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Avamar Data Domain Integration Guide

avamar Data domain integration guide

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
91 views92 pages

Avamar Data Domain Integration Guide

avamar Data domain integration guide

Uploaded by

soufiane
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Dell EMC Avamar

Version 7.5.1

Data Domain System Integration Guide


302-004-302
REV 01
Copyright © 2001-2017 Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. All rights reserved.

Published September 2017

Dell believes the information in this publication is accurate as of its publication date. The information is subject to change without notice.

THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION IS PROVIDED “AS-IS.“ DELL MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND
WITH RESPECT TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PUBLICATION, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF
MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. USE, COPYING, AND DISTRIBUTION OF ANY DELL SOFTWARE DESCRIBED
IN THIS PUBLICATION REQUIRES AN APPLICABLE SOFTWARE LICENSE.

Dell, EMC, and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be the property of their respective owners.
Published in the USA.

Dell EMC
Hopkinton, Massachusetts 01748-9103
1-508-435-1000 In North America 1-866-464-7381
www.DellEMC.com

2 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


CONTENTS

Figures 7

Tables 9

Preface 11

Chapter 1 Introduction 15
Overview.....................................................................................................16
Architecture................................................................................................16
Backup........................................................................................................ 18
Avamar checkpoints....................................................................................18
Restore....................................................................................................... 18
VMware Instant Access...............................................................................18
Replication.................................................................................................. 19
Monitoring and reporting............................................................................ 19
Security...................................................................................................... 19
Token-based authentication........................................................................19
Configuring a ddboost account for token-based authentication.... 20
Data migration to an attached Data Domain system................................... 20

Chapter 2 Avamar and Data Domain System Integration 23


Pre-integration requirements..................................................................... 24
Data Domain system requirements................................................ 24
Network requirements................................................................... 25
NTP requirements......................................................................... 26
Licensing requirements..................................................................26
Data port usage and firewall requirements.....................................26
Capacity requirements...................................................................26
Data Domain system streams.........................................................27
Existing backup products in use with Data Domain........................ 27
Preparing the Data Domain system for Avamar integration........................ 27
Configuring IP support............................................................................... 28
Configuring dual stack IPv4 and IPv6 support............................... 28
Configuring IPv6 support with DD OS 5.5.1................................... 28
Configuring IPv6 with DD OS 5.5.0............................................... 29
Adding a Data Domain system.................................................................... 29
Editing a Data Domain system..................................................................... 31
Deleting a Data Domain system.................................................................. 32
Best practices for WAN backups................................................................ 33
System upgrades........................................................................................35
Post-upgrade procedures for Data Domain systems......................35

Chapter 3 Backups with Avamar and Data Domain 37


Overview of backups with Avamar and Data Domain.................................. 38
Where backup data is stored......................................................... 38

Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide 3


CONTENTS

How Avamar manages backup data............................................... 38


Supported backup types................................................................38
Canceling and deleting backups..................................................... 38
Selecting a Data Domain target for backups...............................................39
Storing Avamar server checkpoints on a Data Domain system................... 39

Chapter 4 Replication 41
Overview of replication...............................................................................42
Replication configurations.......................................................................... 42
Many to one replication................................................................. 42
Many to many replication...............................................................43
One to many replication.................................................................44
Pool-based replication................................................................... 45
Replication data flow.................................................................................. 45
Replication schedule...................................................................................45
Configuring replication............................................................................... 45
Setting the default Data Domain destination................................. 46
Mapping a domain to a Data Domain system..................................46
Deleting a domain mapping............................................................ 46
Configuring pool-based replication................................................ 47

Chapter 5 Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery 49


Overview of Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery................................... 50
Components of DD Cloud DR........................................................ 50
DD Cloud DR architecture.............................................................. 51
Prerequisites.............................................................................................. 52
Supported AWS regions................................................................ 52
Limitations..................................................................................................52
Deploying and Configuring DD Cloud DR ................................................... 53
Deploying the Cloud DR Add-on OVA............................................ 53
Configuring the Cloud DR Add-on and deploying the Cloud DR
Server............................................................................................53
Configuring Avamar backups to use DD Cloud DR...................................... 62
Performing a DR test or failover of a DD Cloud DR copy............................ 63
Ending a DR test from the Avamar Administrator.......................... 63

Chapter 6 Cloud Tier 65


Overview of Avamar cloud tier................................................................... 66
Avamar cloud tier configuration..................................................................66
Adding or editing a Data Domain system with cloud tier support... 66
Creating a new tier group.............................................................. 66
Restore operations for cloud tier................................................... 68
Avamar cloud tier disaster recovery............................................................70
Configuring an Avamar server for recovery from the cloud............70
Status of cloud tier operations.................................................................... 71
Best practices and limitations with cloud tier.............................................. 71

Chapter 7 Monitoring and Reporting 73


Monitoring the system with the Avamar Administrator Dashboard............. 74
Monitoring the system with SNMP.............................................................74
Monitoring Data Domain system status and statistics................................ 75
Monitoring system events.......................................................................... 75
Monitoring activities................................................................................... 75

4 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


CONTENTS

Monitoring Data Domain system capacity...................................................76


Replication monitoring................................................................................ 78
Server maintenance activity monitoring..................................................... 78

Appendix A Troubleshooting 79
Viewing detailed status information for troubleshooting.............................80
Data Domain status and resolutions............................................................80
Monitoring status....................................................................................... 84
Common problems and solutions................................................................ 87
Reclaiming storage on a full Data Domain system....................................... 87
Re-creating the SSH public/private key pair.............................................. 89
Using legacy certificate authentication with Data Domain requires command
line flags .................................................................................................... 90

Glossary 91

Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide 5


CONTENTS

6 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


FIGURES

1 Avamar and Data Domain system workflow................................................................. 17


2 Data Domain basic replication.....................................................................................42
3 Data Domain system replication many to one configuration........................................43
4 Data Domain system replication many to many configuration..................................... 44
5 Data Domain system replication one to many configuration........................................44
6 Avamar Administrator dashboard................................................................................74

Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide 7


FIGURES

8 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


TABLES

1 Revision history........................................................................................................... 11
2 Typographical conventions..........................................................................................12
3 Data Domain system requirements............................................................................. 24
4 Licensing requirements...............................................................................................26
5 WAN use case bandwidth guidelines...........................................................................33
6 Supported AWS regions............................................................................................. 52
7 Data Domain system capacity details ......................................................................... 77
8 Status bar problem indicators.....................................................................................80
9 Monitoring status values and resolutions.................................................................... 80
10 Server Management monitoring status details............................................................84

Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide 9


TABLES

10 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


PREFACE

As part of an effort to improve our product lines, we periodically release revisions of


our software and hardware. Therefore, some functions described in this document
might not be supported by all versions of the software or hardware currently in use.
The product release notes provide the most up-to-date information on product
features.
Contact your technical support professional if a product does not function properly or
does not function as described in this document.

Note

This document was accurate at publication time. Go to Online Support (https://


support.EMC.com) to find the latest version of this document.

Purpose
This guide describes how to install, configure, administer, and use a Data Domain
system as a backup target for Avamar.
Audience
The information in this guide is primarily intended for system administrators who are
responsible for configuring and maintaining Avamar and Data Domain system
integrated backups.
Revision history
The following table presents the revision history of this document.

Table 1 Revision history

Revision Date Description


01 June, 2017 GA release of Avamar 7.5.

Related documentation
The following Avamar publications provide additional information:
l Avamar Compatibility and Interoperability Matrix
l Avamar Release Notes
l Avamar Administration Guide
l Avamar Operational Best Practices Guide
l Avamar Product Security Guide
l Avamar for IBM DB2 User Guide
l Avamar for Exchange VSS User Guide
l Avamar for Hyper-V VSS User Guide
l Avamar for SAP with Oracle User Guide
l Avamar for SharePoint VSS User Guide
l Avamar for SQL Server User Guide
l Avamar for Sybase ASE User Guide

Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide 11


PREFACE

l Avamar for Oracle User Guide


l Avamar for VMware User Guide
The following Data Domain publications also provide additional information:
l DD OS Release Notes
l DD OS Initial Configuration Guide
l DD OS Administration Guide
l DD OS Command Reference
l DD OS Command Reference Guide
l Data Domain Hardware Guide
l Avamar Installation and Administration Guide
l The Data Domain installation and setup guides for each of the supported platforms
(for example, DD610, DD690, DD880, and so forth)
Special notice conventions used in this document
We use these conventions for special notices.

DANGER

Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, will result in death or


serious injury.

WARNING

Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in death or


serious injury.

CAUTION

Indicates a hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in minor or


moderate injury.

NOTICE

Addresses practices not related to personal injury.

Note

Presents information that is important, but not hazard-related.

Typographical conventions
These type style conventions are used in this document.

Table 2 Typographical conventions

Bold Used for names of interface elements, such as names of windows,


dialog boxes, buttons, fields, tab names, key names, and menu paths
(what the user specifically selects or clicks)

Italic Used for full titles of publications referenced in text


Monospace Used for:
l System code

12 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


PREFACE

Table 2 Typographical conventions (continued)

l System output, such as an error message or script


l Pathnames, filenames, prompts, and syntax
l Commands and options

Monospace italic Used for variables


Monospace bold Used for user input

[] Square brackets enclose optional values

| Vertical bar indicates alternate selections - the bar means “or”

{} Braces enclose content that the user must specify, such as x or y or


z
... Ellipses indicate nonessential information omitted from the example

Where to get help


The Avamar support page provides access to licensing information, product
documentation, advisories, and downloads, as well as how-to and troubleshooting
information. This information may enable you to resolve a product issue before you
contact Customer Support.
To access the Avamar support page:
1. Go to https://support.EMC.com/products.
2. Type a product name in the Find a Product by Name box.
3. Select the product from the list that appears.
4. Click the arrow next to the Find a Product by Name box.
5. (Optional) Add the product to the My Products list by clicking Add to My Saved
Products in the upper right corner of the Support by Product page.
Documentation
The Avamar product documentation provides a comprehensive set of feature
overview, operational task, and technical reference information. Review the following
documents to supplement the information in product administration and user guides:
l Release notes provide an overview of new features and known limitations for a
release.
l Technical notes provide technical details about specific product features, including
step-by-step tasks, where necessary.
l White papers provide an in-depth technical perspective of a product or products
as applied to critical business issues or requirements.
Knowledgebase
The Knowledgebase contains applicable solutions that you can search for either by
solution number (for example, esgxxxxxx) or by keyword.
To search the Knowledgebase:
1. Click Search at the top of the page.
2. Type either the solution number or keywords in the search box.
3. (Optional) Limit the search to specific products by typing a product name in the
Scope by product box and then selecting the product from the list that appears.

Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide 13


PREFACE

4. Select Knowledgebase from the Scope by resource list.


5. (Optional) Specify advanced options by clicking Advanced options and specifying
values in the available fields.
6. Click Search.
Online communities
Go to Community Network at http://community.EMC.com for peer contacts,
conversations, and content on product support and solutions. Interactively engage
online with customers, partners, and certified professionals for all products.
Live chat
To engage Customer Support by using live interactive chat, click Join Live Chat on
the Service Center panel of the Avamar support page.
Service Requests
For in-depth help from Customer Support, submit a service request by clicking Create
Service Requests on the Service Center panel of the Avamar support page.

Note

To open a service request, you must have a valid support agreement. Contact a sales
representative for details about obtaining a valid support agreement or with questions
about an account.

To review an open service request, click the Service Center link on the Service
Center panel, and then click View and manage service requests.
Enhancing support
We recommend that you enable ConnectEMC and Email Home on all Avamar systems:
l ConnectEMC automatically generates service requests for high priority events.
l Email Home sends configuration, capacity, and general system information to
Customer Support.
Comments and suggestions
Comments and suggestions help us to continue to improve the accuracy, organization,
and overall quality of the user publications. Send comments and suggestions about
this document to [email protected].
Please include the following information:
l Product name and version
l Document name, part number, and revision (for example, 01)
l Page numbers
l Other details to help address documentation issues

14 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


CHAPTER 1
Introduction

This chapter includes the following topics:

l Overview............................................................................................................ 16
l Architecture....................................................................................................... 16
l Backup................................................................................................................18
l Avamar checkpoints........................................................................................... 18
l Restore...............................................................................................................18
l VMware Instant Access...................................................................................... 18
l Replication..........................................................................................................19
l Monitoring and reporting.................................................................................... 19
l Security.............................................................................................................. 19
l Token-based authentication............................................................................... 19
l Data migration to an attached Data Domain system...........................................20

Introduction 15
Introduction

Overview
Data Domain deduplication storage systems are typically implemented to back up large
high-change rate databases. Avamar is typically implemented to back up file systems,
virtual servers, low change rate databases, remote offices, and desktop/laptops.
Avamar and Data Domain system integration enables:
l Data Domain systems to be a backup target for Avamar backups
l One or more Data Domain systems to be managed by Avamar
l Avamar clients to use the Data Domain Boost software option to use Data Domain
systems as backup targets
l The target destination of backup data, which is set by a backup policy at the
dataset level
l Transparent user interaction to the backup target (Avamar or Data Domain)

Architecture
A Data Domain system performs deduplication through DD OS software. Avamar
source based deduplication to a Data Domain system is facilitated through the use of
the Data Domain Boost library.
Avamar uses the DD Boost library through API-based integration to access and
manipulate directories, files, and so forth. contained on the Data Domain File System.
The DD Boost API gives Avamar visibility into some of the properties and capabilities
of the Data Domain system. This enables Avamar to control backup images stored on
Data Domain systems. It also enables Avamar to manage maintenance activities and to
control replication to remote Data Domain systems.
DD Boost is installed on the backup clients and on the Avamar utility node, an Avamar
single node system, or on Avamar Virtual Edition.
The following figure depicts a high-level architecture of the combined Avamar and
Data Domain solution. With Avamar and Data Domain integration you can specify
whether specific datasets in an Avamar backup policy target an Avamar server or a
Data Domain system.

16 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Introduction

Figure 1 Avamar and Data Domain system workflow

When you select an Avamar server as the backup target, the Avamar client on each
host performs deduplication segment processing. Data and metadata are stored on
the Avamar server.
When you select a Data Domain system as the backup target, backup data is
transferred to the Data Domain system. The related metadata generated by the
Avamar client software is simultaneously sent to the Avamar server for storage. The
metadata enables the Avamar management system to perform restore operations
directly from the Data Domain system without first going through the Avamar server.
Mixed backups are supported. It is possible for backup data to span across both
Avamar servers and a Data Domain system within the same backup.
If backups are taking place to an Avamar server and then redirected to a Data Domain
system, then subsequent incremental backup data will be stored on the Data Domain
system while the original backup data is on the Avamar server. This can affect
capacity because the forever incremental data will continue to reside on the Avamar
Server while newer/changed incremental data will be stored on the Data Domain
system.
If the desire is to ensure backup data is released on the Avamar server and redirect
backups to data domain then a full backup must be initiated. This can be achieved by
renaming the client's cache files, which will force a full backup. However, note that
this will cause the client's backup to take longer and impact performance since it will
have to create a new backup on the Data Domain system. If there are many clients
that need to be moved to a Data Domain system then it is recommended that the
initial full backup be scheduled appropriately to avoid performance impact.
If the capacity on the Avamar server is not a concern then the system will continue to
backup incremental backup data to the Data Domain but its prior backup data will
remain on the Avamar server until it expires. The implication is that when the last
backup containing parts on the Avamar server expire, then a full backup will trigger.
The recommendation is to perform a controlled and/or scheduled full backup.

