Topics | How To | Related Topics
Using UNC Paths for Job Results Directory
Client Configuration Considerations
A client is a logical grouping of the agents installed on a computer. A client level is created in the CommCell Browser the first time an agent is installed on a computer.
You can perform client operations as long as the client is available and has agents installed on that computer. Operations performed on clients are applicable to all the agents that are installed on that client.
For the DB2 DPF iDataAgent, the DB2 DPF pseudo-client and its corresponding instance serve as a logical grouping of DB2 DPF database partitions that are housed on various clients. See Overview - DB2 DPF iDataAgent for more information. The pseudo-client is not automatically created in the CommCell Browser by the software; you must create and configure it using the Create a DB2 DPF Client procedure.
For the Oracle RAC iDataAgent, the RAC pseudo-client serves as a logical grouping of one or more Oracle iDataAgent instances within a RAC pseudo-client instance. See Overview - Oracle RAC iDataAgent for more information. The pseudo-client is not automatically created in the CommCell Browser by the software; you must create and configure it using the Create a RAC Client procedure.
The software for the NAS NDMP iDataAgents is installed automatically as part of the MediaAgent installation. Additional software components must also be installed and configured as part of NAS NDMP iDataAgent Deployment; however, the client is not automatically created in the CommCell Browser. To add the client to the CommCell, refer to the following procedure:
A CommNet client is created on the CommCell if the CommServe is associated with a CommNet Server; during the installation of the CommNet Server software, you must specify the CommCell with which the CommNet Server will be associated. This does not register the CommCell with the CommNet Server for reporting, nor does it merge the user interfaces; however, this enables the CommNet Server to act as a client computer in the CommCell, which allows for the CommNet Server computer to support the automatic updates and license administration from the CommCell License Administration utility.
For the SRM Oracle Agent, the agent software is installed on a proxy client. Once the installation is complete, the agent and the Oracle database information must be configured from the client level in the CommCell Console. For step-by-step instructions, see Add Oracle Database.
For the SRM NAS Agent, the agent software is installed on a proxy client. Once the installation is complete, the agent and the NAS file server must be configured from the client level in the CommCell Console. For step-by-step instructions, see Add NAS Filer.
For the SRM NetWare proxy Agent, the agent software is installed on a proxy client. Once the installation is complete, the agent and the NetWare server information must be configured from the client level in the CommCell Console. For step-by-step instructions, see Add NetWare Server.
Information on whether the client is a physical or virtual client is displayed in the Client Properties.
Agent and/or MediaAgent software can be installed on a computer that is not part of a CommCell. For more information, see Decoupled Install.
A client or MediaAgent can be pre-configured on the CommServe, and it can be subsequently connected to a computer with client and/or MediaAgent software already installed. A Product License(s) will be consumed when you perform this procedure.
The two parts involved in a Decoupled Install can be performed in any order, but must both be performed before the client and/or MediaAgent are functional in the CommCell.
Once installed, the client computer is configured and is therefore able to manage the data or volumes. You can change the following aspects of the configuration:
You can enable or disable all operations for this CommCell object and all objects below it. For more information, see Activity Control.
MediaAgents and data protection and recovery operations for clients can be enabled or disabled in bulk with the EnableDisableComputers command line utility in the Resource Pack. The tool can be applied to all MediaAgents and clients, or for a select targeted group.
ContinuousDataReplicator (CDR) performs replication by logging all activities in the source computer and replaying the log in the destination. On the source computer CDR logs all file write activities - new files and changes to existing files - both in the directories and volumes specified in the source paths of all the Replication Pair(s). These replication logs are transferred to the destination computer and replayed, ensuring that the destination remains a nearly real-time replica of the source.
You can specify the location of these log files and how often the logs must be replayed. For more information, see Replication Logs.
When 32-bit Exchange agents are installed in non-standard configurations, such as off-host proxy or 32-bit on 64-bit, this property must be configured on the client hosting the Exchange Server to establish communications between the 32-bit Exchange agents and the Exchange Server in order to support Outlook Add-In and/or OWA functionality. The proper setting for this property depends on the type of installation configuration, as discussed below:
This field should be configured after installing the Exchange agents and the OWA Proxy Enabler; it can be configured either before or after the installation of the Outlook Add-In (if applicable), but it must be configured before using Outlook Add-In and/or OWA in the configurations mentioned above. For step-by-step instructions, see Configure the Proxy for Exchange.
When the client is configured as a Web Search Client to support content index and search capabilities from the Search Console, options are provided that allow you to view or change the URLs used to access the Search Console and User Administration page.
You can also view the name and URL of the Web Search Server associated with the Web Search Client. Note that, the Web Search Server association cannot be changed without re-installing the Web Search Client. Also note that, the Web Search Server URL specified in the Client Properties (Search Server URLs) tab is not directly accessible by the user from any Web browsers.
When the client is an Exchange Server, an option is provided that allows you to associate a Web Server to the client for searching.
For step-by-step instructions, see Configure the Search Server URLs.
