File recovery enabler, Azure and egress costs.

Hello @christopherlecky 

The FREL is required to Browse and Restore the Linux VM data because only a FREL can understand the data format during backups and restores, for example: ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, JFS, HFS, HFS Plus, and Btrfs file systems.

Regarding egress, since the data is coming out of the cloud to on-prem, you will be charged for it. Only if the data stays in the cloud, in the same region as the bucket, would you (most likely) not be charged for it. I say “most likely” because with certain tiers of storage, you will always be charged for reading the data out of it .
 

Access Nodes and File Recovery Enablers for Linux - https://documentation.commvault.com/2023e/essential/107748_access_nodes_and_file_recovery_enablers_for_linux.html

Deploying a VMware File Recovery Enabler for Linux - https://documentation.commvault.com/2023e/expert/32011_deploying_vmware_file_recovery_enabler_for_linux.html

Cloud Storage Building Block Guide - https://documentation.commvault.com/2023e/expert/118855_cloud_storage_building_block_guide.html

Thank you,
Collin

The question I am asking is that if the frel is used but the media agent is a separate media agent does the frel do anything other than gather metadata information.

If I have understood the datapath correctly, the MA will make the backupmedia available to the FREL , the FREL will be responsible to browse and recover the filedata  directly from the backupimage and send the files to the destination.

So you will send the data from onprem MA to FREL in cloud and back to destination server creating egress charges.