Architecture 17
Introduction

Backup
During a backup, the Avamar server sends a backup request to the Avamar client. If
the backup request includes the option to use a Data Domain system as the target,
backup data is stored on the Data Domain system. Metadata is stored on the Avamar
server.
The following topics provide details on the types of backup data that Avamar can
store on a Data Domain system.
Up-to-date client compatibility information is available in the Avamar Compatibility and
Interoperability Matrix on Avamar Support at http://compatibilityguide.emc.com:8080/
CompGuideApp/.

Avamar checkpoints
You can store checkpoints for a single-node Avamar server or Avamar Virtual Edition
(AVE) on a Data Domain system. Checkpoints are system-wide backups taken for
disaster recovery of the Avamar server.
Storage of checkpoints on a Data Domain system is useful in environments that do not
have a secondary Avamar server and Data Domain system for replication, or in
environments where most backups are stored on a Data Domain system.
Restore of checkpoints from a Data Domain system requires assistance from Avamar
Professional Services.

Restore
The process of data recovery from a Data Domain system is transparent to the backup
administrator. The backup administrator uses the same Avamar recovery processes
that are native to current Avamar implementations.

VMware Instant Access


VMware Instant Access is used to boot up a lost or corrupted virtual machine almost
instantaneously from an image backup stored on a Data Domain system.
VMware Instant Access works through the following processes:
1. A virtual machine image backup is staged to a temporary location on the Data
Domain system.
2. The virtual machine is exported to a temporary location as a secure NFS share.
3. The share is mounted as a NFS datastore on an ESX/ESXi host.
When VMware Instant Access is used, the virtual machine should not be left running
on the Data Domain system for extended periods. When the virtual machine runs on
the Data Domain system, performance might degrade because of the workflow. To
move the VMware Instant Access from the Data Domain system to the VMware
production environment, use vMotion.
An alternative to VMware Instant Access is to restore a virtual machine back to the
production environment. The Avamar software’s ability to leverage Changed Block
Tracking (CBT) dramatically speeds the recovery process. If performance problems
occur when an ISP is hosting multitenancy clients, you can disable instant access. In

18 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Introduction

the datadomain section of mcserver.xml, set ddr_instant_access_enabled


to false.
The Avamar for VMware User Guide provides additional information on VMware Instant
Access.

Replication
Replication between primary and replica Data Domain systems is integrated into the
Avamar management feature set. This is configured in Avamar Administrator through
the Avamar replication policies applied to each dataset.
All typical Avamar replication scenarios are supported for datasets that use a Data
Domain system as a target, including:
l Many-to-one, one-to-many, cascading replication
l Extension of data retention times
l Root-to-root

Monitoring and reporting


Avamar can collect and display data for health monitoring, system alerts, and capacity
reporting on a Data Domain system by using Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP).
This enables you to monitor Data Domain activities, events, capacity, and system
status in the same way that you monitor activities, events, capacity, and system
status for the Avamar server.
You can also run reports to analyze the system.

Security
The connection between the Avamar client and the Data Domain system is encrypted
if you use Avamar 7.1 or later clients, Avamar 7.1 or later server(s) and DD OS 5.5.x or
later. Previous versions of software do not support data encryption between the client
and the Data Domain system. Backups from the Avamar client to the Avamar server
are always compressed and encrypted by default.
Use caution when granting users access to the Data Domain system. A user should not
be able to directly access the Data Domain system and manually delete data.

Token-based authentication
By using Data Domain Boost token-based authentication, Avamar establishes a secure
connection to a Data Domain system running DDOS 5.7 or greater without passing
user name and password information.
Two parameters control token-based authentication behavior:
l use_ddr_auth_token
To enable token-based authentication, set the use_ddr_auth_token parameter
in the mcserver.xml file on the Avamar server (/usr/local/
avamar/var/mc/server_data/prefs/mcserver.xml) to true. To disable
token-based authentication, set use_ddr_auth_token to false. Restart the
Management Console server after making this change.

Replication 19
Introduction

You can also set the amount of time that an authentication token is valid. Inside
the mcserver.xml file, the parameter is set to 36000 seconds (10 hours) by
default. Some backup and replication jobs, such as NDMP backups, might require
a longer duration for the authentication token to remain valid.
l extend-token-window-sec
This parameter controls the interval (in seconds) that is used to call the extend
token before it expires. Customize this setting in the ddrmaint.cmd file on the
Avamar server (/usr/local/avamar/var/ddrmaint.cmd). For example,
--extend-token-windows-sec=60
sets the interval to 60 seconds.

Note

Always set this parameter with a shorter duration value than


ddr_auth_token_duration to ensure that the token is refreshed before it
expires.

After you set the value for this parameter, restart the service:
ddrmaint-service restart

Configuring a ddboost account for token-based authentication


To configure a ddboost account for token based authentication:
Procedure
1. On the Data Domain system, log in as sysadmin and create a user with admin
rights and assign the user as a ddboost user:
a. user add newuser role admin
b. ddboost user assign newuser
where newuser is the user name for the new ddboost user.
2. In the Avamar Administrator, add a new or edit an existing Data Domain to
connect with Avamar using the new ddboost user.
Adding a Data Domain system on page 29 and Editing a Data Domain system
on page 31 provide instructions for adding and editing Data Domain systems.
3. On the Data Domain system, log in as sysadmin and associate the new ddboost
user with the Avamar mtree:
ddboost storage-unit modify storage-unit user newuser
where storage-unit is the mtree of the Avamar system, usually in a format like
avamar-1234567890, and newuser is the user name for the new ddboost
user.

After you finish


Perform a test backup to ensure that the configuration was successful.

Data migration to an attached Data Domain system


You cannot migrate backup data directly from the Avamar server to an attached Data
Domain system.
To start using the Data Domain system as the backup target for an Avamar client
instead of the Avamar server, edit the dataset to use the Data Domain system, and

20 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Introduction

start performing backups to the Data Domain system. When you change the backup
target to the Data Domain system, you must perform a full backup.
After you successfully perform a backup to the Data Domain system, you can delete
the earlier backups from the Avamar server. The Avamar Administration Guide provides
details on how to delete backups.

Data migration to an attached Data Domain system 21


Introduction

22 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


CHAPTER 2
Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

This chapter includes the following topics:

l Pre-integration requirements............................................................................. 24
l Preparing the Data Domain system for Avamar integration................................ 27
l Configuring IP support....................................................................................... 28
l Adding a Data Domain system............................................................................ 29
l Editing a Data Domain system............................................................................ 31
l Deleting a Data Domain system.......................................................................... 32
l Best practices for WAN backups........................................................................33
l System upgrades............................................................................................... 35

Avamar and Data Domain System Integration 23


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

Pre-integration requirements
Ensure that the environment meets all system requirements before you integrate a
Data Domain system with Avamar.

Note

This chapter assumes the Avamar server and any Data Domain systems are installed
and configured.

Data Domain system requirements


To support Avamar and Data Domain integration, ensure the environment meets the
Data Domain system requirements listed in the following table.

Table 3 Data Domain system requirements

Data Domain feature or specification Requirement for use with Avamar


Data Domain Operating System (DD OS) Check the Avamar and Data Domain
Compatibility Interoperability Matrix for the
most current information.

DD Boost Check the Avamar and Data Domain


Compatibility Interoperability Matrix for the
most current information
DD Boost software enables backup servers to
communicate with storage systems without
the need for Data Domain systems to emulate
tape. There are two components to DD Boost:
one component that runs on the backup
server and another that runs on the Data
Domain system. In the context of Avamar, the
component that runs on the backup server
(DD Boost libraries) is integrated into the
Avamar Client. DD Boost software is an
optional product that requires a license to
operate on the Data Domain system.

Data Domain device type Avamar supports any Data Domain system
that supports the execution of the required
DD OS version.

Data Domain File System Enable Data Domain File System using either
the Data Domain System Manager or CLI.
After you enable file system operations, it may
take up to 10 minutes before Avamar
Administrator correctly reflects the status of
the Data Domain system, especially if the
Data Domain system is using the DD Extended
Retention option. Do not perform backups,
restores, or system maintenance operations
until the status appears correctly in Avamar
Administrator. Otherwise, the backups,

24 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

Table 3 Data Domain system requirements (continued)

Data Domain feature or specification Requirement for use with Avamar


restores, or system maintenance operations
may fail.

DD Boost user account The DD Boost library uses a unique login


account name created on the Data Domain
system. This account name is known as the
DD Boost account. If the account is renamed
and/or the password is changed, these
changes must be immediately updated on the
Avamar system by editing the Data Domain
configuration options. Failure to update the
DD Boost account information could
potentially yield integrity check errors and/or
backup/restore problems. The DD Boost
account must have administrator privileges.

DD Cloud Tier Data Domain cloud storage units must be pre-


configured on the Data Domain before being
they are configured for cloud tier operations
in the Avamar Administrator.

Note

When you enable DD Boost on the Data Domain device, DD Boost becomes the
preferred method of connectivity for any clients that are enabled for DD Boost. While
this method is acceptable for clients that can take advantage of DD Boost features, it
can result in performance degradation for other clients. Proper due diligence and
effective data gathering are keys to avoiding such interactions, especially during
upgrades.

Network requirements
The following sections list network requirements for Avamar and Data Domain system
integration.
Network throughput
Before integrating a Data Domain system with an Avamar server, ensure that enough
network bandwidth is available.
To obtain the maximum throughput available on a Data Domain system (for restores,
level zero backups, and subsequent incremental backups after a level-zero backup),
verify that the network infrastructure provides more bandwidth than the bandwidth
required by the maximum throughput of the Data Domain system.
Network configuration
Configure (or verify) the following network configuration:
l Assign a fully qualified domain name (FQDN) to each Data Domain system.
l Do not use IP addresses in place of hostnames when registering a Data Domain
system. This can limit the ability to route optimized duplication traffic exclusively
through a registered interface.
l Ensure that DNS on the Data Domain system is properly configured.

Network requirements 25
Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

l Ensure forward and reverse DNS lookups work between the following systems:
n Avamar server
n Data Domain system
n Backup and restore clients
l Use hosts files to resolve hostnames to non-routable IP addresses.
l Do not create secondary hostnames to associate with alternate or local IP
interfaces.
Wide area networks not supported
The Avamar server and all Data Domain systems must be on the same local network.
Do not connect the Avamar server and Data Domain systems over a Wide Area
Network (WAN). Configurations that use a WAN are not supported.

NTP requirements
Configure the Avamar server, all Avamar clients, and the Data Domain system to use
the same Network Time Protocol(NTP) server.

Licensing requirements
Ensure that the environment meets the licensing requirements in the following table.

Table 4 Licensing requirements

Product Licensing requirements


Avamar Standard Avamar licensing requirements
apply.

Data Domain The DD Boost license must be installed on the


Data Domain system.
For replication from one Data Domain system
to another, a replication license must be
installed.

Data port usage and firewall requirements


To enable communication between Avamar and the Data Domain systems, review and
implement the port usage and firewall requirements in the following documents:
l Avamar Product Security Guide
l "Port Requirements for Allowing Access to Data Domain System Through a
Firewall,” on Avamar Support

Capacity requirements
Carefully assess your backup storage needs when evaluating how much data to store
on the Data Domain system and the Avamar server. Include estimates from data that
is sent to the Data Domain system from any other servers.
Review the capacity management information in the Avamar Administration Guide.
When the Data Domain system reaches its maximum storage capacity, no further
backups to the Data Domain system occur until additional capacity is added or old
backups are deleted.

26 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

Data Domain system streams


Each Data Domain system has a soft limit to the maximum number of connection and
data streams that can be sustained simultaneously while maintaining performance. The
number of streams varies depending on the Data Domain system model.
For example, the Data Domain DD990 can support 540 backup streams, while the
Data Domain DD620 can support 20 backup streams. You configure the maximum
number of streams Avamar can use when you add a Data Domain system to the
Avamar server.
The Avamar server uses the backup stream value to limit the number of concurrent
backup or restore jobs. If the Data Domain system is fully dedicated to the Avamar
server, the stream value entered in Avamar Administrator could potentially be the
maximum number of streams supported by the Data Domain system model. In cases
where the Data Domain system is shared with other third-party applications or
another Avamar server, then a subset of the number of streams should be allocated.
Each Avamar backup client (that supports multi-stream backups) can be configured to
use the appropriate number of streams (typically based on the number of databases)
through multi-streaming configuration when the Avamar backup job is configured. The
streams are released when the backup/restore operation completes. The number of
streams allocated should depend on the number and type of Avamar clients that backs
up data at about the same time.

Note

Avamar jobs are used for backups, restores, and replication. Avamar release 7.1 and
later integrated with a Data Domain system can support up to 336 jobs concurrently.
Each job can consist of multiple streams. Avamar release 7.1 and later integrated with
a Data Domain system supports a maximum of 500 streams (maxconn). The limits of
336 jobs/500 streams are fixed for all Avamar integrations with Data Domain systems
(Avamar Virtual Edition, Single Node Avamar, or Multi-Node Avamar). Avamar release
7.1 and later backing up to an Avamar Data Store supports the original number of jobs
per node (72) with a maximum 107 streams per node (maxconn).

Existing backup products in use with Data Domain


Data Domain systems can use other third-party backup and archiving software. The
Avamar server does not assume it has sole ownership of the Data Domain system.
Ensure that proper sizing is evaluated if the system is shared with other software
products.
The Avamar server makes no use of the native Data Domain system snapshot and
replication features. Replication occurs through the DD Boost SDK library by using
copying and cloning. However, other third party products may make use of the native
Data Domain system snapshot and replication features. In this case, a snapshot of an
entire Data Domain system or a replication of an entire Data Domain system includes
the Avamar data.

Preparing the Data Domain system for Avamar integration


Before you can add a Data Domain system to the Avamar configuration, prepare the
Data Domain system by enabling DD Boost and creating a DD Boost user account for

Data Domain system streams 27


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

the Avamar server to use to access the Data Domain system for backups and restores
(and replication, if applicable).

Note

DD OS 5.5 and later supports the use of multiple DD Boost accounts, which can be
used for segregation of accounts when multiple backup programs are sharing a
common Data Domain system.

Procedure
1. Disable DD Boost on the Data Domain system by logging in to the Data Domain
CLI as an administrative user and typing ddboost disable.
2. Create a DD Boost account and password:
a. Create the user account with admin privileges by typing the following
command:
user add user role admin

where user is the username for the new account.

b. Set the new account as the DD Boost user by typing the following command:
ddboost set user-name user

where user is the username for the account.


3. Enable DD Boost to allow the changes to take effect by typing ddboost
enable.

After you finish


l By default encryption is enabled for Data Domain systems through Avamar. If you
leave encryption enabled, the passphrase command must be set on the Data
Domain system. The Data Domain Operating System Administration Guide provides
additional information on the passphrase command.
l If you change the DD Boost account name or password, edit the Data Domain
system configuration in Avamar Administrator. Otherwise all backups, restores,
and maintenance activities fail.

