> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.storware.eu/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.storware.eu/glossary.md). # Glossary ## Glossary This glossary explains the key terms used when configuring and operating Storware Backup & Recovery. The availability of individual features depends on the protected platform, backup strategy, and backup destination. ### Components and Infrastructure | Term | Definition | | ----------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Server** | The central management component of Storware Backup & Recovery. It provides the web UI and API, manages configuration and schedules, and coordinates tasks performed by Nodes. | | **Node** | The component that performs data-processing tasks, including backup, restore, and backup mounting. It runs on a physical or virtual machine and requires access to the relevant sources, backup destinations, and any staging space used by the selected workflow. | | **Node Configuration** | A shared set of settings for one or more Nodes, including task concurrency limits, timeouts, and available backup destinations. Nodes using the same configuration must have the access and operating system configuration required to perform the assigned tasks. | | **Protected Entity** | An object selected for protection, such as a virtual machine, container workload, application, storage volume, or system protected by an OS Agent. The object type depends on the integration. | | **Instance** | An object discovered in a connected environment and displayed in the inventory, such as a virtual machine or storage instance. Discovery alone does not mean that the object has a backup or an assigned policy. | | **Hypervisor** | A host or virtualization layer that runs virtual machines. Hypervisors can be added directly or discovered through a Hypervisor Manager, depending on the platform. | | **Hypervisor Manager** | A management system used to discover and manage a virtualization environment, including its hypervisors and virtual machines. | | **Cluster** | A grouping discovered in a connected environment, such as a host cluster, server pool, or availability zone. Its meaning depends on the platform. | | **Storage** | Storage resources discovered in the protected environment, such as datastores, storage repositories, or storage domains. These hold production workloads and are distinct from Storware backup destinations. | | **Storage Provider** | A storage platform connected to Storware Backup & Recovery that exposes objects for protection, such as volumes, volume groups, or file systems. | | **Inventory Synchronization** | A task that discovers objects in a connected environment and updates their information in Storware Backup & Recovery. It does not create backups. | | **OS Agent** | A component installed inside a protected operating system to perform agent-based data protection. | | **High Availability (HA)** | A deployment arrangement designed to maintain service availability when a component fails. In an active/passive Storware deployment, a standby Server takes over the service endpoint when the active Server becomes unavailable. | ### Backup Storage | Term | Definition | | -------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Backup Destination** | A configured storage target where backup data is retained and from which it can be restored. It may use a file system, object storage, or another supported storage integration and must be accessible to the assigned Nodes. | | **Staging Space** | Temporary working storage used by a Node during backup, restore, or mounting operations. Depending on the workflow, it can hold exported data before storage, data being merged for restore, or files needed to mount a backup. It is not the location intended for long-term backup retention. | | **Synthetic Backup Destination** | A destination that combines existing backup data with incremental changes to provide a complete view of each recovery point. Supported storage mechanisms reuse unchanged data, so a complete view does not require a separate physical copy of every unchanged block. | | **Primary Backup Destination** | The initial destination selected for backups in a policy. It can also act as the source for synchronization to a secondary destination. | | **Secondary Backup Destination** | An additional destination that receives copies of backups from a primary destination. It has its own retention settings. | | **Backup Synchronization** | A task that copies backup data from a primary backup destination to a secondary backup destination according to the configured policy. | | **Deduplication** | A storage technique that reduces space usage by storing repeated data once and referencing it from multiple locations or backups. | | **Retention** | Rules that determine how long backups are kept and how many versions are retained. When age and version-count limits are both configured, either can make a backup eligible for removal. Backup dependencies and protection settings can delay deletion. | | **Retention Lock** | A storage-enforced restriction that prevents protected backup data from being deleted or modified until a specified time. Shortening the backup policy retention does not shorten an existing storage lock. | | **S3 Object Lock** | An object-storage feature that protects object versions against deletion or replacement for a defined retention period, subject to the configured lock mode and permissions. | | **Immutable Backup** | A backup protected against modification or deletion by a file-system or storage protection mechanism. The strength of the protection and the ability to remove it depend on the mechanism and administrative permissions. | ### Backup Methods and Data Processing | Term | Definition | | --------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Backup Strategy** | The method used to access and transfer data from a protected platform, such as disk attachment, image export, or SSH transfer. It determines the available backup operations and infrastructure requirements. | | **Full Backup** | A backup containing all data included in the selected protection scope, rather than only changes since an earlier backup. | | **Incremental Backup** | A backup that captures changes since a reference backup. This is usually the previous