> So there are a couple of features that are all add-on licenses to vxfs
> even though the functionality is there by default.
> 
> 1) Checkpoints are done on a filesystem basis. A common use of this
> feature is putting a DB in backup mode, then taking a checkpoint which
> is pretty quick ( 1 - 2 seconds ), then taking the DB out of backup
> mode.
> 
> The checkpoint really just creates a block map of the filesystem, then
> any subsequent writes to that filesystem occur as normal, but then a
> copy-on-write operation occurs to another area on the disk. pointers
> are established and maintained in the block map to the old data in
> case a roll back occurs.
> 
> Multiple checkpoints can be done for point and time recovery to
> different exact times.


So how is this different that snapshots? Why do you have to license it
seperately if you could do this with VxFS natively? Is there something
obvious that I'm missing?

> BLIB - block-level incremental backups
> 
> I think this feature actually became available before checkpoints.
> 
> It allows you to backup change blocks only in a file and provides the
> glue/api for Netbackup to do it. Therefore it requires VxFS and
> Netbackup.

So this is a seperate license for NetBackup or for VxFS? How do you
implement such a thing? Does it require use of a bpstart_notify script, or
is there an agent that Veritas Provides?

        -- Cheers
        -- James