Commvault Professional

Course Guide

Module 2 – Storage Configuration

Commvault Platform Release 2023E

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Table of Contents
Storage Overview .......................................................................................................................................................... 4
Disk Storage .................................................................................................................................................................. 5
Cloud Storage .............................................................................................................................................................. 25
Tape Storage ............................................................................................................................................................... 28
Deduplication ............................................................................................................................................................... 32
Plans ............................................................................................................................................................................ 40

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Storage Overview

Commvault software logically addresses storage systems to allow virtually any storage target to be used. The three
primary target types are disk, cloud, and tape.

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Disk Storage
Disk Storage Design

A Commvault disk storage is a logical container which is used to define one or more paths to storage called backup
locations (mount paths). These paths are defined explicitly to the location of the storage as a drive letter or a UNC
path. Within each mount path writers are allocated that define the number of concurrent streams for the mount path.

Disk Storage Types

• Dedicated disk storage is one or more backup locations that are configured as shared disk devices. The
shared disk device in a dedicated disk storage has only one primary sharing folder.
• Shared disk storage is a target with more than one primary sharing folder configured on a shared disk device.
This enables other MediaAgents access to the same shared volume resource. Common Internet File System
(CIFS) protocol is used to manage multiple MediaAgent access to the same directory. For UNIX hosted
MediaAgents, Network File System (NFS) protocol can be used. NFS shared disks appear to the MediaAgent
as local drives.
Disk storage can be configured as network-attached storage (NAS), storage area network (SAN), or direct-attached
storage (DAS).

Disk Storage Best Practices

• If using DAS or SAN, format mount paths (backup locations) using a 64KB block size.
• If using DAS or SAN, create multiple backup locations (mount paths). For instance, if there are 10 mount
paths, and there is a maintenance job, such as a defrag job running on one, the mount path can be set to
read-only, leaving 90% of the storage available for backup jobs.
• Share the disk storage if required.
• For best results, enable Commvault deduplication.

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Network Attached Storage (NAS)

Network-attached storage provides the best connection method for resiliency since the storage is accessed directly
through the NAS device. This means that by using a Common Internet File System (CIFS) or a Network File System
(NFS), Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths can be configured to read and write directly to storage. In this
case, the target can be configured as a shared disk storage, where all MediaAgents can see stored data for data
protection and recovery operations.

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Storage Area Network (SAN)

Storage area networks or SANs are common in data centers. SAN storage can be zoned and presented to
MediaAgents using either Fibre Channel or iSCSI. The zoned storage is presented directly to the MediaAgent
providing read/write access to the disks.
When using SAN storage, each building block should use a dedicated MediaAgent, DDB and Commvault disk
storage. Although the back-end disk storage in the SAN can reside on the same disk array, it should be configured in
the Commvault software as two separate Commvault disk storage where logical unit numbers (LUNs) are presented
as mount paths (backup locations) in dedicated targets for specific MediaAgents.

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Direct Attached Storage (DAS)

Direct-attached storage physically attaches the disk storage to the MediaAgent. Each building block is completely self-
contained. This provides high performance but does not provide resiliency. If the MediaAgent controlling the building
block fails, data stored in the disk storage cannot be recovered until the MediaAgent is repaired or replaced. All data
in the disk storage is still completely indexed and recoverable, even if the index directory is lost. Once the MediaAgent
is rebuilt, data from the disk storage can be restored.

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Add Local or Network Disk as Storage

Before adding a Commvault disk storage, the operating system must have access to the storage. For SAN or DAS
storage, volumes must be created and formatted in the operating system. For NAS, access the storage CIFS shares
using the credentials.
1. Select Storage > Disk to view the configured disk storage
2. Click Add

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Add Local or Network Disk as Storage …cont’d

3. Enter a name
4. Click Add
5. Select the MediaAgent used to reach the target storage
6. Select the type
• Local for DAS and SAN targets
• Network path for NAS targets
7. Browse to the location of the first backup location (mount path)
8. Toggle Use deduplication on/off to enable/disable deduplication for the disk storage
9. Click ADD to select the Deduplication DB location

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Add Local or Network Disk as Storage …cont’d

10. Click SAVE to complete the disk storage configuration

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Add Backup Locations to Disk Storage

Creating the disk storage also defines the first backup location (mount path). Any additional backup location will need
to be defined.
1. Select Storage > Disk to view the configured disk storage
2. Click the name of the disk storage for which you want to add a mount path

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Add Backup Locations to Disk Storage …cont’d

3. In the Backup Locations tab, click Add to add a new mount path
4. Select the MediaAgent that has access to the mount path
5. Select a local or network path
6. Browse for the mount path location
7. Click ADD to add the mount path

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Share Disk Storage – Credentials

