Alternate Data Paths (GridStor) - How To

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Configure Data Paths for Storage Policies

• Configure Multiple Data Paths for a Storage Policy Copy
• Select the Criteria for using an Alternate Data Path
• Add a Data Path to a Storage Policy Copy
• Delete a Data Path from a Storage Policy Copy
• Set a Data Path as the Default Data Path
• View Data Paths Associated With a Subclient

Configure Data Paths for Subclients

• Configure Data Paths for Subclients
• Assign Priorities for Subclient Data Paths

Configure Multiple Data Paths for a Storage Policy Copy

Required Capability: See Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To configure multiple data paths for a storage policy copy:

1. Select the criteria under which a storage policy copy must use an alternate data path, as described in Select the Criteria for using an Alternate Data Path.
2. Depending on the criteria selected for using an alternate data path, you may have to share the indexes.
3. Add the data paths to storage policy copies for which you wish to add multiple data paths, as described in Add a Data Path to a Storage Policy Copy.

The storage policy copy will automatically switch to an alternate data path, when the preferred data path is either offline or busy, as established in the criteria for using an alternate data path.

Select the Criteria for using an Alternate Data Path

Required Capability: See Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To select the criteria for using an alternate data path for a storage policy copy:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the storage policy copy for which you select the criteria for using an alternate data path, then click Properties.
2. Click the Data Path configuration tab.
3. Select the Automatically add datapaths for existing library option, if you are using shared libraries.
4. Choose from the following options:

   Choose the Use Alternate Data Paths only when option to indicate that alternate data paths must be used only when resources are busy and/or resources are offline. If you wish to choose this option, and wish to use some or all available resources in the CommCell, you must first share the index cache.

   • Select the When Resources are Offline checkbox, to indicate that the storage policy copy must use an alternate data path, when resources are offline.

     Resources are MediaAgent, Library, Master Drive Pool, Drive Pool, Drives in the drive pool and spare media in the scratch pool associated with this data path.

     • Select Immediately to use an alternate data path at once, when resources are offline.
     • Select After and type the minimum number of hours and minutes after which an alternate data path must be used when resources are offline
   • Select the When Resources are Busy checkbox, to indicate that the storage policy copy must use an alternate data path when resources are busy.

     Resources are all the drives in the library attached to the preferred MediaAgent.

     • Select Immediately to use an alternate data path at once, when resources are busy.
     • Select After and type the number of hours and minutes after which an alternate data path must be used, when resources are busy.

   Choose the Round-Robin between Data Paths option to automatically fail over between all the available data paths. If you wish to choose this option, you must first share the index cache.

   Choose the Use preferred datapath option to automatically perform LAN-free backups, wherever possible.

5. You can now add the appropriate data paths as described in Add a Data Path to a Storage Policy Copy.

Add a Data Path to a Storage Policy Copy

Required Capability: See Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To add a data path to a storage policy copy:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the storage policy copy for which you wish to add the data paths, then click Properties.
2. Click the Data Paths tab. Note that depending on the criteria selected for using an alternate data path, you may have to share the indexes.
3. Click Add.
4. From the Copy Data Path Candidates dialog box, select the data path candidates that you wish to add.

   You can select multiple candidates by holding down the CTRL key and clicking on each of the data path candidates that you wish to select.

5. Click Add.
6. Click OK.
7.  Click OK in the Data Paths tab to save the information.

Delete a Data Path from a Storage Policy Copy

Required Capability: See Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To delete a data path from a storage policy copy:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the storage policy copy for which you wish to delete a data path, then click Properties.
2. Click the Data Paths tab.
3. Click the data path you wish to delete from the list.
4. Click Delete. The data path is deleted.
5. Click OK to save the information.

Set a Data Path as the Default Data Path

Required Capability: See Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To set a data path as the default data path from a storage policy copy:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the storage policy copy for which you wish to set as the preferred data path, then click Properties.
2. Click the Data Paths tab.
3. Click the data path you wish to set as the preferred data path from the list.
4. Click Set Default.

   The data path is set as the default data path. Notice the tick mark in the icon displayed in the Status column.

5. Click OK to save the information.

View Data Paths Associated with a Subclient

Required Capability: See Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To view data paths:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the subclient whose data paths you want to view, then click Properties from the shortcut menu.
2. Click the Storage Device tab of the Subclient Properties dialog box.
3. From the Data [or Logs] Storage Policy tab, click Show Data Paths to view the data paths used by the subclient to access the storage media for data protection operations. Click Close to exit the Data Paths dialog box.
4. Click OK to exit the Subclient Properties Storage Device tab.

Configure Data Paths for Subclients

Required Capability: See Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To configure data paths for subclients:

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the subclient for which you wish to create the data paths, and then click Properties.
2. Click the Storage Device tab.
3. Click Data Paths.
4. From the Data Paths for <Storage Policy Name> dialog box, select the Override DataPaths option. This will allow you to define the necessary data paths at the subclient level.
5. From the list of data paths displayed in the bottom pane, select the Use option to choose a data path for the subclient.
6. If necessary assign a priority as described in Assign Priorities for Subclient Data Paths.
7. Click OK to save the changes.

The selected data paths will be used by the subclient for subsequent data protection operations.

Assign Priorities for Subclient Data Paths

Required Capability: See Capabilities and Permitted Actions

To assign priorities for subclient data paths:

1. Follow the steps described in Configure Data Paths for Subclients.
2. From the Data Paths for <Storage Policy Name> dialog box, after selecting the data paths for the subclient by clicking the Use option, click Priority and type a number as priority.
3. If necessary, click the Refresh Priority button to sort the display based on the established priority.
4. Click OK to save the changes.

The data path with the smallest number will be established as a high priority data path, while data paths with bigger numbers will be established as low priority data paths.