Commvault Professional

Course Guide

Module 1 – The CommCell Environment

Commvault Platform Release 2023E

Notices and Disclaimers
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©1999-2023 Commvault

© 2023 Commvault.
Table of Contents
CommCell Overview ...................................................................................................................................................... 6
Planning ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11
CommServe Server Installation ................................................................................................................................... 14
Commvault Command Center Core Setup .................................................................................................................. 16
Commvault Command Center Navigation ................................................................................................................... 27
Features ....................................................................................................................................................................... 47
Commvault Command Center Customization ............................................................................................................. 49
CommCell Core Components...................................................................................................................................... 51

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Learning Objectives

This course is designed to provide a high-level understanding of Commvault software terminology with conceptual
explanations of CommCell components. You will also be able to understand the operation of the CommServe,
MediaAgent and backup storage.

© 2023 Commvault.
Course Modules

© 2023 Commvault.
CommCell Overview
Where Commvault Fits in Your Environment

How does the Commvault platform enable your enterprise to be successful in its transformation to a services-oriented
architecture? Consider legacy and point products that focus on traditional protection methods such as tape and disk
storage with off-site copies for disaster recovery purposes. These solutions may lack complexity, but they fail to align
with the overall realities of modern IT infrastructure needs.
Data management is only as valuable as the effective ability to access the data. High-availability solutions including
clustering, replication, snapshots, and virtualization provide added value through quick recovery times and more
frequent recovery points. The complexity to manage all these solutions increases without a centralized management
system.
Commvault software overcomes the complexity in managing data protection and data access through its platform. The
industry's largest supported number of hardware vendors, cloud providers, and virtualization solutions are all
managed through Commvault's central platform improving data availability and recovery times.
Data protection and access only tell a portion of the story. The ability to share data across all devices, including
mobile Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) devices and endpoint access from any system that uses native applications
such as Windows Explorer, Outlook, or standard web browsers, should be ubiquitous for end users. Commvault
software provides all these capabilities with intuitive end-user features.
Finally, for many organizations, especially those with hybrid data services with content in the data center, as well as
hosted or As a Service, compliance of managed data may be the most complex solution to implement, but it provides
the highest value. Intelligent legal holds, records management, analytics, eDiscovery, and data loss prevention are all
centrally managed through the Commvault platform.

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Commvault Software

The Commvault platform provides a fully integrated software suite guaranteeing flexibility in infrastructure, platform,
compute, and storage providers.
• Data Access – Documents and messages are retrieved seamlessly from mobile devices, web pages, and
native application tools.
• Storage – Data is protected and stored on disk, tape, and cloud storage locations. Advanced features such as
deduplication to disk and tape, job and object retention, and independent multiple copy management are used
to meet all Disaster Recovery (DR) and compliance requirements.
• Indexing – A distributed self-protecting indexing structure maintains metadata information for all protected
data.
• Data Protection – File system and application agents are deployed to production systems to protect all major
operating systems and applications.
• Administration – Most administrative tasks are centrally managed in the Command Center. Tasks can also
be performed from mobile devices and web pages.
• Management – All activity is centrally controlled and managed using a common code base. Whether using
traditional backups, replication, archiving, or snapshots to protect physical or virtual environments, the same
core technology is used to provide a solid and flexible management platform.

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Commvault Content Store

The Commvault platform structures all managed data in virtual containers using the Content Store. The Content Store
is a storage abstraction that allows for data that resides within it to be viewed as a single entity, no matter where that
data is otherwise stored.
Data in the Content Store is protected and retained in the storage layer. Functionality, including deduplication,
archiving, hardware snapshot management, and FIPS certified encryption securely protects data to disk, tape, and
cloud storage. Protected data is replicated, mirrored, and synchronized to secondary storage devices for near instant
access.
The indexing layer of the Content Store maintains lightweight metadata indices for object management and retrieval,
as well as content indices for end user and compliance searches.
All protected data and indices are accessed through the security layer, which features full role-based access control
security. Commvault security provides granular access control and distributed security roles, allowing managers to
assign permissions to their groups so that users access only what they need.
Access is granted to users to retrieve or restore data using web consoles, mobile devices, and endpoint applications.
All data managed in the Content Store is sharable through the security layer and accessible from many secure
endpoints.

