About sharing storage

In environments that use the Backup Exec Central Admin Server Option (CASO) or the SAN Shared Storage Option (SSO), media servers can share storage. In an SSO environment or a CASO environment, Backup Exec maintains a database of the shared devices. Otherwise, the backup data that one server submits to the device can overwrite the data that another server submits. In a CASO environment, you can add a device to a central administration server, a managed media server, or both. Multiple media servers in a CASO environment can share a device.

Media servers can share the following types of storage:

  • Devices that are attached to an NDMP server

  • Deduplication storage folders

  • OpenStorage devices

  • Remote Media Agents

  • The remote agents that are configured to send data directly to a storage device

Note:

You can also share backup-to-disk devices. However, the process is different for backup-to-disk folders.

See Sharing an existing backup-to-disk folder.

When you add a storage device that supports sharing, you can select which media servers can access the device. The media server from which you added the storage device is enabled to share the device automatically. However, you can remove the sharing capability from that media server at any time. For example, if you add a storage device to a central administration server, then that server can use the device. However, if your environment does not allow the central administration server to operate as a managed media server, then you can remove the sharing capability from the central administration server.

If you have multiple media servers and storage devices in your environment, you can select a media server and manage the storage for it. You can enable and disable the storage devices that you want the media server to use.

More Information

Managing shared storage

Sharing the devices on an NDMP server between multiple media servers

Sharing a deduplication device between multiple media servers

Sharing a Remote Media Agent between multiple media servers

About sharing storage