Creating an Archiving Subclient for CIFS Shares

Archiving subclients are logical containers of data to be archived. When you create an archive set, a default subclient is automatically created. The default subclient contains all the data that the agent is responsible to protect.

You can create a user-defined subclient to manage and back up specific shares and share contents. To add content to a user-defined subclient, you can browse for content or you can manually add content. If a CIFS share is marked as non-browsable on the file server, you must manually enter the path to the share.

Procedure

From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers > network_share_client > File System.
Right the archive_set, point to All Tasks, and then click New Subclient.

The New Subclient dialog box appears.

Specify the basic settings for the subclient:

In the Subclient Name box, type a name.

On the Content tab, click Add Paths to add the UNC path that belongs to the non-NDMP client.

Option to add a path	Steps
Browse and select the shares that are available on the on file server	Click Browse. The Browse Configuration dialog box appears. In the File Server Interface box, review the default value (the client host). You can update the client host to a CIFS interface on the file server. From the Proxy list, click the proxy to use to browse for the shares. If the file server does not allow browsing without credentials, complete the following steps: Click As User. The Impersonate User dialog box appears. Enter the credentials needed to access the file server. Note These credentials are also used for the archive operation. Click OK. The Browsing contents dialog box appears. Click the CIFS share that you want to back up, and then click Add.
Manually add a path	Click Add Paths. The Add Multiple Contents dialog box appears. Type the path to the CIFS share or the share contents, and then click OK. You can include wildcards to define the subclient content. For example, to back up all shares that start with Dep, enter \\file_server\Dep. For information about supported wildcards, see Wildcards for the Windows File System Agent. If credentials are needed, the Impersonate User* dialog box appears. Enter the credentials needed to access the file server. For Azure files, content path needs to be added manually. ///// //// /// The login credentials that you provide must be added to the: Local administrators group on the data access node. Use the same credentials for all subclients created on your CommCell Console. If you plan to use different credentials, the file server must have access to those credentials. Make sure that the impersonate user credentials has read and write permissions to the data residing on the UNC path. To archive your files, on the Archiving Rules tab: On the General subtab, set the rules based on the file access time, modified time, or file size. For more information about archiving rules, see Archiving Rules. Optional: On the Advanced subtab, configure delayed stubbing and set additional archiving rules. To perform a data redundancy check, see Enabling Redundancy Check for Files that Qualify for Archiving. For more information about advanced archiving rules, see Stub Pruning. On the Data Access Nodes tab, under Available Data Access Nodes, select the data access nodes that will participate in the archive operation, and then click Add. Note You can set data access nodes at the agent level or at the subclient level. The nodes set at the subclient level take precedence in such cases. You can select a client or a client group (containing Windows clients) from the available nodes list. Ensure that you select the Allow multiple readers within a drive or mount point check box on the Performance tab and increase the number of data readers as needed based on the number of data access nodes added. Ensure that you select the Reconcile Backup check box on the Advanced Options tab. All of the participating backup nodes must be at the same service pack level. On the Storage Device tab, select a storage policy from the Storage Policy list. On the Retention tab, choose one of the following radio buttons to specify the retention criteria. Archiving subclient honors only subclient retention. Note Prior to maintenance release 11.26.6, the Retention tab was not displayed on the subclient and archiving jobs followed storage policy retention. Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days When you select this option, the default value is set to 5 years. However, you can modify the value based on your requirements. Between storage policy copy retention and the subclient retention value, the retention that retains items for the longest period takes precedence. Retention is only considered for copies that contain the job. If you specify storage policy copy retention as x days and y cycles, then the Commvault software compares the x days to the number of days you specify for subclient Job-Based Retention and keeps the items for the longest number of days specified. However, cycle value plays no role in retention. Example 1: Set the Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days to 0 years, 1 month, 20 days. There are 2 storage policy copies (A and B) and both copies contain the archive jobs. The retention of A and B is as follows: A: 45 days 3 cycles B: 17 days 4 cycles Since the subclient retention has a longer retention period than the storage policy retention, the archive jobs will be available for 50 days in copy A. Example 2: Set the Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days to 0 years, 0 month, 15 days.There are 2 storage policy copies (A and B) and both copies contain the archive jobs. The retention of A and B is as follows: A: 45 days 3 cycles B: 17 days 4 cycles Since copy A has a longer retention period than copy B and the subclient retention value, the archive jobs will be available for 45 days in copy A. Example 3: Set the Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days to 0 years, 0 month, 25 days. There are 3 storage policy copies (A, B, and C). The retention of A, B, and C is as follows: A: 45 days 3 cycles B: 17 days 4 cycles C: 91 days 2 cycles Only copies A and B contain the archive job. Since archive jobs were not scheduled, Copy C does not contain the archive job. Copy A has a longer retention time period than copy B and than the subclient retention options. Thus, the archive jobs will be available for 45 days in copy A. Example 4: Set the Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days to 0 years, 6 month, 0 days.There are 2 storage policy copies (A and B) and both copies contain the archive jobs. The retention of A and B is as follows: A: 45 days 3 cycles B: 45 days 4 cycles Since, copies A and B have same retention period, the archive jobs will be available for 6 months in both the copies. Retain Jobs Indefinitely This is the default option with indefinite retention period. When you select this option, the archive jobs are retained indefinitely in the storage policy copy. Example 1: Set to Retain Jobs indefinite. There are 2 storage policy copies (A and B) and both copies contain the archive jobs. The retention of A and B are as follows: A: 15 days 3 cycles B: 45 days 4 cycles Since the subclient retention is indefinite, the archive jobs will be available in copy B indefinitely. Click OK. It is highly recommended to have a storage policy with multiple synchronous copies with longer retention period than the primary copy. Data Aging prunes archive jobs that have exceeded the retention period of the copies.