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Physical Architecture

Commvault software is deployed in a cell-like structure called a CommCell environment. One or more cells can be
deployed to manage small to enterprise global environments.
The central component of a CommCell environment is the CommServe server which coordinates, manages, and
monitors all CommCell activity.
Production data is protected by installing agents which directly communicate with the operating system or application
being protected. Any production server with an agent installed is referred to as a client. Data is protected by
transferring data through MediaAgents to disk, cloud, or tape storage.
The CommServe server runs on a Windows platform and maintains a Microsoft SQL metadata database. This
database contains all critical configuration information. Commvault software does not use a centralized catalog
system like most other backup products; thus, the metadata database on the CommServe server will be considerably
smaller than databases that contain catalog data.

MediaAgents
A MediaAgent moves data from production systems to protected storage during data protection jobs and moves data
back to production systems during recovery operations. It is a software module that can be installed on most operating
systems. All tasks are coordinated by the CommServe server. MediaAgents are also used during auxiliary copy jobs
when data is copied from a source library to a destination library such as off-site Disaster Recovery (DR) copies.

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Logical Architecture

Commvault software logically manages data by containerizing production data, moving the data through logical
streams, and managing protected data using plans.

Client Servers and Agents

A client server is any production system that is protected by Commvault software. Client servers use agents to protect
the production data by installing the agent directly on the server or using an access node to protect the data. Agents
can be deployed in several ways:
• Physical clients can have agents installed directly on them
• Virtual clients can have agents installed directly on them or protected by the Virtual Server Agent (VSA) which
would be installed on a physical or virtual access node
• Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices, which cannot have software installed directly on them, are
managed and protected by installing NAS agents on access nodes

Backup Sets and Subclients

A backup set is a logical view which contains all data the agent is responsible to protect. Subclients define data that
will be protected and how it will be protected. Each subclient container manages specific content within a backup set.
Each backup set can have one or more subclients.

Plans
The Commvault software suite offers a wide range of features and options to provide great flexibility in configuring and
managing protected data. Protection capabilities such as standard backup, snapshots, archiving and replication can
all be incorporated in a single environment for a complete end-to-end data protection solution.
No matter which methods are used within a Commvault environment, the concepts used to manage the data remain
consistent.

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Planning
Phases of a Deployment
Installing Commvault software is a straightforward process. However, it is important to note that a full CommCell
deployment must be well-planned and executed. Components such as the network, hardware, operating systems, and
applications all play a significant role in creating a sound data protection strategy. This section presents the high-level
steps and best practices for deploying a CommCell environment.

Deployment Sequence
• Planning
• Download the Commvault software
• Install the CommServe server and executing post-install tasks
• Install the MediaAgents and executing post-install tasks
• Configure storage and deduplication
• Configure solutions
• Apply security

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Cloud Resources

The site http://cloud.commvault.com provides additional resources to help you manage and maintain a Commvault
installation.
• Download Center – download feature releases, hot fixes, and binaries for new installations
• Forms and Store – download new features and components like workflow or custom reports to install into an
existing installation
• Documentation –Commvault’s technical documentation site

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Cloud Resources …cont’d

• Click the Download Center tile

• Click Download for the desired version

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CommServe Server Installation
Run the Setup.exe Command

1. Once the file is downloaded, extract the contents into a directory and run the Setup.exe as administrator
2. Follow the prompts to install the CommCell, MediaAgent, and optional agents

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Deployment Required for CommServe Installation

Proper documentation of the CommCell components being installed is essential for a smooth deployment. The
following chart provides a sample of the information that must be obtained for the CommServe deployment. Having
this information in advance will help the deployment go quicker, bring any shortcomings to the surface, aid in verifying
site readiness, and serve as a template for post deployment documentation.

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Commvault Command Center Core Setup

The Commvault Command Center is a powerful, easy-to-use web-based user interface for managing on-premises and
cloud backup infrastructures. Configure and manage a broad range of features including file systems, databases, and
hypervisors backup settings. By using out of the box configurations and streamlined procedures, you can automate
common tasks including:
• Setting up your data protection environment features and settings
• Easily configure cloud, disk, and tape storage as backup targets
• Identifying content that you want to protect using Plans
• Setting the RPO for datasets (backup frequency)
• Initiating and monitoring backups and restores
Granular access and permissions are assigned to users, backup administrators, and system administrators providing
them with the essential tools required by their respective roles. This level of security safeguards your environment so
users and administrators do not modify nor impact environment components that are not relevant to their work.

