    Supports all disk storage devices including NetApp NearStore R100

Fully Leverage LAN, SAN, and WAN Connectivity

    Perform full, incremental, and differential backups of local and remote data

    Flexible, scalable backup and recovery capabilities

    Dynamically expand capacity adding client connections, storage nodes, and storage devices

Superior Performance for Fast Backup and Recovery

    Scalable to 512 backup streams in parallel

    Built-in data multiplexing and data compression

    Automatically consolidate incrementals into new full

    Optional disk-to-disk backup or staging to disk

    Extensive support for high-speed tape drives, libraries, and silos

Advanced Media Management

    Native library sharing

    Dynamic drive sharing in SANs between backup server, storage nodes, NDMP NAS, and in clusters

    Automated media handling, cartridge cleaning, electronic labeling, bar codes, media verification

    Clone tapes with or without multiplex consolidation

Maximize Network and Application Service Levels

    Perform "hot" backups to maintain user access

    Storage Nodes provide load sharing and LAN-free protection in DAS and SAN environments

    Serverless backup frees enterprise from impact of data protection operations

Database, Messaging, ERP Protection for 24x7 Environments

    Modules provide online protection and granular recovery

    Oracle, Sybase, Informix, Microsoft SQL Server, IBM DB2, EMC Symmetrix for Oracle

    Microsoft Exchange Server, Lotus Notes/Domino

    SAP R/3 on Oracle, EMC Symmetrix for SAP R/3 on Oracle

Cluster-Aware for High Availability

    Complete support for backing up clustered Application servers on Unix, Linux, and Windows

    NetWorker Server can be clustered as well to ensure reliable data backup and restore

    Clustering applications supported include Sun Cluster, Microsoft Cluster, HP Multi-Computer ServiceGuard and TruCluster, IBM HACMP, and Automated Availability Manager (AAM)

    NetWorker Dynamic Drive Sharing (in a SAN) compatible with HP TruCluster and Microsoft Cluster Services

Enterprise-class NAS Protection via NDMP

    Windows, Solaris, HP-UX or Linux backup server flexibility

    Backup locally, 3-party, or remotely to Unix-attached library, ATL GigE library or over SAN

    Direct Access Restore (DAR) speeds recovery of NDMP-based backups!


Frequently Asked Questions about NetWorker

How are Storage Nodes licensed?

Storage Nodes are licensed on a per-node basis and are affiliated with a single NetWorker server (as a client). Before adding a remote device to run on a Storage Node, a Storage Node enabler must be entered on the server running NetWorker. If the Storage Node is applied to a computer running a different OS than the NetWorker server, the appropriate ClientPak enabler must also be entered.

When Should a Storage Node be Added Instead of Another NetWorker Server? As long as there is adequate network reliability for the Storage Node and NetWorker server to communicate, the addition of a Storage Node is possible. Reasons for adding a Storage Node apply in scenarios such as these:

  • backing up clients that need to cross a switch to get their data to a NetWorker server but still need to talk to the server for central indexes
  • the bandwidth of the network cannot handle the amount of data that would need to be transferred to a single NetWorker server
  • the need to backup and recover large data volumes without installing another server that would consume scarce resources
  • designating a remote storage node for off-site storage with the ability to perform recovers locally
  • the need to move media from device to device inside a data zone while maintaining the integrity of the metadata so that tapes are recognized and not overwritten
  • the need for the flexibility to back up machines over the network and perform restores locally

What are the Benefits of Using Multi-tiered Storage Management With NetWorker?

The built-in multi-tiered staging capability of NetWorker 5 allows you to first backup, archive and recover data to high speed disk devices. This can significantly increase the speed of backup, archive, and HSM storage management operations. Several pre-defined policies can manage the capacity of this intermediate disk storage to move backup and archive data to slower and less expensive media. Multi-tiered operations support the ability to automatically move data from any one media or device to another, based on customer specified thresholds.

How Are Clients of Different Operating Systems Managed by a NetWorker Server?

NetWorker works on Windows NT, UNIX, and NetWare server platforms and protects data in mixed client environments. NetWorker servers provide a pre-configured number of client connections and client software for the server operating system. In order to protect a different operating system than the server, such as Windows NT, OS/2, NetWare, Macintosh, or another UNIX system, you must purchase the appropriate ClientPak, and any additional client connections you may require. All ClientPak software is supported via TCP/IP.

How Can I Centralize Administration Tasks?

Two ways. A NetWorker administration console can safely and reliably administer any number of NetWorker servers for which it has been given access. In addition, if Storage Nodes are installed, then a single NetWorker server administration console can administer multiple storage devices attached to multiple machines.

What is the NetWorker OpenTape Format?

The NetWorker OpenTape format is the only media format that is secure, self-describing and supports high-performance, multiplexed back-up, recover, archive and HSM storage management functions. In addition, NetWorker OpenTape can be used on any operating system, which allows any NetWorker tape to be used by any NetWorker server. Secure refers to the ability to continue the recover function through bad sections of media. Tar and its variants do not have this capability. Self describing refers to the tape's ability to tell an application what is contained on the media without having to copy the information from tape into a file system or database.

What Are The Benefits of The New XDSM DMAPI Compliant Implementation of NetWorker HSM Client?

NetWorker HSM Client is compliant with the new XDSM Data Management API (XDSM DMAPI). XDSM DMAPI will allow NetWorker HSM Client to operate in a non-kernel intrusive fashion, protecting corporate IT departments who will need to update operating systems and file systems in the future. NetWorker HSM Client performs "segmented file migration" using the XDSM protocols. This allows users to operate on a small portion of the file residing online (the "fingerprint") without requiring a file recall from offline storage unless the end-user or application reads past the end of the fingerprint file.