HP Data Protector software’s Zero Downtime Backup
and Instant Recovery
Advanced application protection through simplified snapshots.
Data sheet
Simplify snapshots
More than 41,000 customers around the world and
nearly half of the Global 500 rely on the HP Data
Protector software to protect their critical applications
and data. Data Protector simplifies application protection
in virtual and physical environments through a unified
recovery and advanced automation. Global, one‑touch
backup configuration and a wide range of disk-based
recovery options—including fully automated application
recovery—help you meet virtually any SLA.
Data Protector provides snapshot support for both
physical and virtual servers on HP and non-HP
arrays—including the P2000, P4000, HP 3PAR,
P6000, and P9000—as well as non-HP arrays, such
as EMC CLARiiON and Network Appliance. Data
Protector automatically detects new databases (such
as Microsoft or Oracle) and virtual machines prior to
beginning a backup. With a single click in the console,
Data Protector verifies that the snapshot configuration
you’ve deployed is automatically applied to new VMs
or databases as they come online. The snapshot and
advanced recovery functionality are enabled through the
Zero Downtime Backup and Instant Recovery extensions,
both of which are centrally managed through the Data
Protector console.
Address today’s application protection
challenges
Data Protector Zero Downtime Backup and Instant
Recovery help organizations meet stringent SLAs,
reduce backup windows, manage the growth of virtual
infrastructures, and reduce the IT staff time required to
manage backup and recovery success.
• Back up data as often as needed, without impacting
application performance.
• Utilize snapshot support in UNIX®, Microsoft ®
Windows®, and Linux environments, as well as for
today’s critical applications, including Microsoft
Exchange, SQL Server, and SharePoint, Oracle, SAP,
and more.
Customer stories
Discover how telecom solutions provider Iskratel
Group uses Data Protector snapshot functionality to
protect and restore data quickly.
h41112.www4.hp.com/promo/imhub/
data_protector/index4.html
Find this interesting? Click here to share.
• Initiate fully automated, down-to-the-second snapshot
and application recovery from a single console without
scripting (Figure 1).
• Improve IT staff time through a centralized
management of snapshots and replication across
physical and virtual environments, including VMware
vSphere 4.x, VMware Virtual Infrastructure 3.x,
Microsoft Hyper‑V, and Citrix Xen Server environments.
• Automatically detect and protect virtual machines, as
well as new Microsoft Exchange, SharePoint, Microsoft
SQL Server, and Oracle databases in physical or
virtual environments.
• Automatically apply snapshot policies to new virtual
machines, as well as databases such as Microsoft and
Oracle, as they change or come online.
• Manage from a centralized location a wide variety of
HP and non-HP storage, application, and third-party
data protection tools.
• Empower application administrators to recover
snapshots and single items directly through the
application administrator’s console, without contacting
the backup administrator (Data Protector Granular
Recovery Extension).
Data Protector snapshot extensions
Zero Downtime Backup
The Data Protector Zero Downtime Backup extension
delivers simple, affordable, array‑based snapshot
functionality, such as split‑mirror snapshots and
space‑efficient snapshots. Data Protector also supports a
generic VSS hardware provider, which works with VSS
compliant storage devices. In either case, Data Protector
leverages the array’s processing power to create a copy
of the data at very high speed. Data Protector then
performs backup operations on the copy, rather than
the original data. The entire process is synchronized
tightly with the application inside the physical or virtual
machine. Data Protector snapshot functionality is
available for UNIX, Windows, and Linux environments.
 Figure 1
Recover applications and data down to the second.

Simply enter the hour, minute, and second into the Data Protector console and automatically synchronize the last snapshot with any data recorded in the application
transaction logs.

The Zero Downtime Backup extension enables customers • Fully automated creation and rotation of mirrors or
to instantly copy data to disk and then, at their snapshots
convenience, back up that disk copy to tape. This staged • Application-aware protection; all application data
backup process enables business applications to stay is put into a consistent state before backups are
online 24x7 and maintain business-critical application performed
performance, all while protecting critical data (Figure 2).
• A choice of disk, tape, or a scheduled combination of
The incremental backup feature of the Zero Downtime
both to meet tiered recovery requirements
Backup extension provides file-level incremental
snapshots from the image to tape. Only changed files • Centralized control of the mirror specification
are copied to tape, reducing the backup volume. In • Protection of both the virtual machine and its
addition, Data Protector maintains snapshots on the disk application data with minimal performance impact
array for use by the Instant Recovery feature of Data
Protector. Snapshot functionality is supported on HP
storage arrays, including 3PAR, P2000, P4000, P6000
and P9000, as well as non-HP arrays from vendors such
as EMC and Network Appliance.

