Overview - ProxyHost iDataAgent

Choose from the following topics:

• Introduction
• Supported Data Types
• Tree Levels in the ProxyHost iDataAgent
• Snapshot Support
• Disaster Recovery Considerations
• Use Cases
• License Requirement

Introduction

The ProxyHost iDataAgent enables you to utilize third party vendors’ split mirrors and snapshot technology to greatly reduce the effects of backup operations on the production server. This iDataAgent can use third party software to create a point-in-time copy of the production server data mounted on to the backup host and the backup is started from this secondary host. The ProxyHost software performs the following functions:

• Utilizes user defined batch files to perform necessary system operations (e.g., snapping the BCV) prior to backing up the data
• Coordinates the backup functions on the backup host
• Provides path translation

Path translation allows you to browse data as it appears within the more familiar production server file system, rather than browsing it as it appears within the backup host file system. For example, assume that D:\ on the production server is mirrored by J:\ on the backup host. Although the exchsrvr\MDBDATA directory is actually backed up from the backup host as J:\exchsrvr\MDBDATA, it appears in the browse view as D:\exchsrvr\MDBDATA, just as it appears on the Exchange server.

The ProxyHost iDataAgent is installed on the production server only, but the same File System iDataAgent (i.e., Windows File System or Unix File System) must be installed on both the production server and backup host.

Supported Data Types

The following file system types are supported for backup and restore operations:

• ProxyHost on Windows
  • File allocation table (FAT) file systems
  • New Technology file systems (NTFS)
• ProxyHost on Unix
  • The ProxyHost iDataAgent supports the file system types supported by the Unix File System iDataAgent. See File Systems Supported by the Unix File System iDataAgents for more information.

Data Protection operations for all other data types not mentioned in the above list are not supported by the ProxyHost iDataAgents.

For a complete listing of applications supported for each operating system, see ProxyHost - Application Support.

Tree Levels in the ProxyHost iDataAgent

When the ProxyHost iDataAgent is installed, the following levels are automatically created in the CommCell Browser.

olympus: Client ProxyHost: Agent	<user_defined_subclient>: User-Defined Subclients

Snapshot Support

The ProxyHost iDataAgent is designed to work with a conjunction with the following snapshot engines, which provide snapshot functionality for data protection operations:

• Compaq EVM
• EMC SnapView
• EMC Symmetrix/TimeFinder
• Hewlett Packard StorageWorks EVA 2.0
• Hitachi HDS QuickShadow, ShadowImage, TrueCopy
• VSS for the ProxyHost iDataAgent

For more detailed snapshot support information, refer to Support Information - Snapshot Engines.

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.

Use Cases

Following are some specific uses of ProxyHost:

• ProxyHost with CVSnaptool - Truncating Exchange Logs
• ProxyHost with VSS - Truncating Exchange Logs

License Requirement

To perform a data protection operation using this Agent a specific Product License must be available in the CommServe^® Server.

Review general license requirements included in License Administration. Also, View All Licenses provides step-by-step instructions on how to view the license information.

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