Global Repository Cell (GRC) - Getting Started

Before You Begin

The Global Repository Cell (GRC) feature is disabled by default for new installations of Commvault software. To enable the Global Repository Cell feature, see Enabling Global Repository Cell (GRC).

For information on prerequisites, see Global Repository Cell (GRC) – Prerequisites.

About This Task

Use the following process to set up a Global Repository Cell:

1. Registering a PodCell

2. Setting up Metadata Collection

3. Testing the Export or Import of Global Repository Cell Metadata

4. Preparing a Global Repository Cell for Restores

Registering a PodCell

The PodCell is the CommCell system from which the clients are imported to the Global Repository Cell.

You can add a maximum of 10 PodCells in a day. You must wait at least for a week to add new PodCells. After adding the PodCells in a day, monitor the time taken to complete the metadata collection for the PodCells. Ignore the time taken for the first time metadata collection for a PodCell because it takes more time as it is a full job. Consider only the time taken for the further metadata collection jobs for a PodCell. If the metadata collection for the PodCells is complete in a day, then you can start adding new PodCells and repeat the same process again.

Perform the following steps to register a PodCell.

1. Log on to the CommCell Console of the Global Repository Cell.

2. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the CommServe node and then click All Tasks > CommCell Registration.

   The CommCell Registration dialog box appears.

3. Click Add.

   The Register remote CommCell dialog box appears.

4. In the User Name box and the Password box, type the PodCell credentials.

   Note

   The user must have similar Administrative Management capabilities at the CommCell levels on both the PodCell and the Global Repository Cell.

5. In CommCell Host Name, choose the appropriate method based on your security policy:

   • If the PodCell CommServe is not behind a firewall, type the hostname of the PodCell in the CommCell Host Name box.

   • If the PodCell CommServe is behind a firewall, select the Select CommServe client located across a firewall check box and then select the pseudo client name from the list.

     Note

     If the pseudo client for the PodCell is not created in the Global Repository Cell, then create the pseudo client. To set up the connection route between the Global Repository Cell and the PodCell, see Firewall for instructions.

6. Click OK.

7. Click OK to close the message.

You can view the registered PodCell from the following areas:

• CommCell Registration Window

  A list of registered CommCell systems is displayed in the CommCell Registration Window (CommServe node > All Tasks > CommCell Registration).

• CommCell Console

  In the Global Repository Cell system, the PodCell CommServe is available as an uninstalled client under <client_computers>.

  In the PodCell system, the Global Repository Cell CommServe is available as an uninstalled client under <Client Computers>.

Setting Up a Metadata Collection

To collect metadata, import clients from the PodCell to the Global Repository Cell by using the Setup Monitoring wizard.

Before you begin, ensure that the PodCell was registered successfully.

1. From the CommCell Browser, right-click the <CommServe node>, point to All Tasks > CommCell Registration.

2. Right-click the registered CommCell system, and then click Setup Monitoring.

3. On the Monitor Entities page, select the appropriate clients, agents, backup sets, or subclients of the PodCell, and click Next.

   Note

   These PodCell entities (clients, agents, backup sets, or subclients) are imported to the Global Repository Cell for monitoring. For more information about the entities that are not imported, see Frequently Asked Questions.

4. On the Specify Destination Client Group page, choose whether to associate the imported clients to a client group

   If you select the Use the following client group option, then a new client group is created for the imported clients in the Global Repository Cell

   Select this option if you want to associate all the imported clients with a client group in the Global Repository Cell. Select the client group name from the Client group drop-down. You can edit the new client group name.

5. Click Next.

6. On the Prefixes for Imported Entities page, select one of the following options:

   Option	Description
   Do not prefix imported entities	Select this option if you do not want to add a prefix to the names of imported entities
   Use following suffix if local entity of same name already exists	If you want to add a suffix to the name of any imported entity that has the same name as an entity in the Global Repository Cell, choose this option and type the suffix to add.
   Always add the following prefix to imported entities	Select this option if you want to add a prefix to the names of all the imported entities. Type the prefix in the Prefix box. Note: You can add a prefix to the names of storage policies, copies, libraries, and devices, but not to the names of clients.

7. Click Next.

8. On the Specify MediaAgents that have read access to the mount paths and edit access paths if needed page do the following:

   1. From the Destination MediaAgent, select the MediaAgent for the library.

      Note

      You can select the MediaAgent after the first import using the Remote CommCell Properties dialog box. Selecting a MediaAgent is necessary for a successful restore operation.

   2. To change the imported mount path location, click Edit Location. Specify the access path. Click OK.

      Note

      If the libraries were created in Commvault version 8.0, then do not change the mount path location. After the import, you can change the mount path location because the import converts the mount paths to shared paths.

   3. In the Select MediaAgent for Index Restore list, select a MediaAgent. Click Next.

      Note

      Although selecting a MediaAgent is necessary for a successful restore operation, you can select the MediaAgent after the first import using the Remote CommCell Properties dialog box.

9. On the Export Options page, select one of the following options for the first import.

   • Perform Complete Export: Imports all the metadata for the selected entities from the PodCell.

   • Export Data From Last: Imports the recent metadata of the selected entities from the PodCell. You can specify the number of months and days to import the data for.

     Note

     The first import of the data is performed according to the option you select. All subsequent imports are incremental.

10. Click Next.

11. Optional: To push the Global Repository Cell entities to the PodCell, select the Push Back Configuration check box. Select the appropriate entities.

