Assessing the backup space requirement

Last Updated : Apr 16, 2024 |
Prolog information
When considering a server's suitability as a backup server; you must assess its backup space and the requirements of the servers you want to backup.

The backup server backup quota

The backup server needs a 160GB or larger hard disk. The server calculates the backup quota as follows:
  • Backup Quota ≈ (0.8 x HDD Capacity) – 92GB if HDD Capacity ≥ 160GB, otherwise zero.
    • For example, for a 500GB hard disk, the backup quota is approximately 308GB.
    • Note that this is approximate. The quoted disk capacity from a disk manufacturer or a virtual server platform differs from the capacity reported by the operating system.
You can check the actual quota available for backups using the process below.

To check a server's backup quota

  1. Login to the backup server's web manager menus.
  2. Click and select Platform View.
  3. On the System tab, note the Quota available for backup data value. Note this is the total space usable for backups, it does not account for the space already used by any existing backups.
  4. Click Solution to exit the platform view.

Estimating the space required for a full backup

The tables below show the space needed for a worst-case full backup. That is, a backup which assumes that all users have used their voicemail mailbox and other facilities to maximum capacity.
The minimum disk size column indicates the hard disk size required to have a sufficiently large backup quota (see above) for at least one full backup.
Server Edition/Select Network.
Users
Full backup size
Minimum server disk size
100
35GB
160GB
750
78GB
214GB
1500
127GB
275GB
2000
158GB
320GB
2500
189GB
360GB
IP Office Application Server/Unified Communications Module
Voicemail Pro users
Full backup size
Minimum server disk size
20
30GB
160GB
50
32GB
160GB
100
34GB
160GB
150
37GB
165GB
A backup server can, subject to available space, support up to 14 backups where each backup contains details for multiple services on multiple servers in a network.
  • When the backup server has 14 backups, any additional backup causes the backup server to delete the oldest previous backup.
  • Similarly, if the available backup space is exhausted, the backup server deletes the oldest previous backup to create space.