Before you configure backups, consider your VMware vSphere environment and decide where to place access nodes and how Commvault accesses VM data. In most environments, start with automatic access node and transport mode selection and change these settings only when your infrastructure requires it.
How your vSphere environment affects Commvault
Your vSphere environment affects how Commvault accesses data and which data protection features are available.
On-premises vSphere
On-premises environments typically provide:
-
Full access to vCenter and ESXi hosts
-
Access to all supported transport modes when their requirements are met
-
Fewer restrictions on restore targets and networking
Cloud-hosted vSphere
Cloud-hosted environments include services such as Azure VMware Solution, Google Cloud VMware Engine, and Amazon Elastic VMware Service (EVS).
These environments have additional infrastructure restrictions:
-
Access to ESXi hosts is restricted
-
Operations rely on vCenter APIs
-
HotAdd is the primary supported transport mode
-
Some features, such as live recovery or live mount, might not be available
Review the limitations for your cloud-hosted environment before you configure protection.
Plan for access nodes
Access nodes provide data movement and infrastructure access for the vSphere workloads that you protect with Commvault.
Decide where to place access nodes
Place access nodes close to the workloads that they protect.
-
Deploy an access node in the same site or network zone as the vSphere workloads.
-
Use at least one access node for each site or network zone.
-
Use separate access nodes for on-premises and cloud hypervisor workloads.
-
Avoid routing backup traffic across high-latency or restricted networks.
If you use multiple access nodes:
-
Allow communication between the access nodes.
-
Verify that each access node can reach the vCenter, ESXi hosts, and storage that it needs to access.
Choose how to deploy access nodes
Choose a deployment method based on whether you're protecting a new or existing vCenter and whether Commvault can deploy the access node automatically.
| Your situation | Deployment method |
|---|---|
| You want to protect a new vCenter Server | Install a supported Linux or Windows package during vCenter onboarding |
| You want a new Linux access node for an existing hypervisor | Deploy an access node from the hypervisor configuration |
| You want to use an existing supported machine, standardize deployments, or prepare access nodes in advance | Install a supported Linux or Windows package from Manage > Infrastructure > Access nodes |
| Automated deployment isn't available, internet access is restricted, or vCenter access is restricted—but you have permission to use Deploy OVF Template | Deploy the VMware OVA by using Deploy OVF Template |
Don't use the same VM template for the access node and protected VMs.
For VMware OVA deployments, use the latest OVA image for current security updates and compatibility.
For requirements and procedures, see Deploy an access node for VMware vSphere.
Selecting access nodes for operations
Start with Automatic access node selection. Commvault selects an available access node based on your configuration.
Select a specific access node when:
-
Your environment has segmented or restricted networks.
-
You need to control where an operation runs.
-
You need additional capacity for concurrent operations.
-
A file restore operation requires a specific access node.
Plan for transport modes
Transport modes control how Commvault reads VM data during vSphere backups and restores. Start with Auto unless your environment requires a specific transport mode.
Your available transport modes depend on your network design, access node placement, VMware licensing, and storage access.
| Transport mode | Use when | Requirements |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | You want Commvault to select an available transport mode for each VM. | At least one supported transport mode must be available. |
| HotAdd | You want data to move through virtual access nodes in the vSphere environment. | vSphere licensing must support SCSI HotAdd. The access node must be able to attach and mount the protected VM disks and reach vCenter and the ESXi hosts. |
| NBD | You want to read VM data over the network and the available network performance meets your backup and restore requirements. | The access node must have network connectivity to vCenter and the ESXi hosts. Available bandwidth and latency must support the required backup and restore throughput. |
| NBDSSL | You need to encrypt NBD traffic in transit. | The NBD requirements apply. Account for encryption overhead when you size access nodes and schedule operations. |
| SAN | You have a physical access node with direct SAN access to VMFS datastores. | The access node must see the same storage LUNs as the ESXi hosts. Configure zoning and multipathing, and provide connectivity from the access node to vCenter and the ESXi hosts for control operations. |
| NAS | Your VMs use supported NFS datastores and you want to read data directly from NFS storage. | The access node must be able to access the NFS storage that hosts the datastores and connect to vCenter and the ESXi hosts for snapshot and control operations. |
Transport mode limitations
-
SCSI HotAdd availability depends on the vSphere edition and licensing. If HotAdd isn't available, use another supported transport mode.
-
HotAdd relies on SCSI and doesn't support IDE disks.