Install the Image Level iDataAgent - Windows - Clustered Environment - Virtual Server

Click on a link below to go to a specific section of the software installation:

Install Requirements
Before you can install this Agent on the virtual server in a clustered environment, you must first install QSnap on all physical nodes of the cluster. Install QSnap - Windows provide step-by-step instructions for installing these components on physical nodes.

Once the Windows File System iDataAgent and QSnap are installed on all physical nodes in the cluster, the Image Level iDataAgent and Windows File System iDataAgent can be installed from the active node to the virtual server using the following procedure. The software can also be automatically installed on all available passive nodes when the software is installed onto the virtual server, or you can choose to install any passive node(s) separately.

For an overview of deploying the software components in a clustered environment, see Clustering Support.

Verify that all of the computers to which software will be installed satisfy the minimum requirements specified in System Requirements - Image Level iDataAgent and System Requirements - Microsoft Windows File System iDataAgent.

The following procedure describes the steps involved in installing the Image Level iDataAgent and the Windows File System iDataAgent. If you choose to install additional components simultaneously, refer to the appropriate procedures for installation requirements and steps specific to the component. Note that when you install multiple components, the sequence of the install steps may vary.

Review the following Install Requirements before installing the software:

General

  • Agents should be installed only after the CommServe and at least one MediaAgent have been. Also, keep in mind that the CommServe® software and MediaAgent must be installed and running (but not necessarily on the same computer), before you can install the Agent.
  • This software should be installed in a CommCell component with current versions of the CommServe Server and MediaAgent software.
  • Close all applications and disable any programs that run automatically, including anti-virus, screen savers and operating system utilities. Some of the programs, including many anti-virus programs, may be running as a service. Stop and disable such services before you begin. You can re-enable them after the installation.
  • Ensure there is an available license on the CommServe software for the Agent.
  • Verify that you have the software installation disc that is appropriate to the destination computer’s operating system.
    Make sure that you have the latest software installation disc before you start to install the software. If you are not sure, contact your software provider.

Firewall

  • If the CommServe® Server, MediaAgent and/or Clients communicate across two-way firewall(s):
    • Ensure port 8400 is allowed connections through the firewall.
    • In addition a range of bi-directional ports (consecutive or discrete) must also be allowed connections through the firewall.

     For information on configuring the range of ports, see Port Requirements for Two-way Firewall.

  • If the CommServe Server, MediaAgent and/or Clients communicate across one-way firewall(s):
    • Identify a range of outbound ports (consecutive or discrete) for use by the software.

     For information on configuring the range of ports, see Port Requirements for One-way Firewall.

  • If the MediaAgent/Client communicates with the CommServe Server across a one-way firewall, you must add the MediaAgent/Client host name (or the IP address) in the CommServe computer before installing the necessary software on the MediaAgent/Client computer.
  • If a MediaAgent or Client on a Microsoft Windows MSCS virtual server needs to communicate with other CommCell components across a firewall, you must:
    • Install File System iDataAgent or MediaAgent on all the physical nodes of the cluster. During the installation, use the firewall related prompts to establish the firewall settings required by the software to communicate across the firewall.
    • Then install the software components on the virtual nodes. (It is not necessary to configure the firewall settings again in the virtual nodes.)
    If the cluster communicates with the CommServe across a one-way firewall, you must add both the physical and virtual nodes' host names (or the IP addresses) in the CommServe computer before installing the software.

Cluster

  • Check the following on the cluster computer in which you wish to install the software:
    • Cluster software is installed and running.
    • Active and passive nodes are available.
    • Disk array devices configured with access to the shared array.
    • Public Network Interface Card is bound first, before the private Network Interface Card. (Does not apply to NetWare Cluster.)

Install Checklist
Collect the following information before installing the software. Use the space provided to record the information, and retain this information in your Disaster Recovery binder.
1. Name of the disk group in which the virtual server resides ____________________________________

See Cluster Selection for more information.
2. If the CommServe Server and the client computer communicate across a firewall:

Firewall ports: ______________________________________________________________________

Hostnames and/or IP Addresses and corresponding GxCVD port numbers of computers on the other side of the firewall:______________

Keep Alive Interval minutes:____________________________________________________________

Hostname for outgoing tunnel connections:_________________________________________________

Tunnel Initialization Interval seconds:_____________________________________________________

See Firewall Configuration for more information.
3. Client computer's Host name (NetBIOS name) or IP address____________________________________

See Configuration of Other Installation Options for more information.
4. Job result folder location:________________________________________________________________

If necessary, Name and Password for the specified folder:_______________________________________

See Configuration of Other Installation Options for more information.
5. Storage Policy used by the default subclient:________________________________________________

See Storage Policy Selection for more information.