Managed Service Providers (MSPs)

The Commvault Command Center is used by Managed Service Providers (MSPs) offering backup-as-a-service
(BaaS). In a multi-tenant environment, an MSP administrator can mirror real-world organizations by setting up logically
separate companies within a single instance of the Commvault software. For each company, the MSP administrator
can assign separate Service Level Agreements (SLAs) so that the agreed upon level of data protection is offered to
each tenant.

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Commvault Command Center Core Setup …cont’d

1. Open a supported web browser window and enter the URL http://webhost/commandcenter
2. Provide your login credentials
Once the Command Center is installed and you are logged in for the first time, the Core Setup wizard is launched
from the Guided setup section.
3. Click Let’s get started

Core Setup Sequence

• Add storage
• Configure the first server plan
• Configure an email server

Prepare for Core Setup

• The name and port number of your email server
• The location of the disk library where you want to store backed up data
When the Command Center is first launched, a message may display that a permanent license, email, storage, and a
backup plan must be configured. Storage can be configured as a local disk, network disk, Metallic cloud storage, or
third-party cloud storage.

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Commvault Command Center Core Setup …cont’d

4. Provide a name for the new storage target

5. Use the dropdown list to select the previously installed MediaAgent
6. Click + to install MediaAgent software to a server
7. Select a local or network location for storage
a. Select Local for direct attached or SAN-based storage
b. Select Network for NAS storage
8. Click to browse for storage location
9. Check the box to select the mount path for backup location
10. Click Save

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Commvault Command Center Core Setup …cont’d

11. Toggle Use deduplication on/off to enable/disable deduplication for the storage
12. Enter path to folder for deduplication database
13. Click for option to browser to volume for storing the deduplication database
14. Click Save
15. Select the folder to host the DDB partition
16. Click Save

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Commvault Command Center Core Setup …cont’d

17. Enter a name for default server plan

18. Define the backup frequency; these settings can be modified later
19. Click Save
20. Click Configure email to set up connection to the mail server for emailed reports and alerts

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Configure Email

21. From the CommCell Overview page you can also edit the email settings
22. Enter SMTP Email Relay server name
23. Enter SMTP port if different from the default
24. Enter a sender email address for notifications
25. Enter a sender name
26. Optional: Click Test email to verify connectivity to SMTP server
27. Click Save
Once the email server, storage locations, and backup schedules are set the administrator will see the Overview
Dashboard when they first log into the Commvault Command Center.

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Configure Automatic Updates

Automatic Updates can be configured from the Navigation pane > System > Maintenance tile. This can also be found
by typing maintenance in the search bar.
Once you begin entering the search term, the search bar will start displaying all object and configuration items
matching the term.

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Configure Automatic Updates …cont’d

Within the maintenance page, the Download/copy software tile can be used to populate the software cache with the
required software update packages.
The Upgrade Software schedules tile allows you to configure the schedules for automatically performing software
updates.

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CommServe Database Maintenance

CommServe Server Database Maintenance

It is crucial to ensure that the CommServe server is maintained for maximum productivity.
1. Access DBMaintenance.exe to optimize the CommServe server database
2. It provides the correct syntax and options for the tool, such as the maintenance mode

Maintenance Modes
• Full – Performs a full maintenance on the database. It includes CheckDB, ReindexAll, and ShrinkDB
commands, recommended to run this twice each year
• Recommended – performs a recommended maintenance including ShrinkDB and ReindexRecommended
commands, recommended to run every two weeks; by default, a system created schedule will execute it
alternating Sundays
• CheckDB – validates the consistency of the CommServe database by running an integrity check
• ReindexRecommended – re-indexes the largest and most frequently used tables of the database
• ReindexAll – re-indexes all tables of the database
• ShrinkDB – if table re-indexing creates a significant amount of fragmentation, the ShrinkDB command will
reclaim that space by shrinking the database

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CommServe Recovery Assistant Tool

The CommServe Recovery Assistant tool is used to restore the CommServe database from the DR backup. The tool
is used to rebuild the CommServe server on the same or different computer, change the name of the CommServe
host, and update the CommCell license.
1. From the installation directory, execute CSRecoveryAssistant.exe
2. Choose the operation type
3. Click Browse to provide the location of the DR Backup

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CommServe Recovery Assistant Tool …cont’d

4. Click Browse to provide the location where to restore the database and logs
5. Click Start Recovery to start the recovery
6. Status of recovery steps are displayed
7. Once recovery is completed, click Next
8. If restoring to an alternate server, the CommServe server name is changed
9. A license file can be provided
10. Once completed, click Finish

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Commvault Command Center Navigation
Navigation Overview

The Commvault Command Center navigation is divided into sections The top section is the Guided setup and
Dashboards. This is where you will manage your initial configuration and is what you see when you first log into the
system.
The Protect, Data Insights, and Auto Recovery sections provide views of systems in the data center and in the cloud,
based on how they are protected.