From the centralized Data Protector

console, you can:
Meet any SLA through snapshot and application
recovery, down to the exact second. Watch the demo:
h41112.www4.hp.com/promo/imhub/data_protector/
data-protector-62/index.html
Find this interesting? Click here to share.

2
 Figure 2
Snapshots reduce the backup window.

Instant Recovery
Data Protector Instant Recovery can recover the data in
mere seconds, automating the entire process to meet
even the most demanding recovery time objectives
(RTOs). Data Protector software has the ability to
Microsoft SQL access application transaction logs—where all of the
Server 2008 application’s transactions are recorded before they’ve
been processed and/or written to a data file—and fill in
SAP Microsoft Exchange the data gaps between snapshots. Data Protector then
Server 2007 synchronizes the application with the data and restarts
the application to the exact point in time—down to the
Oracle
second—requested by the backup administrator.
Unlike most other solutions, Data Protector does it
App App App all without scripting, which saves valuable time and
OS OS OS resources and avoids the possible errors associated with
manual solutions. Data Protector offers Instant Recovery
Hypervisor/host OS support for HP arrays, including the P4000, P6000, and
P9000. Data Protector provides snapshot support for
File HP 3PAR arrays today. Instant Recovery support for HP
3PAR is planned for a future release.
• Broad support for today’s mission-critical applications
such as Oracle, Microsoft, and SAP
• Point-in-time, automatic application recovery without
scripting
App • Data recovery is accelerated by switching the
OS FC application to a backup on disk
FC • Fully automated roll-forward of transaction logs for
consistent application recovery
• Rotation of mirrors, snapshots, or snapclones on a
pre-defined schedule

Image App
App Application only
Protecting applications in virtual server
App
App environments
To meet varying SLAs in today’s enterprise environment,
IT staff must be able to apply a variety of recovery
techniques across virtual servers, from single-item
recovery to advanced snapshot functionality. This
Rotate Restore becomes even more important as multiple hypervisors
are deployed throughout the organization and backup
administrators must manage backup and recovery across
physical servers as well as multiple hypervisors.

The backup window is virtually eliminated by array-based snapshots. Data is retrieved

directly from a local or remote image.

Manage snapshots across hypervisors

Manage physical and virtual backup, storage tools,
and 3rd party applications from one console.
http://h41112.www4.hp.com/promo/imhub/
data_protector/virtual-environments.html

Find this interesting? Click here to share.

3
 Figure 3
HP Data Protector Zero Downtime Backup reduces server overhead and improves restore time.

In this screenshot of Data Protector’s Zero Downtime Backup (Zero Downtime Backup) extension, the administrator is rotating three hardware copies for instant
recovery.

In addition, server performance and application
performance can be impacted when virtual
machines compete for host-server resources
during the backup process. In mission-critical
environments, where IT staff are typically running
10 to 20 virtual machines on a physical server,
it’s essential to lessen the performance impact of
a virtual server backup. While some hypervisors
have addressed this issue through the introduction
of new applications and tools, it remains
an issue in other virtual environments.
In a VMware environment, Data Protector’s Zero
Downtime Backup extension can dramatically speed
up recovery times and virtually eliminate the backup
window. Data Protector supports VMware vSphere
4.1 environments, as well as historical VMware
platforms such as Virtual Infrastructure. Data
Protector also supports key VMware functionality,
such as the vStorage API for Data Protection
(VADP), Distributed Resource Scheduler (DRS), and
vMotion to certify that all virtual machines
are protected as changes or additions occur.
Data Protector automatically detects new VMs
prior to beginning a backup. With a single click
in the console, Data Protector ensures that the
snapshot configuration you’ve deployed to protect
your virtual machines is automatically applied
to new VMs as they come online. In fact, no
matter what backup method you’re using, Data
Protector automatically detects the hypervisor and
appropriate backup method.
Integrating Data Protector into the VMware
infrastructure is straightforward and requires
the configuration of just a few components,
including the Data Protector Cell Manager and the
Virtualization Enterprise Integration Agent (VEIA).
The Data Protector cell manager is the system that
manages the media and information regarding
what was backed up as well as what is available
for restore. The Data Protector VEIA is a fully
integrated virtualization agent for both VMware
and Microsoft Hyper-V environments.

