Implementing an effective NDMP backup solution on IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system using CommVault Simpana

Implementing an effective NDMP backup
solution on IBM Storwize V7000 Unified
system using CommVault Simpana

A technical report

Udayasuryan Kodoly
IBM Systems and Technology Group ISV Enablement
October 2011

© Copyright IBM Corporation, 2011

Table of contents
Abstract..................................................................................................................................... 1
Executive summary .................................................................................................................. 1
Intended audience ................................................................................................................................... 1
Scope ....................................................................................................................................................... 1
Prerequisites............................................................................................................................. 1
IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system ........................................................................................ 2
Storwize V7000 Unified system NDMP overview .................................................................................... 4
Storwize V7000 Unified supported NDMP physical configuration ........................................................... 5
Two-way (or remote) Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration ................................................ 5
Three-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration ................................................................ 6
Fundamentals of Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP feature ................................................................ 7
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP command-line configuration .......................................................... 8
LAB Storwize V7000 Unified system configuration.......................................................................... 9
Storwize NDMP network group configuration .................................................................................. 9
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group configuration using GUI .............................................. 9
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group configuration using CLI ............................................. 15
Configuring Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup prefetch ........................................................ 16
Concurrent Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup and restore usage with other Storwize V7000
Unified functions ............................................................................................................................. 18
Considerations for CommVault Simpana data management application for Storwize V7000
Unified system NDMP backup ....................................................................................................... 19
Monitoring NDMP session on Storwize V7000 Unified system ..................................................... 20
Monitoring NDMP log information on Storwize V7000 Unified system .......................................... 21
CommVault Simpana 9.0 NDMP configuration ..................................................................... 22
CommVault Simpana 9.0 NDMP-specific software deployment ........................................................... 22
Launching CommVault Simpana 9.0 CommCell console on a Microsoft Windows computer .............. 23
Launching CommVault Simpana 9.0 CommCell console ...................................................................... 23
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration on CommVault Simpana 9.0 .......................................... 24
Tape library and drive configuration............................................................................................... 24
Two-way (or remote) Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP library and drive configuration ................... 25
Three-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP library and drive configuration ................................... 31
Creating CommVault Simpana 9.0 storage policy ......................................................................... 39
Adding the CommVault Simpana 9.0 client for Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP ............................ 45
Creating a new subclient for the newly-created CommVault Simpana 9.0 Storwize V7000 Unified
NDMP client ................................................................................................................................... 47
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup using CommVault Simpana 9.0 NDMP essentials ................. 53
Types of CommVault Simpana 9.0 backup ................................................................................... 53
Initiating CommVault Simpana 9.0 full Storwize V7000 NDMP backup ........................................ 54
The CommVault Simpana 9.0 incremental / differential Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup
considerations ................................................................................................................................ 57
Initiating CommVault Simpana 9.0 incremental / differential Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP
backup ............................................................................................................................................ 58

Implementing an effective NDMP backup solution on IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system using CommVault Simpana
© Copyright IBM Corporation, 2011.

Scheduling CommVault Simpana 9.0 Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup ............................. 61
Viewing CommVault Simpana 9.0 NDMP backup history ............................................................. 63
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP restore using CommVault Simpana 9.0 ............................................... 65
Direct Access Restore.................................................................................................................... 65
Browse and restore Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup with CommVault Simpana 9.0 ........ 66
Summary ................................................................................................................................. 69
Appendix A: Glossary ............................................................................................................ 70
Appendix B: Materials used in the lab setup ........................................................................ 71
Appendix C: Resources ......................................................................................................... 72
About the author..................................................................................................................... 73
Trademarks and special notices ........................................................................................... 74


Abstract
This technical paper provides the best practices guide for implementing IBM Storwize
V7000 Unified Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) backup solution using
CommVault Simpana. The IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system includes the IBM
Storwize V7000 file module and the Storwize V7000 storage system. The IBM Storwize
V7000 Unified system supports both block protocols and file protocols.
NDMP is an open protocol for managing data stored on networked file servers. The
NDMP future development is under the direction of the Storage Networking Industry
Association (SNIA), which has a work group for NDMP.

Executive summary
This technical report provides details on configuring and enabling the NDMP with IBM®
Storwize® V7000 Unified system and enabling CommVault Simpana NDMP-specific settings and
functionality.
CommVault Simpana backup and recovery software for NDMP systems provides easy-to-use
data and storage management capabilities that protect data residing on IBM Storwize V7000
Unified system. CommVault Simpana software leverages NDMP to deliver a proven data
protection solution with efficient backup and reliable restore.

The IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system supports NDMP version 4. The NDMP function is
configured and managed on the Storwize V7000 Unified system using the Storwize V7000
Unified command-line interface (CLI) from the active management node. NDMP alerts are written
to the alert log on the Storwize V7000 Unified active management node.

Intended audience
This technical report is intended for:
• Customers and prospects looking to implement effective NDMP backup solution on IBM
Storwize V7000 system with the CommVault Simpana software
• Users and management seeking detailed information to implement NDMP backup
solution on IBM Storwize V7000 system with the CommVault Simpana software

Scope
This technical report provides:
• Detailed NDMP backup solution implementation on IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system
with CommVault Simpana 9.0
• Detailed NDMP backup implementation guide and configuration best practices

This technical report does not:
• Discuss any performance impact and analysis from a user perspective
• Replace any official manuals and documents from IBM and CommVault on the products
used in the NDMP backup solution

Prerequisites
This technical paper assumes familiarity with the following prerequisites:

1

• Basic knowledge of IBM Storwize Unified system
• Basic knowledge CommVault Simpana 9.0
• The IBM Storwize Unified appliance must have Storwize V7000 file module software
version 1.3 GA or higher.

IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system
The IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system offers simple, unified storage architecture. In an IBM
Storwize V7000 Unified system the file module is a clustered system comprised of two units that
provide file systems for use by network-attached storage. The file module uses the Storwize
V7000 storage system to provide the file module with volumes. Volumes are also provided on the
storage area network (SAN).

Figure 1: IBM Storwize V7000 Unified System

2

Figure 2: IBM Storwize V7000 Unified architecture

The IBM Storwize V7000 Unified file module software contains both interface-node and
management node functions. A management node is used for configuring, administering, and
monitoring a system. An interface node connects a system to an Internet Protocol (IP) network.

The Storwize V7000 Unified software performs the following functions for the host systems that
are attached to the Storwize V7000 Unified system:

• Creates a single pool of storage
• Provides logical unit virtualization
• Manages logical volumes
• Mirrors logical volumes

3

The Storwize V7000 Unified system also provides the following functions:

• Large scalable cache
• Copy services
− IBM Tivoli® Storage FlashCopy® Manager (point-in-time copy) function,
including thin-provisioned FlashCopy to make multiple targets affordable
− Metro Mirror (synchronous copy)
− Global Mirror (asynchronous copy)
− Data migration
• Space management
− IBM System Storage® Easy Tier™ to migrate the most frequently used data to
higher performing storage
− Metering of service quality when combined with IBM Tivoli® Storage Productivity
Center
− Thin-provisioned logical volumes

This offers great flexibility to customers in meeting their storage needs that can either be file-
based or block-based.