Configuring IP support
The IP configuration depends on the versions of IP and DD OS in the environment. The
following topics provide details.

Configuring dual stack IPv4 and IPv6 support


If you are using IPv4 exclusively, or both IPv4 and IPv6, the configuration can be set
through the GUI without any special configuration.
IPv6 support requires DD OS 5.5.x.

Configuring IPv6 support with DD OS 5.5.1


To add the Data Domain system exclusively with IPv6, edit the mcserver.xml file.
Procedure
1. Open a command shell and log in by using one of the following methods:

28 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

l For a single-node server, log in to the server as admin.


l For a multi-node server, log in to the utility node as admin.
2. Stop the MCS by typing dpnctl stop mcs.
3. Open /usr/local/avamar/var/mc/server_data/prefs/
mcserver.xml in a UNIX text editor.
4. Find the ipv6_only_supported entry key.
5. Change the ipv6_only_supported setting to true.
<entry key="ipv6_only_supported" value="true" />
6. Close mcserver.xml and save your changes.
7. Start the MCS by typing dpnctl start mcs.

Configuring IPv6 with DD OS 5.5.0


DD OS 5.5.0 in an integrated Avamar and Data Domain system configuration requires
dual stack IPv4 and IPv6.
Procedure
1. Open a command shell and log in by using one of the following methods:
l For a single-node server, log in to the server as admin.
l For a multi-node server, log in to the utility node as admin.
2. Stop the MCS by typing dpnctl stop mcs.
3. Open /usr/local/avamar/var/mc/server_data/prefs/
mcserver.xml in a UNIX text editor.
4. Find the ipv6_only_supported entry key.
5. Change the ipv6_only_supported setting to true.
<entry key="ipv6_only_supported" value="true" />
6. Close mcserver.xml and save your changes.
7. Start the MCS by typing dpnctl start mcs.
8. Open /etc/hosts in a UNIX text editor.
9. Add an extra line for each IPv6 Data Domain system to the /etc/hosts file in
the dual-stacked Avamar server in the following format:
<IPv4 address of DD server> <IPv6 FQDN of DD server> <IPv6
hostname of DD server> <IPv4 FQDN of DD server> <IPv4
hostname of DD server>
10. Close /etc/hosts and save the changes.

Adding a Data Domain system


Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
2. Click the Server Management tab.
3. Select Actions > Add Data Domain System.

Configuring IPv6 with DD OS 5.5.0 29


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

The Add Data Domain System dialog box appears.


4. On the System tab, specify Data Domain system information:
a. In the Data Domain System Name box, type the fully qualified domain name
of the Data Domain system to add.

Note

Do not use an IP address or a secondary hostname that associates with


alternative or local IP interfaces. It may limit the ability of Avamar to route
optimized deduplication traffic.

b. In the DDBoost User Name box, type the username of the DD Boost
account for Avamar to use to access the Data Domain system for backups,
restores, and replication.
c. In the Password box, type the password for the account that Avamar should
use to access the Data Domain system for backups, restores, and
replication.
d. In the Verify Password box, type the password again to verify it.
e. If you have more than one Data Domain system associated with Avamar, you
can specify one Data Domain system to be the default replication storage.
Select Use system as default replication storage if this system is the
default replication storage.
f. To store checkpoints for a single-node Avamar server or Avamar Virtual
Edition (AVE) server on the Data Domain system instead of the Avamar
server, select the Use as target for Avamar Checkpoint Backups
checkbox.
g. Click Verify to view the maximum number of streams that the Data Domain
system supports.
h. Specify the maximum number of streams that Avamar can use at any one
time to perform backups and restores:
l To specify a defined number of streams, type the number in the Max
used by Avamar box.
l To specify a maximum number of streams based on the percentage of
the total number of supported streams, type the percentage in the Max
used by Avamar box and then select the As percentage of the max
limit checkbox.
Consider both the maximum number of streams that the Data Domain
system supports, as well as whether other applications are using streams to
send data to and receive data from the Data Domain system.
If the processes writing to and reading from the Data Domain system use all
available streams, then Avamar queues backup or restore requests until one
or more streams become available.

5. To configure SNMP, click the SNMP tab.


SNMP configuration enables Avamar to collect and display data for system
health monitoring, system alerts, and capacity reporting.
6. Verify the SNMP configuration:

30 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

l The Getter/Setter Port Number box lists the port on the Data Domain
system from which to receive and on which to set SNMP objects. The
default value is 161.
l The SNMP Community String box lists the community string Avamar uses
for read-only access to the Data Domain system.
l The Trap Port Number box lists the trap port on the Avamar server. The
default value is 163.
7. To configure the cloud tier feature, click the Tiering tab.
Cloud tier is used by the Avamar software to move Avamar backup data from a
Data Domain system to the cloud.
8. Click OK.
A progress message appears.
9. When the operation completes, click Close.
Results
When you add a Data Domain system to the Avamar configuration, Avamar creates an
MTree on the Data Domain system for the Avamar server. The MTree refers to the
directory created within the DD Boost path. Data Domain systems support a maximum
of 100 MTrees. If you reach the limit, then you cannot add the Data Domain system to
the Avamar configuration.

Editing a Data Domain system


Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
2. Click the Server Management tab.
3. Select the Data Domain system to edit.
4. Select Actions > Edit Data Domain System.
The Edit Data Domain System dialog box appears.
5. Edit the settings for the Data Domain system as necessary.
The settings are the same as the settings that you specified when you added
the Data Domain system to the Avamar configuration.
6. (Optional) If the Re-add SSH Key and Re-add Trap Host buttons are enabled,
then click the buttons to restore the SSH key and trap host values on the Data
Domain system.
When these buttons are enabled, the configuration on the Avamar server is not
synchronized with the configuration on the Data Domain system. Clicking the
buttons restores the values to the Data Domain system to ensure
synchronization.
7. Click OK.
A confirmation message appears.
8. After the edits are complete, click Close.
After you finish
If you edited the Data Domain system name, the DD Boost username, or the DD Boost
password, then create and validate a new checkpoint. If you perform a rollback to a

Editing a Data Domain system 31


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

checkpoint with the outdated Data Domain system name or DD Boost information,
then the rollback fails. The Avamar Administration Guide provides instructions on
creating and validating checkpoints.

Deleting a Data Domain system


You can delete a Data Domain system from the Avamar configuration if the Data
Domain system is online and if there are multiple Data Domain systems configured on
the Avamar server.
If you are deleting the only Data Domain system configured on the Avamar server, or if
the Data Domain system is offline, then the Avamar server requires advanced service.
Contact your Avamar sales representative to purchase this service.
Procedure
1. Ensure that no backups are stored on the Data Domain system:
a. Delete each backup for all clients that use the Data Domain system as a
backup target.
b. Ensure that all backups on the Data Domain system are expired and deleted
through the Avamar garbage collection process.
c. Ensure that there are no checkpoints for the Avamar server that refer to
backups on the Data Domain system by using one of the following methods:
l Wait for all checkpoints that contain backups for the Data Domain
system to expire.
l Perform and validate a new checkpoint after all backups to the Data
Domain system are deleted, and then delete all other checkpoints.

2. Ensure that the Data Domain system is not the default replication storage
system.
Setting the default Data Domain destination provides details.
3. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
4. Click the Server Management tab.
5. Select the Data Domain system to delete.
6. Select Actions > Delete Data Domain System.
A confirmation message appears.
7. Click Yes.
A dialog box shows the progress of the operation.
8. When the deletion completes, click Close.
After you finish
Create and validate a new checkpoint. The Avamar Administration Guide provides
instructions on creating and validating checkpoints. If you perform a rollback to a
checkpoint with the deleted Data Domain system, then the Data Domain system is
restored to the configuration

32 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

Best practices for WAN backups


Review and implement the best practices in the following topics for environments with
DD OS 5.5 or later and backups over a WAN.
Network throttling
The Network rate throttle setting in the plug-in options for file system plug-ins
controls the rate at which Avamar sends data to the server. When you specify a value
in Mbps for this option, the avtar process pauses as long as necessary after sending
each packet to ensure that network usage does not exceed the specified maximum
bandwidth.
Use of this option can improve WAN backups for desktop and laptop clients.
Efficient restore
Enable efficient restore by using the --ddr-compressed-restore option in avtar
for better restore performance over a WAN.
Do not enable efficient restore for clients within the Data Center.
WAN bandwidth guidelines
The WAN use cases in the following table are estimates of typical latencies and
bandwidths for the associated use cases. The following network characteristics were
tested and are supported for backup over the WAN to an integrated Avamar and Data
Domain system. The exact characteristics vary by network type.
Any network characteristics that exceed these requirements (for example, greater
than 100ms latency) is not supported.

Table 5 WAN use case bandwidth guidelines

Use case Speed up/ Range of Jitter Percentage of


configuratio down latency (in bandwidth usable
n ms) by the integrated
Avamar and Data
Domain system
Laptop backup 256kbps up / 20-100 10% normal 50-100%
from home 4000kbps
25% bad
(DSL line) down
Home use DSL
link shared
with other
devices

Consumer 683kbps up / 20-100 10% normal 10-100%


WAN DSL/ 8000kbps
25% bad
Cable down
Small remote
office

Business WAN 1000kbps up / 10-100 10% normal 10-100%


Use case 1 1000kbps
20% bad
down
T1

Best practices for WAN backups 33


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

Table 5 WAN use case bandwidth guidelines (continued)

Use case Speed up/ Range of Jitter Percentage of


configuratio down latency (in bandwidth usable
n ms) by the integrated
Avamar and Data
Domain system
Remote
office / branch
office

Business WAN 30Mbps up / 10-100 10% normal 10-100%


Use case 2 30Mbps down
20% bad
T1
Remote
office / branch
office

High Speed 667Mbps up / 10-100 1% normal 10-100%


Dedicated T3 667Mbps
5% bad
to 1GbE down

Encryption in flight
When storing backups on or restoring data from a Data Domain system, you can
specify the encryption method for data transfer between the client and the Data
Domain system. The Encryption method to Data Domain system option appears in
the plug-in options during a backup or restore.
The following values are supported:
l Default
l None (clear text)
l Medium
l High
The default value is Default, which is high encryption. To edit the default value for the
option, edit the mcserver.xml file.
The following guidelines should be used for encryption best practices:
l For large backups or restores (for example, L0 backups) within the data center,
set encryption to Medium or None to improve performance.
l If you have desktop/laptop clients backing up over a WAN, set encryption to High.

Note

Use the --ddr-encrypt-strength option to specify the encryption method during


command line backups and restores. Available values are none, medium, and high.

34 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

System upgrades
The Avamar and Data Domain upgrade path is very specific. Failure to upgrade
software in the proper order can cause Avamar maintenance functions to fail. If this
happens and the GSAN fails, then rollback operations fail.
When you are upgrading the DD OS, ensure that the DD OS version that you upgrade
to is compatible with both the current Avamar server version and the next Avamar
server version.
Upgrading the DD OS from 5.4.0.8 to 5.5 before you upgrade the Avamar server to
release 7.1 is desirable but not required. If you do not upgrade the DD OS to 5.5 before
you upgrade the Avamar server to release 7.1, then upgrade the DD OS immediately
afterward. Skipping any intermediate steps can create an incompatibility issue that
disrupts server operation.
You can upgrade a Data Domain system without product support, but you must open a
Service Request with Avamar Support before you upgrade the Avamar server. It is
recommended that you open an Avamar Service Request before you upgrade a Data
Domain system.

Post-upgrade procedures for Data Domain systems


When the Avamar is connected to a Data Domain system, the following tasks should
be performed after the Avamar is upgraded to release 7.3 or greater.

Generating new certificates with Data Domain systems


When the Avamar server is upgraded to release 7.3 or greater and session ticket
authentication is enabled during upgrade, the following steps are required for Data
Domain systems that are configured for Avamar backup storage. Session tickets are
supported with Data Domain systems at release 5.6 or greater.
Procedure
1. Wait for the Data Domain server to be aware of the updated certificate.
The Data Domain server will display a yellow status in the Avamar Administrator
with the status message "Unable to retrieve ssh key file pair." This may take up
to 30 minutes.
2. Open the Data Doman server in the Avamar Administrator:- In Avamar MCGUI,
go to Server > Server Management, select the DD server, click on Edit Data
Domain System icon and click on OK in the pop-up window
a. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
b. Click the Server Management tab.
c. Select the Data Domain system to edit.
d. Select Actions > Edit Data Domain System.
The Edit Data Domain System dialog box appears.
e. Click OK.
There is no need to make any changes to the Data Domain configuration.
3. Restart DDBoost on the Data Domain system:

System upgrades 35
Avamar and Data Domain System Integration

a. Log into the Data Domain System.


b. Enter the following commands in the Data Domain CLI:
ddboost disable

ddboost enable

Setting the passphrase on Data Domain systems


When the Avamar server is upgraded to release 7.3 or greater, the DDBoost user must
have a passphrase enabled.
Procedure
1. Log into the Data Domain system.
2. Enter the following command at the Data Domain CLI:
system passphrase set

3. When prompted, enter a passphrase.

Note

The DDBoost user must have admin rights.

36 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


CHAPTER 3
Backups with Avamar and Data Domain

This chapter includes the following topics:

l Overview of backups with Avamar and Data Domain..........................................38


l Selecting a Data Domain target for backups...................................................... 39
l Storing Avamar server checkpoints on a Data Domain system........................... 39

Backups with Avamar and Data Domain 37


Backups with Avamar and Data Domain

Overview of backups with Avamar and Data Domain


During a backup, the Avamar server sends a backup request to the Avamar client. If
the backup request includes the option to use a Data Domain system as the target
backup data is stored on the Data Domain system and metadata is stored on the
Avamar server.

Where backup data is stored


All data for a backup is stored under a single dedicated MTree on a single Data Domain
system.

How Avamar manages backup data


During a backup, Avamar sends the metadata for the backup from the client to the
Avamar server. This process enables Avamar to manage the backup even though the
data is stored on a Data Domain system.
Avamar does not store the original path and file name for a file on the Data Domain
system. Instead, Avamar uses unique file names on the Data Domain system.

Supported backup types


You can perform full backups, incremental backups, and differential backups.
Differential backups are only available for select clients or plug-ins when a Data
Domain system is the backup target. You can also perform VMware backups with
Changed Block Tracking enabled.
Store the full backup for a client and all subsequent incremental and differential
backups on either the Avamar server or a single Data Domain system.
Avamar does not support:
l Full backup on a Data Domain system and incremental or differential backups on
the Avamar server
l Full backup on the Avamar server and incremental or differential backups on a
Data Domain system
l Full backup on one Data Domain system and incremental or differential backups on
another Data Domain system
If you change the device on which backups for a client are stored, then you must
perform a full backup before any further incremental or differential backups.

Note

When you use the Avamar Plug-in for SQL Server and you perform a tail-log backup
during a restore, then the tail-log backup is always stored on the Avamar server.

Canceling and deleting backups


If you cancel a backup while it is in progress, then Avamar deletes the backup data
that was written to the Data Domain system during the next cycle of the Avamar
garbage collection process.
If you delete a backup in Avamar, then the backup is deleted from the Data Domain
system during the next cycle of the Avamar garbage collection process.

