Index Cache - How To

Topics | How To | Troubleshoot | Related Topics

Create Shared Index Cache

Unshare a Shared Index Cache

Move an Index Cache

Move a Shared Index Cache

Set the Index Retention Criteria

Manually Relocate the Index Cache

Create Shared Index Cache

Before You Begin

• For unix MediaAgents, if the index cache resides on a network share, you have to manually mount the drive containing the index cache to the local machine to be able to create a shared index cache. Also note down the local mount path.

Required Capability: Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To create a shared index cache:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click any one of the MediaAgents that will share the index and then click Properties.
2. Click the Index Cache tab.
3. If necessary, modify the name of the index cache from the Use Dedicated Index Cache, Name box.
4. Click Share it.

   The index cache name is displayed under the Use Shared Index Cache, Name box.

5. Provide details in the index cache area.

   For Windows MediaAgent

• Select one of the following:
  • Use Network Share - if the index cache will reside on a network share.
  • Use MediaAgent Local Drive - if the index cache will reside on a local drive.
• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path.
• If the MediaAgent resides on a Network Share, click the Change button. In the Change User Account dialog box, type the user account and password that must be used to access the Index Cache and then click OK.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

For Unix MediaAgent

• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path. If the index cache resides on a network share, then this will be the path to network index cache mounted locally.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

6. Now this index is available to be shared from other MediaAgents.

7. Right-click another MediaAgent that will share the index and then click Properties.
8. Click the Index Cache tab.
9. Click on Use Shared Index Cache and pick the name of the index cache from the list.

10. Provide details in the Index Cache area.

For Windows MediaAgent

• Select one of the following:
  • Use Network Share - if the index cache will reside on a network share.
  • Use MediaAgent Local Drive - if the index cache will reside on a local drive.
• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path.
• If the MediaAgent resides on a Network Share, click the Change button. In the Change User Account dialog box, type the user account and password that must be used to access the Index Cache and then click OK.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

For Unix MediaAgent

• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path. If the index cache resides on a network share, then this will be the path to network index cache mounted locally.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

11. Repeat steps 8 -10 on all the MediaAgents that share the index cache.

Unshare a Shared Index Cache

Before You Begin

• Ensure that the MediaAgent is not defined as an alternate data path candidate in any of the storage policy copies. If the MediaAgent is used as candidate, the system will automatically prevent you from unsharing the index cache.
• For unix MediaAgents, if the index cache resides on a network share, you have to manually mount the drive containing the index cache to the local machine to be able to create a shared index cache. Also note down the local mount path.

Required Capability: Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To unshare a shared index cache:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the MediaAgent for which you wish to unshare the shared index cache and then click Properties.
2. Click the Index Cache tab.
3. Click on Use Dedicated Index Cache.
4. Type a new name for the index cache in the Name box.
5. Provide details in the Index Cache area.

   For Windows MediaAgent

• Select one of the following:
  • Use Network Share - if the index cache will reside on a network share.
  • Use MediaAgent Local Drive - if the index cache will reside on a local drive.
• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path.
• If the MediaAgent resides on a Network Share, click the Change button. In the Change User Account dialog box, type the user account and password that must be used to access the Index Cache and then click OK.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

For Unix MediaAgent

NOTES

It is important to change both the Name and the Index Cache Directory when unsharing the index cache.

• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

Move an Index Cache

Before You Begin

• For unix MediaAgents, if the index cache resides on a network share, you have to manually mount the drive containing the index cache to the local machine to be able to create a shared index cache. Also note down the local mount path.

Required Capability: Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To move an index cache:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the MediaAgent for which you wish to move the index cache and then click Properties.
2. Click the Index Cache tab.
3. Provide details in the Index Cache area.

For Windows MediaAgent

• Select one of the following:
  • Use Network Share - if the index cache will reside on a network share.
  • Use MediaAgent Local Drive - if the index cache will reside on a local drive.
• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path.
• If the MediaAgent resides on a Network Share, click the Change button. In the Change User Account dialog box, type the user account and password that must be used to access the Index Cache and then click OK.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

For Unix MediaAgent

• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path. If the index cache resides on a network share, then this will be the path to network index cache mounted locally.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

4. If the index is moved from a local drive to a network share, a Confirm prompt is displayed, asking you whether you wish to copy the index cache. Click one of the following:

• Yes to copy the index cache to the new index cache folder.
• No to move the index cache without copying the index cache folder. In this case subsequent jobs may result in index restore operation from the media.

