# Automatic Access Node Selection for Kubernetes

For Kubernetes clusters and application groups, when you specify access nodes, you can select the Automatic option to have the Commvault software automatically select access nodes for data protection operations.

## Benefits

- Access nodes are automatically selected.

- USE PROXY permissions are not needed to associate access nodes with a company.

- MediaAgents that are associated with your backup plan are used as access nodes.

## Requirements

Your environment must include at least one access node that can connect to the cluster:

- For cloud clusters, you must have at least one access node for the cloud service provider.

- For on-premises clusters, you must have at least one on-premises access node.

## How to Enable Automatic Access Node Selection

To enable automatic access node selection, add a cluster and select the Automatic option for the cluster's access nodes. Then, when you create application groups for that cluster, access nodes are selected automatically for the application groups and for the cluster as follows:

- When you create the first application group, access nodes are automatically selected based on the backup plan that is selected for the tenant admin/MSP, and those access nodes are associated with the cluster. The application group inherits the access nodes from the cluster. (The software displays Inherited from cluster for the application group.)

- When you create another application group for the cluster, access nodes are automatically selected based on the backup plan that is selected for the tenant admin/MSP, and those access nodes are associated with the application group. If the access nodes that are associated with the application group are the same as the access nodes that are associated with the cluster, then the software displays Inherited from cluster for the application group.

## How Automatic Access Node Selection Works

Configuration of the automatic access node selection process is based on:

- The backup plan that you select when you create an application group.

- The resource pool associated with the backup plan. See Add a Resource Pool for Virtualization.

The automatic access node selection operates as follows:

- Based on selected backup plan, the Commvault software retrieves the primary storage pool from the backup plan and gets a list of access nodes (MediaAgents) from the primary storage pool.

- A resource pool is created automatically for the storage pool if one does not already exist.

  - All MediaAgents are added (as the access nodes) to the resource pool.

  - If a MediaAgent does not have a Virtual Server package, then Virtual Server packages are added via a push install on one of the MediaAgents.

    Note

    Further distribution of the Virtual Server package to all selected MediaAgents happens during the backup operation.

  - A resource pool is created with the following naming convention: backup_plan_name – Kubernetes.

  - When the first application group is created, access nodes are picked up from the resource pool and placed at the cluster level and the access nodes for the application group are displayed as Inherited from cluster.

  - If an additional application group is created with the same backup plan having the same list of access nodes at the cluster level, the access nodes for the application group are displayed as Inherited from cluster.

  - If an additional application group is created with a different backup plan, access nodes are picked up from the respective resource pool and placed at the application group level.

  - You can control the access nodes by modifying the access node list at the resource pool level. This change updates the access nodes for clusters and application groups that are associated with the resource pool.

## Modifications That Can Affect Automatic Access Node Selection

After you enable automatic access node selection, certain modifications to clusters, application groups, and plans can affect automatic access node selection.

### Updating Access Nodes for a Cluster

If you manually update access nodes for a cluster, then the automatic access node selection process is disabled for the cluster and its application groups. With the automatic selection disabled for the cluster and application groups, any association with the resource pool is removed. Thus, updates of access nodes at the resource pool level are not reflected at the cluster level or the application group level.

### Updating Access Nodes for an Application group

If you manually update access nodes for an application group, the automatic access node selection process is disabled for the application group only. With automatic selection disabled for the application group, any association with the resource pool is removed. Thus, updates of access nodes at the resource pool level are not reflected at the application group level.

### Canceling Application Group Creation

If you do not configure an application group after creating the cluster with the Automatic option selected, then access nodes are not configured for the cluster. You must select a backup plan with the default application group or create a new application group with the backup plan to have the access nodes configured at the cluster level.

### Changing the Backup Plan for an Application Group

If you change the backup plan for an application group, then access nodes are repopulated for the application group based on the backup plan you selected.

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