Disk space is usually at a premium, and a customer is placed in an appliance to fit their needs, based on the data provided during the sales process.

The following local practices can affect how much storage space is required:

1. SQL/Database Backups: The local backup strategy can affect how much space is needed to backup up an SQL (or other) database.

For example your customer may be backing up their SQL database as SQL.backup.date1, SQL.backup.date2, SQL.backup.date3, and so on. Because each file has a unique name, the Axcient BRC solution backs up every file. If each of the three files in the example was 20 GB, then 60 GB of storage space is consumed.

The Axcient BRC solution uses reverse differential methodology to perform backups. This means that on each subsequent job run, it backs up just the differences from the previous run for an existing file.

However, any file with a new name must be backed up in its entirety, which results in excessive storage when this type of local backup strategy is used.

To resolve the example described, name the main backup file SQL.backup and simply apply any changes to that file on a daily basis. This allows the Axcient BRC technology to correctly backup the file and save space on the appliance.

2. End-user backups: Much like the example above,  end users may be performing local backups to protect their data. Check for the signs noted in the first example and resolve accordingly.