You can configure Data Collection for a Client Group or for a Client. For more information, see Data Collection.
You can enable or disable the encryption of data for transmission over unsecure networks and for storage on media. For more information, see Data Encryption.
You can set the following job configuration options:
TIP Use ping (or other such network connectivity utilities) to verify whether the computer that has a new name is accessible. Also, ensure that the other computers in the network are accessible to the computer with the new name. |
You can change the name of the Client/MediaAgent computer if the Host name is changed. See Name Management for more information.
| Do not use spaces when specifying a new name for the Client. |
You can perform the following functions:
For more information, see User Administration and Security.
You can associate or disassociate clients to or from a client computer group.
The Version tab displays the software version and post-release service packs and updates installed for the component. See Version for an overview.
You can add, delete, and view data interface pairs between the client and other CommCell computers. The Advanced tab of the client's Properties dialog box contains options to configure new data interface pairs and view and delete any existing data interface pairs. For more information on data interface pairs, see Data Interface Pairs.
You can define the connection details required to operate this client or client group across firewalls. Details of the connection passage for incoming and outgoing connections between this and other clients behind a firewall must be defined. For complete configuration details, see Firewalls.
You can configure client-side deduplication options for the client. The Client Side Deduplication tab of the client's Properties dialog box consists of the following configuration options for client-side deduplication.
See Configure Deduplication Options for the Client for step-by-step instructions.
For information, see Source Deduplication.
You can enable/disable offline content indexing for the client from the Content Indexing tab in the Client Properties dialog. Moreover, for clients installed with Microsoft Windows File System, Microsoft Exchange agents, or Microsoft SharePoint Server agents, you can also enable decryption of RMS (Rights Management Service) protected documents/emails to facilitate offline content indexing. For detailed information on content indexing RMS protected documents/emails, see Content Indexing RMS Protected Files.
UNC paths are supported for job results directory by the Exchange Database iDataAgent 2007 and above when configured in Cluster Continuous Replicator environment. The Windows File System iDataAgent is also supported when configured in this environment.
When assigning UNC paths, the designated directory must be ONE level below the directory which is shared for this purpose. Examples:
\\machine1\<share_name>\job_results\ is shared. Then specify \\machine1\<share_name>\job_results\job_results_1 as the job results directory.
\\machine1\<share_name>\job_results\ is shared. Then specifying \\machine1\<share_name>\job_results as the job results directory is not supported.
On a Windows client, you need to specify a Windows User Account with the appropriate privileges to access the job results directory.
User impersonation requires that the specified user have write permissions to the product installation folders; otherwise, the user impersonation account may not take effect. This is especially true if the associated computer is not part of a domain and if the user is not a domain user. Additionally, users will need full permissions (registry rights) to the following registry key: \\HKEY_LOCAL_MACINE\SOFTWARE\CommVault Systems.
In addition, if UNC paths are used for job results and subclient contents are specified as UNC paths, the user impersonation account used for the job results directory must have access to both paths.
For the File System iDataAgent, the user impersonation occurs only once; therefore, the user impersonation account specified for the job results directory will take precedence and will be used to back up the contents of the UNC path included in the subclient content.
For the Virtual Server iDataAgent, the user impersonation account specified for the job results directory will take precedence and will be used to backup and restore data from a virtual machine. This may result into file access related issues during the backup. Therefore, it is recommended to use a local folder on the client computer as the job results directory.
For the Exchange iDataAgent, the account must have the following:
Remote Access can be granted by right-clicking My Computer | Properties | Remote | Select Remote Users | Add and then specifying the domain\user in the Select User dialog box in the computer hosting the UNC path.
For step-by-step instructions, see Change the User Account for Accessing the Job Results Directory.
You can check whether or not a client is accessible in the CommCell by using the Check Readiness option in the CommCell Console.
When selected, this option will display a message indicating whether or not the client is accessible. If the client is not accessible, you can check the Service Control Manager to ensure the client's services are running.
For step-by-step instructions, see Check Client Connectivity.
If the CommCell is registered to a CommNet Server, the client readiness check is automatically run every 24 hours from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM. If necessary you can change these values using the following registry keys:
Client readiness checks cannot occur when services are down. The initial client readiness check is triggered 30 minutes after services are restarted. Once triggered, the values set in the registry keys are honored.
Consider the following when configuring your clients:
The Collect File records the path and name of each scanned file that is to be backed up; therefore, the collect file size is determined by the number of files to be backed up and the length of the file path and file name. If you are working with very deep directory structures, the file paths will be longer, and this impacts the collect file size. When performing full backups of large file systems with a mix of short and long file paths, plan on collect file growth of approximately 50MB for every 1 Million files. Plan on 100MB-200MB per one million files if most of the files in your backup operation have very long file paths (200 + characters in length). Incremental and Differential backups tend to back up fewer files than full backups, and so create smaller collect files.
You can configure operation rules at this level using the Operation Window. See Operation Window for an overview.
Operations performed with this feature are recorded in the Audit Trail. See Audit Trail for more information.