If the Commvault storage is using NAS, it can be shared with other MediaAgents. Sharing storage is achieved by
sharing its backup location. Apply the sharing procedure on each backup location (mount path).
1. Select Manage
2. Select Security
3. Click the Manage credentials tile

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Share Disk Storage – Credentials …cont’d

4. In the Manage Credentials window, click Add

5. Enter a security account from the account type selected
6. Select the credential vault to be used
7. Enter a name for the credential
8. Enter the user account and password for the credential
9. Click SAVE

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Share Disk Storage

1. Select Storage > Disk to view the configured disk storage

2. Click the name of the disk storage for which you want to share the backup locations (mount paths)

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Share Disk Storage …cont’d

This view displays the paths accessing the disks. In this example, only one MediaAgent has access to the disk
3. Click the Actions icon and then click Add MediaAgent
4. Select the MediaAgent with which the backup location (mount path) will be shared
5. Click SAVE to add the MediaAgent

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Share Disk Storage …cont’d

The second access path is added to the list. Repeat the same process to all other backup locations.

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Disk Library Association Storage Plans

The Associated Plans tab of a disk library displays all storage plans that have a copy sending data to the disk library.
This is useful information when you plan on decommissioning a disk library or taking it offline for maintenance.

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Disk Library Usage

The disk library Overview tab displays the space usage, deduplication space saving and data aging pruning
information. Keeping an eye on this tab helps in avoiding filled library situations and helps in planning the acquisition
or replacement of hardware. Based on the average daily disk space consumption and the average space freed up by
data aging, the system can estimate a possible date on which the library is expected to be filled.

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Move a Disk Library Mount Path

A disk library mount path can be moved to a different location using a 'Move Data Path' operation. This fully
automated functionality is used when a disk library mount path is lacking space and needs to be moved to a bigger
storage volume, or when an older storage unit is replaced. The new storage must first be presented to the
MediaAgent operating system.
1. From the backup location you wish to move, click the Actions icon and then click Move
2. Choose to move to an existing backup location or to a new one and click SAVE

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Disk Library Mount Path Status

The Backup locations tab will show the status for all configured mount paths.

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Disable Disk Library or Mount Path

By clicking the Actions icon next to a mount path, you are given the option to disable a mount path.

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Set a Mount Path as Read Only

In the Configuration pane for a selected mount path, you can set the mount path to read-only by enabling the Disable
backup location for future backups toggle switch.

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Cloud Storage
Cloud Storage Design

Cloud storage is managed through the Commvault Command Center. Commvault support cloud storage across many
vendors, and also offer Commvault cloud solutions.
These are popular options for their availability and, in some cases, lower cost. Some of the drawbacks for using cloud
storage for DR include limited bandwidth and data security.
Using advanced features such as Commvault deduplication can greatly reduce the bandwidth requirements. However,
in a disaster situation where a significant amount of data must be restored, bandwidth can become a serious
bottleneck.
Data transfers are achieved using secured channels (HTTPS) and are optionally encrypted to further secure the data
sent to the cloud.

Cloud Storage Best Practices

• Properly plan and analyze if the cloud storage scenario meets the needs (e.g., restoring an entire data center)
• If the link is shared with users, consider throttling Commvault bandwidth usage during business hours
• If the MediaAgent does not have direct access to the Internet, define the access nodes settings in the cloud
storage access nodes configuration page
• If the cloud storage is accessed through a high-speed internet link (1GB or higher), consider tuning the
connection
For more information, refer to the Commvault Online Documentation. Go to https://www.commvault.com/supported-
technologies to view the current list of supported cloud vendors.

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Add Cloud Storage

1. Select Storage > Cloud

2. View the existing cloud storage, if any
3. Click Add to add cloud storage

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Add Cloud Storage …cont’d

4. Enter a type
5. Choose the cloud provider
6. Select the MediaAgent with access to cloud storage
7. Choose the address of the cloud provider service
8. Select a saved cloud credential set from the list
9. If it does not exist, click + to create one
10. Enter the name of the bucket to store backup data and define a storage class if required by the vendor
11. Click SAVE

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Tape Storage
Tape Storage Design

A tape storage is a target where media can be added, removed, and moved between multiple targets. The term
“removable media” is used to specify various types of removable media supported by Commvault software, including
tape and USB disk drives, which can be moved between MediaAgents for data protection and recovery operations.

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Add Tape Storage

Before you configure a tape storage in Commvault software, it first must be attached or zoned to be seen by the
MediaAgent operating system. The device manager should detect one medium changer and one or many drives. It is
recommended to install the vendor drivers specific to the target storage.
1. Select Storage > Tape
2. All existing tape storage are displayed in this view
3. Click Add to configure a new tape storage
4. Select the MediaAgent from the list
5. Click SCAN HARDWARE and select the unconfigured tape storage and its drives (recognizable by the red
exclamation mark in a yellow circle)
6. Click SAVE

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Add Tape Storage …cont’d

The newly configured tape storage is displayed in the window.

