Best Practices for Integrating Azure Lifecycle Management with CommVault in a Cloud Migration Context – Your Thoughts on Archiving and Cost Optimization?

Question

Hello to the entire CommVault community,

I am in the process of migrating our CommVault v11.40 environment to an Azure cloud infrastructure, and I would like to gather your experiences and advice on several technical aspects, particularly the integration of Azure Lifecycle Management with CommVault's native archiving features. I am not an absolute expert in CommVault or Azure, so I will explain my context in detail to make it clear. Feel free to correct me or share similar experiences!

Context of Our Migration
We are transitioning from an on-premise deployment to a self-hosted setup in Azure. Specifically:

Our CommServe is installed on a Windows Server 2019 VM.
We have a Media Agent on another Windows Server 2019 VM, configured to use an Azure Blob storage account of type Cool (to optimize costs for infrequently accessed data).
Backups are stored in this Cool Blob Storage, with varied retentions from our current configuration (extracted via an Excel report). For example, we have short retentions (from 3 to 30 days) for daily backups, medium (98 to 365 days) for weekly/monthly data, and long (up to 2555 days or more, about 7 years, and even infinite) for critical or compliant archives.
We use CommVault's Identity Manager integrated with Azure AD for secure authentication, which avoids static access keys and strengthens identity management.

The main goal is to optimize costs in Azure, avoiding early deletion fees for the Cool tier (which imposes a minimum of 30 days retention). Since CommVault manages backups with frequent modifications and deletions (via data aging), we have adjusted some retentions to at least 30 days. But now, I am wondering about the best way to handle transitions to colder tiers like Archive for long retentions (>180 days), while maintaining the reliability of restores.

Analysis of Our Current Configuration (Anonymized)
To give an idea without revealing sensitive details, our storage policies report lists about 150 entries, with common themes:

Primary policies on disk (or cloud) with weekly retentions (ex.: 98 days).
Secondary copies on tape or sync for redundancy, with monthly (365 days) or annual (2555 days) retentions.
Cloud-integrated policies (linked to Azure Blob) with short retentions (30 days) or infinite.
Clones for fixed retentions (1 year, 7 years, 10 years) on sensitive data like email archives or regulated documents.
All policies have data aging enabled, but disk space management is disabled, and we do not use rules based on job count.

The common points include a standardized structure (multiple copies for redundancy) and retentions aligned by data type (short for daily, long for compliance). However, in Azure Cool, retentions below 30 days pose issues, hence our initial adjustments.

Main Questions and Inquiries to the Community
I am looking for best practices for a setup like ours, especially in terms of cost optimization and integration between CommVault and Azure. Here are my detailed questions, based on research and advice I have received elsewhere:

Joint Use of Azure Lifecycle Management and CommVault's Tier Archiving:
- Should I use Azure Lifecycle Management in addition to CommVault's native archiving features (via Storage Policies and Auxiliary Copies)? For example, configuring rules in Azure to automatically move blobs to the Archive tier after 180 days, while managing tiers via CommVault.
- Does the use of the archiving method proposed by CommVault (ex.: creating a secondary copy targeting Archive) disrupt the functioning of Azure Lifecycle Management? Are there risks of conflicts, such as blob movements that would make CommVault metadata inaccessible for restores?
- In practice, do you recommend prioritizing CommVault for fine control of backups, and using Azure Lifecycle only as a complement for cost automation? Why one over the other, and do you have examples of setups where both coexist without issues?
Best Practices for a Self-Hosted CommVault Context in Azure with Cool Storage:
- What is the best approach for storing backups in a Cool Blob account, considering varied retentions? Should I have a single Cool storage account for all retentions, or create multiple ones (ex.: one for short retentions, one for long) to better segment and optimize costs?
- How to manage potential fees related to frequent modifications/deletions in CommVault (data aging)? For example, for retentions adjusted to a minimum of 30 days, are there tips to integrate Azure Lifecycle to transition to Archive for data >180 days without excessive fees?
- In a setup with Media Agent on Azure VM, do you recommend enabling "Managed Disk Space" in CommVault for automatic purging, or does it interact poorly with Azure?
Other Questions Related to Migration and Optimization:
- For long retentions (ex.: 7 years or infinite), is it better to migrate directly to Azure Archive via CommVault, or let Azure Lifecycle handle it? What are the impacts on restore performance?
- Do you have tips for testing this in a migration environment (ex.: test backups, cost monitoring via Azure Cost Management)?
- Finally, in terms of security, is the integration via Identity Manager with Azure AD sufficient, or are there other layers to add for cloud storage?

