Important Terminology

Commvault Command Center^TM

A web-based administration tool customized for specific applications. This console provides simplified management for the most common administrative tasks.

Agent

Commvault software which interfaces with the file system or application using native APIs or scripting languages to provide complete data protection and recovery capabilities.

Client

A computer in a CommCell that has agent software installed on it, used as a proxy for data protection jobs, or a proxy for firewall communication.

CommCell^® console

The graphical user interface used to access and manage the CommCell environment. All administrative tasks can be accomplished using this console.

CommCell^® environment

The basic organizational unit of a data management system. A CommCell environment contains one CommServe^® Storage Manager, at least one client, and at least one Media Agent.
 

CommServe^® server

The software module that communicates with all clients and Media Agents and coordinates operations (data protection, data recovery, and administration operations, job management, event management, etc.) within a CommCell environment. There is only one active CommServe server within a CommCell architecture.

Content Store

Generic term which describes any storage unit managed by Commvault software. The Content Store acts as a transparent storage repository and virtually structures unstructured data using metadata and optional content indexing for complete end-to-end management of data. Data is managed from Commvault administrator perspective, end user, and compliance officers.

Data aging

Operation that logically deletes expired data based on storage policy copy retention.

Data movement

A generic term which refers to the movement of data for data protection and recovery operations. This includes network management such as firewall configuration and network throttling.

Data stream

Term used to describe any method of moving data from source to destination. Data streams are divided into two types: job streams and device streams. Job streams represent data movement from a client to a MediaAgent or a MediaAgent to a MediaAgent. Device streams represent data movement from a MediaAgent to storage.

Deduplication

The process of identifying duplicate blocks within a disk or cloud library and storing the duplicate block only once. Signatures are generated using the SHA 512 hash algorithm to identify duplicate blocks. These signatures are stored in the deduplication database.

Disaster Recovery

The planning for and/or the implementation of a strategy to respond to such failures as a total infrastructure loss, or the failure of computers (CommServe server, Media Agent, client, or application), networks, storage hardware, or media.  A Disaster Recovery strategy typically involves the creation and maintenance of a secure Disaster Recovery site, and the day-to-day tasks of running regular Disaster Recovery backups.

The point-in-time in which protected data must be recovered to. Recovery points are created each time a data protection job runs. The more frequent the jobs are run, the more recovery points exist.

Recovery Time Objective (RTO)

The allotted time to recover a business system after a disaster in order to resume business operations.

Storage policy

A logical entity through which data from a subclient is backed up. A storage policy consists of one or more copies which associate data with particular physical media.

Storage policy copy

A logical entity which provides the path for protected data and also provides the facility to define the retention period for the data. The four types of storage policy copies are: primary snap, primary (classic), secondary synchronous, and secondary selective.

Subclient

The logical entity that uniquely defines a unit of data on a client computer.