NDMP and the Common Architecture NDMP is an open network protocol that defines common functional interfaces used for these data flows. With NDMP, vendors use common interfaces for common architecture data flows. File system data flows from the file system to the backup device using a common interface, regardless of the platform or device. Control or file meta data is passed to and from the backup software using common interfaces, regardless of the software package. NDMP is a network protocol that specifies the communication between the server and the backup software.
Communication is defined using a series of defined interfaces.
This virtual state machine is referred to as the NDMP server. The server vendor implements NDMP by including connect, configure, data, tape, and SCSI interfaces in the operating system code. This interface deals with the format of the backup data. Backup software initiates backups and restores using this interface. The tape interface provides complete control of a tape drive.