Storwize V7000 Unified system NDMP overview
IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system supports NDMP version 4. NDMP is a network-based
protocol used by data management applications primarily for backing up and restoring the files
contained within a network-attached storage (NAS) system, such as IBM Storwize V7000 Unified
system.

The Storwize V7000 Unified system NDMP feature provides the capability to backup and restore
the files and directories within file systems of Storwize V7000 Unified system. The granularity of
backup is at the directory level. NDMP supports the concept of a full backup and an incremental
backup. A full backup backs up all files and directories specified by Storwize V7000 Unified
NDMP feature. An incremental backup backs up those files and directories that have changed
since the last full backup. Incremental backups are cumulative.

A cumulative incremental backup backs up the files that are specified in the backup selections list
that have changed since the last full backup. All files are backed up, in the event no previous
backup has been finished. Cumulative incremental backups occur automatically according to the
scheduled criteria. A complete restore requires the last full backup and the last cumulative
incremental backup.

A differential incremental backup backs up the files that have changed since the last successful
incremental (differential or cumulative) or full backup. All files are backed up if no previous
backup has been done. Differential incremental backups occur automatically according to the
scheduled criteria. A complete restore requires the last full backup, the last cumulative
incremental backup, and all differential incremental backups that have occurred since the last full
backup.

4

Storwize V7000 Unified supported NDMP physical configuration
There are two primary NDMP configurations that can be used with the Storwize V7000 Unified
system.
• Two-way (or remote) NDMP
• Three-way NDMP
The following sections describe the two-way (or remote) and three-way NDMP configurations in
detail.

Two-way (or remote) Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration
The two-way NDMP consists of an external data management application, such as
CommVault Simpana, running on a server external to the Storwize V7000 Unified system.
The data management application system has some form of storage hierarchy, such as a
tape library or tier 2 disk storage that it manages for the storage of backup data.

In addition to the external data management application (CommVault Simpana) system, an
Ethernet network exists that connects the data management application system to the
Storwize V7000 file modules on which the NDMP server is running. NDMP control and data
traffic flow across this network, between the external data management application system
and the Storwize V7000 Unified file modules, on which the NDMP server is running.

Recommendation: The recommendation is that this network be a high speed 10 Gb
Ethernet network to handle the volume of data being backed up or restored. However,
nothing prevents this network from being a 1 Gb Ethernet network.

Figure 3 shows an example of a two-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration. It
includes an external data management application (CommVault Simpana) running on a
server external to the Storwize V7000 Unified system. The data management application
server has an IBM System Storage TS7650G ProtecTIER® Deduplication Gateway attached
to it through an 8 Gbps Fibre Channel (FC) SAN. The System Storage TS7650G ProtecTIER
Deduplication Gateway has an IBM System Storage DS5000 storage controller attached to it
through 8 Gbps FC links, which in turn has some number of IBM System Storage DS5000
disk storage expansion units attached to it through 8 Gbps FC links. The data management
application is connected to a 10 Gbps Ethernet network to which the Storwize V7000 Unified
file modules are attached. In Figure 3, the lines are intended to show the type and speed of
the connections between the various physical components and do not necessarily represent
the actual number of physical links.

5

Figure 3: Two-way (remote) Storwize V7000 NDMP configuration

Three-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration
In a three-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration, an NDMP tape server is installed
on a server external to the Storwize V7000 Unified system and separate from the server on
which the CommVault Simpana data management application is running. Some form of
storage devices, such as a virtual tape library or real tape library and tape drives are attached
to the server running the NDMP tape server.

The NDMP controls the traffic flow between the CommVault Simpana data management
application system and the Storwize V7000 Unified file modules. NDMP data traffic flows
between the Storwize V7000 Unified file modules and the NDMP tape server. In this
scenario, only NDMP control traffic is flowing between the CommVault Simpana data
management application system and the Storwize V7000 Unified file modules. Therefore, the
CommVault Simpana data management application system does not need to be on a high-
speed network. The CommVault Simpana (data management application) system can use a
lower speed, 1 Gbps Ethernet, network to connect the Storwize V7000 Unified file modules
and the external server on which the NDMP tape server is running.

However, NDMP data traffic (the actual data being backed up or restored) is flowing between
the Storwize V7000 Unified file modules and the external server on which the NDMP tape
server is running.

6

Recommendation: It is recommended that the Ethernet network between the NDMP tape
server and the Storwize V7000 Unified file modules running the NDMP server be a high-
speed 10 Gbps Ethernet network.

Figure 4 shows an example of an NDMP three-way configuration. In this example, the
Storwize V7000 Unified file modules (used for file serving) and the data management
applications are connected on a 1 Gbps Ethernet network. Storwize V7000 Unified file
modules used for NDMP backup and restore, are also connected to a 10 Gbps Ethernet
network along with the NDMP tape server. The server on which the NDMP tape server is
running is connected to an 8 Gbps FC SAN along with an IBM System Storage TS3500 tape
library with some FC-attached tape drives, such as IBM Linear Tape-Open data cartridges,
Generation 3, Generation 4, or Generation 5 tape drives.

Figure 4: Three-way Storwize V7000 NDMP configuration

Fundamentals of Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP feature
The following points explain the fundamentals of Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP features:

An NDMP version 4 compliant data server is available on file modules of the Storwize Unified
storage system. There is a provision to create both the file modules that will be part of the
ndmp node group configuration. Both file modules are paired with the network group IP
addresses that can be assigned to a specific network port. This network port is associated
with the NDMP service.

7

The NDMP server running on a file module provides for both data and control connections to
servers external to the Storwize V7000 Unified storage system on which a data management
application (CommVault Simpana) is running.

The ability to configure the NDMP parameters for file modules (the NDMP_NODE_GROUP)
is provided through Storwize V7000 Unified CLI commands that are run from the file module,
which stores the NDMP configuration parameters in the Samba Registry.

In addition to the Storwize V7000 Unified CLI commands available to store and retrieve
NDMP configuration parameters, a set of CLI commands are provided to view NDMP session
information and NDMP log information, and to stop currently running NDMP sessions.

An NDMP backup session provides a backup of a specific directory in an IBM General
Parallel File system (IBM GPFS™) and all files and subdirectories contained within it.
Besides the basic data of the files and directories, all extended GPFS attributes are saved for
every file and directory. In order to provide the provision to back up a directory structure at a
given point in time, a snapshot is used and it is actually the snapshot of the directory
structure that is backed up. This snapshot also accounts for files that might be open or in use
during the backup as a point-in-time representation of the file that is backed up by NDMP.

An NDMP restore session restores all the files and directories in the proper structure of
subdirectories, and so on. In addition to the actual file contents, the GPFS extended
attributes are also restored.

Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP command-line configuration
The following Storwize V7000 Unified CLI commands (shown in Table 1) are available for
configuring, monitoring, and managing the NDMP configuration parameters and NDMP
sessions.

