Avamar (formerly Avamar Axion, acquired by EMC in November of 2006), is a disk-based backup platform that utilizes centralized, redundant storage nodes controlled by a utility server (Linux-based), and client software components that reside on the individual machines (servers, desktops, laptops, etc.) to be backed up. The clients themselves can communicate with the central server/storage over LAN or WAN links, without requiring any hardware deployments to smaller remote offices. Larger remote offices, on the other hand, can leverage included replication technology; enabling them to backup their individual machines to a local Avamar server which can then be replicated to the central Avamar server/storage.

Multiple applications and operating systems are listed as specifically supported by the backup platform; including Windows, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX, Linux, Mac OS X, NetWare, Exchange, SQL Server, Oracle, DB2, NDMP for NAS Filers (NetApp and EMC Celerra), and VMware.

The key feature in Avamar is its global de-duplication technology; which the vendor states can reduce daily backup data up to 500X. The Avamar clients inspect the data to be backed up on the source machine--to the sub-file level (i.e., pieces of individual files)--with only those segments that are unique to the system being sent over the LAN/WAN for backup on the storage server. These de-duplication efforts are applied globally (global single instance storage) to all information stored by the platform. The Avamar storage methodology is such that the daily backup data is accessible as a full backup; and thus when recovering data there is no need to first restore the latest full backup and then progressively restore all subsequent incremental backups.

For VMware, backup proxies can be deployed at the Guest O/S, Service Console, or VCB proxy server levels; with the platform able to de-duplicate data within individual .vmdk files (i.e., backups send only the unique data within the .vmdk for backup). Restoration of data is then possible for the .vmdk as a whole, or for individual files within the virtual disk.

Storage nodes in the Avamar system can be deployed in redundant configurations (Redundant Array of Independent Nodes, or RAIN), with each additional node increasing the CPU horsepower, memory, and disk capacity for the entire grid. Automated load balancing and HA fault tolerance are also listed as features of the architecture.

Other features of the platform include encryption of backup data prior to transmission over the WAN/LAN (and the subsequent storage of encrypted data); twice-daily internal data integrity checks; and Web-based management.

New features in the latest release of Avamar include:

- Reporting and alerting features, including graphical server capacity trending and capacity extrapolation reports, and health checks/E-mail alerts (capacity full, etc.)

- Support for 256-bit AES encryption

- Support for certificate-based authentication

- Power loss management and server auto-restart features

Avamar is available now, and can be purchased as a combined hardware/software offering (dubbed Avamar Data Store), a software-only flavor, and as a VMware appliance (Avamar Virtual Edition for VMware). Pricing starts at $17,000 for 1 TB of de-duplicated disk backup capacity.

The new features described above are expected to be available on December 5, 2008.

Contact EMC for further information.

product submission by EITPlanet Staff

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