38 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Backups with Avamar and Data Domain

The Avamar Administration Guide provides instructions on how to cancel or delete a


backup.

Selecting a Data Domain target for backups


To select a Data Domain system as the storage for a backup, select the Store backup
on Data Domain system checkbox in the plug-in options for the backup, and then
select the Data Domain system from the list.

Storing Avamar server checkpoints on a Data Domain


system
You can store checkpoints for a single-node Avamar server or Avamar Virtual Edition
(AVE) on a Data Domain system. Checkpoints are system-wide backups taken for
disaster recovery of the Avamar server.
Restore of checkpoints from a Data Domain system requires assistance from Avamar
Professional Services.
The Avamar Administration Guide provides details on checkpoints.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
2. Click the Server Management tab.
3. Select a Data Domain system.
4. Select Actions > Edit Data Domain System.
The Edit Data Domain System dialog box appears.
5. Click the System tab, and then select Use system as target for Avamar
Checkpoint Backups.
6. Click OK.
A confirmation message appears.
7. After the edits are complete, click Close.

Selecting a Data Domain target for backups 39


Backups with Avamar and Data Domain

40 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


CHAPTER 4
Replication

This chapter includes the following topics:

l Overview of replication...................................................................................... 42
l Replication configurations..................................................................................42
l Replication data flow..........................................................................................45
l Replication schedule.......................................................................................... 45
l Configuring replication....................................................................................... 45

Replication 41
Replication

Overview of replication
The Avamar replication feature transfers data from a source Avamar server to a
destination Avamar server. When you use a Data Domain system with Avamar, then
the replication process transfers Avamar data from the source Data Domain system to
a destination Data Domain system.
If a Data Domain system is configured with a source Avamar server, then there must
be a corresponding Data Domain system configured with a destination server. If there
is no destination Data Domain system configured with the destination Avamar server,
then replication fails for backups on the source Data Domain system.
Figure 2 Data Domain basic replication

Replication configurations
If the source Avamar server uses more than one Data Domain system, then you can
use either a single destination Data Domain system or multiple destination systems.
Also, if the source Avamar server uses a single Data Domain system, then you can use
either a single destination Data Domain system or multiple destination systems. All of
the data is replicated through DD Boost.
For long-term backup retention requirements on destination Data Domain systems,
you can replicate from a source Data Domain system to destination Data Domain
system with DD Extended Retention.

Many to one replication


The following figure illustrates a source Avamar server with two source Data Domain
systems. Avamar replicates the backup data on the two source Data Domain systems
to a single destination Data Domain system.

42 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Replication

Figure 3 Data Domain system replication many to one configuration

The destination Data Domain system must be able accommodate the replicated data
from both source Data Domain systems.

Many to many replication


The following figure illustrates an environment with multiple destination Data Domain
systems replicating to multiple destination Data Domain systems.

Many to many replication 43


Replication

Figure 4 Data Domain system replication many to many configuration

One to many replication


The following figure illustrates an environment where backup data replicates from a
single source Data Domain system to multiple destination Data Domain systems.
Figure 5 Data Domain system replication one to many configuration

44 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Replication

In a configuration with multiple destination Data Domain systems, you can control
which system receives the data that replicates from the source Data Domain system
by mapping a domain on the source Avamar server to a destination Data Domain
system. Mapping a domain to a Data Domain system provides details.

Pool-based replication
Traditional Avamar replication occurs in serial, which can result in a long replication
window when the source and targets are both Data Domain systems. Pool-based
replication allows for multiple parallel replication backups from a Data Domain source
to a Data Domain target.
With traditional Avamar replication, replication is subject to a serial backup queue. This
does not guarantee that all backups can be replicated in a single day, if any single
backup takes longer to replicate than the desired recovery point objective (RPO). For
example, one backup could take 24 hours to replicate, thereby missing an 8 hour RPO.
With pool-based replication, Avamar can start as many backup replication operations
as necessary, thereby guaranteeing that the backups eventually reach their
destination at the desired RPO . However, due to potential bottlenecks in either
replicate throughput of Data Domain systems or the network throughput, it is
recommended that replication groups and clients that will be run in parallel should be
added one at a time until the desired throughput is achieved.
Pool-based replication is enabled during replication group configuration. Configuring
pool-based replication on page 47 provides instructions.
Pool-based replication can also be enabled with the avrepl command using the --
use-pool-based option. Additional options for the avrepl command you to
determine the order in which backups will be replicated and other information. The
Avamar Administration Guide contains information about the --use-pool-based
option with the avrepl command and related options.

Replication data flow


Avamar replicates the data directly from one Data Domain system to another. In other
words, Avamar does not stage the data on the Avamar server before replicating the
data to the destination Data Domain system.

Replication schedule
The replication of Avamar data on a Data Domain system occurs on the Avamar
replication schedule. You cannot schedule replication of data on the Data Domain
system separately from the replication of data on the Avamar server.

Configuring replication
Procedure
1. Configure replication from the source Avamar server to the destination Avamar
server by using Avamar Administrator.
The Avamar Administration Guide provides more information on configuring
Avamar replication.
2. If there is more than one destination Data Domain system, specify which Data
Domain system is the default destination.

Pool-based replication 45
Replication

3. If there is more than one destination Data Domain system, map the domains on
the source Avamar server to a destination Data Domain system.

Setting the default Data Domain destination


In a replication environment with more than one destination Data Domain system,
specify which Data Domain system is the default destination. The default destination
is the Data Domain system to which Avamar replicates data when a destination Data
Domain system is not identified on the Replication Storage Mapping tab.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
2. Select the destination Data Domain system.
3. Select Actions > Edit Data Domain System.
The Edit Data Domain System dialog box appears.
4. Click the System tab, and then select Use system as default replication
storage.
5. Click OK.
A confirmation message appears.
6. Click Close.

Mapping a domain to a Data Domain system


If there are multiple destination Data Domain systems, you can control which system
receives the data that replicates from the source Data Domain system. To specify the
destination Data Domain system, map a domain on the source Avamar server to a
destination Data Domain system. If you do not provide a mapping, then Avamar
replicates the data from the source Data Domain system to the default destination.

Note

You cannot map the domains on the source Avamar server to a destination Data
Domain system until after the first replication. During the first replication, the data
replicates to the default destination.

Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Data Movement Policy launcher button.
The Data Movement Policy window appears.
2. Click the Storage Mapping tab, and then click Add Domain.
The Select a Domain dialog box appears.
3. From the Map to Data Domain System list, select the Data Domain system to
use as the replication target.
4. Click OK.

Deleting a domain mapping


When you delete a domain mapping, any data that has already replicated to the
destination Data Domain system remains there. However, any new data replicates to

46 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Replication

the default destination system unless you create a new mapping to a different Data
Domain system.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Data Movement Policy launcher button.
The Data Movement Policy window appears.
2. Click the Storage Mapping tab.
3. Select the mapping and click Delete.
A confirmation message appears.
4. Click Yes to confirm the mapping deletion.

Configuring pool-based replication


Pool-based replication, which allows for multiple parallel replication backups from a
Data Domain source to a Data Domain target, can be enabled during creation or editing
of a replication group.
Procedure
1. Follow the instructions for creating or editing a replication group found in the
Avamar Administration Guide.
2. At the Order page of the New Replication Group wizard, select Replicate
client backups in parallel for the mode in which the backups will be processed.
3. Select Optimize Virtual Synthetic Replication (VSR) to instruct the
replication plug-in to use VSR optimization for plug-ins that support
optimization.
VSR optimization requires that the Replication order of client backups must
be Oldest backup to newest backup. This option is selected by default; to
require that all ordering options for pool-based replication are followed,
regardless of the plug-in, deselect this option.
4. For the Replication order of client backups, select one of the following:
l Oldest backup to newest backup begins replication with the oldest backup
first.
l Newest backup to oldest backup begins replication with the newest
backup first.
5. Click Next.
6. At the Overview page, click More Options.
7. Select the Show Advanced Options checkbox to specify advanced options.
The advanced options appear in red on the More Options dialog box.
8. For the Client list ordering option, determine the order for client replication.
9. For the Maximum number of Data Domain Replication Streams option, enter
the maximum number of avtar processes that can be started in parallel.
10. Click OK to close the More Options dialog.
11. Click Finish to complete the configuration of the replication group.

Configuring pool-based replication 47


Replication

48 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


CHAPTER 5
Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

This chapter includes the following topics:

l Overview of Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery........................................... 50


l Prerequisites......................................................................................................52
l Limitations......................................................................................................... 52
l Deploying and Configuring DD Cloud DR ........................................................... 53
l Configuring Avamar backups to use DD Cloud DR..............................................62
l Performing a DR test or failover of a DD Cloud DR copy....................................63

Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery 49


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

Overview of Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery


The Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery (DD Cloud DR) solution facilitates the
disaster recovery of on-premises virtual machines by providing the capability to
recover VMs in the cloud. DD Cloud DR integrates with existing on-premises Avamar
software and Data Domain to copy backups of virtual machine data to the public
cloud. It can then perform DR tests or failover of production environments by
orchestrating a complete conversion of the VM to an Amazon Web Services Elastic
Compute Cloud (EC2) instance, and by running this instance in the cloud.
The on-premises Cloud DR Add-on (CDRA) manages deployment of the necessary on-
premises components, as well as the necessary cloud infrastructure, including the
Cloud DR Server (CDRS), a small component that runs in the public cloud. CDRA
orchestrates the compression, encryption and efficient copying of the backed-up VM
data to the cloud, directly into object storage (S3). CDRS is responsible for keeping
track of available copies in the cloud, and the orchestration activities in AWS.
Workflows from within on-premises Avamar software allow for configuration of
automated copies of VM backups from on-premises Data Domain to the cloud, and to
initiate disaster recovery testing and fallover. The cloud-based Cloud DR Server
graphical interface can also be used for disaster recovery testing and fallover. A DR
test is designed for temporary access to an EC2 instance, to test that the recovered
VM works properly before performing a failover or to retrieve specific data. A failover,
however, should be performed when the on-premises production VM has experienced
a disaster or is otherwise not running.
The Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery Installation and Administration Guide contains
information using the cloud-based Cloud DR Server graphical interface.

Components of DD Cloud DR
The DD Cloud DR consists of the following components:
l The Cloud DR Add-on (CDRA), an on-premises DD Cloud DR virtual appliance that
manages deployment of the necessary infrastructure to the cloud, copying of
virtual machine backups to the cloud, and orchestrates the compression,
encryption and copying of the backed-up VM data to the cloud, in conjunction
with Cloud DR Server. A graphical interface is provided for managing depolyment
and configuring the Cloud DR Add-on environment. On-premises backup software
performs the actual backup of the virtual machines.
l The Cloud DR Server (CDRS), a DD Cloud DR service that runs in the customer's
domain on the public cloud and provides a graphical interface for disaster recovery
testing and failover.
Multiple Cloud DR Add-on appliances can connect to a single Cloud DR Server
instance. However, one Cloud DR Add-on appliance cannot connect to multiple
Cloud DR Server instances.
In addition to the DD Cloud DR software, the DD Cloud DR solution requires the
following components:
l An on-premises VMware vCenter environment, release 5.5 or greater.
l An on-premises supported backup solution. Currently, the supported backup
solution is Avamar release 7.5 or greater. Both the physical Avamar appliance and
the Avamar Virtual Edition (AVE) are supported.
l An on-premises Data Domain. Both the physical Data Domain system and Data
Domain Virtual Edition (DDVE) are supported.

50 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

n Physical—Data Domain system must be DD OS release 6.1 or greater.


n Virtual—Data Domain Virtual Edition (DDVE) must be release 3.1 or greater,
running DD OS release 6.1 or greater.
l A supported public cloud account. Currently, Amazon Web Services (AWS) is the
supported target public cloud.
You must have an AWS S3 bucket before installation, in order to select cloud
targets during deployment. The AWS user must have permissions based on an
Identity and Access Management (IAM) policy provided when the CDRS is
deployed. The IAM policy is also available at #unique_63.

DD Cloud DR architecture
The DD Cloud DR solution consists of two primary components: the Cloud DR Add-on
(CDRA) and the Cloud DR Server (CDRS).
Also deployed with CDRS and created in the customer's AWS domain are:
l A Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
l An Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) catalog, to maintain persistent
data.
l A private subnet for communication between the RDS and CDRS.
l A public subnet with internet access to be used by CDRS.
l The CDRS EC2 instance.
l A temporary Restore Service instance is launched in each region where recovery is
needed. This instance performs hydration during recovery, and is automatically
terminated after ten minutes of idle time.

DD Cloud DR architectural workflow


The architectural workflow of the DD Cloud DR solution is as follows:

1. A backup of an on-premises VM is performed by a supported backup application


with DD Cloud DR support enabled. In the first version of DD Cloud DR, this must
be an Avamar VMware image backup.
2. The backup software writes the backup to on-premises Data Domain storage.
3. The Cloud DR Add-on compresses, encrypts, and copies the backup from on-
premises storage to the object storage in the public cloud. CDRA will analyze the

DD Cloud DR architecture 51
Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

VM to determine if it is compatible with AWS based on various factors including


OS type, disk size, etc. If CDRA determines that the VM is not compatible, it will
not send the data to AWS.
4. A disaster recovery test or a failover is performed from either the backup software
or the Cloud DR Server.
Both the DR test and failover operations rehydrate the protected virtual machine's
data, convert it to an Amazon Machine Image (AMI), and launch an EC2 instance
of that AMI. The Cloud DR Server examines the metadata of the recovered VM to
select the correct EC2 instance type to ensure proper performance and minimize
cost. Depending on the configuration of the cloud network to use for the recovery
location, a public IP may be automatically assigned to the EC2 instance, or you can
assign an elastic IP address to it.

Prerequisites
The following sections describe the prerequisites for the DD Cloud DR solution.

Supported AWS regions


The following AWS regions are supported with DD Cloud DR.

Table 6 Supported AWS regions

Region name Region


US East (N. Virginia) us-east-1

US East (Ohio) us-east-2

US West (Northern California) us-west-1

US West (Oregon) us-west-2

Asia Pacific (Mumbai) ap-south-1

Asia Pacific (Seoul) ap-northeast-2

Asia Pacific (Sydney) ap-southeast-2

Asia Pacific (Tokyo) ap-northeast-1

Canada (Central) ca-central-1

EU (Frankfurt) eu-central-1

EU (Ireland) eu-west-1

EU (London) eu-west-2

The AWS web page http://docs.aws.amazon.com/general/latest/gr/rande.html


contains further information about AWS regions.

Limitations
The following limitations apply to the DD Cloud DR solution:
l For limitations in AWS support for importing VMs, see the AWS documentation at
http://docs.aws.amazon.com/vm-import/latest/userguide/vmie_prereqs.html

52 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

l Only VMware virtual machines are supported. Other virtual machines, such as
Microsoft Hyper-V, are not supported.
l You cannot change the names of AWS components, such as the EC2 instance, key
pairs, etc.
l Limitations in Avamar support:
n Ad-hoc backups of individual VMs is not supported. Only policy-based backups
can be used.
n Existing backups that do not have DD Cloud DR enabled cannot be converted
to DD Cloud DR-based backups. Only new backups created after DD Cloud DR
is enabled are supported.
l Version 17.3 provides protection for VM-level backups, including protection of
VSS-based Avamar backups for Microsoft applications.