6. Client Group to which this Client will be associated:_____________________________________________

See Client Group Selection for more information.
7. Time and frequency for Install of Automatic Updates:_________________________________________

See Schedule Automatic Update for more information.

Before You Begin

  • Log on to the active node as the Domain User with administrative privileges to all nodes on the cluster.

Install Procedure

Getting Started
1. Place the software installation disc for the Windows platform into the disc drive.

After a few seconds, the installation program is launched.

If the installation program does not launch automatically:

  • Click the Start button on the Windows task bar, and then click Run.
  • Browse to the installation disc drive, select Setup.exe, click Open, then click OK.

NOTES

  • If remotely installing to other physical nodes of the cluster, ensure you mount the software installation disc on a UNC path or a shared location (e.g., \\machine_name\shared_directory_name).

  
2. In this screen, you choose the language you want to use during installation. Click the down arrow, select the desired language from the pull-down list, and click Next to continue.  
3. Select the option to install software.

NOTES

  
4. Select the option to install software on this computer.

NOTES

  • The options that appear on this screen depend on the computer in which the software is being installed.
  
5. Read the Welcome screen.

Click Next to continue, if no other applications are running.

  
6. Read the virus scanning software warning.

Click OK to continue, if virus scanning software is disabled.

  
7. Read the license agreement, then select I accept the terms in the license agreement.

Click Next to continue.

 

Cluster Selection
8. Select Configure a Virtual Server.

Click Next to continue.
9. Select the disk group in which the virtual server resides.

Click Next to continue.

Select Components for Installation
10. Select the component(s) to install.

NOTES

  • Your screen may look different from the example shown.
  • Components that either have already been installed, or which cannot be installed, will be dimmed. Hover over the component for additional details.
  • The Special Registry Keys In Use field will be enabled when GalaxyInstallerFlags registry keys have been enabled on this computer. Hover over the field to see which keys have been set, as well as their values. For more information, see Registry Keys.

Click Next to continue.

To install the Image Level iDataAgent, expand the Client Modules folder and the iDataAgent folder and select the following:

  • iDA for Image Level

When you select the Image Level iDataAgent for install, the appropriate Windows File System iDataAgent is automatically selected for install.

Firewall Configuration
11. Select from the following:
  • If this Client communicates with the CommServe Server and/or MediaAgent across a firewall, select Yes, configure firewall services, and then click Next to continue. Proceed to the next Step.
  • If firewall configuration is not required, click No, do not configure firewall services and then click Next to continue. Proceed to the next section.

NOTES

  • Operating systems, such as Windows 2008 and Windows Vista, may have more than one profile present. When you select No to configure firewall services, verify that firewall settings are not enabled in the profile(s).
  • If the system detects firewall settings are present in the profile(s), you must select from the following:
    • Disable firewall for ALL profiles: Employ caution when choosing this option; firewall settings will be disabled in all profiles. This requires a system reboot; installation automatically resumes after reboot.
    • No, Firewall is not enabled: Select this option if your firewall settings allow communication with the CommServe computer.
      Click Back to configure firewall services.
12. Click the Specify list of machine across the firewall option and then specify the list of hosts separated from this computer by a firewall. Make sure you correctly describe whether the firewall allows two-way communication (but on a limited range of ports), or one-way communication (with either only remote host being able to make connections to this computer, or vice versa).

For all one-way firewalls allowing incoming connections and those one-way firewalls allowing outgoing connections without additional port filtering, skip this step.

Click Next to continue.

NOTES

  • Consider the following:
    • On the CommServe Server, this list should include all the MediaAgents and Clients that are on the other side of the firewall.
    • On the MediaAgents/Clients this should include the CommServe computer, and any other Clients/MediaAgents on the other side of the firewall with which communications will be established.
  • For each machine on the other side of the firewall that you want to configure, choose the type of firewall configuration based on the firewall setup in your environment. Choose from the following options:
    • Click on 2-way firewall if you can open certain ports as bi-directional ports.
    • Click 1-way firewall; host is reachable from this machine on the machine that is on the secure side of the firewall.
    • Click 1-way firewall; host is NOT reachable from this machine on the machine that is on the public / DMZ side of the firewall.
  • If you wish to communicate with computers in a clustered environment, ensure that you add the Host Name/IP Address of all physical nodes in the cluster (even if no CommCell components are installed) and all the virtual nodes in which CommCell components are installed.
  • Type the host name or the IP address and the GxCVD port number of the host name, and click Add to place it in the Host Name/IP Address List.
13. Click the Specify list of restricted open ports option and then specify the port range. Add the starting and ending port range and then click Add to place it in the Open Port List. Repeat as needed.

