Changes in Commvault Platform Release 2024E

Object Storage

While creating an S3 object storage client, you can now specify the external ID used in the trust relationship using the newly added External ID option in the Add credential window for the STS Assume Role with IAM Role Policy authentication type.

Add the Amazon S3 Object Storage Repository with an AWS STS Assume Role with IAM Role Policy

NDMP

When adding a NAS server to back up the NDMP file system data, you can use a saved credential for the NDMP Account or add new credentials. You can also manually specify the credentials needed to access the NAS server as earlier.

Adding a NAS Server for NDMP Backups

MongoDB

If the master node for an instance is not available due to a network failure or any other reason and a backup is in progress, then the Commvault software picks another node as master node from the replica set for backup operation. This is applicable only for the replica set environments.

Performing a Full Backup of a MongoDB Cluster On Demand

MongoDB

If an incremental backup fails for any reason like role change, then the Commvault converts the log backup to a full snapshot backup automatically.

To disable the automatic conversion of an incremental log backup to a full backup, configure the bMongoDbConvertToFullOnLogBkpFailure additional setting.

Performing an Incremental Backup for a MongoDB Cluster

SharePoint Online

Commvault is in the process of switching CSOM APIs to Graph APIs for SharePoint Online backup and restore operations because Microsoft is deprecating CSOM APIs. These new Graph APIs require an additional permission for the Azure App: Sites.FullControl.All.

Previously, the Sites.FullControl.All permission was not required for SharePoint Online backup and restore operations in the Commvault software.

New Permission Required for SharePoint Online Because of Switch to Graph APIs

To complete the registration of a new Azure app, you will need to create and upload an Azure certificate. The usage of app principal to configure Azure apps within the SharePoint Online client is no longer supported.

For existing clients, you can generate an Azure certificate from the Command Center.

• Create an Azure certificate

• Generate an Azure Certificate for Existing Azure Apps in SharePoint Online

Active Directory and Azure Active Directory

You can perform the following operations for Active Directory:

• Protection of Group Policy Objects (GPOs)

• Domain-Wide AD Comparison Reporting

• Multi-Attribute Restore Across Multiple Objects.

You can perform the following operations for Azure Active Directory:

• Protection of Conditional Access Policies

• Protection of Entra ID Roles

An Active Directory license is required to enable the new capabilities.

To ensure successful backups of your Active Directory environment, the backup service account must have the following permissions:

• Permissions to Back Up Group Policy Objects via PowerShell: The account must have the necessary permissions to back up GPOs using PowerShell cmdlets. By default, members of the Remote Management Users group possess these permissions.

• Write Permissions on the JobResults Folder: The backup service account needs Write access to the \Program Files\Commvault\ContentStore\iDataAgent\JobResults\ folder located on the server where the backup agent is installed.

Previously, these operations were not supported by the Active Directory and Azure Active Directory agents.

With Microsoft’s adoption of mandatory multifactor authentication, you cannot use the Express Configuration option to add an Azure Active Directory application to Commvault software. You can continue using the Custom Configuration option.

• Complete the Guided Setup for Active Directory

• Comparing objects in Active Directory

• Restoring Active Directory Objects

• Licensing and Usage

• Complete the Guided Setup for Azure Active Directory Using the Custom Configuration

Microsoft 365

With Microsoft’s adoption of mandatory multifactor authentication, you cannot use the Express Configuration option to add any of the Microsoft 365 applications to the Commvault software. You can continue using the Custom Configuration option.

• Use the Custom Configuration Option in the Microsoft 365 Guided Setup for Exchange Online

• Use the Custom Configuration Option in the Microsoft 365 Guided Setup for OneDrive for Business

• Use the Custom Configuration Option in the Microsoft 365 Guided Setup for SharePoint Online

• Use the Custom Configuration Option in the Microsoft 365 Guided Setup for Teams

Download Center

The Download Center is now listed on the navigation pane.

Download Center

Web Console Access

To access Web Console features such as Forms, you must enable a setting.

Accessing the Web Console Entities from the Command Center

Command Line Interface

The minimum JRE version on the computer that opens the CommCell Console must be the same major version that Commvault deploys (or a newer minor/patch level).

