Multi Instancing

Overview

Using the Multi Instancing feature, the same Agent and MediaAgent software can be installed on a computer multiple times; the resultant multiple instances of a particular software component can operate simultaneously on the computer, independent from each other.

Each instance consists of the following:

• A set of software component binaries installed, e.g., C:\Program Files\DataProtection\.
• A set of services.
• A set of registry keys in a single path, e.g.,
  • for Windows, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CommVault Systems\Galaxy\Instance001.
  • for Unix, /etc/CommVaultRegistry/Galaxy/Instance001/
• A set of updates, which are applied to each instance separately.

Some of the circumstances where this feature will prove useful are illustrated by the following:

• Mixed-bit Environments.
  A Windows server computer may have a 64-bit operating system, and a mixture of 32-bit and 64-bit applications installed. To protect the data from each application, you would normally install the appropriate Agents, and configure each to protect a particular kind of data. However, most Agents designed to protect application data, e.g., SQL, Exchange, etc., require you to install a matching file system Agent, a 32-bit version of the Windows File System iDataAgent for the 32-bit application Agents that will protect the data of 32-bit applications, and a 64-bit Windows File System iDataAgent for the 64-bit application Agents that will protect the data of 64-bit applications. The Multi Instancing feature allows you to do just this, installing two copies (instances) of the Windows File System iDataAgent on the same computer, a 32-bit version and a 64-bit version, thus accommodating such a mixed-bit environment.
• Different CommCells.
  For the sake of load-balancing, as well as other possible network considerations, you can have the same computer be part of two different CommCells. For instance, you might want all backups from a particular computer to be handled by CommCell A, and all the data archiving activity to be handled by CommCell B; or, you may want all SQL and Exchange data for your enterprise to be handled by CommCell A, and all file system data to be handled by CommCell B. The Multi Instancing feature allows you to do just this, installing the Windows File System iDataAgent to one instance on the computer, and the Exchange and SQL iDataAgents to a second instance on the same computer, thus accommodating such an overlapping-CommCell environment.

This illustrates just two possible uses; there will certainly be other cases where Multi Instancing will prove useful in an enterprise.

Support

• Not all components support Multi Instancing. Only one set of drivers can be installed, so Multi Instancing is not supported for software components that utilize a device driver. For example, the Image Level iDataAgent with QSnap requires a device driver, and thus can not be installed using the Multi Instancing feature. For a list of supported components, refer to Support Information - Multi Instancing.

• The following installation type cannot be used to create additional instances, and cannot be used for a computer that already has Multiple Instances:
  • Silent Installs - Unix Agents
• Multiple Instances of the MediaAgent installed on a single computer which share libraries must be in the same CommCell. To be in separate CommCells, they cannot share any libraries with each other.

• Multiple instances of the CommServe are only supported for cluster group servers. See Clusters.
• Multi Instancing is not supported for NetWare Operating Systems.
• A maximum of 16 instances are supported on a single Windows computer; there is no limit on a UNIX computer.
• Different versions of the same software component can be installed in different instances on the same computer, as long as all software components are versions 7.0 or above.
• You cannot use DB2 iDataAgents installed to different instances to protect the data of a given version of DB2 on a Unix computer. For example, if DB2 version 8 is installed on a given computer, you cannot protect some of its data with a DB2 iDataAgent installed to Instance 001, and protect some of its data with a DB2 iDataAgent installed to Instance 002. However, if you have DB2 version 8 and DB2 version 9 installed on the same Unix computer, you could, for instance, use a DB2 iDataAgent installed to Instance 001 to protect the data of DB2 version 8, and a DB2 iDataAgent installed to Instance 002 to protect the data of DB2 version 9.

General Information

• Each instance requires specifying unique text for the host name (network interface) if using the same CommServe. For example, for instance001, the interface could use www.company.com as the interface name that resolves to IP address 10.11.11.1 and instance002 could use 10.11.11.1 as the interface name. Both instances are specifying the same computer, but the text is unique.
• Each instance has its own set of binaries. If a new Agent is installed to a given instance, binaries are copied to that instance only.
• Different instances can either be in the same CommCell or in different CommCells. If any instances will be in the same CommCell, you must supply a unique client name and host name during installation. For instances in different CommCells, the same client name and host name can be used.

Agent Specific Information

• For Exchange-based agents, the Destination Folder path entered during installation must be different for each instance that is installed.
• For the Exchange Mailbox Archiver and Exchange Public Folder Archiver Agents, the OWA alias entered during agent installation must be different for each instance that is installed.

Network Port Requirements

• Each instance will require a separate set of static TCP Ports configured for services, except when multiple instances of CommServe are installed on a cluster. For more information on required ports, see Network TCP Port Requirements; for more information about the services that make use of these ports, see Services.
• When implementing Multi Instancing, you may decide to change the network ports used for an existing instance. For step-by-step instructions, see Changing Port Numbers.