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Navigation Overview …cont’d

The Jobs, Reports, and Monitoring sections are day-to-day operational functions that you will use to monitor the
health of your environment. The dashboard is a good place to get an overview of daily system health. Click an item in
the dashboard for a more detailed view.
The Storage, Manage, Developer tools, and the Web console are system-wide configuration and management
functions. Typically, these are set up once and then only reviewed or reconfigured as needed. The Manage section
includes security and system administration. Use these tools to reconfigure your environment when your business
needs change.
The Command Center search bar is a very powerful tool to allow users to find anything within the Command Center.
Start typing the element you are looking for and the search tool will provide links to matching objects and configuration
elements.

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Sidebar Menu

1. The left sidebar is the primary menu

2. Use the filter to find a specific selection and use the search bar to find specific entities

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Guided Setup

Use the Guided Setup to configure or add features to your environment.

1. Select Guided setup to access the configuration screen
2. Select the Protect tab
3. Click a feature tile to add it to the Commvault Command Center
4. Click the link to open Commvault technical documentation for additional information

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Dashboard

Daily monitoring with the dashboard is essential to keep your CommCell environment running efficient. It shows key
information for a component or aggregation of components. The dashboard provides an overall status view of the
CommCell environment and client protection jobs. View information for all clients and features. More views are
available in other dashboards.
TIP!
Use your mouse to hover over and identify active areas of the dashboard that can be expanded for additional
information.
The dashboard view provides an overall view of the status of the CommCell and client protection jobs. By default, the
view displays information about all clients. If needed, other specific dashboards can be accessed.
1. Select Dashboard to access the Overview Dashboard for summary information about protected servers,
storage capacity, and health in the CommCell environment
2. Active links in the dashboard sections can be expanded with a mouse click to provide additional information
3. Click Select Dashboard to access the dropdown list for other dashboards

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Jobs

The Job view provides monitoring functionality for all active jobs within the CommCell environment. The Jobs view
displays current running jobs by default. It can also display the job history range of the last 24 hours or the last three
months. Use this view to kill, suspend, and resume jobs, and to view the job logs.
1. Select Jobs to see all active jobs
2. Check boxes to select one or more jobs
3. Choose to kill, suspend, or resume the jobs
4. The progress bar displays the progress of the job
5. Click Job history to access job history
6. Select the time range from the dropdown list

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Reports

The Reports view can be expanded to display available reports as tiles. Most reports have a graphic view followed by
a detailed table. Apply filters and customize the views. Set up an email schedule to stakeholders.
1. Displays lists of reports to run on-demand and schedule emailed reports to be sent
2. Click a tile to generate its report

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Alerts

The Alerts view displays all alerts. Displayed alerts can be filtered by severity. The Alert info column provides a link to
display additional information about the alert. Use the checkbox to select one or many alerts. Select Delete to delete
selected alerts; this link appears when at least one box is checked.
1. Displays all configured alerts in the CommCell environment
2. Filter using the dropdown list
3. Use Search to locate Alerts by content

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Events

All Commvault software related events are reported in the Events view. The default display is 500 events. The event
log can maintain up to 10,000 events or 7 days of events. Events can be filtered by severity. Job ID and Event ID
provide detailed information about the event or the job that triggered it.
1. Displays events that occurred in the CommCell environment
2. Filter events using the dropdown list
3. Search to locate events by content
4. Click a Job ID or Event ID number for detailed information
View detailed information related to the job or the event.

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Unusual File Activity

The Unusual file activity function displays information about anomalous activity on the file systems of active client
computers and in backup jobs. This provides a single location for identifying and acting on potential threats with quick
and safe recovery options. View file path information for the anomalies and track anomaly trends. Recover the most
recent “good” version of an anomalous file or recover the entire client as a virtual machine from before the anomalous
behavior.

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Storage

The Storage section is for managing all types of CommCell storage.

