July 2005 - This FAQ has been updated to include information about the new Snap EDR Advanced License bundle, and Snap EDR Express license for Snap Server replication.
General FAQ's
Technology FAQ's
General FAQ's
Q. What is the Adaptec Snap Enterprise Data Replicator (Snap EDR)?
Adaptec customers now have a very high-end, yet affordable, software solution for efficiently and cost-effectively replicating, distributing, and managing business-critical data heterogeneously across server platforms (GuardianOS-powered Snap Servers, UNIX, Linux, and Windows). Designed for the distributed enterprise with multiple servers, remote locations, or branch offices -- Snap EDR provides critical functionality for backup, disaster recovery, and compliance operations.
Q. What is the difference between the three different licenses (Snap EDR, Snap EDR Express and Snap EDR Advanced)?
The Snap Enterprise Data Replicator (Snap EDR) product suite is a powerful data availability, data protection, and data management product suite. The product suite is fully integrated, and can be upgraded without disrupting any existing operations. The features are license key activated for easy product upgrades.
Every product in the Snap EDR product suite incorporates tiered security and is network optimized with intelligent differential copy, bandwidth throttling and up-to-the minute scheduling. Centralized management ensures that the entire product suite can be easily managed from a single network accessible web-based GUI.
The table below provides a high level comparison of the features available to each of the products in the Snap EDR product suite.
| |
|
Snap EDR Express |
Snap EDR |
Snap EDR Advanced |
| |
# Agents Supported |
2* |
Unlimited |
Unlimited |
| Product Compatibility |
GuardianOS Snap Servers |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Windows / Linux / Unix |
|
Yes |
Yes |
| Data Movement |
Replicate |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
| Distribute |
|
Yes |
Yes |
| Aggregate |
|
Yes |
Yes |
| Data Management |
Consolidated Backup |
|
|
Yes |
| Data Inventory |
|
|
Yes |
| Data Archive |
|
|
Yes |
| Ideal For: |
|
Snap Server Disaster Recovery |
Disaster
Recovery |
Centralized Backup and Recovery |
| |
|
Data Consolidation and Distribution |
Information Lifecycle Management |
*Note: The management console includes an agent and is counted in this total.
Q. What market is Adaptec addressing with Snap EDR?
Adaptec data replication software addresses the growing need for enterprise-class data management software for efficient, reliable, and highly available storage infrastructures for distributed enterprises. Key application areas that this software addresses are - disaster recovery, centralized backup, data distribution, and compliance.
Q. How does Snap EDR work?
Snap EDR uses an agent-based approach, with agents on each server that has data to be moved to or from it. These agents are controlled by a centralized management console which provides the scheduling, monitoring and policy management for the agents. The agents execute the rules set up on the central manager to replicate and manage data, collect profiles on disk usage, track file locations, and perform other key functions. The functions that are enabled for each agent are controlled by the license that has been applied to the management console.
Q. What platform is supported with Snap EDR Express?
GuardianOS 3.1 and higher (Supports all Snap Servers that can run GOS 3.1.079 or later)
Q. What platforms are supported with Snap EDR and Snap EDR Advanced?
GuardianOS 3.1 and higher (Supports all Snap Servers that can run GOS 3.1.079 or later)
AIX 4.3, 5.1, 5.2
Solaris 5.7, 5.8
HP-UX 11.x, 11i
Fedora Linux, RedHat Linux 7.2, 7.3, Enterprise Linux 2.1 or 3.0, or SUSE LINUX 8.2 and 9.0
Windows 2000 (with SP2 or higher), Windows 2003,Windows Server Appliance Kit (SAK) 2.01, or Windows XP
Q. Why doesn't Snap EDR Express support other operating systems?
Snap EDR Express was introduced as a cost-effective disaster recovery solution for businesses that only wanted cost effective replication for Snap Servers, but needed better performance than Adaptec Server-to-Server Synchronization v2 (S2S) could provide. Snap EDR Express can easily be upgraded to Snap EDR as business needs change and grow.
Q. Does Snap EDR require a Snap Server?
A customer must have at least one GuardianOS-powered Snap Server in their network to function as the Snap EDR Management Console. Snap EDR can copy files between all supported operating systems. (See Technical Notes for details regarding file security permissions)
Q. What are the main features of Snap EDR Express?
- Centralized, automated, asynchronous replication of Snap Server data
- Raises-the-bar in replication software
- Tiered security model delivers more robust data security
- Policy-based replication eases data management complexity
- Flexible scheduling to meet data available service levels
- Web-based management for distributed access to centralized management
- Effective replication over high-latency networks improves network availability
Q. What are the main features of Snap EDR and Snap EDR Advanced?
- Centralized, automated, asynchronous replication of corporate-wide remote data
- Support heterogeneous systems: GuardianOS, Windows, UNIX, and Linux
- Raises-the-bar in replication software
- Tiered security model delivers more robust data security
- Policy-based replication eases data management complexity
- Flexible scheduling to meet data available service levels
- Web-based management for distributed access to centralized management
- Effective replication over high-latency networks improves network availability
- Delivers Advanced Data Management Capabilities
- Central backups of remote data saves storage costs, easily, securely and reliably
- Ensures that data is retained for exactly as long as it is needed?no stale data cluttering valuable storage resources
- Provides the information needed to easily manage data assets
Q. How are the licenses purchased?
Snap EDR is available for ordering in both the US and in Europe and can be purchased either through a distributor, reseller, or directly through the Adaptec webstore.