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Tape Library Plan Association

The Associated plans section displays all plans that have a copy sending data to the tape library. This is useful
information when you plan on decommissioning a library or taking it offline for maintenance.

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Deduplication
Deduplication Overview

It is common for duplicate data to exist on storage-based media, networks, and virtual servers. Some examples
include identical DLL files existing on different servers, or multiple users working on the same document, where each
user modifies different blocks in the file while other blocks remain unchanged. Traditionally this redundant data is
stored on disk or tape, which requires a significant amount of space. With Commvault deduplication storage
techniques, a single copy of data and any subsequent references to the same data is stored only once, reducing the
amount of space needed to save and protect it.

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Benefits and Features
Commvault software has a unique set of deduplication features that are not available with most third-party
deduplication solutions. Reduce storage and network resource requirements, shrink backup windows, efficiently copy
data to off-site locations, and copy deduplicated data to tape, disk, or to a cloud environment.
• Efficient use of storage media – Commvault deduplication provides processes that are used to efficiently
move large amounts of data.
• Efficient use of network bandwidth – Client-side deduplication is used to deduplicate block data before it
leaves the client. From that point forward, only changed blocks are sent over the network. This greatly
reduces network bandwidth requirements after the first successful full backup is complete.
• Fast Synthetic Full operations – A Synthetic Full backup synthesizes full backup operations by copying
previously backed up data into a new full backup job. Deduplication Accelerate Streaming Hash (DASH) Full
backup reduces the time to perform Synthetic Full and traditional full backup operations. The DASH Full runs
as a read-optimized Synthetic Full operation, which does not require traditional full backups to be performed.
Once the first full backup has completed, blocks that have changed are protected during incremental or
differential backups. A DASH Full runs in place of a traditional full or Synthetic Full, does not require
movement of data, and updates the index files and deduplication database (DDB) when a full backup has
completed.
• Fast Auxiliary Copy Operations – The DASH Copy operations are optimized auxiliary copy jobs that require
only modified blocks to be sent to a second disk target. Because secondary copies do not require high
bandwidth requirements, this is an ideal solution for sending off-site copies to secondary disaster recovery
facilities.
• Resilient Indexing and Restoration – Although the deduplication database (DDB) checks signature hashes
for deduplication purposes, it is not required during restore operations. Instead, the standard indexing
methodology is used. This includes using the index directory and index files written at the conclusion of the
job. This resiliency ensures that deduplicated data is restored even during unforeseen events, such as
disaster recovery.

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Deduplication Process and Data Protection

Production data is read from the source location and written into a memory buffer. This memory buffer is filled based
on the defined block size. Note that the block size is referred to as a data block with a default of 128KB. A signature is
then generated on the data block. The signature uniquely represents the bit makeup of the block. The signature is
compared in the DDB to determine if the data block already exists.

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Partitioned Deduplication Database Overview

Partitioned deduplication provides higher scalability and deduplication efficiency by allowing more than one
Deduplication Database (DDB) partition to exist within a single deduplication engine. It works by logically dividing
signatures between multiple databases. If two deduplication partitions are used, it effectively doubles the size of the
deduplication store. Commvault software supports up to four database partitions.
During data protection jobs, partitioned DDBs and the data protection operation work using the following logic:
1. The signature is generated at the source. For primary data protection jobs using client-side deduplication, the
source location is the client. For auxiliary DASH copy jobs, the source MediaAgent generates signatures.
2. Based on the generated signature it is sent to its respective database. The database compares the signature
to determine if the block is duplicate or unique.
3. The defined storage plan data path is used to protect data. Regardless of which database the signature is
compared in, the data path remains consistent throughout the job.

Partitioned Databases and Network-Attached Storage (NAS)

If partitioned deduplication is going to be implemented using two MediaAgents, use a shared disk library with a
Network-Attached Storage (NAS) device. The NAS storage allows either MediaAgent to recover data even if the other
MediaAgent is not available.

Partitioned Database for Scalability

The primary purpose for partitioned DDBs is to provide higher scalability. By balancing signatures between database
partitions, you can scale up the size of a single deduplication store. If you have two partitions, the size of the store
doubles; four partitions quadruples its size.

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Partitioned Database for Resiliency
Using partitioned databases ensures resiliency. For instance, if one MediaAgent hosting a DDB goes offline, the other
MediaAgent continues data protection jobs as the available DDB continues signature lookups. However, with the loss
of one database, all signatures previously managed by the offline database would now be looked up in the remaining
online database. This causes existing signatures managed in the offline database to be compared in the online
database, which results in the signatures being treated as unique and additional data being written to the library.