4
Note: Data Protector
supports virtually any
hypervisor. Data Protector
provides advanced
snapshot functionality for
VMware and Hyper-V
environments specifically
through the VEIA. Snapshot
support for Citrix XenServer
environments is also
supported.
The VEIA can easily be installed via the integrated
installation solution. The system on which this
VEIA is installed becomes the backup host and
manages the data transfer to the target devices
for backup and restore. In VMware environments,
IT staff have the ability to import Data Protector
into either a vCenter or an ESX server. This
simplifies management tasks by leveraging the
vCenter central administrative database, removing
the need to manage ESX servers individually.
The VEIA agent is consistent with the Data
Protector tradition of reducing agents to simplify
installation and use. Reducing agents, for example,
allows customers to avoid having many entries in
their software deployment screen. Using the Data
Protector VEIA agent, customers simply choose
VMware or Hyper-V from the drop-down menu
and push it out to their servers. This is the same
concept leveraged for the Data Protector online
application agents, which allow administrators to
select the application and install. This simplifies
the management and deployment of backup and
general release patch updates.
The Data Protector Zero Downtime Backup
snapshot functionality avoids server performance
degradation in a Hyper-V environment and
provides the ability to recover the virtual machine
and its application from an exact point in time–all
from one console. In a Hyper-V environment, you
have two options for installing the Data Protector
snapshot functionality. You may install the Zero
Downtime Backup agent in the parent partition,
which would oversee the execution of snapshots
on all the child partitions in that server. Or, you
may choose to install the agent in one or more
child partitions and therefore utilize the snapshot
functionality for specific applications. As with
VMware, Data Protector maintains snapshots on
the disk array for use by the Data Protector Instant
Recovery, which can recover the data in mere
seconds, automating the entire process to meet
even the most demanding RTOs.
Simplifying the backup workflow for
tiered recovery strategies
One of the most important components of a tiered
recovery strategy is the fast, flexible management
of snapshots. Data Protector provides the ability
for backup administrators to store snapshots
on disk or tape and schedule the movement of
snapshots from disk-to-disk-to-tape depending
upon your recovery requirements. You can do this
in a physical, virtual, or combined environment—
from one console. For applications with stringent
RPO/RTO requirements, Data Protector IR can
be leveraged to recover snapshots to the exact
second specified by the backup administrator.
Remote office protection
Backup administrators can use Data Protector
to automate the execution and movement of
snapshots within the same data center or campus
or across distributed geographies. This enables
IT staff to protect data in remote offices at from
a central location and easily move backed up
information to a central data center for disaster
recovery, testing, or data mining purposes.
For enterprise organizations that employ multiple
Data Protector Cell Managers across distributed
geographies, the Data Protector Manager of
Managers provides a single console through which
backup and recovery operations can be managed
across multiple cells worldwide. The Manager of
Managers distributes control to local administrators
while maintaining the ability to set overall policies
and monitor the entire environment. As a result,
corporate policies can be implemented without
encroaching on local control and responsibility,
while data protection and storage management
costs do not fluctuate.
5
 More power with HP Storage
Data Protector software provides sophisticated snapshot
integration with HP Storage arrays including 3PAR,
P2000, P4000, P6000, and P9000.
Centralized snapshot management with Data Protector
and HP 3PAR
Data Protector provides a central console through
which backup administrators can manage HP 3PAR
functionality, including the ability to initiate, schedule,
recover, and move 3PAR snapshots from disk to tape for
long-term storage. Leverage Data Protector to manage
3PAR snapshots as part of a single-console approach,
reducing the need for detailed knowledge of the storage
environment, as well as providing the ability to manage
backup and recovery across multiple storage tiers.
Data Protector identifies on which storage volumes the
desired backup objects are located. Data Protector then
requests the creation of a snapshot for each of those
volumes by using the 3PAR hardware provider. In 3PAR
terminology, this copy is a replica or a virtual copy
snapshot. The 3PAR storage system maintains integrity of
the data on the snapshots using copy-on-write technology.
After creation, the snapshot is presented to the backup
host. Data Protector can then maintain the snapshot on
disk for a desired period of time or stream the data to
tape according to a predefined schedule.
6
After backup of data to the tape device is completed,
Data Protector can hide the snapshot from the
backup host and delete it from the array. The backup
administrator can specify how many snapshots Data
Protector should retain on the array depending on the
recovery needs for each application. The oldest set of
virtual copies is deleted by Data Protector before starting
a new backup.
Affordable enterprise functionality with the HP Storage
P4000
Data Protector software offers sophisticated integration
with HP Storage P4000 SAN solutions. The architecture of
the iSCSI-based P4000 enables affordable deployment of
SAN architectures, because they can be quickly installed
in an existing Ethernet environment. Data Protector
leverages the Microsoft Volume Shadow Copy Service
(VSS) for integration with the Storage P4000.
Data Protector automates the recovery of P4000
snapshots and can restart the application from any point
in time. This process is fully automated within the Data
Protector console, which saves valuable seconds and
avoids the possible errors associated with scripting.
The P4000 SAN solutions are optimized for virtual
server environments and are based on a clustered
architecture with integrated replication capabilities.
Together with VMware and Microsoft Hyper-V, P4000
SANs offer simple and seamless high availability for
virtual machines across servers, storage, and sites.
P4000 snapshots offer space-efficient data recovery and
can be mounted on any server that accesses the SAN.
Data Protector Zero Downtime Backup and Instant
Recovery can be deployed with the P4000 to improve
backup efficiency, and lets you execute, manage, and
move snapshots to disk or tape. With the Zero Downtime
Backup extension, P4000 snapshot functionality can be
easily managed via the Data Protector console, which
runs on any Windows or Linux machine connected to
the network.
The combination of Data Protector snapshot functionality
and the P4000 achieves a highly cost-effective,
full-featured, and tightly integrated backup and
recovery solution, ideal for mid-market deployments of
applications such as Microsoft SharePoint, Exchange,
and SQL Server. It also provides an ideal resolution for
situations in which backups take too long and use too
many resources.
Integration with the HP Storage P6000 and P9000
disk arrays
The Data Protector software’s snapshot functionality is
also tightly integrated with the P6000 and the P9000 Disk
Array families (formerly EVA and XP). Data Protector is
fully aligned with the local and remote replication
array software, which runs on the arrays (HP Business
Copy and HP Continuous Access software). Business
Copy software takes snapshots (replicas) of the data
to be stored locally on the P9000 or P6000, while the
Continuous Access software enables array-to-array
replication for remote protection.
Data Protector utilizes this functionality to automate
the execution, movement, and overall management of
snapshots—it also allows the management of physical
and virtual backup operations–from a single console
(Figure 3).
As with the P4000, Data Protector can recover P6000
and P9000 snapshots from any point in time.
Data Protector automatically directs Continuous Access
to replicate the snapshots locally or on an HP array at
a remote location, depending on your organization’s
configuration and recovery needs. Snapshots can be
taken frequently, without impact to server performance,
to meet even the most stringent recovery objectives.
7

