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Linux Proxy Support for the VSA with VMware

You can deploy a File Recovery Enabler for Linux (FREL) to serve as a Virtual Server Agent proxy for VMware. The resulting Linux proxy can be used for backups and restores of VMware virtual machines.

Considerations

  • To enable discovery of applications running on Windows VMs when using a Linux proxy, install the File System Core package on the guest VMs before running an application-aware backup.

  • A Linux proxy for VMware can be used for IntelliSnap backups and restores with the following storage arrays:

    • Cisco HyperFlex

    • Dell EMC Compellent (DSM)

    • Hitachi Vantara using one of the following snapshot engines:

      • Hitachi Shadow Image (CCI)

      • Hitachi Thin Image (CCI)

      • Hitachi Targetless Snap (CCI)

    • HPE 3PAR StoreServ

    • HPE Nimble Storage

    • IBM SVC

    • INFINIDAT

    • NetApp

    • NetApp SolidFire

    • Pure Storage FlashArray

    • Virtual Server Agent Snap (software snapshot engine)

  • Linux proxy support for VMware is enabled by default for the Commvault HyperScale Appliance. For the HyperScale Appliance, you do not need to enable support or configure a Linux proxy.

  • Linux proxies get VM used space information from the vCenter, which might report a greater amount of used space than is actually used on NTFS volumes. This behavior can increase the guest size calculation that is used for capacity licensing. To avoid this issue, use Windows proxies for backups.

  • Find operations are only supported for backup operations that collect file and folder information. Find operations are not supported for backups performed using a Linux proxy or for any hypervisor that does not support collecting file and folder information.

Procedure

  1. Download the V11 File Recovery Enabler for Linux (FRE) package from the Commvault Store.

    This package provides an OVA template that is preconfigured with the Virtual Server Agent, MediaAgent, and uses the Mono framework.

  2. Deploy the OVA template and configure the Linux machine as a File Recover Enabler for Linux (FREL).

    For more information, see Deploying a File Recovery Enabler for Linux (FREL).

  3. To reconfigure the FREL as a Linux proxy: From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers > FREL_client, right-click Virtual Server, and then click All Tasks > Reconfigure.

  4. Perform a remote install of all currently available Commvault service pack hot fixes on the Linux machine.

Known Issues

  • You cannot use a Linux proxy for virtual lab configuration using a gateway template.

  • When a Linux proxy is used, backups and restores of VMware VM storage policies are not supported.

  • For backups, Linux proxies do not support metadata collection using the Collect File Details option. For guest file restores, you can use live browse to view and recover files.

    Backups that are performed using Windows proxies do support metadata collection using the Collect File Details option.

    You cannot use a Linux proxy to restore VMDK files.

Deploying a CentOS or RHEL Machine as a VSA Proxy

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