    Note

    Alerts, subclient policies, schedule policies, and media location information that are created at the Global Repository Cell are sent to the PodCell. For more information about the entities that are not imported, go to Frequently Asked Questions.

12. Click Next.

13. On the Configure Schedule Pattern page, complete the following steps to set up the schedule for the monitoring job

    1. In the Schedule Name box, type a name for the schedule

    2. Click one of the following: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, or Yearly.

    3. In the Start Time box specify the schedule start time.

    4. In the Every box, select how often you want to repeat the job.

    5. If you want to add any exceptions, click Exceptions button. Specify the weekday occurrences or days of the month which you want to exclude from the schedule.

    6. If you want to repeat the schedule, select the Repeat Every check box. Select the values for hr(s), min(s), and until.

    7. Click Finish.

    The CommCell Registration dialog box appears.

14. If you want to verify the settings for the remote CommCell, you can right-click the registered CommCell and then click CommCell Properties.

    For more information about Remote CommCell Properties, see Remote CommCell Properties

Testing the Export or Import of Global Repository Cell Metadata

By default, the Global Repository Cell metadata import and export schedule is configured to run only once a day at a certain time. However, you can test it manually before the regular schedule starts by running the monitoring job.

1. From the Global Repository Cell, right-click the CommServe node, and then click View > Schedules.

   The Schedule Name column displays the schedule name. The Type column displays CCM Merge.

2. Right-click the schedule and then click Run Immediately.

   Note

   When the monitoring job runs, a CommCell Import job is initiated at the Global Repository Cell. The CommCell Import job sends a request to the PodCell to start the export. When the export job completes, the data import begins at the Global Repository Cell. After the scheduled job completes successfully, you can view the imported clients from the CommCell Browser of the Global Repository Cell under Client Computers as "uninstalled" clients.

Requirements for Performing Restores from a Global Repository Cell

Before you begin performing restores from a Global Repository Cell, verify that you meet the following requirements

• Verify that you have configured at least one MediaAgent in the Global Repository Cell.

• Verify that the new libraries exist.

• Verify that the new libraries that contain data are accessible from the Global Repository Cell.

You can use the following methods to access the backup data from the various storage media:

• Tapes

• Cloud storage

• Data in a Disk Library

Tapes

If the backup data of any imported client is available on tape, you can remove the tape from the tape library in the PodCell and then insert it into a free slot in any compatible tape library in the Global Repository Cell.

For more information, see Tape Libraries - Getting Started.

Cloud Storage

If the backup data is available on cloud storage devices, select a MediaAgent in the Global Repository Cell that has connectivity to the cloud mount path.

For more information, see Cloud Storage.

Data in a Disk Library

If the backup data is available in a disk library, you can restore the data in the disk library by associating the library with a MediaAgent on the Global Repository Cell. When you perform Library Mapping, you must select a MediaAgent that has access to the library and then specify the location on a destination MediaAgent where the data is available.

• If the disk library is available in a network location

  Select a MediaAgent on the Global Repository Cell that has access to the UNC path of the network location and specify the UNC path.

• If the backup data on the disk library is replicated to a local MediaAgent on the Global Repository Cell

  Select the MediaAgent and specify the location where the mount path is replicated.

• If you want to create two instances of the MediaAgent software on a single host

  Note

  The client name of each instance must be different.

  For example, you can create two instances MA1 and MA2 on a single host. The single host is located in the remote site. MA1 will be the MediaAgent in the PodCell and MA2 is the MediaAgent in the Global Repository Cell. Because both MediaAgents are on a single host, they can access the same mount path on the host. You can backup data to the library on the MA1 from the PodCell. When you set up monitoring, you must select MA2 from the Destination MediaAgent list for the library that is associated with MA1.

Related Topics

Library Mapping

Restoring Data from Imported Clients

Library Mapping

To perform restore operations for an imported library, you must map the library to a destination MediaAgent.

Note:

• If a new library is available in a PodCell, you must enable access to the library. For instructions, see Enabling Access to a New Library in a PodCell.

• If the library is on a Linux MediaAgent, then create a new MediaAgent instance on the computer on which the MediaAgent is hosted. During installation of the new MediaAgent, select the destination CommCell. For instructions, see Installing the MediaAgent.

  Select the new MediaAgent for the library as the destination MediaAgent on the Library Mapping page.

• If any new mount path is available in a library that is present in a PodCell, you can enable access to the new mount path. If the mount path is a local mount path to the destination MediaAgent, then configure the local path. If the mount path is a remote mount path to the destination MediaAgent, then configure the network path. For instructions, see Modify the Mount Path.

In the following figure, the Library Mapping tab includes details for all libraries and mount paths.

• Mag-4 is accessible on this CommCell through the common-ccm2 MediaAgent, using the UNC path (and the credentials).

• Cloud-Library is a cloud library that is accessible through the common-ccm2 MediaAgent.

• mag5 is a library that has not been mapped yet, and is therefore not accessible on this CommCell.

  To change or assign a MediaAgent, click the appropriate Destination MediaAgent and select the MediaAgent from the list. One of the choices is Not Accessible

Restoring Data from a Global Repository Cell

Before You Begin

Verify that you have met the requirements for restoring data from a Global Repository Cell. See Requirements for Restoring Data From a Global Repository Cell.

Procedure

Complete a restore operation. For information about restore operations, see Browse and Restore.