NDMP - Network Data Management Protocol

NDMP is an open standard protocol for network-based backup in a Network Attached Storage (NAS) environment. The goal of NDMP is to help address the problem of backing up networks of heterogeneous file servers, including dedicated file servers ("filers"), with any of several backup applications.

Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) technology provides centralized backup over an Ethernet network and reduces LAN traffic. With NDMP tape libraries and disk arrays become network attached devices by using file level backups. For more information visit www.ndmp.org.

One of the challenges that IT managers face today is how to attach or connect a SCSI tape library or other SCSI storage into shared addressable storage devices across an Ethernet IP-based network. One technology that allows this to happen is Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP). NDMP is a prominent protocol for the Network Attached Storage (NAS) environment

Starting from left to right in the above topology, the ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) provide the backup software that will reside on the server. This server will be attached through a Gigabit Ethernet connection to a Gigabit Ethernet Switch. Data will be backed up from the NAS filer through the Gigabit Ethernet Switch (utilising the ISV software on the server). At this point the data utilizes the NDMP protocol requiring an ATTO iPBridge 2500C/R/D to move the data from Gigabit Ethernet to SCSI for storage on a tape library.

The ATTO iPBridge 2500 C/R/D is a Gigabit Ethernet (GbE)-to-SCSI bridge product that offers organizations an affordable opportunity to reuse their existing SCSI storage devices in the NDMP network. The iPBridge is unique in its support of both the NDMP and iSCSI protocols offering distinctive opportunities and benefits when implementing IP SANs.