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https://documentation.commvault.com/11.24/expert/32783_white_papers_for_vmware.html

 

Hello Liam @Aplynx 

I briefly reviewed this document earlier; it is both useful and informative. However, I'm interested in learning more about the backup workflow and the processes that are in place to ensure the viability of both streaming and intellisnap vsa. Something more specific, as shown in the attached screenshot.

Hi,

Please refer for streaming and IntelliSnap’s backup copy process details.

https://documentation.commvault.com/11.26/expert/135133_data_flow_for_vmware_backup_process.html

https://documentation.commvault.com/11.26/expert/36282_vmware_intellisnap.html

Regards

Gopinath 

For a regular VSA backup it depends what kind of method you are using, in short:

NBD, all activities are performed over LAN, VSA can be VM or Physical server

SAN, VSA/Media Agent reads directly from SAN disk over FC, can be VM with FC passthrough or Physical server

Hot Add, VM or Host with VSA within the hypervisor environment

Generally the Commserve initiates the backup towards VSA, VSA talks with the hypervisor, performs inventory of the vm's to backup, assigns vm's to the VSA, VSA initiates quiescing and a snapshot of VM. VM data is being extracted from VM snapshot via NBD, SAN or Hot Add from VSA to Media Agent, snapshot is being cleaned up and done.

Of intellisnap is used then the Commserve initiates the backup towards VSA, VSA talks with the hypervisor, performs inventory of the vm's to backup, assigns vm's to the VSA, VSA initiates quiescing and a snapshot of VM, when involved vm's are snapshot the hardware snapshot is being performed. When hardware snapshot is ready the VM snapshots are removed. Data extraction is being performed by the backup copy process, mount the hardware snapshot to hypervisor host or Media Agent and extract data with VSA or Media Agent.

Hope this answers your question

Put simply its a snapshot management system.

Take snapshot ; move it.

Your configuration determines how many snapshots you are taking and how they are moved.

in terms of heirarchy it looks something like so: 

hardware snapshot —> vm snapshot —> vss snapshot

storage level —> virtual machine level —> os level

in terms of order of operations it looks like so: 

os snapshot —> vm snapshot —> storage snapshot

thats how the data is snapped at least with intellisync enabled.

the next task is to move said snapshots.

how things are connected determines what those options for moving the snapshots are. 
 

Each level of taking the snapshot makes backups a little less disruptive. 
 

meaning intellisnap has the fastest “backup” window because all the data for recovery is saved in a few seconds. Of course you haven’t actually backed up anything until you copy the snapshot but you get the gist.