Configuring User-Defined Subclients

A default subclient is created when you install the agent. This default subclient contains all the devices along with supported file system types.

You can add additional subclients as needed to back up data within the backup set. The default subclient, skips the content you add to other subclients under the same backup set.

To speed up the backup process and to avoid backup failures, you can filter out items which consistently fail, such as locked system objects, system libraries, and operating system objects. For information on how to set filters for backups, see Defining Filters.

After you add the failed objects to the filter, run a full backup to remove them from backups.

You can enable client-side deduplication. When you select this option, the IBM i client performs the deduplication, and then sends the data to the proxy server. This option does the following:

• Reduces the amount of data that is transferred on the network between the IBM i client and the proxy server.

• Disables compression.

Client-side deduplication is not available when you have selected *SYNCLIB (Advanced Subclient Properties dialog box, Save While Active tab, Save While Active list).

About This Task

The following subclient content options are available.

1. Commvault pre-defined content that consists of one or more of the following data:

   • Security objects

   • Configuration objects

   • IBM system libraries

   • User libraries

   • Documents, folders and distribution objects

   • IBM directories and the user objects that are contained in the directories

2. User defined content is a set of folders and directories that you define.

Configure an IBM i File System subclient to use client-side deduplication so that the IBM i client generates the deduplication signature.

When you configure this option, the client does not send the deduplicated data to the proxy server

Procedure

1. From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers > client > File System > backup_set.

2. Right-click the backup_set, point to All Tasks, and then click New Subclient.

   The Subclient Properties dialog box appears.

3. On the General tab, in the Subclient Name box, type a unique subclient name.

4. On the Content tab, select the data that you want to back up.

   For information on the content options, see IBM i File System Agent Subclient Properties (Content).

   • To include pre-defined data, select Subclient content and then select check boxes for the data to include.

   • To add directories, folders, libraries and objects to the backup content select Custom subclient content and then select the directories, folders, libraries and objects that you want to include.

     To back up all specified libraries at the object level select the Backup library content(s) as objects (Save while active) option. When you select this, the software makes the SYNCLIB option unavailable.

     You can use wildcards to define content for a subclient. For a list of supported wildcards, see Supported Wildcards for the IBM i File System Agent Agent.

     Notes:

     If the file or directory name that you want to add to the content contains a wildcard character, you must add an escape ("\") before the wildcard character.

     The Network File System (NFS) is not included in the backup. You must manually add the directory.

     Both libraries and objects

     When a symbolic link is included in the subclient content, the software displays the target of the symbolic link and the link.

     For information on the SAVACT options, see the IBM manual.

5. On the Storage Device tab, in the Storage Policy list, click a storage policy name to associate with the subclient.

   Tip: To create a new storage policy, click Create Storage Policy and follow the instructions in the storage policy creation wizard.

   For information on storage policy creation, see Storage Policy - Getting Started.

6. On the Advanced Options tab, configure the advanced backup options.

   For additional information on the advanced options, see IBM i File System Agent Subclient Properties (Advanced Options).

   • To set the number of simultaneous backup data streams that the subclient can use, enter the number in the Number of Data Readers box.

   • To allow multiple data reads for a single UNIX mount point during backups on this subclient, select the Allow multiple data readers within a drive or mount point check box.

   • To specify a different operating system version on the destination client, enter the version number in the Target release for backup data box.

   • To include library objects in the backup, in the Backup library objects section, check the box associated with the object that you want to include in the backup.

7. Optional: Select the subclient options.

   Configure client-side deduplication

   On the Deduplication tab under the Storage tab, make the following selections:

   1. Select the Enable Deduplication check box.

   2. Select On Client.

   3. Select the On IBM i check box.

   Note

   Client-side deduplication is not supported for VTL.

   Set the option to have incremental backups include files that have changes in the ctime or mtime timestamp

   The ctime timestamp indicates when the file properties (for example the file owner) were modified.

   The mtime timestamp indicates when the file contents were modified.

   On the General tab, in the Incremental backup should use section:

   • To include files with a modified mtime timestamp in the incremental backup, select the Use mtime check box.

   • To include files with a modified ctime timestamp in the incremental backup, select the Use ctime check box.

   Configure a process to run before or after the backup

   Run scripts before or after the backup.

   Enter the full path for the pre- and post-scripts.

   1. Create the script.

   2. Click Advanced.

      The Advanced Subclient Properties dialog box appears.

   3. On the Pre/Post tab, in the PreBackup Command box, type the full path name for the script.

   4. On the Pre/Post tab, in the PostBackup Command box, type the full path name for the script.

   5. To run the post-backup process regardless of the job's outcome, select the Run Post Backup Process for all attempts check box.

   Configure multiple data streams for backup operations

   When you configure multiple data streams, the subclient data is distributed across the streams and transmitted in parallel to the storage media, which makes backups more efficient.

   1. Click Advanced.

      The Advanced Subclient Properties dialog box appears.

   2. On the Performance tab, in the Number of Data Readers box, enter the number of data streams to use for backup operations.

   3. To perform concurrent backups of a library by using multiple tape drives, select the Back up each library using multiple drives concurrently check box.

   4. Click OK.

   Set filters to exclude data from backups

   You can use filters to exclude system-related data, that can cause the jobs to fail, from backups.

   If there is a file or sub-directory that is an exception to the excluded data, you can create exceptions to the excluded files.

   • To exclude data from backups, see Defining Filters.

   • To add an exception to an excluded data list, see Exception Filters.

   Configure the Save while active options

   Configure the options for the backup library content.

   1. Click Advanced.

      The Advanced Subclient Properties dialog box appears.

   2. On the Save While Active tab, select the options.

      For information on the Save While Active feature and options, see Subclient Properties (Save While Active).

   3. Click OK to close the Advanced Subclient Properties dialog box

   Set the compression level

   Set the client-level software data compression that the software uses. Use a higher level of compression if you need to reduce the data through the network between the IBM i client and the proxy.

   1. Click Advanced.

      The Advanced Subclient Properties dialog box appears.

   2. On the Advanced Options tab, from the Compression list, select the compression level. For more information on compression, see IBM i File System Agent Subclient Properties.

   3. Click OK to close the Advanced Subclient Properties dialog box.

   Specify the update history

   Specifies whether the save history information of each saved object is changed with the date, time during the backup operation.

   1. Click Advanced.

      The Advanced Subclient Properties dialog box appears.

   2. On the Advanced Options tab, from the Update history (UPDHST) list, select the object update history option. For more information on compression, see IBM i File System Agent Subclient Properties.

   3. Click OK to close the Advanced Subclient Properties dialog box.

8. Click OK to close the Subclient Properties dialog box.