# Cloud native snapshots

For cloud virtualization workloads, Commvault lets snapshots run independently of regular backups. This provides flexibility in managing recovery points and ensures business continuity without relying solely on backup copies.

This feature is automatically enabled for new companies and new CommCell deployments that have new VM groups with Intellisnap enabled.

Important

Existing hypervisors and VM groups will continue to function using the configurations set up in your environment. This feature is not enabled by default for an existing hypervisor with new VM groups.

## Key features

- Run snapshot jobs on demand or using a schedule.

- Snapshots and backups are independent operations.

- Full and incremental backups run a snapshot job first, and then complete the respective backup using the same snapshot.

- Configure plan-level snapshot schedules to run snapshot jobs only.

- Browse and restore operations work reliably across snapshot and backup.

## Supported hypervisors

- Amazon EC2

- Google Cloud

- Microsoft Azure

- Oracle Cloud Infrastructure

## Comparison: Legacy duality vs cloud native

Legacy duality mode (traditional approach) | New cloud native snap mode
--- | ---
IntelliSnap is enabled for a VM group Backup schedule: runs a snap backup job Dependent on a separate backup copy schedule to do actual backup copy to media | IntelliSnap is enabled by default for a VM group Backup schedule: runs a snapshot job and, on completion, immediately runs a backup job to copy to media Snapshot schedule (new): Runs a snapshot job (no copy to media)
IntelliSnap is disabled for a VM group Backup schedule: Runs a backup job | --

## How snapshot and backup jobs work

- Snapshot backup type:

  - Applies to hypervisors with Indexing Version 2 and subclients with IntelliSnap enabled.

  - Always runs as a full job. A snapshot operation runs as a VM admin job (snapshot), with individual VM jobs labeled as snapshot.

  - Snapshots are registered with snap copies, and retention follows snap copy policies.

  - Snapshots can be created even when backup job or synthetic full backup job is in progress.

  - On-demand or scheduled explicit snapshot jobs will not be copied to primary copy. By default, snapshot will use primary snap copy.

  - Browse and restore operations work seamlessly across snapshot and streaming copies.

- Backup job operation with snapshots:

  - When a full or incremental job runs, Commvault first performs a snapshot job and creates a recovery point.

  - After the snapshot job completes, the backup job (full or incremental) then streams data using the same snapshot and recovery point.

  - Once the backup job is completed, the link between the backup job and the snapshot job is removed.

  - A backup operation runs as a VM admin job (backup), with individual VM jobs labelled as backup.

- Synthetic full backups:

  - Created from existing backup jobs on a primary copy.

  - Snapshots can be created even when a Backup job or a synthetic full backup job is in progress for a VM group.

## Snapshot plans

- When creating a new plan, the Configure Snapshot option is available to configure snapshot only backups.

- For existing plans, a snapshot Schedule can be added to configure snapshot only backups.

- The snapshot schedule is applicable only to Intellisnap-enabled VM groups that use this feature.

- Snapshot options (including Enable Backup copy) do not apply when this feature enabled.

## Considerations

- Agents supports separate reference times for snapshots and backups.

- A job history differentiates snapshot and backup jobs. Independent job history ensures proper tracking of cycles.

- Backup archive files are no longer re-associated with the original snapshot job.

- An additional snap is created as part of the backup schedule. Make sure the retention settings are properly configured to include snapshots generated by backup jobs.

- By default, browsing is performed from the snapshot.

- For VM file indexing, explicitly select a primary copy when browsing from the calendar view.

- Select a primary copy for browsing to view deleted items

- There is no change in license/metering.

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