Option to add a path

Steps

Browse and select the shares that are available on the on file server

Click Browse.

The Browse Configuration dialog box appears.
In the File Server Interface box, review the default value (the client host).

You can update the client host to a CIFS interface on the file server.
From the Proxy list, click the proxy to use to browse for the shares.
If the file server does not allow browsing without credentials, complete the following steps:
Click As User.

The Impersonate User dialog box appears.
Enter the credentials needed to access the file server.

Note

These credentials are also used for the archive operation.
Click OK.

The Browsing contents dialog box appears.
Click the CIFS share that you want to back up, and then click Add.

Manually add a path

Click Add Paths.

The Add Multiple Contents dialog box appears.
Type the path to the CIFS share or the share contents, and then click OK.

You can include wildcards to define the subclient content. For example, to back up all shares that start with Dep, enter \\file_server\Dep*. For information about supported wildcards, see Wildcards for the Windows File System Agent.

If credentials are needed, the Impersonate User dialog box appears. Enter the credentials needed to access the file server.

For Azure files, content path needs to be added manually. ///// //// ///

The login credentials that you provide must be added to the:

Local administrators group on the data access node.
Use the same credentials for all subclients created on your CommCell Console. If you plan to use different credentials, the file server must have access to those credentials.
Make sure that the impersonate user credentials has read and write permissions to the data residing on the UNC path.
To archive your files, on the Archiving Rules tab:
1. On the General subtab, set the rules based on the file access time, modified time, or file size.
  
  For more information about archiving rules, see Archiving Rules.
2. Optional: On the Advanced subtab, configure delayed stubbing and set additional archiving rules.
  
  To perform a data redundancy check, see Enabling Redundancy Check for Files that Qualify for Archiving. For more information about advanced archiving rules, see Stub Pruning.
3. On the Data Access Nodes tab, under Available Data Access Nodes, select the data access nodes that will participate in the archive operation, and then click Add.
  
  Note
  
  You can set data access nodes at the agent level or at the subclient level. The nodes set at the subclient level take precedence in such cases.
  
  You can select a client or a client group (containing Windows clients) from the available nodes list.
  
  Ensure that you select the Allow multiple readers within a drive or mount point check box on the Performance tab and increase the number of data readers as needed based on the number of data access nodes added.
  
  Ensure that you select the Reconcile Backup check box on the Advanced Options tab.
  
  All of the participating backup nodes must be at the same service pack level.
4. On the Storage Device tab, select a storage policy from the Storage Policy list.
5. On the Retention tab, choose one of the following radio buttons to specify the retention criteria. Archiving subclient honors only subclient retention.
  
  Note
  
  Prior to maintenance release 11.26.6, the Retention tab was not displayed on the subclient and archiving jobs followed storage policy retention.
  - Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days
    
    When you select this option, the default value is set to 5 years. However, you can modify the value based on your requirements. Between storage policy copy retention and the subclient retention value, the retention that retains items for the longest period takes precedence. Retention is only considered for copies that contain the job.
    
    If you specify storage policy copy retention as x days and y cycles, then the Commvault software compares the x days to the number of days you specify for subclient Job-Based Retention and keeps the items for the longest number of days specified. However, cycle value plays no role in retention.
    
    Example 1:
    
    Set the Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days to 0 years, 1 month, 20 days. There are 2 storage policy copies (A and B) and both copies contain the archive jobs. The retention of A and B is as follows:
  - A: 45 days 3 cycles
  - B: 17 days 4 cycles
    
    Since the subclient retention has a longer retention period than the storage policy retention, the archive jobs will be available for 50 days in copy A.
    
    Example 2:
    
    Set the Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days to 0 years, 0 month, 15 days.There are 2 storage policy copies (A and B) and both copies contain the archive jobs. The retention of A and B is as follows:
  - A: 45 days 3 cycles
  - B: 17 days 4 cycles
    
    Since copy A has a longer retention period than copy B and the subclient retention value, the archive jobs will be available for 45 days in copy A.
    
    Example 3:
    
    Set the Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days to 0 years, 0 month, 25 days. There are 3 storage policy copies (A, B, and C). The retention of A, B, and C is as follows:
  - A: 45 days 3 cycles
  - B: 17 days 4 cycles
  - C: 91 days 2 cycles
    
    Only copies A and B contain the archive job. Since archive jobs were not scheduled, Copy C does not contain the archive job. Copy A has a longer retention time period than copy B and than the subclient retention options. Thus, the archive jobs will be available for 45 days in copy A.
    
    Example 4:
    
    Set the Retain Jobs for n years, n months, and n days to 0 years, 6 month, 0 days.There are 2 storage policy copies (A and B) and both copies contain the archive jobs. The retention of A and B is as follows:
  - A: 45 days 3 cycles
  - B: 45 days 4 cycles
    
    Since, copies A and B have same retention period, the archive jobs will be available for 6 months in both the copies.
  - Retain Jobs Indefinitely
    
    This is the default option with indefinite retention period. When you select this option, the archive jobs are retained indefinitely in the storage policy copy.
    
    Example 1:
    
    Set to Retain Jobs indefinite. There are 2 storage policy copies (A and B) and both copies contain the archive jobs. The retention of A and B are as follows:
  - A: 15 days 3 cycles
  - B: 45 days 4 cycles
    
    Since the subclient retention is indefinite, the archive jobs will be available in copy B indefinitely.
6. Click OK.

It is highly recommended to have a storage policy with multiple synchronous copies with longer retention period than the primary copy. Data Aging prunes archive jobs that have exceeded the retention period of the copies.

Creating an Archiving Subclient for CIFS Shares

Procedure

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