I am open to any feedback, links to CommVault documentation (or KB articles), or even examples of configurations you have implemented. My goal is to optimize costs without compromising backup reliability. Thank you in advance for your insights – this will help me a lot in this migration!

Best regards,

wgrande · Accepted Answer

You may be best served to engage and consult with our Commvault Professional Services team…

However, when using Commvault with Azure Blob storage, it's generally best to let Commvault manage the data lifecycle and avoid using Azure Lifecycle Management policies on the same blob container. Using both can create conflicts and data access issues.

Azure Lifecycle Management vs. Commvault

It's not recommended to use Azure Lifecycle Management (ALM) in conjunction with Commvault's native tiering and data aging features. Here's why:

Conflicting Actions: Commvault manages backups at a granular, object-level. It stores metadata about each data block's location and tier. If ALM moves a blob to the Archive tier, Commvault's metadata may not be updated, causing it to lose track of the data's location. This can lead to failed restores ⚠️. Commvault expects to manage the data aging and tier transitions based on its own policies.
Data Inaccessibility: The Azure Archive tier is designed for long-term storage where data is rarely accessed. It has a high rehydration cost and long retrieval time (up to 15 hours). If ALM moves an object to this tier, and Commvault needs to access it for a restore or a data aging operation, it could fail or incur significant, unexpected costs and delays.

Instead of using ALM, use Commvault's built-in features to manage the lifecycle. This gives you fine-grained control over your backups and ensures Commvault's metadata remains accurate, guaranteeing successful restores.

Storage Account Strategy

For a simple setup, a single Cool storage account is fine, as long as you use Commvault's policies to manage retention. However, for better control and cost optimization, consider using multiple storage accounts based on retention and access patterns.

Short-Term Storage: Use a single Cool storage account for all data with short retentions (e.g., 30-180 days).
Long-Term Archive: Create a separate Archive storage account specifically for data with long-term retention (e.g., >180 days or 7 years). Use Commvault's auxiliary copy feature to move data to this account. This approach isolates your long-term, static data from your frequently accessed short-term backups, minimizing the risk of accidental deletions and simplifying cost management.

Managing Fees from Data Aging

Data aging with Commvault can result in deletion and write fees, especially on the Cool tier, which has an early deletion fee of 30 days. Here's how to manage it:

Set Minimum Retention: Ensure all your Commvault storage policies for the Cool tier have a minimum retention of at least 30 days. This avoids the early deletion penalty.
Segment by Policy: Use different storage policies for data that needs different retentions. For instance, a policy with a 30-day retention for daily backups, and a separate policy with a 180-day retention for weekly backups.
Consider Data Immutability: For long-term archival data, consider using Azure Blob Storage Immutability policies alongside Commvault. This adds an extra layer of protection by making the data non-deletable and non-modifiable for a specified period, preventing accidental or malicious changes.

Managed Disk Space

Enabling "Managed Disk Space" in Commvault is recommended. It allows Commvault to automatically prune old backups when the disk or cloud storage reaches a certain capacity threshold. It does not interact poorly with Azure; in fact, it's a critical feature for preventing your storage account from running out of space.

Migrating Long-Term Data

For long retentions (e.g., 7 years), it is far better to migrate directly to Azure Archive via Commvault. Create an auxiliary copy that targets a dedicated Azure Archive storage account. This ensures Commvault's metadata is correct from the start.

Restore Performance Impact: Restoring from the Archive tier will be slower and more expensive due to the rehydration process. Plan for a rehydration time of several hours for standard priority restores.

Testing and Monitoring

Create a Pilot Environment: Before full migration, set up a small-scale pilot environment in Azure.
Monitor Costs: Use Azure Cost Management to monitor your storage costs. Specifically, track the "Storage Account" and "Data Transfer" costs. Pay close attention to "put" (write) and "delete" operations, as these are primary drivers of costs in Commvault's data aging process.
Test Restores: Regularly perform test restores from different tiers (Cool and Archive) to confirm data integrity and restoration times. This is the single most important step to validate your migration strategy.

Security

Integrating Commvault with Azure AD via Identity Manager is a great first step for secure authentication and access. However, for a complete security posture, consider these additional layers:

Network Security: Use Azure Private Link to ensure your Commvault Media Agent connects to the Azure Blob storage account over a private network, bypassing the public internet.
Encryption: Commvault's native encryption features should be enabled. Azure also provides encryption at rest, but having both layers is a strong defense.
Role-Based Access Control (RBAC): Use Azure RBAC to grant the Commvault service principal and other users only the minimum necessary permissions to the storage accounts and other Azure resources.
Immutable Storage: As mentioned earlier, use immutability policies for critical data to protect against ransomware and accidental deletions.

Azure Lifecycle Management vs. Commvault