Note

DD Cloud DR does not provide cloud protection for agent-based backups and
agent-based application consistency.

Deploying and Configuring DD Cloud DR


Prior to using the DD Cloud DR solution, you must deploy the Cloud DR Add-on
(CDRA) in your on-premises vCenter environment and register the CDRA with your
on-premises Avamar server. Other CDRA configuration tasks must be performed as
well.
Configuration of the CDRA, including registering CDRA with your on-premises Avamar
server, is performed from within the Cloud DR Add-on graphical interface.
The Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery Installation and Administration Guide contains
further information about CDRA graphical interface.

Deploying the Cloud DR Add-on OVA


The Cloud DR Add-on (CDRA) is the on-premises component of the DD Cloud DR
solution, and is provided as an OVA deployed on a VMware vCenter server
environment on your local network. Use the vCenter server OVA deployment process
to deploy the OVA.
Download the OVA from the link provided when you purchased the DD Cloud DR and
deploy it as a virtual appliance in your on-premises vCenter environment.

Note

Once the CDRA has been deployed, changing its IP address is not supported.

Configuring the Cloud DR Add-on and deploying the Cloud DR Server


The following sections describe how to configure the on-premises Cloud DR Add-on
(CDRA) and deploy the cloud-based Cloud DR Server (CDRS). CDRS is deployed to
the cloud during configuration of the CDRA.
To begin CDRA configuration and CDRS deployment, click Configuration in the
navigation tree in the left column of the Cloud DR Add-on window.

Deploying and Configuring DD Cloud DR 53


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

The navigation bar indicates the steps required to complete the configuration and
deployment process. The DD Cloud DR solution is fully deployed when these six steps
have been completed. The navigation bar provides links to each task. Tasks can be
completed in any order, except that you must connect to your cloud account and
create Cloud DR targets (Connecting to your cloud account and adding Cloud DR
targets on page 55) prior to deploying the Cloud DR Server (Deploying the Cloud DR
Server on page 56).

Logging into CDRA


To log into the on-premises CDRA component of the DD Cloud DR solution:
Procedure
1. From a host that has network access to the CDRA virtual appliance, use a
browser to connect to the appliance:

https://CDRA_hostname

Where CDRA_hostname is the hostname or IP address of the address created


when the CDRA was deployed to the vCenter server.
2. In the Admin username and Admin password fields, enter the username and
password provided when you purchased the product.
If this is the first time you have logged into CDRA or if your password has
expired, the Cloud DR Add-on Change Admin Password window will open.

Note

The CDRA Administrator password expires based on the specified expiration


period. By default, the password expires every 90 days.

a. At the Cloud DR Add-on Change Admin Password window, type the


current password for the Administrator account.
b. Type the new password.
The password must:
l Be at least eight characters in length
l Must contain characters of a minimum of three of the following four
types:

54 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

n English uppercase: A-Z


n English lowercase: a-z
n Numerical character: 0-9
n Special (non-alphanumeric) characters

c. Confirm the new password by typing it again.


d. Click Change Password.
If you have forgotten the CDRA admin user password:

a. Click Forgot password?.


b. Enter the username and click Send.
An email will be sent to the email address linked to your account with
instructions for resetting your password.
When the admin user account's email address is initially provided or
changed, AWS sends a verification email to the provided email address. This
email address must have been verified prior to receiving the password reset
email. You can request a new verification email through the AWS Console by
signing into the Console and selecting the US East (N. Virginia) region, then
opening https://console.aws.amazon.com/ses/. Select Email Addresses,
select the appropriate email address, and click resend.

Results
The Cloud DR Add-on window opens with the Welcome page displayed.

The Cloud DR Add-on window


A navigation bar at the top of the Cloud DR Add-on window indicates your current
location in the Cloud DR Add-on window, and can also be used to log out of the Cloud
DR Add-on by clicking the icon on the right side of the bar and selecting Sign out.
A navigation tree in the left column of the window provides links to operations that
can be performed from within the Cloud DR Add-on window.

Setting up CDRA
The Setup CDRA page of the Cloud DR Add-on window is used to configure
networking and other items for the CDRA.
Procedure
1. For Cloud DR Add-on name, enter a user-friendly name for the CDRA.
2. Enter the hostname or IP address for the primary and secondary DNS servers.
3. Enter the hostname or IP address for the primary and secondary NTP servers.
4. Select the time zone.
5. Click Save.

Connecting to your cloud account and adding Cloud DR targets


Use the Connect to Your Cloud Account page to connect the CDRA to your Amazon
Web Services account and add targets to the account.
Before you begin
You must have an AWS account already configured as described in Prerequisites on
page 52 prior to connecting to your cloud account.

Configuring the Cloud DR Add-on and deploying the Cloud DR Server 55


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

Procedure
1. Click Cloud Account on the top navigation bar.
The Connect to Your Cloud Account page displays.
2. Click Add Cloud Account.
3. In the Connecting to your AWS Cloud account dialog box, enter the access
key and the secret key for your AWS account. http://
docs.aws.amazon.com/IAM/latest/UserGuide/id_credentials_access-
keys.html contains information about obtaining the access and secret keys.
4. To copy the IAM policy, click Copy IAM Policy.
This copies to your buffer an XML version of the minimum AWS user account
permissions required for DD Cloud DR implementation, which can then be
applied to AWS to set the permissions policy for the AWS user. #unique_63 also
provides the IAM policy, as well as instructions for creating an AWS policy that
uses this IAM policy.
5. To view the Identity and Access Management (IAM) policy the represents the
minimum AWS user account permissions required for DD Cloud DR
implementation, click Show IAM Policy.
6. Click Verify & Save to save the AWS cloud account.
The CDRA will verify that the account exists before saving the cloud account
information and closing the Connecting to your AWS Cloud account dialog
box.

Note

Once you have provided credentials to an AWS account, you cannot change to
another AWS account.

Deploying the Cloud DR Server


Use the Deploy Cloud DR Server page to deploy the CDRS on a specific Cloud DR
target.
Before you begin
l Cloud DR targets must exist on your AWS account prior to performing this task.
Connecting to your cloud account and adding Cloud DR targets on page 55
contains information about adding Cloud DR targets to your AWS account.
l AWS Marketplace terms must be accepted prior to deploying the Cloud DR
Server. #unique_77 contains information about accepting AWS Marketplace
terms.
Procedure
1. Click Cloud DR Server on the top navigation bar.
l If no CDRS has been deployed, the Deploy Cloud DR Server page displays.
l If the CDRS has already been deployed, the Cloud DR Server page displays.
Additional CDRS instances cannot be deployed.
2. In the CDRS Configuration section, select the Cloud DR target on which the
Cloud DR Server will be deployed.
3. In the User Configuration section:, enter and confirm passwords for the CDRS
Admin and CDRS Monitor users.
The passwords must:

56 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

l Be at least eight characters in length


l Must contain characters of a minimum of three of the following four types:
n English uppercase: A-Z
n English lowercase: a-z
n Numerical character: 0-9
n Special (non-alphanumeric) characters

a. Enter and confirm passwords for the CDRS Admin and CDRS Monitor users.
The passwords must:
l Be at least eight characters in length
l Must contain characters of a minimum of three of the following four
types:
n English uppercase: A-Z
n English lowercase: a-z
n Numerical character: 0-9
n Special (non-alphanumeric) characters

b. Enter an email address to be used byDD Cloud DR to respond to password


reset requests, when you've forgotten a user password.
When the Cloud DR Server is successfully deployed, an email will be sent
from AWS to this email address for verification. Follow the instructions
included with this email within 24 hours of deployment.
4. Click the I have accepted the AWS Marketplace terms checkbox to verify
that you have accepted the marketplace terms.
5. Click Deploy CDRS.
The CDRA attempts to deploy the CDRS to the Cloud DR target. If an error
occurs during deployment, click View error log to view the error log. Deploying
the CDRS may take up to 30 minutes.

If the deployment is successful, the Cloud DR Server page displays, listing the
hostname of the CDRS host, and the region. Also deployed are:
l A Virtual Private Cloud (VPC).
l An Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS) catalog, to maintain
persistent data.
l A private subnet for communication between the RDS and CDRS.
l A public subnet with internet access to be used by CDRS.
l The CDRS EC2 instance.
The M4.Large instance type is used for the CDRS instance. To reduce
deployment costs, you may want to purchase reserved instances from AWS;
otherwise an on-demand instance will be used. An elastic IP is automatically
assigned to the CDRS instance. You cannot change the elastic IP assigned to
the CDRS.

Configuring the Cloud DR Add-on and deploying the Cloud DR Server 57


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

Note

Multiple Cloud DR Add-on appliances can connect to a single Cloud DR Server


instance. However, one Cloud DR Add-on appliance cannot connect to multiple
Cloud DR Server instances.

Results
Once the CDRS has been deployed, connect to the Cloud DR Server by clicking the
CDRS hostname.

Connecting to vCenter servers


Use the Connect to Your vCenter Server page to connect CDRA to all vCenter
servers that manage VMs that will be protected by the DD Cloud DR solution, and to
define failback settings. This allows CDRA to validate that VMs being configured for
backup to the AWS cloud are of a format supported by AWS.
Procedure
1. Click vCenter Servers on the top navigation bar.
The Connect to Your vCenter Servers page displays.
2. Click Add vCenter Server.
The Connect to Your vCenter Server dialog box displays.
3. Enter the hostname or IP address of the vCenter server.
4. Enter the port number for the vCenter server.
5. Enter the Admin username and password.
6. Click Save & Connect.
7. At the Confirm vCenter's SSL Certificate dialog box, click Confirm & Define
Failback Settings.
Defining your failback staging area on page 58 contains instructions for
defining failback settings.
8. To add additional vCenter servers, repeat steps 2 on page 58 through 7 on page
58 for each vCenter server.

Results
The Your vCenter Servers page lists vCenter servers that have been added to the
CDRA.

Defining your failback staging area


Failback is a process that allows you to configure your DD Cloud DR system to
transfer protected VMs from the cloud back to your on-premises vCenter
environment. Use the Define Your Failback Staging Area dialog box to provide
settings for the failback operation.

Note

If these settings are not configured, failback operations will fail. If you do not
configure these settings during initial DD Cloud DR configuration, you can return to
the Connect to Your vCenter Servers page at a later time to configure failback
information.

58 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

Procedure
1. At the Confirm vCenter's SSL Certificate dialog box in the Connect to Your
vCenter Server page, click Confirm & Define Failback Settings.
The Define Your Failback Staging Area dialog box displays.
2. Select one or more datastores or datastore clusters on the vCenter server.
After one or more datastores or datastore clusters have been selected, available
networks will be highlighted in the Networks pane.
3. Select one or more network as a location to for failback staging areas.
Selected networks must have connectivity to AWS.
4. For each selected network:
a. Highlight the network.
b. Enter the IP range pool by entering the first IP address in the pool, and a
number indicating how many IP addresses in that subnet are included in the
pool. Click the plus button to enter additional IP range pools.
c. Enter the network's Subnet mask.
d. Enter the network's default gateway for the Gateway.
5. Click Save.

Editing vCenter servers and failback settings


To edit the information for a vCenter server after it has been connected to the Cloud
DR Add-on, and to edit failback settings:
Procedure
1. Click vCenter Servers on the top navigation bar.
The Your vCenter Servers page displays.
2. Click the edit (pencil) icon next to the appropriate vCenter server.
3. Select either:
l Edit vCenter details, and change the IP address or hostname, the port, or
the administrator username or password associated with the vCenter server
and click Save & Connect.
l Edit Failback Settings:
a. Select or deselect datastores and datastore clusters.
b. Select or deselect available networks.
c. Highlight a network to configure or change the network's IP range
pool(s), subnet mask, and gateway.
d. Click Save.

Disconnecting from vCenter servers


To disconnect from a vCenter server after it has been connected to the Cloud DR
Add-on:
Procedure
1. Click vCenter Servers on the top navigation bar.
The Your vCenter Servers page displays.

Configuring the Cloud DR Add-on and deploying the Cloud DR Server 59


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

2. Click the delete (trash can) icon next to the appropriate vCenter server.
3. Click Remove to confirm.

Connecting to backup servers


Use the Connect to Your Backup Servers page to connect CDRA to Avamar servers.
Procedure
1. Click Backup Servers on the top navigation bar.
The Connect to Your Backup Servers page displays.
2. Click Connect to Your Backup Server.
The Connect to Your Backup Server dialog box displays.
3. Enter the hostname or IP address of the Avamar server.
4. Enter the Avamar server HTTPS service port number.
5. Enter the username and password of the Avamar MCUser account.
6. Click Save & Connect.
7. To connect to additional Avamar servers, repeat steps 2 on page 60 through 6
on page 60 for each Avamar server.
Results
The Your Backup Servers page displays, listing all Avamar servers connected to the
CDRA.

Note

Any individual Avamar server can only be connected to one CDRA at a time.
Connecting another CDRA to the Avamar server will cause the Avamar server to
disconnect from the previous CDRA.

Editing backup servers


To edit the information for a backup server after it has been connected to the Cloud
DR Add-on:
Procedure
1. Click Backup Servers on the top navigation bar.
The Your Backup Servers page displays.
2. Click the edit (pencil) icon next to the appropriate backup server.
3. Change the IP address or hostname, the port, or the username or password
associated with the backup server and click Save & Connect.

Disconnecting from a backup servers


To disconnect from a backup server after it has been connected to the Cloud DR Add-
on:
Procedure
1. Click Backup Servers on the top navigation bar.
The Your Backup Servers page displays.
2. Click the delete (trash can) icon next to the appropriate backup server.
3. Click Remove to confirm.

60 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

Note

If an Avamar server is removed and then reconnected, a full backup of all


protected VMs will be performed. Previously protected VMs will be accessible
to DR and Failover via CDRS.

Connecting to Data Domain systems


Use the Connect to Your Data Domain Systems page to connect CDRA to Data
Domain servers.
Procedure
1. Click Data Domain Systems on the top navigation bar.
The Connect to Your Data Domain Systems page displays.
2. Click Add Data Domain System.
The Connect to Your Data Domain System dialog box displays.
3. Enter the hostname or IP address of the Data Domain server.
4. Enter the DDBoost username and password.
The user information entered here must be the same credentials that are used
to connect the Data Domain to the Avamar server.
5. Click Save & Connect.
6. To connect to additional Data Domain servers, repeat steps 2 on page 61
through 5 on page 61 for each Data Domain server.
Results
The Your Data Domain Systems page displays, listing all Data Domain systems
connected to the CDRA.

Editing Data Domain systems


To edit the information for a Data Domain system after it has been connected to the
Cloud DR Add-on:
Procedure
1. Click Data Domain Servers on the top navigation bar.
The Your Data Domain Systems page displays.
2. Click the edit (pencil) icon next to the appropriate Data Domain system.
3. Change the IP address or hostname, or the DDBoost username or password
associated with the Data Domain system and click Save & Connect.

Disconnecting from a Data Domain system


To disconnect from a Data Domain system after it has been connected to the Cloud
DR Add-on:
Procedure
1. Click Data Domain Servers on the top navigation bar.
The Your Data Domain Systems page displays.
2. Click the delete (trash can) icon next to the appropriate Data Domain system.
3. Click Remove to confirm.