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Enable Deduplication

When configuring storage, you can enable deduplication with a simple click. The deduplicated storage can then be
selected in a plan so that that all subclients protected by this plan will have their datasets stored in the same storage
and will deduplicated against each other. When enabling deduplication, the location for the DDB partition must be
defined. If more than one MediaAgent is sharing the storage unit (NAS or cloud), up to four partitions can be created
for scalability.
The DASH Copy operations are optimized auxiliary copy jobs that require only modified blocks to be sent to a second
disk target. Deduplication can be enabled for primary storage as well as secondary storage. When enabling
deduplication on a secondary copy, the data transfer leverages deduplication by sending only the new blocks. All
existing blocks are simply dropped from the source, avoiding unnecessary transmission of data.

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Configure Deduplication for Storage

Deduplication is only available during the storage initial configuration and cannot be turned on later. It is important to
collect information on the location of the DDB. It should be a dedicated set of disks, preferably SSD, located on the
same MediaAgent to which the storage is configured.
1. Select Storage > Disk to view configured disk storage
2. Click Add to create new disk storage
3. Enter a name
4. Click ADD to configure the storage target

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Configure Deduplication for Storage …cont’d

5. Select the MediaAgent with access to the storage

6. Browse or enter the path of the first storage mount path
7. Toggle on Use deduplication to enable deduplication
8. Browse or type the path to the location to host the deduplication database
9. Click SAVE

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Plans
Plans Overview

The configuration of data protection in the Commvault Command Center is achieved by creating a server protection
plan consisting of several configuration options easily set in a single wizard. Options include storage, retention,
backup schedule (RPO), and offsite copy configuration. Different plans can be created, each used for a specific goal.
• Server plan – Define data protection settings for file system and application agents
• Exchange plan - Configure the Exchange Mailbox agent
• Data classification plan – Configure the indexing of the content of backup data (content indexing)
Any plan can be used as a base plan and a derived plan can be created from the base plan. The derived plan inherits
the same protection options, which can then be overridden. When modifying the base plan, changes are also applied
to derived plans unless they are overridden.

Scenario: Using plan templates

You have multiple servers for which protection requirements are similar except for one option, such as the backup
frequency.
Solution: Create a base plan with all settings defined and set the RPO option to ‘Override must’. Use the plan as
a template from which administrators will create derived plans and set the backup frequency.

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Configure a Server Plan

A server plan protects servers using the file system agent. Supported operating systems include Microsoft Windows,
UNIX/Linux, and Mac OS. A server plan can be used to protect virtual machines protected with the Virtual Server
Agent (VSA), and to configure application agents except for the Exchange Mailbox agent, which is configured using
an Exchange plan. Finally, if the file system, virtual machine, or application requires protection using hardware
snapshot, Commvault IntelliSnap can be configured under the Snapshot section of the server plan.
1. Select Manage > Plans
2. This window displays the existing plans
3. Click Create plan and then click Server backup

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Configure a Server Plan …cont’d

4. Click ADD COPY to select storage for the primary copy of backup data
5. Configure the primary copy details
6. Select the storage to be used, configure the required retention and apply any necessary extended retention
rules

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Configure a Server Plan …cont’d

7. Configure the Recovery Point Objective, or backup frequency

8. Configure backup windows
9. Configure any advanced options for snapshot copies and click SUBMIT

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Configure a Server Plan …cont’d

Once complete, you are shown the Plan overview page.

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Secondary and Auxiliary Copies

A secondary copy is used to synchronize protected data with a source copy. All full, incremental, differential,
transaction log, or archive jobs from a source copy are also managed by the secondary copy. Secondary copies are
useful when you want a consistent point-in-time copy of all protected data available for restore. It is recommended to
have at least one offsite secondary copy to ensure full recovery of data, should a disaster occur. Secondary copies
can be disk, cloud, or tape.
1. Select Manage > Plans
2. Click the plan name
3. The Backup destinations section displays copies currently configured
4. Click Add and then click Copy to add a copy to the plan
5. Enter a name for the secondary copy
6. Choose the storage
7. Set the retention period and click SAVE to create the secondary copy

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Secondary Copy Schedule

A built-in secondary copy schedule is created when adding a secondary copy to a plan. By default, the system
validates if new jobs exist in the primary copy that were not copied to the secondary copy in 30-minute increments.
New jobs are copied once they are created. If there are no new jobs, the auxiliary copy job completes without copying
data. It is recommended to keep the default schedule to ensure the best synchronization possible between copies; it
can be modified if needed.
1. Select Manage > Plans
2. Click the plan name
3. Click the secondary copy schedule name
Modify the schedule frequency to meet your needs.

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