if you are in version 11.23 or higher you don’t need Windows VSA when using basic disks and NTFS on the Windows guests, VSA Linux proxies come with a NTFS-3G package installed.

Details and limitations listed here:

https://documentation.commvault.com/2023/expert/126604_windows_file_system_support.html

Additionally, for your specific request please read 

https://documentation.commvault.com/2023/expert/30807_live_browse_and_block_level_browse.html

• If you have a Windows proxy that is configured at the instance or subclient level, you can use this proxy for live browse and disable it during backup operations. To do this, add the nStreamLimit additional setting to the proxy, and apply the value of -1. For more information, see the following topics:

  • Additional setting details: nStreamLimit

  • Adding an Additional Setting from the CommCell Console

Hi Pedro,

Yes you are correct, add the HyperScale nodes as access nodes on the Hypervisor Instance configuration and they will be used to perform the backup, assuming you do not have other VSA's defined on subclient level.

Regarding your automatic selection of the Windows VSA, unfortunately the VSA cannot be set on a specific value for specific machines within the Command Center view.
By default the Command Center will show the option “Automatic” where it will detect the available VSA's and round robin the restores over the available VSA's.
You will have to select a VSA if you want to force the usage of a specific VSA.

As @Ledoesp just posted an interesting approach to assign a vsa while using live browse.
This could allow for an automatic selection based on the earlier mentioned default selection Äutomatic” for the VSA, but never tested this route to be honest. Looking forward to your findings.

Kind regards,

Jos

Ledoesp, thank you so much.

I believe I will deploy a Windows VSA just in case. Since it's a large environment, it could have some of those situations listed in the limitations section.

Regarding the possibility of disabling a VSA for backups, I believe that what you sent is exactly what I needed. I'll have all 4 VSAs configured at the instance level, but the Windows one disabled for backups via the nStreamLimit=-1.

During restores, the following will happen automatically: "If the MediaAgent is installed with Linux and there is a Windows access node, the software uses the Windows access node to live browse."

Kind regards,

Pedro

Thanks for the reply Jos. I'll post here if it works as intended.