Opening the CommCell Console Using the Command Line Interface

Command Center Branding

If you upgrade to Commvault Platform Release 2024E, you must rebrand your Command Center by re-entering your CSS script. This is because the Command Center has been restructured with a new design and technology stack. However, your background image and login banner will be retained; you do not need to reselect them.

Branding the Command Center

Client group terminology

A "client group" is renamed as a "server group". The new terminology appears in API responses and event alerts.

Server groups

CommCell and Company Entities

In a CommCell environment, you can create multiple entities, such as client groups, plans, or regions, with the same name if they belong to different companies. However, an entity name must be unique within a company.

Viewing the Entities That Are Associated with a Company

Multi-Person Authorization

The following authorization operations are enabled by default on Command Center:

• Delete Client Authorization

• Delete Storage Policy Authorization

• Delete Storage Policy Copy Authorization

• Delete Library Mount Path Authorization

Multi-Person Authorization to Minimize Insider Threat

Server Plan

You can convert a synchronous secondary copy to a primary copy using the Convert to primary option on the Regions page of the Backup destinations tab in Command Center.

Promoting a Secondary Copy to Primary Copy

Server Plan

You can enable compliance lock on an individual dependant copy of a storage in Command Center using the Compliance lock added to the General section within the Configuration tab of the dependant copy.

• Editing a Storage Copy

• Editing a Snapshot Copy

Server Plan

You can now view the Synthetic Full Backup schedule information on the RPO tile of the server plan page.

N/A

Smart server group

You can now group servers according to two new rules:

• BackupSet Name

• Instance Name

Rules Available for Smart Server Groups

Data Aging: Days-Based Retention

Starting in Commvault Platform Release 2024E (11.36), you can enforce days-based retention by adding the EnableDaysOnlyRetention additional setting at the CommCell level.

Days-Based Retention.

REST APIs

Starting in Commvault Platform Release 2024E, the calls to webconsole/api are directed to commandcenter/api, and are subject to stricter security restrictions.

Available Web Services for REST API

CommServe server installation

Microsoft SQL Server 2022 is installed during a fresh Commvault software installation and while upgrading to Commvault Platform Release 2024E.

• CommServe Server: System Requirements (Windows)

• Upgrading Microsoft SQL Server Editions on the CommServe Computer

Public Share Link

Starting in Commvault Platform Release 2024E, you must create a password for a public share link for a file or folder.

Creating a Public Share Link

Build Your Own Reports

R plot configuration feature and R connector package in the report is not available.

Custom Dashboard

The Custom Dashboard for Reports feature is no longer available.

All storage arrays

You can now view snapshots from client, subclient, plan, and job history levels using the List Snapshots option. You can also view snapshots created during multi node mount or instant clone using the Multi node mount or Instant clone tabs.

Viewing Snapshots for Arrays, Workloads, Plans, and Jobs

IBM FlashSystem storage array

Starting from firmware versions 8.6.2.1, IBM FlashSystem uses REST APIs to perform snapshot operations.

• System Requirements for the IBM FlashSystem Storage Array

• Snapshot Configuration Properties of the IBM FlashSystem Storage Array

NetApp E-Series/LSI storage array

The NetApp E-series PiT snap engine now uses REST APIs to perform snapshot operations. The NetApp E-series/LSI Snapshot engine and NetApp E-series/LSI Volume Copy engine have been deprecated.

NetApp E-Series/LSI PiT Snap Engine Migration from SMI-S Protocol to REST APIs

Pure Storage FlashArray storage array

• Replication feature for Pure Storage FlashArray now only supports with Server Plans. You must upgrade from storage policies to server plans to use replication feature.

• Pure Storage FlashArray now supports replication with fan-out feature.

• Inline Replication for the Pure Storage FlashArray Storage Array

• Pure Storage FlashArray Storage Array Replication Feature with Fan-Out Support

Snapshot Copy

You can now optionally add a snapshot copy while creating a server plan.

Creating a Server Plan

Backup Copy

The copy latest snapshot feature is enabled by default for virtual server agents (AWS, Azure, GCP, HyperV, Nutanix, and VMWare hypervisors).

Snapshots for Virtualization Workloads

Air Gap Protect

Starting in Commvault Platform Release 2024E, Air Gap Protect supports the Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Object Storage type and the corresponding Storage classes.

Configuring Air Gap Protect

HyperScale

After you upgrade the HyperScale cluster to Platform Release 2024E, password-based root user access is disabled on the nodes automatically. If required, you can enable root user access manually after the upgrade.