Configuring the Cloud DR Add-on and deploying the Cloud DR Server 61


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

Configuring Avamar backups to use DD Cloud DR


Before you begin
To perform backups from the Avamar with DD Cloud DR support, you must first:
l Install, deploy and configure the DD Cloud DR system, including registering the
CDRA with Avamar. Deploying and Configuring DD Cloud DR on page 53 contains
instructions.
l Add a vCenter client to Avamar and configure proxy-based backup of VMs. Avamar
for VMware User Guide contains instructions.
l Create a dataset with the Store backup on Data Domain system checkbox
enabled and a Data Domain system selected.

Note

Only policy-based backups can be used with DD Cloud DR. Ad-hoc backups of
individual VMs are not supported.

Procedure
1. Follow the instructions for creating or editing a backup group found in the
Avamar Administration Guide.

Note

You must select a dataset that has the Store backup on Data Domain system
checkbox enabled.

2. At the Enable DD Cloud DR page of the New Group wizard, select the Enable
DD Cloud DR checkbox.
3. Select the DD Cloud DR Target.
The DD Cloud DR Target is configured during CDRA configuration. Deploying
and Configuring DD Cloud DR on page 53 contains further information.
4. For the Cloud Retention Policy, select either:
l Copies to keep, and enter the maximum numbers of copies of the protected
VM that will be stored in the cloud for disaster recovery.
l Retention period, and select the amount of time that the copies will be
retained in the cloud for disaster recovery.

Note

CDRA will orchestrate the removal of copies from the cloud based on the cloud
retention policy entered here.

5. For the Last backup should not be older than option, select the maximum
interval between two backups that are copied to the cloud.
6. Complete the other information related to the group as described in the Avamar
Administration Guide and click Finish.

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Results
After either an ad-hoc or scheduled group backup of the new group has been
performed, the copy will be listed as Remote-CDRA in the Restore tab of the
Backup, Restore and Manage window.

Performing a DR test or failover of a DD Cloud DR copy


You can perform a DR test or failover of a DD Cloud DR copy from within Avamar
Administrator.
A DR test is designed for temporary access to an EC2 instance, to test that the
recovered VM works before performing a failover or to retrieve specific data, whereas
a failover should be used when the on-premises production VM has experienced a
disaster or is otherwise not running.
You cannot promote a DR test to failover using the Avamar software. To promote a
DR test to failover, you must use the Cloud DR Server graphical interface. The Data
Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery Installation and Administration Guide contains
instructions for promoting a DR test to failover.

Note

When performing failovers, you must failover VMs in the appropriate order to insure
the proper functioning of servers and applications.

Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Backup & Restore launcher button.
The Backup, Restore and Manage window appears.
2. Select Actions > Restore Now.
The Restore Options dialog box appears.
3. Locate the backup, as described in the Avamar Administration Guide.
4. Select All virtual disks in the Contents of Backup pane.
5. Right-click All virtual disks and select DR Now....
The Cloud DR Option dialog displays.
6. Select either Initiate DR Test or Initiate Failover.
7. Select the AWS network that will be used to launch the AWS instance of the
restored VM.
8. Click OK to begin the DR test or failover operation and click Yes to confirm.
Results
The progress of the restore operation can be viewed in the DR Activity Monitor tab
of the Activity Monitor window of Avamar Administrator.

Ending a DR test from the Avamar Administrator


A DD Cloud DR DR test can be stopped from within the Avamar Administrator. Only a
DR test activity in the state READY can be stopped, and failover activities cannot be
stopped.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Activity launcher button.

Performing a DR test or failover of a DD Cloud DR copy 63


Data Domain Cloud Disaster Recovery

The Activity window appears.


2. Click the Activity Monitor tab.
3. Select the DR Activity Monitor tab.
4. Right-click an appropriate DR test in state READY and select Stop.

64 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


CHAPTER 6
Cloud Tier

This chapter includes the following topics:

l Overview of Avamar cloud tier........................................................................... 66


l Avamar cloud tier configuration......................................................................... 66
l Avamar cloud tier disaster recovery................................................................... 70
l Status of cloud tier operations............................................................................71
l Best practices and limitations with cloud tier...................................................... 71

Cloud Tier 65
Cloud Tier

Overview of Avamar cloud tier


The Avamar cloud tier feature works in tandem with the Data Domain Cloud Tier
feature to move Avamar backups from Data Domain systems to the cloud. This
provides long-term storage of Avamar backups by seamlessly and securely tiering data
to the cloud.
From the Avamar Administrator, you configure cloud tier to move Avamar backups
from Data Domain to the cloud, and you can perform seamless recovery of these
backups.
Data Domain cloud storage units must be pre-configured on the Data Domain before
they are configured for cloud tier in the Avamar Administrator. The Data Domain
Operating System Administration Guide provides further information.

Avamar cloud tier configuration


Configuring the Avamar server to manage the cloud tier feature on the Data Domain
system involves two primary tasks:
l Adding or editing a Data Domain system in the Avamar Administrator to enable
cloud tier.
l Creating a cloud tier group.
The following sections describe how to perform these tasks.

Adding or editing a Data Domain system with cloud tier support


Use this procedure to add a Data Domain system with cloud tier support.
Procedure
1. Follow the instructions at Adding a Data Domain system on page 29 for adding a
Data Domain system, or editing an edit Data Domain system in the Avamar
Administrator.
2. In the Add Data Domain System or Edit Data Domain System dialog box, click
the Tiering tab.
3. Select Enable Cloud Tier.
4. For Cloud Unit, select the cloud unit that is configured on the Data Domain as
the cloud unit for the Data Domain system to use.
5. Click OK.
A progress message appears.
6. Click Close when the operation completes.

Creating a new tier group


Tier groups are used to configure the clients, backups, schedules, and other
information related to cloud tier configuration.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Data Movement Policy launcher button.
The Data Movement Policy window appears.
2. Select Action > New Group > Tier

66 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Cloud Tier

The New Tier Group wizard opens.


3. Enter a name for the tier group and click Next.
The Source page appears.
4. Complete the following information:
a. For Membership, select one of the following:
l Tier all client backups—Selects all clients (except for the clients in
the /REPLICATE domain) for cloud tier.
l Move specific client(s) and/or domain(s) to Tier:
Click Choose Membership and select the clients that should have their
backups moved to the cloud tier.

b. For Filter, select either to tier all backups or to filter backup tiering by
excluding or including backups.
c. If backup filtering is selected, click Change Filter.
The Tier Filter Options dialog box opens.
d. For Backup Types, select the type of backup.
For example, if you want to limit tiering to only backups of type monthly,
deselect all the options except Monthly.

e. For Maximum backups per client, select how many existing backups will be
tiered to the cloud each time the schedule is run.
No limit will tier all backups of the type selected in Backup Types.

f. For Age Threshold, determine how long the backup will reside on the Data
Domain prior to being tiered to the cloud.
l The Younger option allows you to create a range; for example, you could
configure tiering for all backups that have been on the Data Domain
system for longer than 30 days, but less than one year.

Note

Data Domain requires that data reside on the Data Domain active tier for a
minimum of 14 days prior to being tiered to the cloud.

g. Click Next.
The Destination page appears, indicating the cloud unit that has been
configured for the selected Data Domain system.
h. Click Next.
The Expiration page appears.
i. Click Next.
The Schedule page appears.
j. Select a schedule and click Next.

Creating a new tier group 67


Cloud Tier

Note

The schedule determines when and how often Avamar marks backups on the
Data Domain for tiering to the cloud. However, the actual movement of the
data from the Data Domain to the cloud is performed based on the Data
Domain's tier schedule.

The Overview page appears.

k. Click Finish..

Restore operations for cloud tier


Restores of backups that have been tiered to the cloud are identical to normal restore
operations.
The Avamar software will recall the backup from the cloud to the active tier of the
Data Domain, then perform a restore of the backup from the active tier to the client.
The backup is stored on Data Domain active tier and will be re-tiered to the cloud
based on the Data Domain's data movement policy.

Note

When performing a File Level Recovery, the entire backup is recalled from the cloud
tier to the active tier. Depending the type of service you have with your cloud
provider, this may incur significant egress costs for moving the entire backup from the
cloud to the active tier, even if you are only attempting to restore a small number of
files.

DB2 restore and rollforward and SAP restore when using cloud tier
When a cloud tier policy is configured for DB2 and SAP plug-in backups, components
required to perform a restore and recovery operation may have been moved to the
cloud tier. This can cause failures for DB2 restore and rollforward through the Avamar
Administrator, and also for SAP CLI restore.
For the DB2 plug-in, the archive log backups that are needed for a restore and
rollforward through the Avamar Administrator might have been already moved to the
cloud tier. Initiating a restore and rollforward through the Avamar Administrator will
automatically trigger a recall of the full backup, but not for the archive logs. The
missing logs will cause the restore and rollforward to fail. The following error message
will be written to avdb2 log:

avdb2 Error <11473>: restore: failed to rollforward database <db-


name>, to given Date and Time, leaving database in rollforward
pending state
avdb2 Info <11474>: Next log file to process = <logfile-name>

For the SAP plug-in, when the backup is already stored in the cloud tier, the restore
will fail with the following error message in the backint log:

backint Error <14219>:


Restore label <'label-name'> of <nn> files has
failed.

68 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Cloud Tier

How to recover from these restore failures


Follow this procedure to recover from these restore failures:
Procedure
1. Find the list of backups required for the restore:
The Avamar Administrator Manage page can be used to locate backups that
need to be recalled. Use the calendar and the Date & Time column to find the
full database backup that you intend to restore.
l For archive log backups required for DB2 restore and rollforward, in addition
to the full backup, you will also need all the archive logs from the time of the
full backup up to, and including, the archive logs for the point in time to
which you are recovering. Use the Date & Time column to locate all the
required backups.
l For archive log backups required for SAP CLI restore, there may be
additional entries for archive logs that were backed up together with the full
backup. Use the Date & Time column to locate these entries for the same
backup.
For each backup entry in the manage screen that you have located, if the Tier
column shows Cloud, then it will need to be recalled from the cloud tier. Retain
the list of the label numbers for all required backups to be used in the next step.

2. Perform a manual recall for the identified label numbers:


Log into the Avamar server as admin and run the following command at the
command prompt to perform the recall:

avtier --operation=restore --hfsaddr=Server-Name --


hfsport=27000 --path=/clients/Client-Name --labelnum=Label-Num

where:
l Server-Name is the name of the Avamar server.
l Client-Name is the name of the Avamar client whose backups are being
recalled.
l Label-Num is the label number located in step 1.

Note

By default, the avtier logs will be generated in the following path: /usr/
local/avamar/var/client/

3. Verify all required backups are on the active tier:


Once the recall is complete, the Tier column on the Avamar Administrator
Manage page for each recalled backup will change from Cloud to Active.
4. Proceed with restore as usual.

Restore operations for cloud tier 69


Cloud Tier

Avamar cloud tier disaster recovery


Avamar cloud tier disaster recovery supports the recovery of backups from the cloud
in case of the loss of a Data Domain server and the recovery of an Avamar server in
case of the loss of the Avamar server.

Note

If you experience a Data Domain or Avamar data loss, submit a service request to
Avamar Support. Support representatives manage the disaster recovery process.

Required Configurations
l To recover backups from the cloud, enable and run the Data Domain cloud tier
feature.
l To support recovering an Avamar server from the cloud, configure Data Domain
and the tier group so that checkpoint backups are tiered to the cloud. For details
on this process, see Configuring an Avamar server for recovery from the cloud on
page 70.
Limitations
There are some limitations inherent in the cloud tier disaster recovery feature:
l Data that has resided on the active tier for less than the 14-day minimum is not
tiered to the cloud and is not available for recovery from the cloud using the cloud
tier disaster recovery feature. However, you can recover from a disaster recovery
site by using the standard Avamar recovery workflows.
l Partial or intermediate backups that are not contained in the final snapshot backup
are not displayed as successful in Avamar Administrator. Such backups cannot be
tiered to or recovered from the cloud.
l Support for this feature is effective with the release of Data Domain OS 6.0.1.
l The feature does not support recovery of a multi-node Avamar server from the
cloud.

Configuring an Avamar server for recovery from the cloud


To configure Avamar server for recovery from the cloud, designate the Data Domain
system as a target for Avamar Checkpoint backups and edit the Avamar tier group.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
2. Select the Server Management tab.
3. Select the Data Domain system from the tree in the left pane.
4. Select Actions > Edit Data Domain System.
The Edit Data Domain System dialog box displays.
5. In the Misc section of the dialog box, select Use as target for Avamar
Checkpoint Backups, then click OK.
The Avamar checkpoint backup can now be stored on the Data Domain system.
6. In Avamar Administrator, click the Data Movement Policy launcher button.
The Data Movement Policy window appears.

70 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Cloud Tier

7. In the Groups tab, double-click the tier group that you want to configure, then
click Edit Group.
The Edit Tier Group window displays.
8. In the left-most pane of the Edit Tier Group window, select Overview to open
the Overview page in the right pane.
9. On the Overview page, click More Options to open the More Options dialog
box.
10. In the dialog box, select Tier checkpoint backup, then click OK.
The Avamar checkpoint backup can now be tiered to the cloud.

Status of cloud tier operations


The Avamar Administrator displays various statuses related to cloud tier operations in
the System Monitor and the Backup, Restore, and Manage window.
l Active—The backup is currently stored on the active tier of the Data Domain and
is not stored in the cloud.
l Marked—The backup is marked for tiering to the cloud. While the Avamar
software marks data for tiering to the cloud, the actual tier operations take place
based on the Data Domain tier operations schedule. When the backup is marked
for tiering but has not yet been tiered, it is listed as Marked in the Avamar
Administrator.
l Cloud—The backup has been tiered to the cloud.
l Indeterminate—When the Avamar server is marking backups for tiering or
recalling backups from the cloud, the backup will have the status of Indeterminate.
If the backup stays at Indeterminate status, rather than reverting to Marked or
Active status, it may indicate that the marking or recall action failed.

Best practices and limitations with cloud tier


This section provides the best practices for using the cloud tier feature, along with its
limitations.
Best practices
l Best practices for the cloud tier feature for application plug-in backups:
The cloud tier feature is for long-term retention of backups that are generally not
needed for operational recoveries any longer. It is recommended that the Age
Threshold be chosen carefully so as to not tier to cloud any backups that may be
needed by current backups and restores, particularly for database plug-ins. Some
plug-ins create backups in a sequence that are interdependent. Typically, a full
backup is followed by incremental and log backups. One backup may be
referenced by later backups, and multiple backups may be needed during recovery
to bring a database to a specific point in time.
For plug-in backups, the Age Threshold should be chosen based on the frequency
of full backups and typical recovery scenarios. At least a single chain of a full
backup plus incremental and log backups should be available on the Data Domain
active tier to avoid issues. Additional backup chains may need to stay on the active
tier depending on your recovery strategy. For example, if you run a full backup
once a week and incrementals daily, and you must be able to restore 3-week old
data, then you will need the three to four latest chains of full and incremental
backups residing on the DD active tier. Data older than four weeks can then be

Status of cloud tier operations 71


Cloud Tier

moved to cloud. It is generally also possible to restore older backups from the
cloud tier.
l When performing both replication and tiering, replicate the backup first before
performing tiering. This will prevent data recalls from the cloud tier, as data can
only be replicated from an active tier to active tier.
l Using the Data Domain M-Tree data movement policy to move Avamar backups to
the cloud is not supported. Avamar backups should be tiered to the cloud using the
Avamar software to configure tier groups and perform tier operations. Otherwise
the Avamar software will be unaware of the location of the backups in the cloud
and unable to perform recoveries or manage policies for those backups.
Limitations
l Cancelling a tier operation from the Avamar software, once the tier operation has
been started, is not supported.
l Cancelling a recall operation from the Avamar software during recovery is not
supported.
l Restore operations from the MCCLI are not supported.
l Restore operations from the Avamar REST API are not supported.
l When performing a File Level Recovery, the entire backup is recalled from the
cloud tier to the active tier. Depending on the type of service you have with your
cloud provider, this may incur significant egress costs for moving the entire
backup from the cloud to the active tier, even if you are only attempting to restore
a small number of files.
l Avamar Desktop/Laptop does not currently support the Avamar cloud tier feature.

