Physical Data Shipping

This option is effective if the backup destination is the cloud storage and the backup format is set to Version 12.

This option is effective for disk-level backups and file backups created by Agent for Windows, Agent for Linux, Agent for Mac, Agent for VMware, and Agent for Hyper-V. Backups created under bootable media are not supported.

This option determines whether the first full backup created by the protection plan will be sent to the cloud storage on a hard disk drive by using the Physical Data Shipping service. The subsequent incremental backups can be performed over the network.

The preset is: Disabled.

About the Physical Data Shipping service

The Physical Data Shipping service web interface is available only to organization administrators in on-premises deployments and administrators in cloud deployments.

For detailed instructions about using the Physical Data Shipping service and the order creation tool, refer to the Physical Data Shipping Administrator's Guide. To access this document in the Physical Data Shipping service web interface, click the question mark icon.

Overview of the physical data shipping process

  1. Create a new protection plan. In this plan, enable the Physical Data Shipping backup option.

    You can back up directly to the drive or back up to a local or a network folder, and then copy/move the backup(s) to the drive.

    Once the initial full backup is done, the subsequent backups must be performed by the same protection plan. Another protection plan, even with the same parameters and for the same machine, will require another Physical Data Shipping cycle.

  2. After the first backup is complete, use the Physical Data Shipping service web interface to download the order creation tool and create the order.

    To access this web interface, do one of the following:

    • In on-premises deployments: log in to your Acronis account, and then click Go to Tracking Console under Physical Data Shipping.
    • In cloud deployments: log in to the management portal, click Overview > Usage, and then click Manage service under Physical Data Shipping.

  3. Package the drives and ship them to the data center.

    Ensure that you follow the packaging instructions provided in the Physical Data Shipping Administrator's Guide.

  4. Track the order status by using the Physical Data Shipping service web interface. Note that the subsequent backups will fail until the initial backup is uploaded to the cloud storage.