UNIX Filesystems: Evolution, Design, and Implementation

Summary

There are numerous different ways in which backups can be taken. For smaller environments, a simple snapshot with standard UNIX utilities may suffice. For larger environments with multiple servers and large disk farms, this simple approach doesn't scale and enterprise backup systems are needed. [BAR02] provides a detailed account of how enterprises perform backups, together with an overall account of how storage area networks are employed.

Features such as VxFS storage checkpoints which are not just persistent, but also writable, allow a host of different types of new applications.