# Storwize V7000 Unified CLI command Usage description
1 cfgndmp Configure NDMP
2 cfgndmpprefetch Configuring NDMP backup prefetch
3 lsndmp List NDMP configuration
List the actual contents of the NDMP log on the
4 lsndmplog given file module

5 lsndmpsession List NDMP session information
Remove NDMP configuration information for a
specified NDMP node group
6 rmndmpcfg

7 stopndmpsession Stop NDMP session
8 lsndmpprefetch List NDMP prefetch configuration
Table 1: Storwize V7000 Unified CLI command description

8

LAB Storwize V7000 Unified system configuration
In the lab:

The Storwize V7000 Unified system has one enclosure for block access functionality.

The Storwize V7000 Unified system has two file modules that act as management nodes,
interface nodes, and storage nodes for file-level access: mgmt001st001, mgmt002st001

The Storwize V7000 Unified system file cluster is defined as:
ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com

There are 10 Gb Ethernet cards on each file modules and configured ethX1 to access the
bonded ports.

(Refer to “Appendix B: Materials used in the lab setup” for more information)

Storwize NDMP network group configuration
This section provides the guidelines to create and configure network group that includes file
modules that will service NDMP requests for the NDMP node group.
• Create a network group comprising two file modules using mknwgroup Storwize
V7000 Unified CLI command on file modules.
mknwgroup ndmp_nw_group mgmt001st001,mgmt002st001

Validate the newly created network group using the lsnwgroup Storwize V7000
Unified CLI command on file modules.
• Create a network with configurable IP addresses using the mknw Storwize V7000
Unified CLI command on file modules.
mknw 17.0.0.0/24 0.0.0.0/0:17.0.0.1 --add 17.0.0.100,17.0.0.101, 17.0.0.102,
17.0.0.103
Note: Refer to the URL: http://oav.net/mirrors/cidr.html to figure out the Classless
Inter-Domain Routing (CIDR). In this example, mknw CLI use 17.0.0.0/24…
Validate the newly created network using the lsnw Storwize V7000 Unified CLI
command on file modules.
• Attach the newly created network group, ndmp_nw_group, to the newly created
network using the attachnw Storwize V7000 Unified CLI command on file modules.
attachnw 17.0.0.0/24 ethX0 -g ndmp_nw_group

Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group configuration using GUI
In order to use Storwize V7000 Unified GUI to configure NDMP, log in to Storwize V7000
Unified system GUI using https://<IP Address>:1081.

Note: It is recommended to use the Mozilla Firefox browser to access the Storwize V7000
GUI for appropriate functional performance.
1. Click the Files icon in the left pane and click Services to start configuring NDMP backup,
as shown in Figure 5.

9

Figure 5: Configuring Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup services

2. Click Backup Selection on the Services menu and click Edit, as shown in the Figure 6.

Figure 6: Enabling the Backup Selection

3. On the Backup Selection page, select Network Data Management Protocol and click
OK, as shown in the Figure 7.

Note: Both Tivoli Storage Manager and NDMP backup are not supported on the same
Storwize V7000 Unified storage system.

10

Figure 7: Selecting NDMP-based backup selection

4. Click Backup on the Services menu, and then click New Backup NDMP, as shown in
the Figure 8.

Figure 8: Configuring NDMP backup

5. In the General tab of the New NDMP Node Group window, select the Enable NDMP
session check box and enter the NDMP node group name. From the File System list,
select a file system to be used for backup or restore operations through NDMP, and from
the Network group list, select a network group. After selecting the network group, the
network group’s interface nodes and the network group’s public IP addresses will be
displayed in the window, as shown in Figure 9.

11

Figure 9: Configuring NDMP Node Group

6. In the Advanced tab, select the advance configuration options for NDMP configuration.
You can also choose to retain the default options. Activate the prefetch functionality by
selecting Prefetch activated check box and click OK, as shown in the Figure 10.

12

Figure 10: Configuring the new NDMP node group

7. The wizard creates and configures the NDMP backup node group and the summary will
be displayed, as shown in the Figure 11. Verify the summary information and click Close.

13

Figure 11: NDMP Node Group Configuration Summary

8. The newly configured NDMP node group gets displayed in the main window. From the
Actions list, select Activate command to activate the newly created NDMP node group,
as shown in the Figure 12.

Figure 12: Activating the NDMP node group

9. The wizard activates the NDMP configuration and displays the summary, as shown in the
Figure 13. Verify the summary information and click Close

14

Figure 13: NDMP node group activation summary

Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group configuration using CLI
This section provides the appropriate guidelines to create and configure the Storwize V7000
Unified NDMP node group.
• A Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration can be defined only for an NDMP node
group.
• A Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group must be created before any other specific
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group configuration parameters can be set.
• A Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group is created, configured, and activated
appropriately, before an NDMP backup or restore can be configured on the CommVault
Simpana Data Management Application (DMA) server.
To configure the Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group:
1. Create an NDMP node group using the --create option of the cfgndmp command on the
Storwize V7000 Unified file module.
cfgndmp -c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com ndmp_node_grp1 --create
2. Attach the newly configured network group, ndmp_nw_group, (refer to the “Storwize
V7000 Unified NDMP network group configuration” section) to the newly created
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group using the cfgndmp Storwize V7000 Unified
CLI command with the --networkGroup option on the file module.
cfgndmp -c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com ndmp_node_grp1 --networkGroup
ndmp_nw_group

15

3. Set the data port range of the NDMP node group using the --dataTransferPortRange
option of the cfgndmp command on file module.
cfgndmp -c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com ndmp_node_grp1 --
dataTransferPortRange 2048-2098
4. Add the file system mount point paths to the NDMP node group configuration using the
-addPaths option of the cfgndmp command on the Storwize V7000 Unified file module.
cfgndmp -c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com ndmp_node_grp1 --addPaths
/ibm/gpfs0,/ibm/gpfs1
5. A default NDMP backup prefetch configuration is assigned to a newly created NDMP
node group, with the function deactivated. Optionally, use the cfgndmpprefetch CLI
command to change the NDMP backup prefetch configuration and activate the function
for improved NDMP backup performance. Refer to the “Configuring Storwize V7000
Unified NDMP backup prefetch” section for more information.
6. Activate the NDMP node group with the –-activate option of the cfgndmp CLI command.
cfgndmp -c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com ndmp_node_grp1 --activate

Note: You can use the lsndmp CLI command with the -ndmpServiceStatus option to
verify that NDMP has started on all the nodes in the NDMP node group, on the Storwize
V7000 Unified file module.
lsndmp -c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com [-s] [--ndmpServiceSatus]

Figure 14: lsndmp CLI usage

Configuring Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup prefetch
The NDMP backup prefetch function reiterate the directory that is being backed up, reading
files in advance to the files actually coming due to be backed up. The prefetch function
opens files in the read-only mode and places the files in the file module’s cache for improved
backup performance.
NDMP backup prefetch is designed to work on files that are less than or equal to 1 MB in
size.
Restriction: Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup prefetch will not work for a file system
that has a block size that is greater than 1 MB.

To activate the NDMP backup prefetch feature, use the cfgndmpprefetch CLI command
with the --activate option. Specify the NDMP node group to enable NDMP prefetch feature
with Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP node group, as in the following example on the Storwize

16

cfgndmpprefetch -c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com ndmp_node_grp1 --activate

Note: If NDMP is not active on the specified NDMP node group, a message is displayed
indicating that prefetch for NDMP will be activated when NDMP is activated.