• HyperScale X
• Metallic Recovery Reserve
• Distributed Storage
• Disk
• Cloud
• Tape

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CommCell

The CommCell view provides tools to configure or control CommCell settings such as:
• Activity Control – enable and disable one or more activities for a CommCell environment
• Email Settings – configure the connection information of the organization email server that is used to relay
emailed reports or alerts on behalf of Commvault software

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Servers

The Servers view displays a global view of all servers on which Commvault software is installed.
1. Select Servers; servers are displayed in the main window
2. Click the icon for additional tasks
3. Click Add server to install software on new servers

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Server Groups

The Server groups view displays all existing client computer groups. Click the client computer group name to display
configuration options. The Actions icon provides access to options such as deleting the group.
1. Select Server groups to display all server groups in the CommCell environment
2. Click the Action icon for additional tasks

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Plans

The Plans view displays all existing backup plans created in the CommCell environment. Use this view to add, delete,
or modify a plan.
1. Select Plans, Plans are displayed in the main window
2. Click the icon for additional tasks
3. Click Create plan to create a new backup plan

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Infrastructure

The Infrastructure view displays additional CommCell components.

1. Select Infrastructure to display the infrastructure components of the CommCell environment
2. Click the Hybrid file stores tile to configure hybrid file stores (network stores)
3. Click the Array tile to configure storage arrays that are protected using the IntelliSnap feature
4. Click the MediaAgents tile to configure MediaAgent settings
5. Click the Index servers tile to configure index servers for File Storage Optimization, Data Governance, and
eDiscovery & Compliance

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Regions

The Regions section allows you to define regions used in an elastic plan. An elastic plan is used to protect
geographically scattered clients (e.g., roaming users’ laptops) by sending the data to the closest MediaAgent storage
target. This simplifies plan management by consolidating plans geographically.
1. Select Regions to display all defined regions used by elastic plans
2. Click Add region to define a region
3. Enter a region name
4. Enter the location
5. Click Save

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Additional Administrative Views

1. Select Manage to access additional administrative views

2. Select License to access licensing information and apply a license file
3. Select Customization to configure the Commvault Command Center layout and colors
4. Select System to download software and configure system settings such as global exceptions, system owner
permissions, and DR backups
5. Select Network to configure network components such as network topologies and data interface pairs

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Security

The Security section allows a user to create and manage users, user groups, and domains that are used in security
associations. The security associations define user access on CommCell entities. The following security components
can be configured:
• Users – manage your Commvault users
• User groups – manage your Commvault user groups
• Roles – manage permissions that are assigned to users through a security association
• Identity servers – manage domains that are integrated with Commvault software to leverage domain user
accounts and user groups rather than CommCell users and user groups, and manage the integration of third-
party identity providers
• Key management servers – manage third-party key management servers managing hardware and/or
software encryption keys
• Manage Credentials – locate all credentials required to access resources such a NAS or cloud storage

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Replication and Auto Recovery

Auto Recovery
Synchronize virtual machines and filesystems from a source system to a target infrastructure, including remote sites.
• Recovery Groups – Configure Commvault Live Sync replication for groups of virtual machines. This efficient
method prevents the Commvault administrator from having to configure replication pairs, one VM at a time.
This view displays configured groups and lets you add VM groups.
• Failover Groups – Commvault software implements disaster recovery orchestration for virtual machines. If a
VM or a group of VMs suffer from any type of disaster, Commvault software provides mechanisms to failover
the virtual machines to a secondary site. This feature requires the implementation of Commvault Live Sync.
The Failover Groups view displays the configured recovery groups and lets you add groups.
• Storage – The Storage section allows configuration of recovery point stores on the destination site when
replicating virtual machines using Live Sync I/O. For each replication pair, application-consistent recovery
points and updates are recorded in the store, allowing VMs to be recovered as needed.

Replication
1. Select Auto Recovery to configure replication and failover for different systems
2. Click the Recovery groups tab to view replication groups and configuration options
3. Click the Failover groups tab to configure virtual machine failover groups using DR orchestration
4. Click the Storage tab to view configured replication targets (stores) for Live Sync I/O replication pairs
5. Click Add recovery group to configure a new recovery group

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Features
Features Overview

Features make it easy to manage day-to-day tasks such as monitoring backup infrastructure, performing the backup
and recovery of computers, servers and virtual machines, and protecting cloud applications. Features are published to
end users or system administrators granularly using Commvault software role-based security.

