HP File Archiving Software manual Overview

Overview

File Migration Agent (FMA) offers a technologically innovative approach to data management by maintaining active files on high-performance primary storage while archiving inactive files on cost-effective secondary storage. FMA does not require changes to the current directory structure and integrates seamlessly into the existing IT infrastructure. FMA only manages files on specified volumes on the file server defined as managed volumes.

FMA is a Windows-based solution that copies, or migrates, inactive or rarely used data to archive storage systems such as Content Addressed Storage (CAS) systems, Hierarchical Storage Management (HSM) systems, or Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices. Migrated files can subsequently be released so that only a stub file (a data file that stands in for the original file) remains on the file server while the full file resides on the archive storage system. FMA recalls the file from the archive whenever it is needed on the file server.

Migration, release, and recall processes are transparent to Windows users and applications, which can continue to access files as if the files were still on the file server. Migrating and releasing files manages the growth and complexity of Windows file servers, freeing space for active data.

FMA administrators define the conditions under which files on managed volumes are migrated or released. The administrator can create policies to migrate and release files based on properties such as the file extension or timestamp. The administrator can monitor the space on a managed volume and automatically release migrated files based on a retention time period when a configurable watermark is reached.

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