Planning

Installing Commvault^® software is a straight forward process. However, it is important to note that a full CommCell^® deployment must be well-planned and executed. Within a modern data center, components such as the network, hardware, operating systems, and applications all play a significant role in creating a sound data protection strategy. This section presents the high-level steps and best practices for deploying a CommCell environment.

It is highly recommended to consult with Commvault Professional Services to assist with any deployment. They can provide help with the architecture, physical resources assessment, planning or deployment as required.

Deployment phases:

• Planning
• Downloading the Commvault^® software
• Installing the CommServe^® server and executing post-install tasks
• Installing the MediaAgents and executing post-install tasks
• Configuring storage and deduplication
• Configuring features and plans
• Deploying agents and configuring subclients

Planning

The planning phase encompasses all pre-deployment steps and is considered the most important phase in the process. A poorly planned deployment can impact production systems and result in an undersized environment.

Planning phase best practices:

• Assess the current environment
• Assess the data protection requirements
• Design the new CommCell^® infrastructure
• Establish, procure and install the hardware for the new environment
• Review policies with the Change Management Team to adhere to company procedures

Assess the Current Environment

If there is a backup environment already in place, it is important to collect as much information as possible. This helps in establishing what is currently in place, the gaps that the new solution must address, and if the current environment is not properly protecting some datasets.

For instance, if the current backup environment is having problems backing up virtual machines during the deployment of the new CommCell^® environment, then the first data protection to address is the virtual machines. This ensures adequate protection as soon as possible.

It is also important to decide what will become of the old backup environment. Is there a cutoff date where once the new system is in place, the old system will be decommissioned? Does the old system need to be phased out by keeping the old hardware for a period of time? Or will the tape library be partitioned between the old and the new systems to allow restores of old data? Considering all questions ensures a seamless transition of your current backup environment.

Assess Data Protection Requirements

The protection requirements must be properly established for all data types during the planning phase. This includes the following factors:

• Recovery Time Objective (RTO)
• Recovery Point Objectives (RPO) for systems
• Required retention and copies of the different datasets

To help design the new environment, metrics on the size of datasets requiring protection must also be collected. For instance, 50 TB of virtual machines, 20 TB of physical machines, 15 TB of SQL databases and so on. This information is used in the design phase to accurately size CommCell^® resources. A common mistake that is made frequently is referencing sizing metrics from the old backup system. Quite often the old backup system, being limited in resources, is not protecting all systems which require protection. If metrics are misrepresented, a thorough investigation is required.

Design the New CommCell^® Infrastructure

This phase determines what options, features and protection methods will be used to design and document the new CommCell environment.

Options to address in the design:

• CommServe^® server, hardware requirements and high availability
• Number and size of MediaAgents, as well as hardware requirements
• Libraries that will be used (disk, tape, cloud), and the hardware requirements
• Protection agents and methods that will be used (e.g., Virtual Server Agent, SQL agent)
• Storage policies and schedule policies

Designing a CommCell^® environment that fits a company's needs is not an exact science. It requires experience and knowledge of the software and available options.

Establish, Procure and Install the Hardware for the New Environment

Once the CommCell^® environment is designed, the next step is to establish hardware requirements of every component and to procure and install the required hardware. If hardware is missing, determine if the deployment phase should be postponed. For instance, if a MediaAgent is missing the SSD drives for the Deduplication Database (DDB), it might be preferable to wait instead of placing the DDB on the C:\ drive. Even if the database can be moved later, it could lead to a drive that fills up before the SSD drives are received. It can also significantly underperform, therefore impacting backup performances.

Coordinate with the Change Management Team for the Deployments Steps and Procedures

Many companies have change management procedures in place so it's important to coordinate with the Change Management Team. Completing any necessary paperwork and following procedures avoids major impacts, such as a reboot or network usage to occur during peak operation hours.