• Enabling or Disabling Root Access for HyperScale 1.5
• Enabling or Disabling Password-Based Root Access for HyperScale X

Deduplication Database (DDB) Backup and Space Reclamation Schedules

System created schedule for deduplication database (DDB) backups are run once every 3 days. Similary, the system created schedule for DDB space reclamation jobs are triggered automatically at 9:00 am everday.

• Deduplication Database Backup
• Space Reclamation on Disk Storage

Cloud Storage

While adding a cloud storage, you can now specify the external ID used in the trust relationship using the newly added External ID option in the Add credential window for the STS Assume Role with IAM Role Policy authentication type.

• Cloud Provider Information
• Amazon S3 - AWS STS Assume Role with IAM Role Policy

HyperScale Storage

When the utilization of your HyperScale storage approaches 90%, problems with write operations to the storage begin to occur. The Commvault software sends alerts to the administrators at various stages of storage utilization with appropriate recommendations. The software also takes proactive actions to prevent cluster failure.

• Monitoring the Storage Utilization for HyperScale X Appliance Nodes

HyperScale Storage

For the disk libraries hosted in a HyperScale storage pool, the software considers 90% usage of the available space for full storage utilization. Previousy, the software considered 100% usage of the available space for full storage utilization.

• Health Report: Disk Library Growth
• Data Views for the Disk Library Growth Report

Disk Library

You can retire backup locations (mount paths) that do not have data block references using the newly added Prepare for retirement option available in the Configuration section on the Backup location page.

Marking a Backup Location for Retirement

Disk Backup Location and Cloud Backup Location

When a user deletes a backup location with backup data, the deletion must be approved by at least one administrator. You can use the DeleteLibraryMountPathAuthorization workflow to specify the minimum number of administrators required to approve the deletion. The requestor is not considered as one of the administrators to approve the deletion.

Configuring the Administrators to Authorize the Storage Deletion

Air Gap Protect

Compliance lock is enabled by default for all new installations and upgrades and cannot be disabled.

Configuring Air Gap Protect

Storage

You can perform the following operations in Command Center:

• Data verification
• Space reclamation
• Auxiliary copy
• Data aging

When you perform data verification or space reclamation for a storage pool, the operation is performed on all the deduplication databases that are associated with the storage pool.

• Performing Data Verification for a Disk Storage
• Performing Space Reclamation for a Disk Storage
• Performing Data Verification for a Cloud Storage
• Performing Space Reclamation for a Cloud Storage
• Performing Data Verification for a HyperScale Storage
• Performing Space Reclamation for a HyperScale Storage
• Performing Data Verification for an Air Gap Protect Storage
• Performing Space Reclamation for an Air Gap Protect Storage
• Performing Auxiliary Copy Operation for a Backup Destination
• Performing a Data Aging Operation

Disk Storage and Cloud Storage

Data multiplexing is not supported for disk storage and cloud storage. It is supported only for tape storage.

Data Multiplexing - Overview

All virtualized workloads

Starting with Commvault Platform Release 2024E (11.36), Virtual Server Agent (VSA) V1 will be end of life and not supported anymore. All new features will use VSA V2. If you are currently using VSA V1, consider upgrading (also called migrating) to V2.

Migration of Virtualization Clients to Indexing Version 2

Azure and Azure Stack

The Restore as Managed VM setting for new replication groups and new replication targets was removed in Commvault Platform Release 2024 because the setting is now the default restore mode.

N/A

Virtual server agents (AWS, Azure, GCP, HyperV, Nutanix, and VMWare hypervisors)

The copy latest snapshot feature is enabled by default for virtual server agents (AWS, Azure, GCP, HyperV, Nutanix, and VMWare hypervisors).

Snapshots for Virtualization Workloads

VMware

Starting with Commvault Platform Release 2024E (11.36), the full virtual machine in place restore for VMware with unconditional overwrite does not delete the existing VM. The Commvault software overwrites current state of the VM disks from the backup and only detaches the independent disks.

To recreate or reattach independent disks to the VM, you must set the RecreateIndependentDisks additional setting to true. The software recreates an independent disk only if the disk does not exist on the current state of the VM.

Restoring a Full Virtual Machine In Place for VMware