On-Demand File List

Topics | How To

Overview

The On-Demand File List allows you to specify the data that you want to archive through the use of an external list of files on a given subclient. This can be used as a stand-alone method of performing manual archiving, or it can be used in conjunction with traditional rules-based archiving of subclient content. This can be useful for data protection administrators to archive the data they want on demand, regardless of the archiving rules. Since this feature can also be used along with traditional migration archiving operations, it provides maximum flexibility in determining the basis upon which the archiving of data will occur.

The On-Demand File List feature is supported by the File Archiver for Windows Agent, and is not currently available for the File Archiver Agents for Unix/Linux/NetWare platforms.

Defining Content for On-Demand Archive Operations

Content for On-Demand Archive Operations is defined by the user in the form of text files called the On-Demand File Lists. It is important to understand the purpose of these files, and what they contain in order to successfully perform On-Demand Archive Operations. Details about the On-Demand File List files are provided in this section.

On-Demand File List

The On-Demand File List is a text file that you create on the client for the purpose of the telling the system where the data is located, in order to perform an On-Demand Archive Operation. Each On-Demand File List contains the fully qualified paths to the files that will be archived on demand. The table below depicts sample contents of an On-Demand File List text file:

Sample Contents of an On-Demand File List

c:\data\datafile.txt
c:\data\wordfile.doc
d:\my documents\webdoc.html

Creating the On-Demand File List

The On-Demand File Lists must reside within a single folder on the client. More than one On-Demand File List can be used provided that they all reside within the same folder. The paths that are listed in each On-Demand File List can be to data that is either included in the subclient content, or outside the subclient content. However, data that resides within a FAT partition on the client are not allowed in the On-Demand File List. To create the On-Demand File List, first determine the folder in which you want to set up the On-Demand File Lists, then create a text file in that folder which includes the fully qualified paths to the files that are to be archived.

Considerations for On-Demand File List Entries That Are Not Included in the Subclient Content

Consider the following when the On-Demand File List contains entries that are not defined as part of the Subclient Content:

Only stub recovery can be used to recover these files, therefore do not use the Archive Files Only, Do Not Create Stub option on the Subclient Properties (Rules) tab, which would prevent stubs from being created during migration archiving operations.
File Archiver for Windows, when configured for Local Archiving, requires that the drives/volumes on which these files reside must be monitored through the use of a additional setting in order for the files to be recovered.
File Archiver for Windows, when configured for NAS archiving, requires that the client component be installed on the computer that contains these files, and that the Commvault HSM NAS Recaller Service is running, in order for the files to be recovered.

How to Set Up and Run an On-Demand Archive Operation

The following section provides the steps to set up and run an On-Demand Archive Operation:

Configure the subclient for On-Demand Archive Operations.
Create an additional setting on the client and provide a value corresponding to the fully qualified path of the folder that will contain the On-Demand File Lists. See WinFSDataMigrator or NTAP DataMigrator for more information on setting up this key.
Create the On-Demand File List(s). See Defining Content for On Demand Archive Operations for more information.
Run an on demand archive operation.