72 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


CHAPTER 7
Monitoring and Reporting

This chapter includes the following topics:

l Monitoring the system with the Avamar Administrator Dashboard.....................74


l Monitoring the system with SNMP.................................................................... 74
l Monitoring Data Domain system status and statistics........................................ 75
l Monitoring system events.................................................................................. 75
l Monitoring activities...........................................................................................75
l Monitoring Data Domain system capacity.......................................................... 76
l Replication monitoring....................................................................................... 78
l Server maintenance activity monitoring............................................................. 78

Monitoring and Reporting 73


Monitoring and Reporting

Monitoring the system with the Avamar Administrator


Dashboard
The Avamar Administrator dashboard provides summary information for the Avamar
server and any configured Data Domain systems.
Figure 6 Avamar Administrator dashboard

The following summary information appears for each server:


l Total amount of storage
l Amount of used storage
l Amount of available storage
l Forecast capacity

Monitoring the system with SNMP


Avamar can collect and display data for health monitoring, system alerts, and capacity
reporting on a Data Domain system by using Simple Network Management Protocol
(SNMP).
To enable Avamar to collect data, specify the port number to receive traps when you
add the Data Domain system to the Avamar configuration.
The Data Domain SNMP service on the Avamar server receives and manages the
SNMP traps for all Data Domain systems. You can manage the service in Avamar
Administrator.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Administration launcher button.
The Administration window appears.
2. Click the Services Administration tab.
The Data Domain SNMP Manager service is the SNMP service for Data Domain.

74 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Monitoring and Reporting

3. To stop or start the service, right-click the service and select Stop Data
Domain SNMP Manager or Start Data Domain SNMP Manager, respectively.

Monitoring Data Domain system status and statistics


Avamar Administrator provides CPU, disk activity, and network activity for each Data
Domain system.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
2. Click the Server Monitor tab, and then click Data Domain tab.
The data listed in the following table appears on the Data Domain tab.

Monitoring system events


When you configure SNMP communication for Avamar and a Data Domain system, the
Avamar Event Monitor displays relevant events for the Data Domain system. You can
filter the events to display only those events for a Data Domain system.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Administration launcher button.
The Administration window appears.
2. Click the Event Management tab.
3. Select Actions > Event Management > Filter.
The Filter dialog box appears.
4. Select the Data Domain systems.

Option Description
To view activities for all Data Domain systems Select All Systems.

To view activities for a specific Data Domain a. Select System.


system
b. Click the ... .

c. Select the Data Domain system in the


Select Data Domain System dialog
box, and then click OK.

5. Click OK in the Filter dialog box.

Monitoring activities
You can monitor recent backup, restore, and validation activities by using the Activity
Monitor in Avamar Administrator. The Server column in the Activity Monitor lists the
server, either the Avamar server or the Data Domain system, on which the activity
occurred.
The Activity Monitor displays the most recent 5,000 client activities during the past
72 hours. You can filter the Activity Monitor to view only activities for data on a Data
Domain system.

Monitoring Data Domain system status and statistics 75


Monitoring and Reporting

Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Activity launcher button.
The Activity window appears.
2. Click the Activity Monitor tab.
3. Select Actions > Filter.
The Filter Activity dialog box appears
4. Select Data Domain Systems from the Source list.
5. Select the Data Domain systems.

Option Description
To view activities for all Data Domain systems Select All Systems.

To view activities for a specific Data Domain a. Select System.


system
b. Click the ... .

c. Select the Data Domain system in the


Select Data Domain System dialog
box, and then click OK.

6. Click OK in the Filter Activity dialog box.

Monitoring Data Domain system capacity


Avamar checks the capacity of each Data Domain system every 24 hours. Avamar
then logs an event in the Event Monitor if the capacity reaches 95 percent full, or if
the forecast number of days until the capacity is full is less than or equal to 90 days.
You can also monitor the capacity of a Data Domain system by using the Server
Management tab on the Server window in Avamar Administrator.
When the Data Domain system reaches its capacity limit, you can reclaim space on the
device by using the instructions in Reclaiming storage on a full Data Domain system.

Note

When the Data Domain system reaches 99 percent capacity, maintenance operations
fail. The best practice recommendation is to limit Data Domain capacity usage to 80
percent.

Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
2. Click the Server Management tab.
3. Select the Data Domain system from the tree in the left pane.
Data Domain system details appear in the right pane.

The following table provides information on Data Domain system capacity


information.

76 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Monitoring and Reporting

Table 7 Data Domain system capacity details

Field Description
Total Capacity (post-comp size) The total capacity for compressed data on the
Data Domain system.

Server Utilization (post-comp use%) The percentage of capacity used on the Data
Domain system for any reason after
compression of the data.

Bytes Protected The total number of bytes of data that are


protected, or backed up, on the Data Domain
system. This value is the number of bytes
before the data is compressed.

File System Available (post-comp avail) The total amount of disk space available for
compressed data in the Data Domain File
System.

File System Used (post-comp used) The total amount of disk space used in the
Data Domain File System for compressed
data.

User Name The DD Boost user account used for Avamar


and Data Domain system integration.

Default Replication Storage System Specifies if the Data Domain system has been
configured as the Default Replication Storage
System.

Target for Avamar Checkpoint Backups Specifies if the Data Domain system is a
target for Avamar checkpoint backups. This
option is only available for single-node Avamar
servers and AVE.

Maximum Streams Specifies the maximum streams supported by


the Data Domain system.

Maximum Stream Limit The maximum number of Data Domain system


streams that Avamar can use at any one time
to perform backups and restores.

Instant Access Limit The maximum number of VMware Instant


Access restores allowed. For Avamar 7.4, this
number is 32.

DDOS Version The DD OS version for the Data Domain


system.

Serial Number The serial number for the Data Domain


system.

Model Number The model number for the Data Domain


system.

Monitoring Status The current Avamar monitoring status of the


Data Domain system.

Monitoring Data Domain system capacity 77


Monitoring and Reporting

Replication monitoring
To monitor replication activity in Avamar, including replication activities associated
with a Data Domain system, use either the Activity Monitor or the Replication Report.
Activity Monitor
The Activity Monitor in Avamar Administrator provides a list of recent replication
activities. If you select a Replication Source or Replication Destination activity, and
then select Actions > View Statistics, you can view additional statistics about the
replication, including:
l A list of backups that were replicated
l The clients associated with the replicated backups
l The scheduled start and end times for the replication
l The actual start and end times for the replication
l A list of any errors that occurred
The Avamar Administration Guide provides more information on how to access the
Activity Monitor and the available statistics.
Replication Report
The Replication Report in Avamar Administrator also provides details on recent
replication activities. You can filter the report to view only replication activities
associated with a Data Domain system.

Server maintenance activity monitoring


Avamar performs the system maintenance operations for backup data on the Data
Domain system, including HFS checks, checkpoints, rollbacks, garbage collection, and
secure backup deletion.
The ddrmaint utility implements all required operations on the Data Domain system
for the Avamar server. The ddrmaint utility is installed on the utility node of a multi-
node server, or the single node of a single-node server, during Avamar server
installation. The ddrmaint utility is not installed on the data nodes of the Avamar
server.
The ddrmaint utility logs all maintenance activities on the Avamar server in the
ddrmaint.log file, which is located in the /usr/local/avamar/var/
ddrmaintlogs directory on the utility node of a multi-node Avamar server. The
ddrmaint.log file is rotated when it reaches 25 MB in size.

78 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


APPENDIX A
Troubleshooting

This appendix includes the following topics:

l Viewing detailed status information for troubleshooting.................................... 80


l Data Domain status and resolutions................................................................... 80
l Monitoring status...............................................................................................84
l Common problems and solutions........................................................................ 87
l Reclaiming storage on a full Data Domain system...............................................87
l Re-creating the SSH public/private key pair......................................................89
l Using legacy certificate authentication with Data Domain requires command line
flags .................................................................................................................. 90

Troubleshooting 79
Troubleshooting

Viewing detailed status information for troubleshooting


Icons on the status bar in Avamar Administrator indicate whether there is a problem
either with the Avamar connection to a Data Domain system or with a Data Domain
system.

Table 8 Status bar problem indicators

Status bar icon Description


Avamar cannot retrieve information from a
Data Domain system. However, backups and
restores can continue during this condition.

Avamar cannot connect to a Data Domain


system, or a Data Domain system is disabled
in some way. Backups and restores do not
occur during this condition.

If one of the icons in the previous table appears in the status bar, you can view more
detailed status information for the Data Domain system on the Server Management
tab in the Server window.
Procedure
1. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
The Server window appears.
2. Select the Server Management tab, and then select the Data Domain system
in the tree.
The Monitoring Status row in the right pane provides detailed status of the
Data Domain system.

Data Domain status and resolutions


The following table lists the available values for the Monitoring Status row on the
Server Management tab in the Server window in Avamar Administrator. If the status
indicates a problem, a proposed resolution is provided.

Table 9 Monitoring status values and resolutions

Monitoring status Resolution

OK No resolution is required.

SNMP Getter/Setter disabled Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable
SNMP by typing snmp enable.

Unable to get CPU, disk, and Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable
network statistics data SNMP by typing snmp enable.

Unable to get CPU and disk Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable
statistics data SNMP by typing snmp enable.

Unable to get network Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable
statistics data SNMP by typing snmp enable.

80 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Troubleshooting

Table 9 Monitoring status values and resolutions (continued)

Monitoring status Resolution

Unable to get file system Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable
statistics data SNMP by typing snmp enable.

Error invoking ssh cli command Review the system log files to determine the
cause of the problem. You should also review
the DD OS Command Reference Guide.

File system disabled Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable Data
Domain file system operations by typing
filesys enable.
When the Data Domain file system is disabled,
Avamar cannot perform backups to and
restores from the device.
After you enable file system operations, it
might take as long as 10 minutes before
Avamar Administrator correctly reflects the
status of the Data Domain system, especially
if the Data Domain system is a DD Extended
Retention. Do not perform backups, restores,
or system maintenance operations until the
status appears correctly in Avamar
Administrator. Otherwise, the backups,
restores, or system maintenance operations
might fail.

Unable to get SNMP file system Verify that the SNMP getter/setter port is
status valid. This is the port that you specified when
you added the Data Domain system to the
Avamar configuration.

Failed to authenticate ssh cli Verify that the SSH public/private key pair
connection with ssh key was set up correctly on both the Avamar
server and the Data Domain system. Re-
creating the SSH public/private key pair
provides more information.

Failed to authenticate SSH CLI Verify that the DD Boost user credentials are
connection with credentials correct. The credentials are the username and
password that you specified when you added
the Data Domain system to the Avamar
configuration.

Unable to retrieve ssh key Verify that the SSH public/private key pair is
file pair set up correctly on both the Avamar server
and the Data Domain system, and that the
public key is copied to the correct location on
the Data Domain system. Re-creating the
SSH public/private key pair provides more
information.

Unable to retrieve ssh public Verify that the SSH public/private key pair
key file was set up correctly on both the Avamar
server and the Data Domain system, and that

Data Domain status and resolutions 81


Troubleshooting

Table 9 Monitoring status values and resolutions (continued)

Monitoring status Resolution


the public key was copied to the correct
location on the Data Domain system. Re-
creating the SSH public/private key pair
provides more information.

Unable to retrieve ssh private Verify that the SSH public/private key pair
key file was set up correctly on both the Avamar
server and the Data Domain system. Re-
creating the SSH public/private key pair
provides more information.

DDBoost disabled Enable DD Boost using either the Data Domain


SSH CLI or the web-based Data Domain
Enterprise Manager.
To enable DD Boost by using the SSH CLI,
type ddboost enable.
When DD Boost is disabled, Avamar cannot
perform backups to and restores from the
device.

DDBoost user disabled Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable the
DD Boost user by typing user enable
username, where username is the username
of the DD Boost user.
When the DD Boost user is disabled, Avamar
cannot perform backups and restores to and
from the device.

DDBoost user changed on Data If you edited the DD Boost user account
Domain system information on the Data Domain system, then
you must edit the DD Boost user account
information in the Data Domain configuration
on the Avamar server.
When you edit the DD Boost user account
information in Avamar Administrator, the SSH
key may fail. To resolve this issue, re-add the
SSH key using the instructions in Re-creating
the SSH public/private key pair.

DDBoost option disabled Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable DD
Boost by typing ddboost option set
distributed-segment-processing
enabled.
Backups continue when DD Boost is disabled.
However, performance decreases.

DDBoost option not available No resolution is required. The Data Domain


system is in a cluster. DD Boost is not
available in a cluster.

82 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Troubleshooting

Table 9 Monitoring status values and resolutions (continued)

Monitoring status Resolution

DDBoost not licensed Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to add the
license for DD Boost by typing license add
license, where license is the license code.

Invalid SNMP port Verify that you specified the correct getter/
setter port when you added the Data Domain
system to the Avamar configuration, and
ensure that the getter/setter port is open on
the Data Domain system by typing snmp
show trap-hosts.

Invalid SNMP trap host or trap Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to verify that
port the Avamar server is configured as a trap host
on the Data Domain system by typing snmp
show trap-hosts.
If necessary, use the Data Domain SSH CLI to
add the Avamar server as a trap host on the
Data Domain system by typing snmp add
trap-host hostname, where hostname is
the hostname of the Avamar server. By
default, port 163 is used.
Verify that you specified the correct trap port
when you added the Data Domain system to
the Avamar configuration.

Invalid SNMP community string Use the Data Domain SSH CLI to verify the
SNMP community string by typing snmp
show ro-communities.
Verify that you specified the correct SNMP
community string when you added the Data
Domain system to the Avamar configuration.

Error getting SNMP objects Review the system log files to determine the
cause of the problem. Search the Data
Domain knowledgebase for the error message.

SNMP trap manager is not Start the Data Domain SNMP Manager
running service:

1. In Avamar Administrator, click the


Administration tab.
The Administration window appears.
2. Click the Services Administration tab.

3. Right-click the Data Domain SNMP


Manager row in the right pane and
select Start Data Domain SNMP
Manager.

