A virtual disk is a logical disk that you create on a storage array to provide virtual storage to the media server.

If you create a virtual disk with a tool other than the Storage Array Configuration Wizard, you must configure the virtual disk. After you configure a virtual disk, Backup Exec uses it as a destination device for jobs. Backup Exec automatically adds configured virtual disks to the All Virtual Disks device pool.

See Configuring a virtual disk on a storage array .

In the Storage Array Configuration Wizard, you specify the number of virtual disks to create from the physical disks that are in the storage array. The media server cannot access the physical disks. The media server can access only the virtual disks that you create.

Backup Exec uses a configured virtual disk in the same manner in which it uses a backup-to-disk folder. The media on a virtual disk appear as .bkf files.

Backup Exec does not assign a drive letter to the virtual disk. You cannot browse for a virtual disk or access it from a command prompt. Since you cannot browse to the virtual disk, you cannot back it up with Backup Exec. Symantec recommends that you create a duplicate backup data job to move the data from the virtual disk to another device. For example, you can move the data to a tape or to another virtual disk on a separate storage array.

You can configure three low disk space thresholds for the virtual disks. As available disk space reaches each threshold, Backup Exec sends an alert. When the available disk space on the virtual disk reaches the third threshold, the alert warns you to create more disk space immediately.

You can configure these thresholds as defaults that apply to all new virtual disks, or as defaults that apply to a specific virtual disk.