The index cache is moved to the new folder.

NOTES

• If you move the index cache from one local folder to another local folder or from a network share to a local drive, the system will not copy the contents of the index cache to the new folder.  Hence subsequent jobs may result in an index restore operation from the media.

• Index Cache can only be moved when no index jobs like Auxiliary Copy, Disaster Recovery Backups, Deduplication Backups, etc. are running.

• If you wish to manually move the index cache, see Manually Relocate the Index Cache.

Move a Shared Index Cache

Before You Begin

• For unix MediaAgents, if the index cache resides on a network share, you have to manually mount the drive containing the index cache to the local machine to be able to create a shared index cache. Also note down the local mount path.

Required Capability: Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To move a shared index cache:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click any one of the MediaAgents that share the shared index cache and then click Properties.
2. Click the Index Cache tab.

   For Windows MediaAgent

• Select one of the following:
  • Use Network Share - if the index cache will reside on a network share.
  • Use MediaAgent Local Drive - if the index cache will reside on a local drive.
• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path.
• If the MediaAgent resides on a Network Share, click the Change button. In the Change User Account dialog box, type the user account and password that must be used to access the Index Cache and then click OK.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

For Unix MediaAgent

• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path. If the index cache resides on a network share, then this will be the path to network index cache mounted locally.
• Click OK to save the configuration.

3. Repeat the above steps in all the MediaAgents that share the index cache.  If this is not done, the index cache will be turned offline after 30 minutes, and all the jobs accessing the MediaAgents that share this index cache may fail as a result.

NOTES

• It is important that you do NOT change the Name of the Index Cache when moving a shared index cache.

• Index Cache can only be moved when no index jobs like Auxiliary Copy, Disaster Recovery Backups, Deduplication Backups, etc. are running.

Set the Index Retention Criteria

Required Capability: Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To establish the index retention criteria:

1. From the CommCell Browser, click the MediaAgents icon. All the MediaAgents available in the CommCell are displayed on the right-pane of the CommCell Browser.
2. Right-click the MediaAgent whose index cache parameters you wish to modify, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Index Cache tab of MediaAgent Properties dialog box.

   You can change the following parameters:

   • Index retention time in days
   • Index cleanup percent
   • Minimum Free Space in MB
   • Free Space Warning in MB
4. Click OK to save the configuration.

Manually Relocate the Index Cache

The Index Cache can be moved from the CommCell Console, as described in Move an Index Cache. But in some situations it maybe necessary to manually relocate the index cache. For example, if the index cache folder is too large, MediaAgent install folder needs to be moved, etc. Use the following procedure in such situations.

Before You Begin

• For unix MediaAgents, if the index cache resides on a network share, you have to manually mount the drive containing the index cache to the local machine to be able to create a shared index cache. Also note down the local mount path.

Required Capability: Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To manually relocate an index cache:

1. Copy the Index Cache to the desired location.
2. Navigate to this location and delete the icl_label.txt file.
3. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the MediaAgent for which you wish to move the index cache and then click Properties.
4. Click the Index Cache tab.

5. Provide details in the Index Cache area.

For Windows MediaAgent

• Select one of the following:
  • Use Network Share - if the index cache will reside on a network share.
  • Use MediaAgent Local Drive - if the index cache will reside on a local drive.
• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path.
• If the MediaAgent resides on a Network Share, click the Change button. In the Change User Account dialog box, type the user account and password that must be used to access the Index Cache and then click OK.

For Unix MediaAgent

• In the Index Cache Directory box, type the path to the index cache directory or use the Browse button to select the path. If the index cache resides on a network share, then this will be the path to network index cache mounted locally.

6. Click OK to save the configuration.
7. Click NO in the Confirm prompt.

   The index cache is relocated to the new folder.