If firewall separating this computer from others allows incoming connections, but these connections can be made only on a limited set of ports, then configure the appropriate port range here. For all other scenarios, skip this step.

Note that if you do not specify hostname(s) as well as port number(s), then the firewall services will not be configured.

NOTES

  • Typically in a two-way firewall, the open ports must be indicated for all computers. In a one-way firewall, the ports must be specified on computers in the open side, if they are open in a restricted way. Note that the port ranges are not required for computers that are fully closed in the one-way firewall. For example, laptops which are configured as clients in the Workstation Backup Agent.
  • In a clustered environment, make sure the firewall ports specified here are open for communication on all the physical nodes as well as the virtual nodes.

Click Next to continue.
14. If desired, modify the Keep Alive interval.

Click Next to continue.
15. Optionally, select Advanced Firewall Configuration and specify a local host name interface to use for outgoing tunnel connections through the firewall. Otherwise, the interface and port is automatically selected for you by the OS.

Click Next to continue.
16. If desired, modify the Tunnel Initialization interval.

Click Next to continue.

If any of the above prompts for firewall configuration is not displayed, you must configure communication across firewall(s) using the Firewall Configuration Wizard before running any operations on this computer. (See Configure or Modify Firewall Settings on Windows Computers for step-by-step instructions on using the Firewall Configuration Wizard.)

Configuration of Other Installation Options
17. Enter the following:
  • The local (NetBIOS) name of the client computer.
  • The TCP/IP IP host name of the NIC that the client computer must use to communicate with the CommServe Server.

NOTES

  • Do not use spaces when specifying a new name for the Client.
  • The default network interface name of the client computer is displayed if the computer has only one network interface. If the computer has multiple network interfaces, enter the interface name that is preferred for communication with the CommServe Server.
  • If a component has already been installed, this screen will not be displayed; instead, the install program will use the same name as previously specified.

Click Next to continue.
18. Specify the following and click Next to continue:
  • Type the location of the client's job results directory, or click Browse.

NOTES

  • The Agent uses the job results directory to store the client's backup and restore job results.

Storage Policy Selection
19. Select the storage policy through which you want to back up/archive the indicated component (subclient, instance, etc.)

NOTES

  • A storage policy directs backup data to a media library. Each library has a default storage policy.
  • When you install an Agent, the install program creates a default subclient for most Agents.
  • If desired, you can change your storage policy selection at any time after you have installed the client software.
  • If applicable, enable Global Filters for the default subclient.
  • If this screen appears more than once, it is because you have selected multiple agents for installation and are configuring storage policy association for each of the installed agents.

Click Next to continue.

Client Group Selection
20. Select a Client Group from the list.

Click Next to continue.

NOTES

  • This screen will be displayed only if Client Groups are configured in the CommCell Console. For more information, see Client Computer Groups.
21. Select Download Pack(s) and Install to download and install the latest service packs and post packs from the software provider.

NOTES

  • Internet connectivity is required to download updates.
  • This step is applicable when installing on the first instance.
  • Updates are downloaded to the following directory: 
    <software installation>/Base/Temp/DownloadedPacks    .
    They are launched silently and installed automatically for the first instance.

Click Next to continue.

Verify Summary of Install Options
22. Verify the summary of selected options.

NOTES

  • The Summary on your screen should reflect the components you selected for install, and may look different from the example shown.

Click Next to continue or Back to change any of the options.

The install program now starts copying the software to the computer. This step may take several minutes to complete.
23. The System Reboot message may be displayed. If so, select one of the following:
  • Skip Reboot
    This option will be displayed if the install program finds any files belonging to other applications, that need to be replaced. As these files are not critical for this installation, you may skip the reboot and continue the installation and reboot the computer at a later time.
  • Reboot Now
    If this option is displayed without the Skip Reboot option, the install program has found files required by the software that are in use and need to be replaced. If Reboot Now is displayed without the Skip Reboot option, reboot the computer at this point. The install program will automatically continue after the reboot.
  • Exit Setup
    If you want to exit the install program, click Exit Setup.

Schedule Automatic Update
24. If necessary, select this option to schedule an automatic installation of software updates.

NOTES

  • Install Updates Schedule allows automatic installation of the necessary software updates on the computer on a single or weekly basis. If you do not select this option, you can schedule these updates later from the CommCell Console.
  • To avoid conflict, do not schedule the automatic installation of software updates to occur at the same time as the automatic FTP downloading of software updates.
  • You may be prompted to reboot the computer before restarting services.

  • If a component has already been installed, this screen will not be displayed; instead, the installer will use the same option as previously specified.

Click Next to continue.

Install Remaining Cluster Nodes
25. To install/upgrade the software on the remaining nodes of the cluster, click Yes.