File Servers Feature

The File Servers feature provides tools to manage protection for UNIX and Windows servers. Once the Commvault
Command Center core setup is complete, the file servers feature can be configured. Clients and subclients are
configured directly from the Commvault Command Center.
Commvault software provides the following features so that you can efficiently manage your data protection, using the
default settings or customizing the settings for your needs.
• Job monitoring
• Alerts
• Events
• Resource reports

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Virtualization Feature
The Virtualization feature provides a simplified management interface for administrators to conduct day-to-day
operations to configure, protect and recover virtual machines using the Virtual Server Agent (VSA).
Use the Commvault Command Center's Virtualization dashboard to check the status of hypervisors, such as VMware
or Hyper-V. Check the number of hypervisors in your environment and the number of VMs protected. The
virtualization dashboard also includes backup job summaries.
Hypervisors and subclients can be configured directly from the Commvault Command Center. Use the default plan or
configure your own settings to dictate when VMs are backed up and where the data is stored. You can add backup
plans as needed.

Databases Feature
The databases feature can be configured after the Commvault Command Center Core Setup is complete. Configure
database instances and subclients directly from the Commvault Command Center. A backup plan dictates when
databases are backed up and where the data is stored. Create a backup plan during configuration or use the default
plan. Additional backup plans can later be defined.
Go to https://www.commvault.com/supported-technologies to view the current list of supported workloads.

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Commvault Command Center Customization
Define Columns to Display in a View

Customize Views
Several Commvault Command Center sections offer the option to create customized views for different user roles. For
instance, a view can be created for a UNIX system administrator to display only UNIX and Linux servers. The custom
view can also be defined as the default view for a section. To create the custom view, open the section from which it
will be created, click to display options, and choose Create view.

Customize Navigation
The Commvault Command Center navigation is customized based on the type of users logged in.
• Navigation preferences – Defines the sidebar entities for each type of users
• Default landing page – The main dashboard is the default; this landing page can be changed to another view

Customize Theme
The Commvault Command Center can be branded using your company's colors and logo. This gives a personalized
experience to your users. This option is also frequently used by Managed Services Provider (MSP) to provide their
personalized console to their Backup-as-a-Service clients. Change background colors, add a background image, and
add a company logo.
To customize the Commvault Command Center colors, select Manage > Customization from the sidebar and click
Theme. In any view, the columns that are displayed can be modified, added, or removed. Changes are saved to the
user's profile.
1. Click the Actions icon and select Column
2. Select or deselect columns to display

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Apply Filters to a View

Filters can be applied to most views. The option to apply filters must be toggled ON before selecting the filters from
the column header dropdown list.
1. Click the Actions icon for the desired column and click Filter
2. Click the Condition field and select the entries to display
3. Click OK to apply it to the view
4. Click Clear all filters to return to the default view

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CommCell Core Components
CommServe Server

The CommServe server is the central management system within a CommCell environment. All activity is coordinated
and managed by the CommServe server. The CommServe server must be scaled appropriately for the size of the
environment. For current scalability guidelines, refer to Commvault Documentation.
CommServe Server Options
• The CommServe server can be clustered – This is recommended for larger environments where high
availability is critical
• The CommServe server can be virtualized – This is suitable for small to mid-size environments

CommServe Server Performance Requirements

CommServe Server performance is essential for your data protection environment. Communication and job
checkpoints are constantly occurring between CommCell components and the CommServe server. The CommServe
server also serves other functions such as reporting, and the user experience may be impacted during peak periods of
data protection operations.

CommServe Server Communication Services

During data protection jobs, the CommServe Job Manager (JobMgr) process initiates job operations. The CVD
process is on all CommCell components and provides communication with all resources. As each chunk of a job
completes it must be registered in the CommServe database before the next chunk begins.
During data protection and auxiliary copy jobs, the CommServe server has a substantial responsibility. Consider this
when planning the resources for the CommServe server, especially in larger environments where hundreds of jobs will
be running in parallel.