To set a limit for the number of applications that can simultaneously use the Storwize V7000
Unified NDMP backup prefetch for a node, (including multiple instances of the same program
such as multiple Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP sessions) use the cfgndmpprefetch CLI
command with the --appLimit option, as in the following example on the Storwize V7000
Unified file module.
cfgndmpprefetch –c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com ndmp_node_grp1 --appLimit 4
Note: If NDMP is not active on the specified NDMP node group, a message is displayed
indicating that the configuration for prefetch for NDMP has been updated.

To set a limit for the number of prefetching threads on file module, use the cfgndmpprefetch
CLI command with the -numThreads option, as in the following example on the Storwize
cfgndmpprefetch –c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com ndmp_node_grp1 --numThreads
100
Note: The value for the --numThreads option must be a positive integer, greater than 50 and
less than or equal to 180. The default value is 100.

To display NDMP backup prefetch status information, use the lsndmpprefetch CLI
command using the -s or --status option, and optionally adding the -g option to limit display
to the specified NDMP node group, as in the following example on the Storwize V7000
Unified file module.
lsndmpprefetch –c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com –g ndmp_node_grp1 -s

17

Concurrent Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup and restore usage with other
Storwize V7000 Unified functions
The information in Table 2 helps you identify which Storwize V7000 Unified features and
functions can be currently used on the same Storwize V7000 Unified system.
Antivirus Asynchronous Hierarchical NDMP IBM Tivoli Storwize
Features scanning replication Storage backup Storage V7000
and management and Manager Unified
functions (HSM) restore backup Block
processing and restore functions
Same
Same system: system: Same
Same system: Yes Yes system: Yes
Yes Same file Same file Same file
Antivirus Same file module: Yes module: module:
scanning N/A module: Yes Refer Note 3 Yes Yes Yes
Same Same
system: Same system: system: Same
Yes Yes Yes system: Yes
Same file Same file Same file Same file
Asynchronous module: module: Yes module: module:
replication Yes N/A Refer Note 2 Yes Yes Yes
Same
system:
Yes Same
Same file Same system: system: Same
module: Yes No system: Yes
Yes Same file Same file Same file
Refer module: Yes module: module:
HSM processing Note 3 Refer Note 2 N/A No Yes Yes
Same Same
system: system: No
Yes Same system: Same system: Same file
Same file Yes No module: No
NDMP backup module: Same file Same file Refer Note
and restore Yes module: Yes module: No N/A 1 Yes
Same
system:
Same No
system: Same file
Tivoli Storage Yes Same system: Same system: module:
Manager Same file Yes Yes No
backup and module: Same file Same file Refer
restore Yes module: Yes module: Yes Note 1 N/A Yes
Storwize V7000
Unified Block
functions Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes N/A
Table 2: Concurrent Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup and restore usage with other Storwize V7000
Unified functions

18

Notes:
• IBM Tivoli Storage Manager backup / restore and NDMP backup / restore provide the
same basic functionality of backing up or restoring file systems and the directories and
files within the file systems. It is not recommended and not supported to have both Tivoli
Storage Manager backup restore processing and NDMP backup restore processing
being used on the same Storwize V7000 Unified system.

• NDMP backups are normally scheduled operations, which can be scheduled at a time
when other activity, such as general purpose file serving, is low. If possible, it is
recommended to perform NDMP backups during periods when other file serving activity
is generally lower, perhaps late in the evening or early in the mornings.

• In case the NDMP backup or restore processing significantly interferes with other
Storwize V7000 Unified functions, such as network file serving (CIFS, NFS, FTP, HTTP),
then consider increasing the processing power and memory configuration of the
Storwize V7000 file modules. Many Storwize V7000 Unified functions invoke the GPFS
policy engine to evaluate a GPFS policy to determine the list of files to operate on.
These include:

− Tivoli Storage Manager backup processing
− Tivoli Storage Manager HSM processing
− NDMP incremental backup processing
− Asynchronous replication processing
− The runpolicy CLI command and others

The GPFS policy engine scans the file system metadata to determine the files that match the
criteria specified in the policy. This scan of the file system metadata can generate a
significant amount of I/O to the storage systems to read all the file system metadata,
especially for file systems containing very large number of files, such as 10s or 100s of
millions of files. Therefore, it is recommended not to start all the Storwize V7000 Unified
functions at exactly the same time, but instead stagger them over time.

Considerations for CommVault Simpana data management application for
Storwize V7000 Unified system NDMP backup
• Obtain either the IP address or host name for the file module to be used for a given
NDMP session.
− Host name: Configure a DNS server with a common host name mapped to all of
the IP addresses that are associated with the network group that is associated
with the NDMP node group. If this hostname is used, any of the file modules that
are associated with the NDMP node group can be assigned based on a round
robin IP address assignment from the DNS server.
− IP address: Submit the lsnwinterface CLI command using the -x option on the
file module of the Storwize V7000 Unified system and choose an appropriate IP
address or multiple IP addresses if multiple backup policies are to be run
simultaneously. This method is useful if multiple NDMP backup policies are used

19

and you want to distribute the NDMP workload across file modules and ensure
that the same file module will not be used for all of the backup policies that will be
run from the DMA server.
• Configure the CommVault Simpana 9.0 DMA server with the configuration parameters of
the NDMP server for the file module that are available to perform NDMP services,
including the username and password associated with the NDMP node group. If a port
other than 10000 was selected for the NDMP control port, then that control port's
information needs to be configured on the DMA server.

Monitoring NDMP session on Storwize V7000 Unified system
Note: Read this information after configuring CommVault Simpana NDMP configuration and
staging appropriate Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup or restore. Refer to the
“CommVault Simpana NDMP configuration” section for more information.
• The lsndmpsession CLI command enables to monitor the NDMP session on the
Storwize V7000 Unified system. Use the -n or -nodes option to view NDMP sessions
running on specified file module or with the -g or --nodeGroupName option to view
NDMP sessions running on specified NDMP node groups.
Only file modules can be specified when using the -n or --nodes option. Multiple file
modules and multiple node groups in a list must be separated with commas. If no file
modules or node groups are specified, the output displays the information for all the file
modules in the cluster. To determine the file modules that are running the NDMP
sessions for an NDMP node group, submit the following command that shows the file
module that has NDMP sessions running and the sessions that are running on the nodes:
lsndmpsession –c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com -n mgmt001st001

Or

lsndmpsession –c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com –g ndmp_node_grp1
• Use the Storwize V7000 Unified CLI lsndmpsession command with the -i or
--sessionID option to view the verbose information of the NDMP session identified by the
specified session ID (sid) running on the specified file module. In the following example,
the sid 1284990 is specified. Use the Storwize V7000 CLI lsndmpsession command
with the -i or --sessionID option to view the verbose information of the NDMP session
identified by the specified session ID (sid) running on the specified file module.
lsndmpsession –c ifs1isv.storage.tucson.ibm.com -n mgmt001st001 -i 1284990

20

Monitoring NDMP log information on Storwize V7000 Unified system
You can view Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP log using the lsndmplog CLI command.
• Use the Storwize V7000 Unified CLI lsndmplog command with the -n or --nodes option
to view all the NDMP log information related to the specified file module. In the following
example, the file module mgmt001st001 is specified:

lsndmplog -c st001.vsofs1.com -n mgmt001st001

• Use the Storwize V7000 Unified CLI lsndmplog command with the -l or --lines option to
view the most recent lines of the NDMP log information related to the specified interface
node. In the following example, the node int005st001 and 25 lines are specified:

lsndmplog -c st001.vsofs1.com -n mgmt001st001 -l 25

• Use the Storwize V7000 Unified CLI lsndmplog command with the -o or
--outputLogFilePath option to save the log file as a temporary file, as in the following
example:

lsndmplog -c st001.vsofs1.com -n mgmt001st001 -o /ibm/gpfs0/ndmplog.out

21

CommVault Simpana 9.0 NDMP configuration
CommVault Simpana 9.0 utilizes NDMP to initiate and control backups and restores on NAS
systems, such as Storwize V7000 Unified.

