You can back up Common Internet File System (CIFS) share data residing on a file server using the Windows File System agent.
You install the Commvault software on all or a few of the Windows computers that have access and permissions to the network file system data present on the file server. These nodes are referred to as data access nodes. Commvault uses the CIFS protocol to access CIFS shares over the network.
During backup and restore operations, the data access nodes facilitate data movement from the filer server to the backup media.
You can also use multiple node backups for network share clients to back up distributed file systems that are mounted across multiple computers.
Key Features
The following key features are available in the Commvault software:
Simplified Data Management
Management of all the network file system data in your environment using the same console and infrastructure.
Distributed Backup and Restores
Distributed backup and restores, which run in parallel on multiple data access nodes, for optimal sharing of the backup load.
Fault-Tolerant Model
Fault-tolerant model that redistributes task loads when a data access node fails.
LAN-Free Backup and Restores
Faster LAN-free backup and restores using a grid storage policy.
Diverse Backup Types
Support for full, incremental, and synthetic full backup types.
Restores to Distributed File System Targets
Support for restoring network file system data to a distributed file system target (any other file system).
Multi-Thread Scans
Multi-thread scan is enabled by default for reduced scan times.
Reports
A variety of reports are automatically provided for managing the shared data. You can access Reports from the Web Console, the Cloud Services site, or the CommCell Console.
Backup Content
Support for browsing the file server to find content to back up. Wildcards in content paths are also supported.
Extent-Based Backups
Optimized File System backups or extent-based backups integrate extent technology to speed up backup operations. Extent based backups break down a file in to small independent extents,that leads to potentially quicker backups and more resiliency to network disruptions. For more information, see Performing Optimized (Extent-Based) Network Share Backups for CIFS Shares.
Terminology
The network share documentation uses the following terminology:
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Data Access Nodes |
A physical Windows machine separate from the file server, on which the File System Agent is installed. |
|---|---|
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Client |
A client is the interface that protects your network file system data. |
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Instance |
A group of subclients which includes all of the data backed up by the File System Agent. |
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Subclient |
The network file system data to be backed up. |