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Things to Consider when Creating and Configuring SAN Subclients
The following table shows subclient creation and configuration details specific to SAN iDataAgents.
Agent |
Type of Data | Default Subclient created during install of the Agent | Supports Default Subclient | Supports User Defined Subclient | Contents of the default subclient when user-defined subclient is present | Other Types of subclients supported by the Agent | Notes |
| Image Level | volumes or mount points | No | No | Yes | N/A | CXBF (Unix), checksum (Unix) | None |
| Image Level ProxyHost | volumes or mount points | No | No | Yes | N/A | CXBF (Unix), checksum (Unix) | None |
| ProxyHost | volumes, folders, or mount points | No | No | Yes | N/A | None | None |
For Image Level on Unix and Image Level ProxyHost on Unix, you can configure CXBF subclients or non-CXBF (checksum) subclients to enable snapshot and backup capabilities. For more information, see Snapshot Options.
Once installed, the agent is configured and is therefore able to manage the data or volumes on the client computer. However, you can change certain aspects of the subclient configuration to manage the data in the manner that best suits your needs.
You can view or change the subclient configuration from the Subclient Properties dialog box. The following information can be configured.
You can enable or disable all operations for this CommCell object and all objects below it. For more information, see Activity Control.
You can define the content of the subclient. Most agents include a configure button that displays a dialog where you can add or modify the data included as subclient content. For step-by-step instructions, see Configure Subclient Content.
Several configurable options to efficiently use available resources for transferring data secured by data protection operations are provided in the subclient. This includes the following:
You can enable or disable the encryption of data for transmission over unsecure networks and for storage on media. For more information, see Data Encryption.
You can view the data paths associated with the primary storage policy copy of the selected storage policy or incremental storage policy. You can also modify the data paths for the subclient including their priority. For additional information, see Configuring Alternate Data Paths for Subclients.
You can perform the following functions:
The Filters tab is only available for the ProxyHost iDataAgent.
You can add, modify or view Pre/Post processes for the subclient. These are batch files or shell scripts that you can run before or after certain job phases. For more information, see Pre/Post Processes.
For Image Level or Image Level ProxyHost on Unix, if you configure a checksum subclient, you must provide the appropriate PreScan and PostBackup scripts to enable snap and mount capabilities. For more information on checksum subclients, see Snapshot Options. For more information on configuring the scripts, see Pre/Post Processes for Data Protection Operations: Image Level and Image Level ProxyHost iDataAgents.
If installed on the client, QSnap can be enabled to back up locked files or to provide volume-level snapshot functionality and utilize the integrated block-filter driver. On Unix clients, for some supported agents, any volume that you add to a subclient is automatically configured as a CXBF Device, which is required to back up the volume. Other agents will require using Volume Explorer to create CXBF devices. Depending on the agent, and for specific scenarios, Volume Explorer can or should also be used to configure these devices. If QSnap is enabled, the CommCell Configuration Report displays a superscript Q in the subclient column. For step-by-step instructions for the supported file system iDataAgents, see Enable QSnap on a Subclient. Also, see Configure a CXBF Device in Volume Explorer as appropriate.
For Image Level and Image Level ProxyHost on Unix, you can configure subclients to enable a specified snapshot for backup. Specifically, you can configure a CXBF subclient to use QSnap, or you can configure a non-CXBF (checksum) subclient to use a supported snapshot that you desire. To this purpose, you can use the Incremental Support Using field in Subclient Properties (General). CXBF subclient configuration requires that QSnap be installed on the client; however, a QSnap install does not require you to configure the subclient as a CXBF subclient. If you use a snapshot other than QSnap (i.e., if you are configuring a checksum subclient), you must provide the appropriate PreScan and PostBackup scripts. For more information on configuring these scripts, see Pre/Post Processes for Data Protection Operations: Image Level and Image Level ProxyHost iDataAgents.
You can associate the subclient to a storage policy. For more information, see Storage Policies.
You can rename a subclient. For step-by-step instructions, see Rename a Subclient.
The following pertains to the ProxyHost, Image Level on Windows, Image Level ProxyHost iDataAgents:
You can define an account with permissions to execute Pre/Post commands for the agent's archive, backup, or volume creation jobs.
See the section for your agent in User Accounts and Passwords for more information.
You can perform the following functions:
For more information, see User Administration and Security.
When using the Image Level iDataAgent in conjunction with a Windows iDataAgent that supports VSS, you can specify whether Volume Shadow Service (VSS) will be used to back up data for this subclient. If VSS is enabled, the CommCell Summary Report displays a superscript Q in the subclient column. For more information, see VSS for the Image Level iDataAgent.
When creating and configuring subclients for SAN iDataAgents, keep in mind the following considerations:
For the Windows Image Level iDataAgent, you can add volumes to existing subclient content or remove them. However, whenever volumes are added or removed, the next backup job will be converted to a full backup.