CommVault Simpana 9.0 NDMP-specific software deployment
The following CommVault Simpana 9.0 NAS iDataAgent software is required to install on the data
management application (DMA) host system:
Essential components:
• MediaAgent – For complete information, refer to Media Agent deployment at the URL:
http://documentation.commvault.com/commvault/release_9_0_0/books_online_1/english
_us/deployment/deployment.htm?var1=http://documentation.commvault.com/commvault/
release_9_0_0/books_online_1/english_us/deployment/mediaagent.htm

• Microsoft® Windows® File System iDataAgent – This is required when using a Windows
Media agent. For complete information, refer to Deployment - Windows File System
iDataAgent at the URL:
_us/deployment/deployment.htm?var1=http://documentation.commvault.com/commvault/
release_9_0_0/books_online_1/english_us/deployment/windows.htm
(For UNIX® MediaAgent, the File System iDataAgent is not required.)

Additional components:
• NRS install – Installing the NDMP remote server software is required, if the tape library is
attached to the MediaAgent. Refer to Install the NDMP Remote Server (NRS) - Unix at
the URL:
http://documentation.commvault.com/hds/release_9_0_0/books_online_1/english_us/dep
loyment/upgrade/nas_ndmp.htm for step-by-step instructions on installing NDMP remote
server software on Unix system.

Note: On UNIX, the NDMP remote server is a separate installation from the MediaAgent.
The NDMP remote server installation can be performed at the same time as the
MediaAgent on a Windows system.

22

Launching CommVault Simpana 9.0 CommCell console on a Microsoft Windows
computer
To launch CommVault Simpana 9.0 CommCell console as a stand-alone application on
Microsoft Windows computer:

1. Launch the CommCell Console from the Start  Programs menu, or by clicking the
CommCell Console icon on your desktop.
2. Enter the user name, password and the name of the CommCell you wish to connect and
click OK to continue.

Launching CommVault Simpana 9.0 CommCell console
To launch CommVault Simpana 9.0 CommCell console as a stand-alone application on a
Linux® RHEL computer:
1. Log in to RHEL GNOME (GUI) using root access authentication.
2. Launch the terminal and type console and press Enter.
3. Provide the appropriate CommServ user credential and password to launch the
CommCell stand-alone browser. (Refer to Figure 15 and Figure 16).

Figure 15 : CommCell authentication

23

Figure 16: CommCell GUI console

Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration on CommVault Simpana 9.0
This section describes Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP configuration with CommVault Simpana
9.0 in detail.

Tape library and drive configuration
To configure tape library, double-click Library and Drive Configuration from the Control
Panel of CommCell GUI, as shown in the Figure 17.

Figure 17: ComCell Control Panel

24

Two-way (or remote) Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP library and drive
configuration
To configure a two-way (or remote) Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP library and drive:
1. Select the appropriate MediaAgent from the Available MediaAgents list box, click Add,
and then click OK to continue. (Refer to Figure 18).

Figure 18: Select MediaAgents dialog box

2. The Library and Drive Configuration tool, as shown in Figure 19 is displayed. Click Start
and then click Detect/Configure Devices to launch the Detect Library dialog box, as
shown in Figure 20.

25

Figure 19: The Library and Drive Configuration tool

Figure 20: Detect Library dialog box

3. Select SCSI Devices for the libraries attached to the SCSI or FC adapter and click OK to
continue.
4. The Library and Disk Configuration tool initates the process to identify the connected
tape libraries, as shown in Figure 21. After tape library configuration, click View Log for
details.

26

Figure 21: The Library and Disk Configuration tool in process

27

5. The Library and Disk Configuration tool provides the log information for the detected tape
library, as shown in Figure 22.

Figure 22: Log information for the detected tape library

6. The Library and Disk Configuration tool provides the display with detected tape libraries,
as shown in Figure 23.

Figure 23: The Library and Drive Configuration tool displaying the detected tape libraries
28

7. Right-click the detected tape library and click Configure to configure the tape library, as
shown in Figure 24.

Figure 24: Configuring a selected tape drive

8. In the Configuration dialog box, select Library and all drives and click OK (as shown in
Figure 25) to configure the tape library and the drives.

Figure 25: Specify the options to configure both tape library and drives

9. Select an appropriate media type and click Yes to continue, as shown in Figure 26.

29

Figure 26: Discover Media Options dialog box

Notice that the Library and Drive Configuration tool displays the configured tape library and
drives, as shown in Figure 27.

Figure 27: The Library and Drive Configuration tool displaying the configured tape library and drives

30

Three-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP library and drive configuration
Perform the following steps for Storwize V7000 Unified three-way NDMP tape server
authentication and tape configuration on CommVault Simpana 9.0

To configure a three-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP library and drive:

1. Select the appropriate MediaAgent from the Available MediaAgents list box and click
Add. Then click OK to continue, as shown in Figure 28.

Figure 28: Select MediaAgents dialog box

2. The Library and Configuration tool will be launched. Click Start and then click
Detect/Configure Devices to launch the Detect Library dialog box, as shown in
Figure 29.

31

Figure 29: The Library and Drive Configuration tool

3. In the Detect Library dialog box, select NDMP Devices, select the appropriate
MediaAgent, and then click OK to continue, as shown in Figure 30.

Figure 30: Select NDMP Devices from Detect Library dialog box

4. Click Update NDMP Host List and click OK, as shown in Figure 31.

32

Figure 31: Updating the NDMP host list

5. In the NDMP Server List dialog box, click Add to provide the Storwize V7000 Unified
NDMP tape server IP address information, as shown in Figure 32.

Figure 32: The NDMP Server List dialog box

6. In the Add NDMP Server dialog box, provide the Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP tape
server IP address and Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP credentials and click OK to
continue, as shown in Figure 32.

33

Figure 33: Providing the Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP tape server IP address information

34

7. In the NDMP Server List dialog box, click Close to continue, as shown in Figure 34.

Figure 34: NDMP Server List dialog box displaying the recently added IP address

8. Select the Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP tape server from the Available NDMP Servers
list box and click Add. Then click OK to continue, as shown in Figure 35.

Figure 35: Selecting NDMP tape server

35

9. In the NDMP tape server library configuration confirmation message box, click Yes to
continue after NDMP tape server is configured, click View Log for details as show in the
Figure 36.

