Deploying a Virtual Machine for UNIX-Based File Restores

A File Recovery Enabler for Linux enables virtual machine data to be browsed from a backup for the source virtual machine (VM), with support for ext2, ext3, ext4, XFS, JFS, HFS, HFS Plus, and Btrfs file systems. Use the open virtual appliance (OVA) template supplied by Commvault to create a virtual machine that contains the File Recovery Enabler.

The File Recovery Enabler for Linux package is deployed as a MediaAgent in restore-only mode, and does not consume a license. The client does not appear in the Client Computers list unless the Show Unlicensed with software (Restore only Clients) option is selected in User Preferences.

Requirements

• Before creating a virtual machine for Linux file restores, install the latest available service pack for Commvault on the CommServe host and Virtual Server Agent.

• Use the latest available version of the File Recovery Enabler template. The template version must match the installed service pack version.

• To verify the version of VMware software that is required to support this feature, see System Requirements.

• Requirements for the ESX server where the File Recovery Enabler is deployed:

  • Deployment uses 4 GB of RAM

  • Deployment uses 4 vCPUs

  • Disk requirements: 80 GB (thin or thick provisioned)

• Verify that network communication is enabled so that the VMware servers, the CommServe system, and the machine where the File Recovery Enabler is deployed can communicate with each other.

• If a firewall is used, see Entering Required Firewall Settings.

• The virtualization client must refer to a vCenter user with permissions defined as described in Configure User Accounts.

• The following vSphere permissions are required to enable deployment or reconfiguration of a File Recovery Enabler for Linux:

  Category	Available Permissions
  vApp	Import
  vApp	vApp application configuration
  vApp	vApp instance configuration

• The following Commvault permissions must be assigned for the CommServe user account in the CommCell Console:

  Category	Permission	Usage
  Global	Administrative Management	Enables the CommServe user (identified as CS User Name below) to deploy the File Recovery Enabler in the CommServe system.
  Client	Agent Management	Enables the File Recovery Enabler to be added to a client computer group.

Considerations

• The File Recovery Enabler can be deployed on the same vCenter and ESX server that is used for VMware backup, or on any other vCenter or ESX server with which the File Recovery Enabler can establish a connection.

• Live recovery is only supported for recovery from backups using magnetic disk libraries, not from backups to tape libraries.

• Live browse and file recovery operations are not supported for XFS realtime subvolumes.

• With Service Pack 8 or later, live browse and recovery is supported for subvolumes of Btrfs file systems.

• The File Recovery Enabler for Linux supports NFS version 3.

• After deploying the File Recovery Enabler, download and install HotFixes for the installed service pack.

Procedure

1. Go to Cloud Services, log in, access the Download Center, and select Virtualization under Category. Download the File Recovery Enabler for Linux package that is at the same service pack level as the installed service pack, and save it to a location that is accessible from the vCenter.

2. In vCenter, click the File menu and select Deploy OVF Template.

3. Browse to the location where the File Recovery Enabler for Linux template file is located and select that file; then click Next.

4. Review the OVF Template Details dialog and click Next.

5. On the Name and Location dialog, enter a name for the virtual machine (for example, VM_LinuxFileRecoveryEnabler); then click Next.

6. On the Host / Cluster dialog, select a data center and ESX server; then click Next.

7. On the Resource Pool dialog (optional), select a resource pool and click Next.

8. On the Storage dialog, select a datastore and click Next.

9. On the Disk Format dialog, click Next to accept the default format.

10. On the Network Mapping dialog, select the source and destination networks as needed; then click Next.

11. On the Properties dialog, enter the following information:

    CS Configuration:

    • CS Client Name: Short name for the CommServe system. This entry is case sensitive.

    • CS Hostname: Host name or IP address for the CommServe system. This entry is case sensitive.

    • CS User Name: User name for the CommCell Console. The user must have the Global > Administrative Management permission for the CommServe system.

    • CS Password: Password for the CommCell Console user.

    Client Configuration:

    • Client Name: Short name for the virtual machine (for example, VM_LinuxFileRecoveryEnabler).

    • Client Hostname: Host name or IP address for the client.

    • New root password: Password for the root user of the virtual machine.

    • Client Group Name: Name of a client computer group; the File Recovery Enabler is assigned to that group if the group exists (the name is case sensitive).

    • Automatic OS updates: Select this option to enable automatic OS updates.

      By default, automatic updates are applied daily for security updates. To modify the security level, perform the following steps after the FREL has been deployed:

      1. Modify the /etc/yum/yum-cron.conf file to use one of the following options with the update_cmd entry, as shown in the last line of the following example:

         # What kind of update to use: 
          # default = yum upgrade 
          # security = yum --security upgrade 
          # security-severity:Critical = yum --sec-severity=Critical upgrade 
          # minimal = yum --bugfix update-minimal 
          # minimal-security = yum --security update-minimal 
          # minimal-security-severity:Critical = --sec-severity=Critical update-minimal 
          update_cmd = security

      2. Run the systemctl restart yum-cron command to apply the specified security level.

    IP Configuration:

    Note

    The following fields need to be entered when the File Recovery Enabler is being deployed using a static IP address, or with DHCP if there is a possibility that the DHCP server in your environment provides incorrect or incomplete DNS information. The fields below override any DNS configuration that is obtained from the DHCP servers.

    • Use DHCP: Select this option or enter values for the Static IP Address, Netmask, and Gateway.

    • DNS Search Suffix: Identifiers for domains to be supported. You can enter multiple search suffixes separated by whitespaces.

    • Name Server 1: IP address for the primary name server.

    • Name Server 2: IP address for the secondary name server.

    Firewall Configuration: Indicate whether the CommServe system is behind a firewall and enter values for Option 1, Option 2, or Option 3:

    • Is CS behind a firewall?: Select this option if a firewall is enabled on the CommServe system.

    • [Option 1] CS f/w tunnel port (client can connect to CS): Enter the tunnel port number the client can use to open a connection to the CommServe system.

    • [Option 2] Client f/w tunnel port (CS can connect to client): Enter the tunnel port number the CommServe system can use to open a connection toward the client.

    • For Option 3, enter all of the following values:

      • [Option 3] Proxy Hostname (CS reachable via proxy)

      • [Option 3] Proxy Clientname (CS reachable via proxy)

      • [Option 3] Proxy port number (CS reachable via proxy)

      • If an HTTP proxy is used for communication between the CommServe host and the File Recovery Enabler, provide the following information:

        HTTP Proxy Hostname

        HTTP Proxy Port

12. After verifying the information, click Next.

13. On the Ready to Complete dialog, review the deployment options and click Finish.

14. Configure a default File Recovery Enabler for Linux to use for UNIX-based file restores as described in Specify the Default File Recovery Enabler for Linux for a Virtual Server Instance, and an ESX server to host the NFS datastore as described in Identify the Proxy ESX Server.