ImageFile vs. IBVolume

lutzmh · Wed Jan 04, 2006 8:42 pm

Hello, what exactly is the difference between ImageFile and IBVolume? When to use what?
Thanks

Val (staff) · Fri Jan 06, 2006 3:18 am

lutzmh wrote:Hello, what exactly is the difference between ImageFile and IBVolume? When to use what?
Thanks

Hi,

An ImageFile target is a plain disk file mapped sector-by-sector as virtual iSCSI hard drive. This is a fast and flexible way to share part of your disk storage to remote clients.

The IBVolume plug-in will be released in the next version of StarWind (the version included into build 2005-10-05 is just a preview).
The main features of IBVolumes:
- grow from zero size to specified limit
- support of incremental backup
- support of volume snap-shots
- dynamic volume cloning
- converting to ImageFile and vice versa.
- etc

The new StarWind will include a detailed help for using IBVolumes.

Yves Smolders · Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:22 pm

I'm not totally sure I understand IBvolumes.

Can I use them for typical "cybercafe" solutions?

* Set up a single volume with a master windows setup
* use netboot/i to boot this volume
* redirect all writes to a different file (journal?) *per client* ? (functionality of Iscsi Cake?)
* either keep or remove these journals when rebooting?

And how about backup & restore...

* Can I use snapshot based backup programs (V2I, livestate, drive snapshot) to backup point-in-times of these volumes?
* Is there a backup/restore function included in starwind?

Val (staff) · Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:43 pm

Hi,

IBVolume can be used for a cyber-cafe solutions.
It supports master volumes, personal change journals, iSCSI booting, etc.

StarWind has no embadded backup tools. Any tools that work with disk files can be used.
Using the snapshot tools of IBVolumes allows to switch journals online and backup the volume.

You could try the recent StarWind 3.0 preview to evaluate the features.
Just drop me an email to receive the link to it.