Figure 36: The Library and Disk Configuration tool in process

10. The Library and Disk Configuration tool provides the log information for the detected tape
library of the NDMP tape server, as shown in Figure 37.

Figure 37: Log information of the detected tape library of the NDMP tape server

36

11. Right-click the detected tape library of the NDMP tape server and click Configure (as
shown in Figure 38) to configure the tape library of the NDMP tape server.

Figure 38: Configuring the tape library of the NDMP tape server

12. Select Library and all drives and click OK (as shown in Figure 39) to configure the tape
library and the drives for the NDMP tape server.

Figure 39: Setting the configuration options

37

13. In the Discover Media Options dialog box, select an appropriate media type and click Yes
to continue, as shown in Figure 40.

Figure 40: Specifying the media type

The Library and Drive Configuration tool displays the configured tape library and drives of the
NDMP tape server, as shown in Figure 41.

Figure 41: The Library and Drive Configuration tool displaying the configured tape library and drives

38

Creating CommVault Simpana 9.0 storage policy
To create a CommVault Simpana 9.0 storage policy:
1. Launch CommVault Simpana 9.0 CommCell.
2. In the CommCell browser, right-click the Storage Policies node and click New Storage
Policy, as shown in Figure 42.

Figure 42: Creating a new storage policy

3. In the Create Storage Policy wizard, select Data Protection and Archiving and click
Next to continue, as shown in Figure 43.

Figure 43: Create Storage Policy Wizard

39

4. Enter an appropriate storage policy name (as shown in the Figure 44) and click Next to
continue.

Figure 44: Providing a name for the storage policy

40

5. Select the appropriate tape library from the Library list and click Next to continue, as
shown in the Figure 45.

Figure 45: Specifying the default library for the primary copy
6. Associate the default media agent and the drive pool for the primary copy and click Next
to continue, as shown in the Figure 46.

Figure 46: Associating the default MediaAgent and drive pool for the primary copy
41

7. Select the appropriate scratch pool and click Next to continue.

Figure 47: Selecting the scratch pool

8. Configure the device stream and iDataAgent backup retention policies and click Next to
continue, as shown in the Figure 48.

Figure 48: Configuring the device stream and iDataAgent backup retention policies

42

9. Select the Hardware Compression check box for storage policy and click Next to
continue, as shown in the Figure 49.

Figure 49: Enabling hardware compression for the storage policy copy

10. Review the storage policy configurations and click Finish to exit and create storage
policy, as shown in the Figure 50.

43

Figure 50: Confirming the selected attributes

Notice the newly created storage policy under the Storage Polices node in the CommCell
browser, as shown in the Figure 51.

Figure 51: Storage Policies node displaying the newly-created storage policy

44

Adding the CommVault Simpana 9.0 client for Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP
To add the CommVault Simpana 9.0 client for Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP:
1. From Storwize V7000 Unified system, validate the network configuration of the interface
nodes using the lsnwinterface Storwize V7000 Unified CLI command with the
--extended or -x option, as shown in the Figure 52.

Figure 52: lsnwinterface -x CLI

2. In the CommCell browser, right-click the Client Computers node and click New Client,
as shown in the Figure 53.

Figure 53: Creating a new client

45

3. From the Select Client list, select NAS Client click OK to continue, as shown in the
Figure 54.

Figure 54: Add New Client dialog box

4. Enter the appropriate Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP interface node IP address and
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP credentials. Then click Detect to validate the Storwize
V7000 Unified NDMP server and then click OK to continue, as shown in the Figure 55

Note: By default, the Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP login ID is ndmp and password is
ndmp.

Figure 55: Adding the NDMP interface node IP address

46

Notice that the Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP server client is added to the CommCell
browser, as shown in the Figure 56.

Figure 56: Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP server client added to the CommCell browser.

Creating a new subclient for the newly-created CommVault Simpana 9.0 Storwize
V7000 Unified NDMP client
The Storwize V7000 Unified system consists of many file systems. In order to backup specific
Storwize V7000 Unified file system, you need to create subclients to point to a specific
Storwize V7000 Unified file system to perform NDMP backup. Refer to Figure 57.

Figure 57: Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP file system subclient

47

To create a new subclient:

1. In the newly-created Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP client within the CommCell browser,
right-click the DefaultbackupSet node and click All Tasks  New Subclient, as shown
in the Figure 58.

Figure 58: Creating a new subclient

48

2. On the General tab, enter an appropriate name for the new subclient, as shown
Figure 59.

Figure 59: Specifying a name for the new subclient

49

3. On the Content tab, select the specific Storwize V7000 Unified file system directory to
backup and click Add, as shown in the Figure 60.

Figure 60: Specifying the Storwize V7000 Unified file system directory for backup

50

4. On the Storage Device tab, associate the appropriate storage policy (as shown in the
Figure 61). Refer to the “Creating CommVault Simpana 9.0 storage policy” section for
more information.

Figure 61: The Storage Device tab

51

5. On the Deduplication subtab, select the Enable Deduplication check box, in order to
enable the deduplication feature during NDMP backup and click OK (as show in the
Figure 62).

Figure 62: Enabling deduplication

52

6. On the Backup Schedule dialog box, select an appropriate backup schedule option. In
this example, the Do Not Schedule option is selected. Click OK to create a new
subclient.

Figure 63: Backup Schedule dialog box

Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup using CommVault Simpana 9.0
NDMP essentials
This section illustrates Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP essential backup details and the procedure
to configure the Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP differential and incremental backup with
CommVault Simpana 9.0.

Types of CommVault Simpana 9.0 backup
The different types of CommVault Simpana 9.0 backup are:
• Full backup: A full backup contains all the data that comprises a subclient's
contents. You can also perform a backup at the backup-set or instance-level, and
apply to all of the subclients within the selected backup set or instance.
• Incremental backup: An incremental backup contains only data that is new or
has changed since the last backup, regardless of the type. On an average,
incremental backup consume far less storage space and less burden on
resources, than full backup.

53

• Differential backup: A differential backup contains only the data that is new or
has changed since the last full backup. Similar to incremental backup, differential
backups, on an average, consume less storage space and less burden on
resources, than full backup.

Initiating CommVault Simpana 9.0 full Storwize V7000 NDMP backup
To initiate CommVault Simpana 9.0 full Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup:
1. In the CommCell browser, right-click the newly-created subclient and click Backup, as
show in the Figure 64.

Figure 64: Creating a full Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup

54

2. In the Select Backup Type section, select Full and in the Job Initiation section select
Immediate. Then click Advanced.

Figure 65: Specifying the backup options

55

3. On the Data Path tab select the correct media agent, library, drive pool, and drive and
then click OK, as shown in Figure 66.

Figure 66: Specifying advanced backup options

4. Track the progress of the backup job from the Job Controller window. For the
stand-alone drive, you are prompted to load a specific cartridge into the drive. If you are
using a library, you will not receive this prompt. The system loads the tapes automatically
and therefore the cartridges need to be labeled appropriately. This enables to locate the
correct cartridge for a restore job, if necessary.

5. When the backup is complete, the Job Controller displays the text Completed. After
running a backup, view the backup history to verify the backup data.