Clusters

• Use the bAllowMultiInstances registry key to install multiple instances of the CommServe in the active-active configuration. Each instance of the CommServe software must use a different cluster server to perform the CommServe install.
• The instance that has the CommServe software cannot share the instance with another physical or virtual installation. Hence, when an instance already has the CommServe installed for a specific cluster server, subsequent installs of Agents or MediaAgents for a different cluster server will automatically be installed to a new instance.
• For all cluster group servers that use the same instance, only one set of binaries and one set of services are used. This is true except for the GxClusterPlugin service, which exists per cluster group servers.

For more information about clusters, see Clustering Support.

How to Use Multi Instancing

This section details the steps for using Multi Instancing.

Install

1. Verify that the selected computer meets the necessary System Requirements. Refer to System Requirements, and select the page for the software component(s) you are installing.
2. To allow Multi Instancing, for Windows configure the bAllowMultiInstances registry key, or for UNIX configure the cvpkgadd_unlock_inst key.
3. Install software on the computer for the first instance; refer to Installation, and select the page for the software you are installing. If the computer already has an instance installed, proceed to the next Step.
4. Install software on the computer for the next instance.
   • Select either an existing instance, or specify a new one. (See an example of the Install Instance Selection screen: Windows / Unix)
     • If you install to an existing instance, the install location will be the same path as any existing instance. For multiple instances of the same component, e.g., Windows File System iDataAgent, no new binaries are installed as they are shared within the same instance.
     • If you are installing to a new instance, the install location must be a different path from any existing instance, and cannot be a subdirectory of the path of any existing instance. For example, on a Windows computer:

       Instance001 is installed in C:\Program Files\DataProtection\.
       Instance002 could be installed in C:\Program Files\DataProtection_Instance_2\.
       Instance002 cannot be installed in C:\Program Files\DataProtection\Instance_2\.

   • Specify the CommServe for the instance you are installing. This can be a different CommServe for each instance.
   • Specify the network TCP port numbers associated with this instance. Each instance must have a unique set of static TCP port numbers. Note that this means at least one instance will be using non-registered port numbers. For more information on TCP ports used by the software, see Network TCP Port Requirements. (See an example of the Port Number Selection screen: Windows / Unix.)

     Bull Calypso Communications Service(GxCVD) uses port 8400 by default. If you are using a non-default port, you need to open up the corresponding port in the firewall. You can specify a non-default port number for GxCVD in following ways:

     The ports used by Bull Calypso services (by default, ports 8400, 8401, 8402, and 8403) must not be used for other configurations. Verify the service port assignments before using a port for firewall configurations.

     • Specify the port number during installation.
     • Modify the port number after installation, using the firewall configuration wizard. See Firewall for step-by-step instructions. (Note that this operation can be performed on Clients and MediaAgents. You cannot change the GxCVD port on the CommServe.)
   • Specify the client name and the host name. If each instance will be in a different CommCell, you can use the same client names and host names for all instances. If each instance will be in the same CommCell, you will need to provide unique clients name and host names. The client name can be any unique display name with which you wish to identify the client in the CommCell. The host name is the network identity of the computer in the network. You can achieve dual host names on a computer in two ways.
     • You can add another DNS alias for the computer and use it for another instance.
     • You can use regular hostname for one of the instances and IP address for another instance.
5. When you are done, the computer will appear in the CommCell Browser as either a client of each of the CommServes with which the instances are associated, with a list of Agents that were installed for that instance, or it will appear as a MediaAgent.

Upgrade

When upgrading a CommCell with multiple instances on the same computer, each instance is upgraded individually.

Uninstall

When uninstalling components which have been Multi Instanced, each instance of a given Agent or MediaAgent will be shown separately, either in the Add/Remove Control Panel (Windows) or in the Uninstall menu (Unix) so you can select the one you want to uninstall. Once uninstalled, the license will be released, and the CommCell Browser will indicate it is no longer installed, but the binaries are not actually removed until the last component using them is uninstalled. For more information about uninstalling software components, see Uninstalling Components.

Considerations

• The installation of some products requires that a device driver be installed (e.g., QSnap) and thus, during the install process, you will be prompted to reboot. Before rebooting, check whether there are running jobs from any other instance, which would be interrupted by a reboot.

• When specifying a Network TCP Port Number other than 8400 for a MediaAgent's Communications Service (GxCVD), which may be necessary when more than one instance of the MediaAgent is installed on a computer, bear in mind that clients with an earlier release may not be able to communicate through that port. Thus, when specifying a non-default port number in such cases, you should ensure that all clients using the MediaAgent supports the Multi Instancing feature, and non-default Network TCP Port Numbers.

• In a firewall configuration, if the client computer has multiple instances of the Agent software installed, then each instance must be configured with a distinct IP address and hostname, to be uniquely identified by the CommServe.

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