The Commvault software includes multiple Auto Recovery solutions. Choose the solution that most closely fits your needs based on your environment and use case. Read through the following use cases to understand how you can achieve a value from the Auto Recovery solution.
Use Case 1: Replicate Already Protected Virtual Machines Using Orchestrated Backup Replication (Backup RPO)
Orchestrated Backup Replication feature in Commvault Auto Recovery is designed to enhance the backup and replication process for virtual machines (VMs) by leveraging already existing backups, rather than requiring continuous, real-time replication. Here’s a more detailed look at this feature.
Commvault’s orchestrated backup replication aligns with the Recovery Point Objective (RPO) defined by the backup frequency, making replication a more streamlined process. By basing replication on the backup frequency, the system ensures that backup data is replicated according to set backup intervals.
This approach enables efficient replication of data without overloading network and storage resources, balancing between cost-effectiveness and data currency. This simplification avoids the challenges associated with setting up and maintaining additional backups and replication streams, which are often complex and can be more expensive due to higher bandwidth and storage needs.
Use Case 2: Periodically Replicate Virtual Machines at Hourly RPO
Periodic Replication feature in Commvault Auto Recovery provides an enhanced level of replication flexibility, allowing customers to define lower Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs) for important VMs. This capability enables a more granular replication frequency for high-priority workloads, which further reduces potential data loss in case of a failover scenario.
Note
To use periodic replication for subsets of virtual machines that are already protected, you need to first remove the virtual machines from the existing VM groups and then use periodic replication feature in Commvault Auto Recovery to configure replication of these virtual machines. This will ensure automatic backup and replication of the virtual machines.
Periodic replication allows customers to set lower RPOs specifically for high-priority or mission-critical VMs, enabling more frequent replication for these key systems compared to standard backup-based replication. By tailoring replication intervals to the business-critical nature of specific VMs, organizations can better meet their recovery and business continuity requirements. This granular control minimizes data loss for critical applications, making it ideal for workloads that demand high availability and rapid recovery.
Unlike orchestrated backup replication, which relies on standard backup schedules, reriodic replication offers flexibility to define more frequent replication intervals. This means replication can be set to occur as often as necessary (for example, every few minutes or hourly) based on the criticality of the data. This flexibility allows IT teams to ensure that highly dynamic or transactional systems (such as databases or virtual desktops) have recent replicas ready for quick failover. With more frequent replication, these systems can sustain minimal data loss in the event of a disruption, improving data integrity and recovery reliability.
Use Case 3: Continuously Replicate Virtual Machines at Sub-min RPOs
Continuous replication feature in Commvault Auto Recovery is designed to offer the highest level of data protection by continuously replicating data for a subset of mission-critical virtual machines (VMs) with sub-minute Recovery Point Objectives (RPOs). This feature ensures that mission-critical workloads experience minimal data loss, even in the event of sudden disruptions.
Continuous replication is designed to replicate data in real-time for selected high-priority VMs, achieving sub-minute RPOs to keep data as close to current as possible. With sub-minute RPOs, businesses can ensure that their mission-critical applications, such as financial databases, transaction processing systems, or healthcare applications, suffer minimal data loss in the event of a failover. This feature is ideal for applications with stringent recovery and continuity needs, where even a few seconds of data loss could be detrimental.
Unlike periodic or backup-based replication, Continuous Replication synchronizes data changes in real-time, replicating modifications immediately as they occur. This results in the most current replica possible. Real-time synchronization means that in the case of an outage, the failover VM is virtually identical to the production VM, reducing the gap between primary and replicated data. This capability is critical for maintaining data integrity in high-frequency, high-value environments.
For information about advanced requirements for continuous replication and how to configure continuous replication for VMs, see VMware Continuous Replication Using VAIO.
Comparison of Auto Recovery Solutions
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Orchestrated Backup Replication: Ideal for general use cases with moderate RPOs, cost-effective and simple, suitable for less critical VMs.
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Periodic Replication: Balances frequency and cost for prioritized VMs that need lower RPOs than backups provide but do not need real-time updates.
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Continuous Replication: Ensures the highest level of protection with near-zero RPOs, perfect for mission-critical applications where data loss is unacceptable but requires significant resources.
The table below outlines scenarios for utilizing Auto Recovery solutions.
| Feature | Ideal Scenarios | Less Suitable Scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| Orchestrated Backup Replication | General Data Protection: Works well for non-critical applications and data where regular backups meet RPO requirements. Cost-Conscious Environments: Ideal for organizations seeking data replication without the high costs of real-time or frequent replication. Multi-Site Data Synchronization: Suitable for organizations needing cross-site replication with moderate RPOs. |
High-Transaction Applications: Not suitable for applications that require very low RPOs or are highly transactional (e.g., financial trading, e-commerce). Mission-Critical Systems: Less ideal for critical systems where even small amounts of data loss are unacceptable. Strict Compliance Needs: May not meet regulatory requirements for industries requiring frequent data replication. |
| Periodic Replication | Prioritized Workloads: Useful for applications that need lower RPOs than backup-based replication can provide but do not require real-time replication. High-Value, Low-Latency Services: Suitable for moderately critical systems, such as customer databases, CRM systems, or applications with data changes throughout the day. Compliance and Recovery Requirements: Suitable for industries with moderate compliance requirements, where sub-hourly replication can meet RPO needs |
Applications Requiring Near-Zero Data Loss: Not ideal for systems that require real-time data updates, as some data loss is still possible between replication intervals. High Frequency Transactional Systems: Less effective for applications with continuous, rapid data changes, as replication frequency may still be insufficient. Cost-Sensitive Environments: Requires higher infrastructure resources than orchestrated backup replication, so it may not be as cost-effective |
| Continuous Replication | Mission-Critical Applications: Ideal for high-frequency transactional environments (e.g., banking, financial trading, real-time analytics) where sub-minute RPOs are essential. Strict Compliance Needs: Suitable for industries with stringent regulatory requirements for data protection and availability. Zero Data Loss Tolerance: Perfect for applications where even the smallest data loss is unacceptable, such as healthcare records or stock trading systems. |
High Resource Consumption: Not ideal for cost-sensitive environments due to the resource demands of real-time replication. Broad Use Across All VMs: Continuous replication is not resource-efficient for non-critical applications, as it requires high network and storage bandwidth. Non-Critical or Low-Priority Systems: Less useful for applications with moderate RPO requirements, as they don’t require real-time updates and can be protected with less demanding replication options. |