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On-premise Storage replication

  • September 25, 2023
  • 7 replies
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Hi everyone,

 

We’ve got a customer who intends to implement a storage replication, main storage is connected to a MediaAgent in which backed up data is written to it, customer has acquired same storage hardware and wants to implement a replication (A feature available on the storage system) between the main one and the newly bought one.

 

We already know that we can implement this using AUX/DASH copies, but customer insist on implementing it through storage side.

 

My question here is, how does commvault can manage this type of architecture ? Does the MediaAgent connected to the main storage system needs to also be mapped to the new one ? Is there any configuration needed from Commvault side to let it know about the new storage (Maybe configure it as a replication storage ...). In this case, the MEdiaAgent will automatically redirect it’s I/Os to the new Storage in case of a failure of the main one.

 

Regards.

Best answer by Collin Harper

Hello @Commvault Engineer 

There is no way to do this unless you are using Intellisnap with Snapvault\Snapmirror. Commvault has no knowledge of the data on it if Commvault is not used to move it. The CommServe database keeps track of where and what files are on storage and can only track them if moved by Commvault.

 

Thank you,
Collin

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Vaulter
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  • Collin HarperVaulter
  • Vaulter
  • 490 replies
  • Answer
  • September 25, 2023

Hello @Commvault Engineer 

There is no way to do this unless you are using Intellisnap with Snapvault\Snapmirror. Commvault has no knowledge of the data on it if Commvault is not used to move it. The CommServe database keeps track of where and what files are on storage and can only track them if moved by Commvault.

 

Thank you,
Collin

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Collin Harper wrote:

Hello @Commvault Engineer 

There is no way to do this unless you are using Intellisnap with Snapvault\Snapmirror. Commvault has no knowledge of the data on it if Commvault is not used to move it. The CommServe database keeps track of where and what files are on storage and can only track them if moved by Commvault.

 

Thank you,
Collin

Well noted. Thanks, @Collin Harper For your replied.

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Collin Harper wrote:

Hello @Commvault Engineer 

There is no way to do this unless you are using Intellisnap with Snapvault\Snapmirror. Commvault has no knowledge of the data on it if Commvault is not used to move it. The CommServe database keeps track of where and what files are on storage and can only track them if moved by Commvault.

 

Thank you,
Collin

Hi @Collin Harper,

 

Another question, while taking a look on documentation, we found this section “Replica Libraries”, which seems interesting in our case :

https://documentation.commvault.com/11.24/expert/146761_replica_libraries.html

 

Do you have any idea if this can be implemented ?

 

Kind regards.

YYZ
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  • YYZ
  • Byte
  • 93 replies
  • September 26, 2023

As a backup engineer - This is something you would never do

But I have seen ‘some storage people’, some high level Architects and Heads of IT believe this should be done.

For CommVault - here are the caveats

  1. If you using storage replication, it would need to be synchronous (not Async)
  2. Your ‘source’ media agent - would have to be the media agent accessing the ‘remote’ replica
  3. I’m not sure how this would be useful in a ‘true DR’  situation
  4. I’ll leave it up to you how you re-connect the Maglib for read/write  (it would be ‘like’ a Maglib DR scenario
  5. and you could possibly perform a ‘whole’ Media Agent DR at the remote site

 

What you loose is by not using Aux copy is

  1. Another ‘re validation’ of you data
    1. ie where the primary reads the data, re-processes it- and sends it to a second remote media agent

The real question is Why do they want to storage replicate something under the control of an Application, that just happens to be called CommVault

 

If this was a 50TB mission critical Oracle Database, Do you believe the Oracle DBA’s would ‘allow’ the storage people to use a Storage Replica (only) as the only remote/dr copy of Oracle

 

The thought is::

Commvault is an Application; It has highly detailed application requirements - and the storage folk would be ‘best’ to just give you the Capacity -and leave your ‘Application’ in control of the remote copy

(Even if you purely control that from a single media agent at the source location

 

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    Commvault Engineer
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Vaulter
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Hello @Commvault Engineer 

Reading over the documentation I can see how this may be appealing and may apply to your scenario, but in my 6 years of Support I have never seen this implemented so I wouldn’t be able to advise on pro’s\con’s or caveats.

We also have Inline Copies which may be worth looking into. Basically we backup to two copies at the same time.

Configuring an Inline Copy on a Storage Policy Copy - https://documentation.commvault.com/2023e/expert/119071_inline_copies.html

 

Thank you,
Collin

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    Commvault Engineer
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Collin Harper wrote:

Hello @Commvault Engineer 

Reading over the documentation I can see how this may be appealing and may apply to your scenario, but in my 6 years of Support I have never seen this implemented so I wouldn’t be able to advise on pro’s\con’s or caveats.

We also have Inline Copies which may be worth looking into. Basically we backup to two copies at the same time.

Configuring an Inline Copy on a Storage Policy Copy - https://documentation.commvault.com/2023e/expert/119071_inline_copies.html

 

Thank you,
Collin

Thanks a lot @Collin Harper, for your valuable support.

C
Vaulter
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@Commvault Engineer 

You’re welcome!

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