HP Services
The HP Backup & Recovery Solution Services provide customers
with improved speed and confidence in IT infrastructure deployment,
and prepare their IT staff and processes for operational success.
These services are a suite of scalable, clearly defined service
engagements that provide product and solution deployment
consistent with HP specifications. Solution Services help ensure
a successful implementation, improve the productivity of your
technical staff and allow your IT resources to stay focused on
their core tasks and business priorities.
• HP Software Support 24x7
–Same as above but with 24x7 phone-in assistance
• HP Software Engineering Days
–Technical assistance delivered either remotely or
on‑site by highly qualified and experienced support
personnel.
For more information on these support offerings, please
see www.hp.com/go/hpsoftwaresupport

For more information visit HP Software Education Services

www.hp.com/services/backup or contact your HP sales
representative or authorized business partner. HP Software Education Services provides comprehensive
curriculum for all HP software products. Visit:
www.hp.com/learn/hpsw
HP Software Support
HP Software provides a portfolio of support offerings to HP Financial Services
meet your individual business needs:
HP Financial Services provides innovative financing and
• HP Software Support 9x5 financial asset management programs to help customers
– 24x7 web-based intelligent response cost effectively acquire and manage HP solutions. Visit:
www.hp.com/go/hpfinancialservices
– Software discovery and license history
– Software patches, updates and upgrades
– Phone-in 9x5

Figure 4
HP Information Management HP Information Management—a holistic approach to simplify
the management and governance of enterprise information.
HP Data Protector software is a key component of the HP Information
MO
Management portfolio, addressing today’s most critical information E NI
TO
UR
issues and simplifying the management and governance of enterprise ncy Pro
PT icie

R
te
eff
CA
information. A holistic approach and framework that enables

cti
l
na

on
enterprises to capture, protect, monitor, retain, and find information,
Operatio

HP Information
HP solutions deliver the right information to the right person at the

PROTECT
a nc e
Management
right time.
FIND

ern
sin
ov
Bu

ess G
Insight

RETAIN

Reduce the cost of backup TCO up to 70 percent with a flexible licensing structure and centralized operations:
http://pro-aq-sama.houston.hp.com/enterprise/w1/en/software/information-management-data-protector.html

Get connected
www.hp.com/go/getconnected
Current HP driver, support, and security alerts
delivered directly to your desktop

© Copyright 2011 Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. The information contained herein is subject to change without notice. The only warranties
for HP products and services are set forth in the express warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be
construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

Microsoft and Windows are U.S. registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group.

4AA3-5594ENW, Created August 2011