Nimble Storage CS-Series arrays are available in two configurations. Each provides primary storage, plus capacity for 60-90 days of backup. The primary/backup split is flexible and fully configurable.

Nimble Protection Manager

All Nimble Storage arrays ship with built-in Nimble Protection Manager (NPM). NPM manages application-consistent backups for all application data residing on Nimble arrays, plus VM system-consistent backups and replicas for virtualized environments.

With NPM, pre-existing data protection policies (such as snapshot and replication schedules, retention goals, and cross-volume consistency) can be assigned to groups of data sets, and new policies can be easily created. NPM coordinates with an application to quiesce I/O, ensuring that the snapshot does not capture any in-progress writes. NPM uses Protection Set schedules to synchronize the snapshot with the application or virtual machine, enabling the application to immediately use the backup data without performing any extra recovery steps.

Backup integrity is automatically confirmed using database verification tools at pre-configured schedules. Data can be instantly restored from any available backup by selecting it from the management user interface, speeding up and simplifying application recovery. And for testing and development, a snapshot can be cloned instantly and used to verify an application’s compatibility with the system or to use with a new application.