Just had a read of Integrating Acronis with ReadyNAS. This is interesting. It sounds interesting. I'm curious as to why a storage node is needed to allow deduplication? Why can't a backup direct to the ReadyNAS involve deduplication?
What specs would a storage node need? What OS would it need to run? Could I repurpose an old SBS 2003 server (wiping it and installing Server 2003, I guess) to use it as a storage node?
If the storage node failed would I still be able to recover deduplicated data?
I currently use Symantec Backup Exec. Is it possible to use deduplication and backup to a ReadyNAS using this?
Deduplication is a great way to save space when backing up data and it also helps minimize the amount a internet traffic required to move data to a secondary location when using "ReadyNAS Replicate" between devices. However, with efficiencies come some overhead.
The Storage Node server in an Acronis solution is tasked with the responsibility of calculating what data is unique and what data is common. The storage node server holds a database of all checksumed data, which it uses to make the decision on which data can be ignored and which data is new and unique, everytime a backup runs. The storage node also makes the decision on which data within a Vault (example: ReadyNAS Pro Family) is no longer needed within a vault (pruning operation).
This means all the agents on your servers need to pass data to the storage node first before they are written to the NAS and when it does get written, it will save you lots of space.