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CommServe Disaster Recovery Backups

Note: It is ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL that the CommServe database is properly protected. The default setting runs the
CommServe Disaster Recovery backup job at 10:00 AM daily. This operation can be completely customized and set
to run multiple times a day if required.
This process first runs a SQL dump of the CommServe instance and is stored locally on the CommServe server.
Next, the contents from the DR folder are exported to a user-defined drive or UNC path. For the last phase, when you
build the first storage location in the CommCell, Commvault automatically creates the CommServe DR Storage plan
and subsequently backs up the DR Metadata to the first defined storage target.
If a tape target is configured, a secondary copy set is created for the CommServe DR storage plan. Also, a schedule
is created to copy the job to the second storage location. The tape media containing the DR metadata should be sent
offsite regularly.
Schedules and export location are customizable in the DR Backup applet in the Maintenance section of the
Commvault Command Center.

Export
The export process copies the content of the \CommServeDR folder to the user defined export location. A local drive
or UNC path can be defined. The export location should NOT be on the local CommServe server. If a standby
CommServe server is available, define the export location to a share on the standby server.
By default, five metadata backups are retained in the export location. It is recommended to have enough disk space to
maintain one week of DR exports and adjust the number of exports to the DR backup schedule frequently.

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Configure and Run DR Backups

DR backups are automatically configured and scheduled when you install the software. The default settings and
schedule can be edited to fit your needs, and manual DR backups can be executed on demand if needed.
1. Select Manage > System
2. Click the Maintenance tile

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Configure and Run DR Backups …cont’d

3. Locate the DR backup (Daily) tile to access the DR backup settings

4. Click the Gear icon to edit DR backup settings
5. Enter number of metadata backups to retain
6. Select the type of destination to use
7. Enter the share UNC path
8. Enter credentials with access permissions to the destination
9. Set the time of execution
10. Toggle on Enable repeat schedule to enable multiple DR backups to run daily
11. Set the time range for the backup schedule
12. Click Save

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Manually Run a DR Backup

1. Select Manage
2. Click System
3. Click the Maintenance tile
4. Click the DR backup (Daily) tile to access the DR backup settings
5. Click the arrow to continue
6. Select the backup type and check the box for Enable database backup compression if desired
7. Click Run job to launch the job

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DR Backups to Commvault Cloud

Take advantage of a free Commvault Cloud Services account to back up your Disaster Recovery data to the cloud.
The service stores the last seven metadata backups. This ensures that a recent copy of the database is offsite and
cannot be accessed by a rogue process such as a ransomware attack.
The free cloud service requires a Commvault Cloud Services account. Go to cloud.commvault.com for more
information.
1. Select Manage
2. Click System
3. Click Maintenance
4. Locate the DR backup (Daily) section
5. Click the Gear icon to edit DR backup settings
6. Enter the cloud services account credentials
7. Toggle on Upload backup metadata to Commvault cloud to enable DR backups save to the cloud
8. Click Save

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Save DR Backups to a Cloud Storage Target

To send a copy of the DR backup to a cloud storage target, the administrator needs to connect to the pre-established
cloud storage vendor and upload the DR backup copy.
Manage > System > DR backup (Daily) section > Gear icon
1. Toggle on Upload backup metadata to cloud library to send a copy to a cloud storage target
2. Select the storage target and the vendor

Backup Frequency
By default, the DR backup runs every day at 10:00 AM. The time the backup runs can be modified, and the DR
backup can be scheduled to run multiple times a day.
The DR metadata is required to recover protected data. If backups are conducted at night and auxiliary copies are run
during the day, consider setting up a second schedule after auxiliary copies complete.

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MediaAgent

MediaAgents are the multi-function workhorses of a Commvault software environment. They facilitate the transfer of
data from source to destination, hosts the deduplication database and metadata indexes, and run the analytic
engines.
The MediaAgent is used during auxiliary copy jobs when data is copied from a source library to a destination library.
The MediaAgent software can be installed on most operating systems in physical, virtual, and clustered environments.
All tasks are coordinated by the CommServe server.

MediaAgent and Data Movement

There is a basic rule that all data must travel through a MediaAgent to reach its destination. One exception to this rule
is when conducting Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) dumps directly to tape media.
In this case, the MediaAgent is used to execute the NDMP dump and no data travels through the MediaAgent. This
rule is important to note as it affects MediaAgent placement.
Since all data moving to and from protected storage must move through a MediaAgent, resource provisioning for
MediaAgent hosts (e.g., CPU, memory, bandwidth) must be adequate for both the volume and the concurrency of
data movement you expect it to handle.

