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Create a File System Subclient
Subclients are used to define data that is protected in a containerized format. Each subclient container manages specific content within a backup set. Each backup set has one or more subclients.
Example of subclient design
Default Subclient
By default, most agents have a default subclient. The default subclient acts as a catch all for all data managed within a backup set. This means the default subclient automatically detects and protects all data the agent is responsible to protect. When custom subclients are defined, any data managed by the custom subclients is automatically excluded from the default subclient. This means that the data is mutually exclusive to the subclient in which it is defined and cannot be defined in multiple subclients within the backup set. The concept of Commvault® software is to ‘Copy Once and Reuse Extensively (CORE).’ In other words, protect the data to the storage target and use secondary copies to create additional copies of data. There are situations where protecting data from the source location multiple times may be required. To accomplish this, you can create additional backup sets.
Define Contents for the Subclient
The Contents section is used to define the content for the subclient.
Administration | Servers | Agent | BackupSet | Subclient properties view | Content section | Edit
Key points to review before configuring subclient content:
- The content of a default subclient, for most backup agents, is a \ (Windows-based) or / (Linux/Unix based). This represents an auto-detection functionality that protects any newly added volumes. If the default subclient's content is modified, the \ or / is removed and auto-detection is disabled. Do NOT modify the contents of the default subclient. If only certain drives are to be protected, use the Filter tab to exclude the unwanted drives.
- Add content by using the Browse button or manually entering it using the Add/Edit Paths button.
- Use the Add Paths button to enter UNC paths to protect data on systems that do not have Commvault agents installed. Then use the 'As user' button to enter a user account with proper permissions to read the data from the shared location. This feature is only recommended when protecting small amounts of data
- The option to 'Backup System State' is used to protect system state data for Windows servers. By default, the default subclient automatically protects system state data. If required, a separate subclient can be defined to specifically protect system state. Only one subclient within a backup is be designated to protect system state data.
Defining Content Using Wildcards and Patterns
When defining content using the Add Paths button, regular expressions (or wildcard characters) can be used. Wildcard expressions are characters such as * or ?. Regular expressions include patterns such as [a-f] or *.[l-n]df. The terms are interchangeable.
You can use the regular expressions for defining content at any level in the data path. For example:
F:\Users
[A-L]* or *.pst.
The expression ** represents any folder structure. For instance, C:**\data\ means that any data, from the C: drive, in any folder structure, is backed up.
To edit subclient content
1 - Expand Protect | Click File servers.
2 - Click the name of the file server.
3 - Click the subclient name.
4 - Locate the Content section and click Edit.
5 - Click Browse to navigate to the desired location.
6 - Use the folder tree browser to select drives or folders.
7 - You can also manually enter full paths or use wildcards and patterns.
8 - Click to add it to the list.
9 - This area displays the added content.
10 - You can backup the Windows system state using the toggle switch.
To create a new subclient
1 - Expand Protect | Click File servers.
2 - Click on the server for which you want to create a new subclient.
3 - Subclients are listed in this window.
4 - Click to add a new subclient.
5 - Provide a name for the subclient.
6 - Choose a protection plan from the list.
7 - Use the slider to add content manually.
8 - Type paths and click the plus sign to add them to the list.
9 - To browse and select content click the Browse button.
10 - Exclusions can also be applied to prevent backing up unnecessary data.
11 - Exceptions can also be applied to exclusions, providing granularity if needed.
12 - Click to create the subclient.
To delete a subclient
1 - Expand Protect | Click File servers.
2 - Click the server name for which you want to delete a subclient.
3 - Click the ellipsis of the subclient you want to delete. This will open the options menu.
4 - Click Delete to remove the subclient.
5 - Type “Delete” to confirm and click Delete to remove.
To edit subclient filters
1 - Expand Protect | Click File servers.
2 - Click the file server name.
3 - Click the subclient name.
4 - Locate the Content section and click Edit.
5 - Click Exclusions to add local exclusions to backups.
6 - Type a path to exclude content during backups.
7 - Click the plus sign to add the exclusion to the list.
8 - Once added, the exclusions are displayed in this section.
9 - Local Exceptions can also be applied to exclusions, providing granularity if needed.
10 - Type a path to apply as an exception to filtered content.
11 - Click the plus sign to add the exception to the list.
12 - Once added, the exclusions are displayed in this section.
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