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File Media
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Overview
Firestreamer-RM can use files (called file media) as underlying storage for the virtual tape drive. File media are similar to the Microsoft Backup Utility's BKF files and can reside on local and network file systems, such as FAT, NTFS, NAS, WebDAV and so on. Like physical media, file media support data compression and encryption.
To handle file media, Firestreamer-RM maintains a virtual file media drive, which is always present and behaves like a physical media drive. You can control the file media drive via the Media tab of the Firestreamer-RM Control Panel. When you insert or eject a file medium, Firestreamer-RM opens or closes the corresponding file, respectively. While the file is open, it is unavailable to other applications. For example, to make a copy of an inserted file medium, you will need to eject it first.
If you plan to use Firestreamer-RM file media, consider the following:
- File media are primarily intended for use by scheduled backups with network-based file systems, such as network shares, NAS, WebDAV and others. We do not recommend using file media with physical removable media or removable drives for performance and convenience reasons.
- By default, file media have the .fsrm extension.
- File media do not support media spanning. The entire backup must fit in a single file.
- The maximum size of a file medium is 8 terabytes and is subject to the limitations of the underlying file system.
- A scheduled Firestreamer-RM Wrapper task can use only a new file medium and cannot append to an existing .fsrm file.
- We recommend using the same name for both the virtual tape medium and the underlying .fsrm file (you specify the medium name when configuring a backup in the Microsoft Backup Utility or in the Firestreamer-RM Wrapper).
- When a file medium is inserted, the corresponding file is opened with the credentials of the user who performs the operation. If you insert a file medium that resides on a network share, you need to make sure that you have sufficient privileges to access the share.
- Firestreamer-RM does not re-insert the last inserted file medium after the system restart because it cannot preserve the security context of the user who originally inserted the file medium.
- You can burn a .fsrm file to an optical medium (for example, a BD or DVD disc) as an ISO image and then use the resulting optical medium with Firestreamer-RM.
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