Getting Started - Source Side Deduplication

Getting Started Advanced  

Deduplication on the source identifies and eliminates redundant data at the source client, thereby shrinking the storage space as well as the network bandwidth required for backups.

Pre-Requisites

Enabling Source Deduplication

1.
  • From the CommCell Browser, navigate to and expand Policies.
  • Right-click Storage Policies, and then click New Storage Policy.
2. Click Next.
3. Enter the name in the Storage Policy Name box and click Next.
4. From the Library list, click the name of a disk library and click Next.
5. From the MediaAgent list, click the name of a MediaAgent that will be used to create the primary copy.

Click Next.
6. Click Next to accept the default values.

If necessary these values can be modified later.
7. Click Next.
8.
  • From the MediaAgent list, click the name of the MediaAgent that will be used to store the Deduplication store.
      It can be any MediaAgent which has enough space to store the deduplication store.
  • Type the name of the folder in which the deduplication database must be located in the Deduplication Store Location or click the Browse button to select the folder.
  • Click Next.
  The deduplication database must be located in a folder and not directly under the root of a disk volume.
9. Click Finish.
10. You can view the storage policy under Storage Policies node.
11.
  • From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computer | <Client> | File System | defaultBackupSet.
  • Right-click the subclient in the right pane and click Properties.
12.
  • Click the Storage Device tab.
  • In the Storage Policy list, choose the storage policy that you just created.
  • Click OK.
13.
  • From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computer | <Client> | File System | defaultBackupSet.
  • Right-click the subclient in the right pane and click Backup.
      The Subclient should have at least 2GB of data to backup.
14.
  • Under Select Backup Type, click Full.
  • Under Job Initiation, click Immediate.
  • Click OK.
15. You can track the progress of the backup job from the Job Controller window.

Ensure that the job completes successfully.
16.
  • From the CommCell Browser, navigate to Client Computers | <Client> | File System | defaultBackupSet.
  • Right-click the subclient and click Backup History.
  • Click OK.
  • Note down the following deduplication details:
    • Size of Application
    • Data Written
    • Savings Percentage
17. Repeat steps 13 - 15 and perform another Full backup to view the space savings due to source side deduplication.  
18. Follow the steps in step 16 and the view the job history for the new job.

You will notice the effect of source side deduplication as shown in the sample image.