About deduplication servers

Table: NetBackup deduplication servers describes the servers that are used for NetBackup deduplication.

Table: NetBackup deduplication servers

Host

Description

Deduplication storage server

One host functions as the storage server for a deduplication node; that host must be a NetBackup media server. The storage server does the following:

  • Writes the data to and reads data from the disk storage.

  • Manages that storage.

The storage server also deduplicates data. Therefore, one host both deduplicates the data and manages the storage.

Only one storage server exists for each NetBackup deduplication node.

You can use NetBackup deduplication with one media server host only: the media server that is configured as the deduplication storage server.

Load balancing server

You can configure other NetBackup media servers to help deduplicate data. They perform file fingerprint calculations for deduplication, and they send the unique results to the storage server. These helper media servers are called load balancing servers.

A NetBackup media server becomes a load balancing server when two things occur:

  • You enable the media server for deduplication load balancing duties.

    You do so when you configure the storage server or later by modifying the storage server properties.

  • You select it in the storage unit for the deduplication pool.

Load balancing servers also perform restore and duplication jobs.

Load balancing servers can be any supported server type for deduplication. They do not have to be the same type as the storage server.
About deduplication nodes

A media server deduplication node is a deduplication storage server, load balancing servers (if any), the clients that are backed up, and the storage. Each node manages its own storage. Deduplication within each node is supported; deduplication between nodes is not supported.

Multiple media server deduplication nodes can exist. Nodes cannot share servers, storage, or clients.