To complete the install for this node only, click No.
26. Select cluster nodes from the Preferred Nodes list and click the arrow button to move them to the Selected Nodes list.

NOTES

  • The list of Preferred Nodes displays all the nodes found in the cluster; from this list you should only select cluster nodes configured to host this virtual server.
  • Do not select nodes that already have multiple instances installed. For more information, see Multi Instancing.

When you have completed your selections, click Next to continue.
27. Type the User Name and Password for the Domain Administrator account, so that the installer can perform the remote install/upgrade of the cluster nodes you selected in the previous step.

Click Next to continue.
28. The progress of the remote install for the cluster nodes is displayed; the install can be interrupted if necessary.

Click Stop to prevent installation to any nodes after the current ones complete.

Click Advanced Settings to specify any of the following:

  • Maximum number of nodes on which Setup can run simultaneously.
  • Time allocated for Setup to begin executing on each node, after which the install attempt will fail.
  • Time allocated for Setup to complete on each node, after which the install attempt will fail.

NOTES

  • If, during the remote install of a cluster node, setup fails to complete or is interrupted, you must perform a local install on that node. When you do, the install begins from where it left off, or from the beginning if necessary. For procedures, see Manually Installing the Software on a Passive Node.
29. Read the summary for remote installation to verify that all selected nodes were installed successfully.

NOTES

  • If any node installation fails, you must manually install the software on that node once the current installation is complete. (See Manually Installing the Software on a Passive Node for step-by-step instructions.)
  • The message displayed on your screen will reflect the status of the selected nodes, and may look different from the example.

Click Next to continue.

Setup Complete
30. Click Next to continue.

NOTES

  • Schedules help ensure that the data protection operations for the Agent are automatically performed on a regular basis without user intervention. For more information, see Scheduling.
31. Setup displays the successfully installed components.

If any passive nodes were not available for installation, they will be listed in this screen. In a such a situation, you must manually install the passive node. (See Manually Installing the Software on a Passive Node for step-by-step instructions.)

NOTES

  • The Setup Complete message displayed on your screen will reflect the components you installed, and may look different from the example shown.
  • If you install a component with the CommCell Console open, you need to refresh the CommCell Console (F5) to see the new components.

Click Finish to close the install program.

The installation is now complete.
32. Note that the following will automatically be filtered:
  • The physical cluster nodes will automatically filter all shared disk resources.
  • Virtual servers will automatically filter all physical disk resources.

NOTES

Post-Install Considerations

General

  • Install post-release updates or Service Packs that may have been released after the release of the software. If you are installing a Service Pack, verify and ensure that it is the same version as the one installed in the CommServe Server. Alternatively, you can enable Automatic Updates for quick and easy installation of updates in the CommCell component.

  • The following items include some of the most common features that can be also be configured:

    • Schedule your data protection operations - see Scheduling for more information.
    • Configure Alerts - See Alerts and Monitoring for more information.
    • Schedule Reports - See Reports for more information.

Agent Specific

  • Only the disk resource that contains the partition on which the agent was installed will be set as a dependency for the CVD resource. Add any other disk resources that contain partitions you intend to protect as dependencies for the CVD resource on the virtual server. For example, the agent was install on the R: drive of the virtual server. You use the agent to protect the R: and S: drives. You must add the S: drive as a dependency to the CVD resource. This required for the disk resources to fail over properly.
  • The following configuration tasks are required before you can begin using the software for data protection operations:
    1. Configure a supported Snapshot Environment for this agent.
    2. Create a New Subclient.

  • Use of QSnap

    Upon installation of QSnap, the QSnap block-filter is activated by default for all volumes. This means that the QSnap block filter driver automatically monitors all volumes on the server. For more information, see The Block-Filter Driver and Bitmaps on the QSnap Overview page.

The software provides many more features that you will find useful. See the Index for a complete list of supported features.

Disaster Recovery Considerations

  • Before you use your agent, be sure to review and understand the associated full system restore (or disaster recovery) procedure. The procedure for some agents may require that you plan specific actions or consider certain items before an emergency occurs.  See Disaster Recovery for more information regarding your agent.

Cluster

  • If the passive node was not available while installing the software, you must manually install the software on the passive node now. (See Manually Installing the Software on a Passive Node for step-by-step instructions.)
  • QSnap bitmap persistence is enabled by default to prevent unwanted full backups or QR Volume Creation jobs. For more information, see Persistence.
  • By default, a failure of MediaAgent or Agent software on the active node in a Windows, Veritas, or HP Scalable NAS/PolyServe Cluster will not cause a failover to be initiated. For information on how to change this default behavior, see Clustering Support - Failovers.