backup; some strategies capture cumulative changes since the latest full backup. | | **Backup Chain** | A full backup and the dependent incremental backups needed to reconstruct a recovery point. An earlier backup may need to be retained while a later recovery point still depends on it. | | **Synthetic Backup** | A complete backup view produced by combining previously stored data with incremental changes, without transferring all source data again. | | **Incremental Forever** | An approach that starts with a full backup and then uses incremental backups without regularly scheduled full backups. In supported Storware workflows, a synthetic backup destination maintains complete recovery points from these changes. | | **Changed Block Tracking (CBT)** | A mechanism that identifies disk or volume blocks changed since a reference point, allowing a backup to retrieve those blocks without comparing the entire source. | | **Snapshot** | A point-in-time state of a virtual machine or storage object maintained by the source platform. Snapshots can support backup operations or be managed through snapshot policies, but they are not an independent backup copy. | | **Crash-Consistent Backup** | A backup that captures data without coordinating application writes. Restoring it is comparable to recovering after an unexpected shutdown; applications may need to perform their own recovery. | | **Quiesced Snapshot** | A snapshot taken after coordinating with the guest operating system to pause or flush writes. It typically requires guest tools. Application consistency additionally depends on application-aware coordination. | | **Application-Consistent Backup** | A backup created with application-aware coordination so that the application data is captured in a consistent, recoverable state. | | **Application Backup** | A workflow that runs configured commands locally or remotely to generate application backup files and stores them in a backup destination. Recovering these files may need to be followed by an application-specific restore procedure. | | **Execution Configuration** | A reusable definition of how application backup commands are executed, including the execution method and required parameters. Individual applications supply their own parameter values. | | **Export** | The task or processing stage that reads backup data from the protected source. | | **Store** | The task or processing stage that writes exported backup data to a backup destination. | ### Policies and Scheduling | Term | Definition | | --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | | **Backup SLA** | The configuration used to automate backup protection through a policy and its schedules. It defines which objects are protected, where backups are stored, when backups run, and how long they are retained. | | **Policy** | A set of protection settings assigned to selected objects. A backup policy defines backup behavior, destination targets, and retention, and can have multiple schedules. | | **Schedule** | Settings that determine when an operation runs and, where applicable, which backup type is used. A policy can have separate schedules for full and incremental backups. | | **Snapshot SLA** | The configuration used to automate source-platform snapshots through a snapshot policy and its schedules. Snapshot operations require the instance to be assigned to a snapshot policy. | | **Auto-Assignment** | A mechanism that assigns discovered objects to policies according to configured criteria, such as names or supported tags. Depending on the selected mode, objects can also be removed when they no longer match. | | **Task** | An individual operation managed by Storware Backup & Recovery, such as inventory synchronization, export, store, restore, or backup mounting. | | **Task Start Window** | The period during which a queued task is allowed to start. A task that starts within the window can continue after the window ends. | | **Task Priority** | A setting that influences the order in which queued tasks are selected. Execution also depends on available Nodes, task limits, and required resources. | | **Protection Status** | A schedule-based indication of protection. **Protected** means a completed backup meets the latest scheduled requirement; **Not Protected** means that requirement has not been met; **No Schedule** means there is no applicable schedule. An object can have a manually created backup and still show **No Schedule**. | ### Restore and Recovery | Term | Definition | | ---------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | **Recovery Point** | A backed-up state of a protected object that can be selected for restore. | | **Restore** | An operation that recovers data from a backup to the original environment or another supported target. | | **Restore to Node** | Recovery of backup files to a Node without automatically recreating the protected object in its original platform. Additional steps may be required to use or import the recovered files. | | **Mounted Backup** | A backup made accessible through a Node for browsing, file recovery, or another supported recovery workflow. | | **File-Level Restore** | Recovery of selected files or directories from a backup without restoring the entire protected machine. | | **Instant Restore** | A recovery method that starts a virtual machine using backup data exposed to the target platform, without first copying all disks to production storage. It requires a supported platform and synthetic backup destination. | | **Live Storage Migration** | Movement of a running virtual machine's disks from temporary Instant Restore storage to production storage, where supported by the target platform. | | **Recovery Plan** | A predefined configuration that automates multiple restore operations using selected objects and target settings. It helps carry out a coordinated disaster recovery procedure. | | **V2V Migration** | Recovery of a virtual machine to a different supported virtualization platform, with conversion of the configuration and disk data as required by the target. | | **Internal Database Backup** | A backup of the Storware management database, which contains configuration and backup-management information needed to recover the Storware environment. It does not replace backups of protected workloads. |