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MediaAgent Device Control
A MediaAgent provides device control over media changers and removable media devices and writes to disk devices.
This control defines the path upon which data moves to and from protected storage. In addition to normal device
integrity checks, the MediaAgent can validate the integrity of data stored on the media during a recovery operation
and validate the integrity of the data on the network during a data protection operation.
If the MediaAgent is located on the same host as the client agent, the exchange of data is contained within the host.
This is called a SAN MediaAgent configuration, or sometimes referred to as LAN-free backups. This has advantages
of keeping data off potentially slower TCP/IP networks by using local higher performance transmission devices (e.g.,
Fibre Channel, SCSI, etc.). On the other hand, a MediaAgent component located on a host by itself can provide
dedicated resources and facilitate exchange of data over longer distances using TCP/IP (e.g., LAN, WAN, etc.).

MediaAgent Hosting Functions

The MediaAgent component also achieves additional functions other than moving data. First, the MediaAgent hosts
the index directory. Every protection job allowing granular recovery must be indexed. The MediaAgent oversees job
indexing and retains the indexing information in the index directory. If Commvault deduplication is enabled on a disk or
a cloud library, the MediaAgent also hosts the deduplication database containing the deduplication information.
Finally, if Data Analytics is in use, it requires the Analytics Engine to be installed on the MediaAgent.

Metadata Indexes
Commvault software uses a distributed indexing structure that provides enterprise level scalability and automated
index management. The CommServe database only retains job-based metadata such as chunk information to keep
the database relatively small. Detailed index information, such as details of protected objects, is kept on the
MediaAgent. Ensure the index location is on high-speed dedicated disks.

Physical vs. Virtual MediaAgent

Commvault recommends using physical MediaAgents to protect physical and virtual data. The advantages for using a
physical MediaAgent are better performance, more versatility as a multi-purpose data mover (protect VMs and
physical data), and resiliency. If using a tape library, presenting it to a virtualized MediaAgent adds an additional layer
of complexity for configuration and troubleshooting. A MediaAgent can be virtualized if all performance requirements
including CPU, RAM, index directory location and deduplication database location are being met.

Scenario: Remote Site MediaAgents

You need to protect a smaller remote site and want to keep a local copy of data for quick restore. However,
you are concerned about hardware costs for a MediaAgent.
Solution: Virtualize the remote site MediaAgent and keep a shorter retention for the local copy, producing a
smaller footprint. Then replicate the data using Secondary, Auxiliary, or DASH Copy to the main data center
physical MediaAgent where it can be kept for a longer retention.

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Deploy the MediaAgent

1. Select Manage
2. Select Infrastructure
3. Click the MediaAgents tile

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Deploy the MediaAgent …cont’d

4. This window displays all configured MediaAgents; click Install MediaAgent to add a new server
5. Type the name of the MediaAgent server and click + to add it to the list; repeat for all MediaAgents you need
to install
6. Enter credentials with administrative privileges on the systems
7. Enter the installation location
8. Check to reboot the system upon installation if needed and click Install

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Deploy the MediaAgent …cont’d

9. Installation progress can be monitored by clicking the Job ID link

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Access the Index Directory

MediaAgent Advanced Options

The index directory must be located on a dedicated high-speed disk, preferably solid-state drives. Index directory
performance is critical when streaming a high number of jobs to a MediaAgent and when conducting DASH full
operations. When MediaAgent software is first deployed to a server, the location of the index directory will be on the
system drive. It is recommended to change the location to a dedicated drive prior to any jobs running.
To change the Index Cache location you can click the Edit icon from within the MediaAgent configuration page.

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Apply Updates to the MediaAgent

Software updates can be applied to a MediaAgent directly from the MediaAgent overview page. Click Upgrade
Software to perform the software update.

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Configure Parallel Data Transfer Options

A MediaAgent can receive and handle a certain amount of parallel data transfer operations, or streams. This is based
on hardware resources of the MediaAgent, as well as the Commvault Online Documentation. By default, a
MediaAgent has 100 set as a maximum of streams it can receive. After proper evaluation, this number can be
increased or decreased.
To adjust this value, from the MediaAgent configuration page, click the edit icon next to Parallel Data transfer
operations.

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Disable MediaAgent vs. Mark MediaAgent Offline

If maintenance is required on the MediaAgent or hardware, it is possible to disable or mark a MediaAgent offline for
maintenance. It is important to understand the differences between disabling a MediaAgent and marking it offline for
maintenance.

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Disable and Offline Settings

You can disable or enable a MediaAgent or mark it offline for maintenance from the Control pane of the MediaAgent
configuration page.

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