56

The CommVault Simpana 9.0 incremental / differential Storwize V7000 Unified
NDMP backup considerations
There are specific Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP environment variables, which are treated
as parameters and can be passed to the NDMP server from data management applications
performing NDMP backups. The following two parameters can be configured through data
management applications.
• BACKUP_GROUP_NAME: This is the name of a backup group where all the backup
directories within the backup group share the same Storwize V7000 Unified snapshot.

− Note 1: The way to set this environment variable is to have a line similar to the
following line in the backup policy:
SET BACKUP_GROUP_NAME=NDMP_EXISTING_snap1

− Note 2: If the BACKUP_GROUP_NAME begins with NDMP_EXISTING, then it is
assumed that the Storwize V7000 Unified system is configured to use a
snapshot, which has a name corresponding to this environment variable value. In
this special case, it is also assumed that the user will delete the corresponding
snapshot manually.

− Note 3: The maximum length of the backup group name is 32 characters
(inclusive of a possible NDMP_EXISTING).

• BACKUP_GROUP_EXPIRATION: This parameter helps to configure the amount of
valid time that the snapshot is associated with BACKUP_GROUP_NAME. After the
age of the snapshot has surpassed the expiration value, a new snapshot will be taken
and all new NDMP backup sessions associated with BACKUP_GROUP_NAME will
use the new snapshot. This Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP parameter is very important
to effectively schedule incremental or differential backup which has less than 1 hour
incremental and differential backup expiration schedule time.

− Note 1: The way to set this environment variables is to have a line similar to the
following line in the backup policy:
SET BACKUP_GROUP_EXPIRATION = 1_DAY

− Note 2: The following values are acceptable for this environment variable:
• 0_SEC … 60_SEC
• 0_MIN … 60_MIN
• 0_HOUR … 168_HOUR
• 0_ DAY … 31_DAY
• 0_MONTH … 12_MONTH

− Note 3: If no value is given for the expiration, the default will be 1 hour.

− Note 4: If the user wants to ensure that a separate snapshot is taken for every
directory, then an expiration value of 0_SEC should be specified.

57

Initiating CommVault Simpana 9.0 incremental / differential Storwize V7000
Unified NDMP backup
Perform the following steps to initiate CommVault Simpana 9.0 incremental / differential
Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup.
1. In the CommCell browser, right-click the newly-created subclient and click Backup.

2. In the Select Backup Type section, select either Incremental or Differential (as shown
in Figure 67 and Figure 68 ) and click Advanced.

Figure 67: Specifying Incremental as the backup option

58

Figure 68: Specifying Differential as the backup option

59

3. On Data Path tab select the correct media agent, library, drive pool, and drive.

4. On NAS Option tab, specify the appropriate Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP incremental
or differential parameters, as shown in the Figure 69.

Figure 69: Specifying advanced backup options
5. Track the progress of the backup job from the Job Controller window.

6. When the backup is complete, the Job Controller displays the status as Completed.
After running a backup, view the backup history to verify the backup data.

60

Scheduling CommVault Simpana 9.0 Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup
Perform the following steps to schedule a CommVault Simpana 9.0 Storwize V7000 Unified
NDMP backup.
1. In the CommCell browser, right-click the newly-created subclient and click Backup.

2. In the Select Backup Type section, select appropriate backup type (as show in Figure
70) and from the Job Initiation section, select Schedule, and click Configure.

Figure 70: Scheduling Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup

61

3. In the Schedule Details dialog box, enter an appropriate schedule name and configure
the NDMP backup schedule. Click OK to continue, as shown in the Figure 71.

Figure 71: CommVault backup schedule dialog box

The Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup operation will run according to the specified
schedule configuration.

62

Viewing CommVault Simpana 9.0 NDMP backup history
Perform the following steps to view the CommVault Simpana 9.0 NDMP backup history.
1. In the CommCell browser, right-click the entity (client computer, iDataAgent, backup set,
or subclient) whose backup history you want to view, and click View  Backup
History.

Figure 72: Viewing the backup history

63

2. In the Backup History filter dialog box, select the filter options you want to apply and
click OK, as show in the Figure 73.

Figure 73: Selecting the backup view filter options

64

3. View the backup job history information that is displayed in CommVault Simpana 9.0

Figure 74: Backup job history information

Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP restore using CommVault Simpana 9.0
Using CommVault Simpana 9.0, you can restore NDMP backup data to Storwize V7000 Unified
system, on both two-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP and three-way Storwize V7000 Unified
NDMP configurations.

Direct Access Restore
Direct Access Restore optimizes the restore operation by allowing the NDMP client to directly
access backed up data, anywhere in a tape set, without having to traverse the tape set
sequentially. In a normal restore operation, a large portion of the data from the backup that
included the file must be read. In a Direct Access Restore, only the portion of the tape which
contains the data to be restored is read. This option is available for each of the Storwize
V7000 NDMP restore types and can save significant time in the restore operation.
When to use Direct Access Restore

While each environment is different, with many variables that can affect restore efficiency
(making it impossible to define when a Direct Access Restore can yield best performance),
the following guidelines might be of assistance until you can evaluate the speed appropriately
in a specific environment:
• Generally, the smaller the percentage of a given backup that are restoring, the
greater will be the performance value of using Direct Access Restore. As the
percentage rises above 30% to 40%, a non-Direct Access Restore becomes the
preferred choice.
• A three-way restore involves more communication overhead between the library
and the Storwize V7000 Unified system being restored, and thus sequentially
reading the tape becomes the more-efficient choice sooner. Because of this, you
might find that a non-Direct Access Restore is the preferred choice even when
the percentage of a given backup being restored is under 30%.

Efficient non-Direct Access Restore

Even if you are not using direct access restores, it is still possible to optimize restore
performance. For instance, if the most-recent copy of the data that you want to restore was
backed up by an incremental or differential backup, the restore only reads the archive file

65

from that differential or incremental backup, instead of reading the archive files back to the
last full backup.

Browse and restore Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup with CommVault
Simpana 9.0
Perform the following steps to browse and restore Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP backup
with CommVault Simpana 9.0.

1. In the CommCell browser, right-click the subclient to restore from and click Browse
Backup Data, as shown in the Figure 75.

Figure 75: Browsing backup data

2. In the Browse Options dialog box, select Browse the Latest Data, and from the Use
MediaAgent list, select the appropriate media gent, and click OK.

Figure 76: The Browse Options dialog box

66

3. Browse and select the appropriate files or an entire file set depending on the dataset to
be restored and click Recover All Selected

4. Select the Use Direct Access Restore and Restore to Same folder check boxes and
click OK

Figure 77: Setting the restore options

67

5. From the agent's Restore Options and Advanced Restore Options dialog boxes,
select the restore options to use. For agents with multiple tabs, do not click OK until you
have specified the necessary options on all the tabs. If you accept all the default settings,
you will be restoring the selected data to its original location.
6. After completing the restore selections, you can either start an immediate restore or
schedule the restore.
a. If you want to schedule the job, in the Restore Options dialog box, click the Job
Initiation tab, click Schedule, schedule the job, and then click OK.
b. If you want to run the job immediately, click Run Immediately in the same tab and
then click OK.

Note: While the job is running, you can right-click the job in Job Controller and click Detail to
view information on the job. After the data has been restored, you will see a job completion
message in the Job Controller and Event Viewer.
7. Validate the Storwize V7000 Unified file system to make sure that the selected files have
been correctly restored.