Q. Can customers upgrade their existing S2S installations to Snap EDR?
No. S2S v2 and Snap EDR are completely different replication products from different sources. They do not work together, and there are no plans for them to.
Q. How does this software differ from the Adaptec Snap S2S v2 software?
Snap EDR offers significantly more data management functionality than S2S v2. Additionally, Snap EDR is a higher-performance solution, with better network bandwidth capabilities and enhanced security options. S2S v2 is an entry-level solution with a base level of features at an even lower price point.
Technology FAQ's
Q. What are the major differences between Snap EDR and S2S v2?
Snap EDR, with its enhanced security and data management offerings, is an enterprise-class replication solution that will meet the needs of distributed business of any size. S2S Synchronization v2 is designed to meet the needs of more cost-conscious businesses for data replication between servers, whose environments may not require the extra performance and network security that Snap EDR provides.
| Feature |
Snap Enterprise
Data Replicator |
S2S Synchronization v2 |
| Performance |
3x Faster Initial!
6x Faster Incremental! |
Baseline Initial and Incremental Sync |
| Data Movement |
Replicate,
Distribute,
Aggregate |
Replicate |
| Advanced Data Management |
Yes |
|
Consolidated
Backup |
Yes |
|
Remote Data
Archive |
Yes |
|
Remote Data
Inventory |
Yes |
|
| Certificate Authentication |
Yes |
|
| Encryption |
64 bit, 128 bit |
64 bit |
| Platform |
GuardianOS Windows, Linux, UNIX |
GuardianOS SnapOS (TBA) |
| Bandwidth Throttling |
Yes |
|
| Byte Level Incremental |
Yes |
Files >10MB |
| Compression |
Yes |
Yes |
| Schedule Frequency |
1 Minute |
1 Minute |
| Replication Granularity |
Files |
Files |
Q. What are the main components for the Snap EDR software?
The main components are the Management Console and Replication Agents.
All of the centralized control, scheduling and monitoring occurs on the management console, a web-based application that can be accessed from anywhere on the network. There is only one management console per replication setup, and it must be installed on a GuardianOS-based Snap Server.
The agents are responsible executing the data movement, and are installed on each server that has data moving to or from it (the management console includes an agent as well). Once the agent is installed and authenticated to the management console, there is no additional maintenance to be done on the agent servers.
Q. Byte-level incremental replication - How does it work?
As the replication begins, the source file is compared with the target file, checking file size and modification date to determine if the file needs to be moved at all. If it does, then the file is compared in smaller blocks or chunks, and only those that have changed are moved over the network.
Q. When does Snap EDR use byte-level replication over file-level replication?
This is a user-configurable setting, so that the administrator can choose whether to move whole files, or only bytes of files.
Q. What about file security and access permissions? Does Snap EDR replicate these?
Yes, when replicating files between like platforms (i.e., Windows to Windows, or Linux to Linux), all directory and file security settings, permissions and attributes are preserved. When replicating files between dissimilar platforms (i.e., from a GuardianOS server to a Windows, UNIX, or Linux server, etc.), the retention of file security and access permissions is very dependent on what the underlying operating system will support, as well as the existing environment. Refer to the Administration Guide for additional details.
Q. How does Bandwidth Throttling work?
During the job creation, the administrator can set the actual send rate for data over the network, either by choosing a percentage of the available network pipe, or by setting the bits-per-second rate directly. The software will then throttle back the transmission rate to that setting.
Q. What kind of Encryption do we use?
The user has the option of choosing several levels of encryption; off, 56 bit (DES) or 128 bit (AES). The fastest choice over an internal network is to turn encryption off.
Q. Open File support: Is it really open file support or is it open file retry?
The user has the option to either skip files that are open at the time of replication, or to stop the replication job with an error. If the file is skipped, it will be retried at the next scheduled replication.
We have tested Snap EDR with St. Bernard OFM, and this option is supported (officially it is supported with Signiant Mobilize, but the compatibility exists).
Q. iSCSI Volumes - Can they be replicated on the Snap Server?
No. Snap EDR replicates file data, not block data. So using the replication agent on the Snap Server will not work for iSCSI volumes natively. However, the iSCSI volumes can be replicated from the host that is mounting the iSCSI volume for data storage. This is also supported for the block storage FC and iSCSI products from Adaptec.