3.8 Using dynamic disks and volumes
Acronis True Image Enterprise Server supports Windows LDM (also called Dynamic Disks).
However, as dynamic disks are organized differently than basic, physical disk drives, their
backup has some peculiar features.
You can create an image of the entire dynamic disk or one or more dynamic volumes. This is
because a dynamic volume is located on several dynamic disks, so a partial backup would
not create a usable image.
The current version of the software is not capable of changing the volume size and file
system when an image is being restored to a dynamic volume. However, this is possible
when you restore a dynamic volume to a basic disk partition.
When you create a dynamic volume image, its type information (simple, mirror, and the like)
is lost, so the restoration is performed independently. In each case, the program stores and
restores volume contents only.
If a basic disk image is restored to a dynamic disk, it will destroy the dynamic disk’s
contents. As a result, you will end up with a basic disk.
If Acronis True Image Enterprise Server runs in rescue mode (for example, booted from
Bootable Rescue media), dynamic disks will be not accessible. Therefore, to be able to repair
a system partition, you must keep its image on a basic, network, or removable disk.
3.9 Backing up to tape drive
Acronis True Image Enterprise Server supports SCSI tape drives. It can store backups on the
tape and restore data from the tape, store large backups to multiple tapes, and append
incremental/differential changes to a tape with the existing archives.
If a SCSI tape drive is connected to the computer, controlling the backup process (i.e. where
you are running Acronis True Image Management Console or Acronis True Image Enterprise
Server local version) the list of devices available for backup storage will be extended with a
name corresponding to the drive type.
To place backup archives on a tape drive, connected to another network computer, install
Acronis Backup Server on that computer. Then a new device type Acronis Backup Server will
appear in the list of devices, and you will be able to access the tape under this device.
Backup and restore on the tape proceed in the same way as with other devices, with the
following exceptions.
1. A full backup can be stored on an empty tape only. If you use tape that already contains
data, its contents will be overwritten.
2. In case you want to keep more than one archive on the tape, for example, back up two
disks separately, choose
incremental
backup mode when creating initial
full
backup for the
second disk. In other situations, incremental backup is used for appending changes to the
previously created archive.
3. You do not have to provide filenames for backups.
You might experience short pauses that are required to rewind the tape.
Low-quality or old tape, as well as dirt on the magnetic head, might lead to pauses that can
last up to several minutes.
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