68

Summary
The Storwize V7000 Unified storage system has incorporated the NDMP technology and
supports NDMP protocol version 4. Leveraging CommVault Simpana NDMP backup support, the
Storwize V7000 Unified data files can seamlessly backup to the tape devices and perform restore
from the tape device.
The IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system is a virtualizing Redundant Array of Independent Disks
(RAID) storage system that supports both block protocols and file protocols. This unified system
includes the IBM Storwize V7000 file module and the Storwize V7000 storage system.

The file module is a clustered system comprised of two units that provide file systems for use by
network-attached storage. The file module uses the Storwize V7000 storage system to provide
the file module with volumes. Other volumes, which are block volumes, are provided on the SAN
to be presented to hosts.

This technical content is intended to be a reference guide for users who want to use CommVault
Simpana for backing up files using NDMP protocol that are incorporated on Storwize V7000
Unified system. This technical report is not meant to be an implementation or solution guide. For
details on actual implementation or solution design, refer to the documentation provided in the
“Resources” section of this technical paper.

69

Appendix A: Glossary
• IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system – Built on IBM high-performance computing
experience, and designed to support both block and file storage protocols, Storwize
V7000 Unified system provides the performance, high availability, single management
interface, and functionality that are essential to address strategic storage requirements.

• Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) – An industry standard protocol created
to ease the process of integrating backup and restore for NAS with data protection
software such as NetBackup. The NDMP is the data transfer protocol and one piece of
the overall data protection solution. For more information about the NDMP protocol and
the NDMP standards group, visit http://www.ndmp.org/info/faq.shtml.

• Two-way (or remote) Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP – NDMP configuration supported
by Storwize V7000 Unified storage system. The two-way NDMP consists of an external
data management application, such as CommVault Simpana, running on a server
external to the Storwize V7000 Unified storage system. The data management
application has some form of storage hierarchy such as a tape library or Tier 2 storage
that it manages for storing of backuped data.

• Three-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP – NDMP configuration supported by
Storwize V7000 Unified storage system. In a three-way Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP
configuration, an NDMP tape server is installed on a server external to the Storwize
V7000 Unified storage system and separate from the system where CommVault Simpana
data management application is running.

• CommVault Simpana – NDMP Data Management Application used to backup Storwize
V7000 Unified data, using Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP technology.

• Direct access recovery (DAR) – CommVault Simpana uses DAR to restore a directory
or individual files from a backup image. DAR can greatly reduce the time it takes to
restore files and directories. DAR is enabled by default (no configuration is required).

70

Appendix B: Materials used in the lab setup
Infrastructure
Vendor Quantity Details
component

DMA server IBM 1 IBM x3650 M3

Storage IBM IBM Storwize V7000 Unified storage system

Storwize V7000 Unified file modules – 2
Storwize V7000 storage system – 1

Network adapter Broadcom 2 Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM 5709 1000Base-T
(interface nodes)

Network adapter Broadcom 2 Broadcom NetXtreme II BCM 5709 1000Base-T
(DMA server)

Switch (DMA server IBM 1 IBM Switch Model 2498-B24
back-end SAN)
For more information, refer to IBM System
Storage SAN24B-4 Express Switch at
ibm.com/systems/storage/san/b-type/san24b-
4/express/specifications.html

HBA QLogic 2 QLogic QLA 2432

Tape Library IBM 2 IBM TS3200 Tape Library Express Model
For more information, visit
ibm.com/systems/storage/tape/ts3200/index.html

IBM Storwize V7000 file module version 1.3.0.0

Software IBM Storwize V7000 Unified NDMP version 4

CommVault CommVault Simpana 9.0

71

Appendix C: Resources
These websites provide useful references to supplement the information contained in this paper:
• IBM Systems on IBM PartnerWorld®
ibm.com/partnerworld/systems

• IBM Redbooks®
ibm.com/redbooks

• IBM Publications Center
www.elink.ibmlink.ibm.com/public/applications/publications/cgibin/pbi.cgi?CTY=US

CommVault Simpana 9.0 documentation
• Getting Started – NAS NDMP iDataAgent:
_us/prod_info/nas_ndmp.htm

72

About the author
Udayasuryan Kodoly is a Storage Technology Specialist in IBM Systems and Technology
Group (ISV Enablement) Organization. Uday has several years of experience on designing,
architecting storage solutions, and developing solution best practices on various NAS and SAN
appliance data protection (backup) solutions. Uday is an expert on virtualization technologies and
the virtual machine data protection strategies. Presently, Uday is working on enabling various ISV
backup, disaster recovery, and virtualization solutions for IBM SONAS and IBM Storwize V7000
storage system.

You can reach Uday at uakodoly@us.ibm.com.

73

Trademarks and special notices
© Copyright IBM Corporation 2011. All rights Reserved.

References in this document to IBM products or services do not imply that IBM intends to make
them available in every country.
IBM, the IBM logo, and ibm.com are trademarks or registered trademarks of International
Business Machines Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both. If these and other
IBM trademarked terms are marked on their first occurrence in this information with a trademark
symbol (® or ™), these symbols indicate U.S. registered or common law trademarks owned by
IBM at the time this information was published. Such trademarks may also be registered or
common law trademarks in other countries. A current list of IBM trademarks is available on the
Web at "Copyright and trademark information at www.ibm.com/legal/copytrade.shtml.

Java and all Java-based trademarks and logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Oracle
and/or its affiliates.

Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, and the Windows logo are trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation in the United States, other countries, or both.

Intel, Intel Inside (logos), MMX, and Pentium are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the United
States, other countries, or both.

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.

Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds in the United States, other countries, or both.

SET and the SET Logo are trademarks owned by SET Secure Electronic Transaction LLC.

Linear Tape-Open, LTO, the LTO Logo, Ultrium, and the Ultrium logo are trademarks of HP, IBM
Corp. and Quantum in the U.S. and other countries.
Other company, product, or service names may be trademarks or service marks of others.

Information is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind.

All customer examples described are presented as illustrations of how those customers have
used IBM products and the results they may have achieved. Actual environmental costs and
performance characteristics may vary by customer.

Information concerning non-IBM products was obtained from a supplier of these products,
published announcement material, or other publicly available sources and does not constitute an
endorsement of such products by IBM. Sources for non-IBM list prices and performance numbers
are taken from publicly available information, including vendor announcements and vendor
worldwide homepages. IBM has not tested these products and cannot confirm the accuracy of
performance, capability, or any other claims related to non-IBM products. Questions on the
capability of non-IBM products should be addressed to the supplier of those products.

74

Implementing an effective NDMP backup solution on IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system using CommVault Simpana

Recomendados

Recomendados

Mais conteúdo relacionado

Mais procurados

Mais procurados (20)

Semelhante a Implementing an effective NDMP backup solution on IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system using CommVault Simpana

Semelhante a Implementing an effective NDMP backup solution on IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system using CommVault Simpana (20)

Mais de IBM India Smarter Computing

Mais de IBM India Smarter Computing (20)

Implementing an effective NDMP backup solution on IBM Storwize V7000 Unified system using CommVault Simpana