NDMP – Network Data Management Protocol. This is an API and protocol that enables backup software to communicate directly with a filer – NAS file storage system – and request a backup. The backup can be written to a tape device attached to the filer or to a remote tape device, so long as that device supports NDMP.
NetApp developed the Network Data Management Protocol which separated the control traffic of the backup application from the actual data being backed up. Instead of streaming everything through the IP network, the NAS server could receive the control commands from the backup application via NDMP and then send the backup data to a directly-attached tape or through a SAN network.
NDMP was designed for single stream backups per NAS node and architectures require at least a dedicated management server on which the backup software is installed.