Unknown Host The DNS server cannot resolve the hostname


of the Data Domain system. Ensure that the

Data Domain status and resolutions 83


Troubleshooting

Table 9 Monitoring status values and resolutions (continued)

Monitoring status Resolution


hostname and IP address for the Data Domain
system are configured correctly in DNS.

Host is not reachable Avamar cannot connect to the hostname or IP


address of the Data Domain system. This may
be because the device is powered off, there is
a network connection issue, the connection is
blocked by the firewall, and so on.

Invalid host, user name, or Ensure that you specified the hostname or IP
password address of the Data Domain system, the DD
Boost username, and password. Attempt to
log in to the Data Domain system with the
specified username and password. Verify that
the Avamar server can ping the Data Domain
system.

Synchronization of maintenance Avamar cannot synchronize maintenance


operations is off operations such as checkpoints, HFS checks,
and Garbage Collection with the Data Domain
system.
Avamar Support must enable synchronization
of these operations by using the avmaint
config command to set the useddr value to
TRUE.

Unknown Contact Data Domain Support.

Monitoring status
When the monitoring status on the Server Management tab in the Server window in
Avamar Administrator is a value other than OK, additional information appears in a list
below the Monitoring Status.
The following table describes status messages and provides resolutions if the status
indicates a problem.

Table 10 Server Management monitoring status details

Monitoring status Description

l DDBoost Licensed DD Boost licensing status.

l DDBoost not Licensed If the value is DDBoost not licensed,


then use the Data Domain SSH CLI to add the
license for DD Boost by typing license add
license, where license is the license code.

l DDBoost Enabled DD Boost status.

l DDBoost Disabled If the value is DDBoost Disabled, then


enable DD Boost by using either the Data

84 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Troubleshooting

Table 10 Server Management monitoring status details (continued)

Monitoring status Description


Domain SSH CLI or the web-based Data
Domain Enterprise Manager.
To enable DD Boost by using the SSH CLI,
type ddboost enable.
When DD Boost is disabled, Avamar cannot
perform backups to and restores from the
device.

l DDBoost User Enabled DD Boost user status.

l DDBoost User Disabled If the value is DDBoost User


Disabled, then use the Data Domain SSH
CLI to enable the DD Boost user by typing
user enable username, where username
is the username of the DD Boost user.
When the DD Boost user is disabled, Avamar
cannot perform backups to and restores from
the device.

l DDBoost User Valid DD Boost user status.

l DDBoost User Changed If the value is DDBoost User Changed


and you edited the DD Boost user account
information on the Data Domain system, then
you must edit the DD Boost user account
information in the Data Domain configuration
on the Avamar server.
When you edit the DD Boost user account
information in Avamar Administrator, the SSH
key may fail. To resolve this issue, re-add the
SSH key using the instructions in Re-creating
the SSH public/private key pair.

l DDBoost Option Enabled DD Boost option status.

l DDBoost Option Disabled If the value is DDBoost Option


Disabled, then use the Data Domain SSH
l DDBoost Option not CLI to enable DD Boost by typing ddboost
Available option set distributed-segment-
processing enabled.
Backups continue when DD Boost is disabled.
However, performance decreases.
If the value is DDBoost Option not
Available, then the Data Domain system
is in a cluster, and DD Boost is not available in
a cluster.

l SNMP Enabled SNMP status.

l SNMP Disabled

Monitoring status 85
Troubleshooting

Table 10 Server Management monitoring status details (continued)

Monitoring status Description

If the value is SNMP Disabled, then use


the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable SNMP by
typing snmp enable.

l File System Running Status of the Data Domain file system.

l File System Enabled When the Data Domain file system is disabled,
Avamar cannot perform backups to and
l File System Disabled restores from the device.
l File System Unknown If the value is File System Disabled,
l File system status unknown then use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable
Data Domain file system operations by typing
since SNMP is disabled
filesys enable.
If the value is File system status
unknown since SNMP is disabled,
then use the Data Domain SSH CLI to enable
SNMP by typing snmp enable.
If the value is File System Unknown,
then verify that the SNMP getter/setter port
is valid. This is the port that you specified
when you added the Data Domain system to
the Avamar configuration.
If you enable file system operations, it may
take as many as 10 minutes before Avamar
Administrator correctly reflects the status of
the Data Domain system, especially if the
Data Domain system is a DD Extended
Retention. Do not perform backups, restores,
or system maintenance operations until the
status appears correctly in Avamar
Administrator. Otherwise, the backups,
restores, or system maintenance operations
may fail.

l Synchronization of Synchronization status of maintenance


maintenance operations is operations, such as checkpoints, HFS checks,
and Garbage Collection, between the Avamar
off
server and the Data Domain system.
l Synchronization of
If the value is Synchronization of
maintenance operations is
maintenance operations is off,
on
then Avamar Support must enable
synchronization of these operations by using
the avmaint config command to set the
useddr value to TRUE.

86 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Troubleshooting

Common problems and solutions


This topic lists common problems and solutions when you store Avamar backups on a
Data Domain system.
Backup fails if the Data Domain system is offline
If the Data Domain system is offline when a backup starts, then the backup may take
five minutes or more before it fails. The failure occurs because there is a minimum
timeout period of five minutes for almost all DD Boost operations.
To resolve the failed backup, set the Data Domain system online and then retry the
backup.
Tail-log backup restrictions with DD Extended Retention
If you are restoring SQL Server data from either the target archive or sealed archive
tiers on a DD Extended Retention, then you must clear the Tail-log backup checkbox
to disable tail-log backups. The Use SQL Replace checkbox must be selected.
Otherwise, the restore fails. Tail-log backups are supported only when restoring data
from the active tier of a Data Domain system.
Level 1 Oracle backups to a DD Extended Retention may time out
When performing a Level 1 backup from an Oracle client to a DD Extended Retention,
the backup may time out and fail in the process of creating a snapview. To work
around this issue, increase the timeout limit by adding the following flag to the
avoracle.cmd file:
--[avoracle]subprocesstimeoutsecs=n
where n is the number of seconds before the timeout occurs. The default value is 150.
A value of 200 or greater is recommended.
Rollback includes deleted Data Domain system
If you roll back to a checkpoint that contains a configured Data Domain system that
you deleted from the configuration after the checkpoint, then the Data Domain
system is restored to the configuration.
If you do not want the Data Domain system, then delete it from the configuration after
the rollback completes. However, if you want to restore the Data Domain system to
the configuration, then you must re-add the SSH key and trap host to the Data
Domain system. These values are deleted when you delete the Data Domain system
and cannot be restored on the Data Domain system during a rollback of the Avamar
server. To restore these values, open the Edit Data Domain System dialog box in
Avamar Administrator and click the Re-add SSH Key and Re-add Trap Host buttons.
Backend capacity reports fail
Do not run a backend capacity report for a client with backups on a Data Domain
system. Otherwise, the report fails. Backend capacity reports cannot include data on a
Data Domain system.

Reclaiming storage on a full Data Domain system


If you use all of the storage space on a Data Domain system, the following issues may
occur:
l Backups do not succeed and may not start.
l Operations that change information on the Data Domain system fail, including the
deletion of checkpoints, active backups, and expired backups during Garbage

Common problems and solutions 87


Troubleshooting

Collection. These operations may fail because they involve directory renames,
which are not allowed on a full Data Domain system.
Procedure
1. Determine the source of the data that is using the storage. The data may be
from a specific client, a group of clients associated with a specific Avamar
server, or a different backup product that stores data on the Data Domain
system.
2. Cancel any backups that are in progress:
a. In Avamar Administrator, click the Activity launcher button.
b. In the Activity window, click the Activity Monitor tab.
c. Select the backups, and then select Actions > Cancel Activity.
d. Click Yes on the confirmation message.
3. Suspend backups and restores:
a. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
b. In the Server window, click the Server Management tab.
c. In the tree pane, select the Avamar server node of the tree.
d. Select Actions > Suspend Backups/Restores.
e. Click Yes on the confirmation message.
4. Suspend server maintenance operations on the Avamar server:
a. In Avamar Administrator, select Tools > Manage Schedules.
b. In the Manage All Schedules window, click Suspend All.
5. On the Data Domain system, manually delete the existing STAGING, DELETED,
or cur/DELETED directories for the Avamar server.
6. Use Data Domain Enterprise Manager to initiate the Data Domain file system
cleaning operation.
This process should free enough space to enable Avamar server maintenance
operations to successfully complete.
7. Restart server maintenance operations on the Avamar server:
a. In Avamar Administrator, select Tools > Manage Schedules.
b. In the Manage All Schedules window, click Resume All.
8. Restart backups and restores:
a. In Avamar Administrator, click the Server launcher button.
b. In the Server window, click the Server Management tab.
c. In the tree pane, select the Avamar server node of the tree.
d. Select Actions > Resume Backups/Restores.
e. Click Yes on the confirmation message.
9. After server maintenance operations completes, you might need to perform the
following tasks to reclaim storage space on the Data Domain system:
l Delete backups.

88 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


Troubleshooting

l Delete checkpoints.
l Run Avamar Garbage Collection.
l Run the Data Domain file system cleaning operation.

Re-creating the SSH public/private key pair


When you add a Data Domain system to the Avamar configuration, the system
automatically creates and exchanges the public/private keys that the Avamar
Management Console Server (MCS) needs to enable a secure connection with the
Data Domain Secure Shell (DDSSH) interface.
However, in some unlikely circumstances, such as if you edit the DD Boost account
that Avamar uses to connect to the Data Domain system, then the SSH key may fail. If
this occurs, you must re-create and re-add the key on the Data Domain system.
Procedure
1. Open a command shell and log in by using one of the following methods:
l For a single-node server, log in to the server as admin.
l For a multi-node server, log in to the utility node as admin.
2. Change to the .ssh directory by typing cd ~/.ssh.
3. Generate a public/private key pair by typing the following command:
ssh-keygen -t rsa -N "" -f ddr_key

This command sets ddr_key as the file name for the key. There is no
passphrase for the key.
4. Log in to the Data Domain system by typing the following command:
ssh Avamar_ostuser@dd_system

where Avamar_ostuser is the name of the DD Boost user for Avamar on the
Data Domain system, and dd_system is the name of the Data Domain system.
5. Add the SSH public key to the SSH authorized keys file on the Data Domain
system by typing the following command:
adminaccess add ssh-keys user Avamar_ostuser

6. Copy and paste the public key, which is the contents of the file ddr_key.pub,
in /home/admin/.ssh:
a. Open a second command shell and log in to the utility node of the Avamar
server as admin.
b. Change to the .ssh directory by typing cd ~/.ssh.
c. Display the ddr_key.pub file by typing cat ddr_key.pub.
d. Select and copy the contents of the file.
e. Return to the first command shell window.
f. Paste the contents of the file in /home/admin/.ssh.
7. Enter the key by pressing Ctrl+D.
8. Switch user to root by typing su -.

Re-creating the SSH public/private key pair 89


Troubleshooting

9. Change directory to /usr/local/avamar/lib by typing the following


command:
cd /usr/local/avamar/lib/

10. Copy the private key to /home/admin/.ssh/ddr_key, which is the path and
name specified by ddr_ssh_key_path_name in the mcserver.xml file, by
typing the following command:
cp /home/admin/.ssh/ddr_key .

where ddr_key is the file name for the key.


11. Change the ownership of the key to the admin group by typing the following
command:
chown root:admin ddr_key

where ddr_key is the file name for the key.


12. Change the permissions for the key to 440 by typing the following command:
chmod 440 ddr_key

where ddr_key is the file name for the key.


13. Test that you can log in to the Data Domain system without providing a
password by typing the following command:
ssh -i path/ddr_key Avamar_ostuser@dd_system

where:
l path/ddr_key is the path and filename of the key.
l Avamar_ostuser is the name of the DD Boost user for Avamar on the Data
Domain system.
l dd_system is the name of the Data Domain system.

Using legacy certificate authentication with Data Domain


requires command line flags
When performing a backup to Data Domain using the --encrypt=tls-sa command
line flag to indicate legacy certificate authentication, metadata backups to the Avamar
server will succeed but backups to the Data Domain will fail. For successful backup,
you must specify the following flags:

--ddr-auth-enabled=false
--ddr-auth-mode=3

This will force certificate authentication for metadata backups to the Avamar server
while allowing backups to the Data Domain to succeed.

90 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide


GLOSSARY

Avamar Administrator A graphical management console software application that is used to remotely
administer an Avamar system from a supported Windows or Linux client computer.

Avamar client A computer or workstation that runs Avamar software and accesses the Avamar server
over a network connection. Avamar client software comprises a client agent and one or
more plug-ins.

Avamar server The server component of the Avamar client/server system. Avamar server is a fault-
tolerant, high-availability system that efficiently stores the backups from all protected
clients. It also provides essential processes and services required for data restores,
client access, and remote system administration. Avamar server runs as a distributed
application across multiple networked storage nodes.

backup A point-in-time copy of client data that can be restored as individual files, selected data,
or as an entire backup.

checkpoint A server backup taken for the express purpose of assisting with disaster recovery of the
Avamar server.

client A computer or workstation that runs Avamar software and accesses the Avamar server
over a network connection. Avamar client software consists of a client agent and one or
more plug-ins.

Data Domain system Disk-based deduplication appliances and gateways that provide data protection and
disaster recovery (DR) in the enterprise environment.

dataset A policy that defines a set of files, directories, and file systems for each supported
platform that are included or excluded in backups across a group of clients. A dataset is
a persistent and reusable Avamar policy that can be named and attached to multiple
groups.

DD Boost DD Boost is the API that Avamar clients use to access a Data Domain system. The DD
Boost API is installed automatically on the client computer when you install the Avamar
client. It is also installed automatically on the Avamar server when you install Avamar.

Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide 91


Glossary

DD OS Data Domain Operating System (DD OS) is the internal operating system on the Data
Domain system. The DD OS provides both a command line interface (CLI) for
performing all system operations and the Enterprise Manager (a graphical user
interface, or GUI) for some configuration operations, management, and monitoring.

ddrmaint utility Installed on the utility node of a multi-node server (or the single node of a single-node
server), this utility implements all required operations on the Data Domain system on
behalf of the Avamar server. It is not installed on the storage nodes of the Avamar
server.
The ddrmaint utility also uses the DD Boost to connect to a Data Domain system. The
DD Boost is installed with the ddrmaint utility automatically when you install Avamar.

MCS Management console server. The server subsystem that provides centralized
administration (scheduling, monitoring, and management) for the Avamar server. The
MCS also runs the server-side processes used by Avamar Administrator.

plug-in Avamar client software that recognizes a particular kind of data resident on that client.

plug-in options Options that you specify during backup or restore to control backup or restore
functionality.

policy A set of rules for client backups that can be named and applied to multiple groups.
Groups have dataset, schedule, and retention policies.

replication Replication is an optional feature that enables an Avamar system to store read-only
copies of its data on a remote system. The replicated data can be replicas of client
backups and copies of Avamar system data. Replication supports disaster recovery of
the Avamar system.

restore An operation that retrieves one or more file systems, directories, files, or data objects
from a backup and writes the data to a designated location.

retention The time setting to automatically delete backups on an Avamar server. Retention can be
set to permanent for backups that should not be deleted from an Avamar server.
Retention is a persistent and reusable Avamar policy that can be named and attached to
multiple groups.

SNMP Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) is a UDP-based network protocol. It is


used mostly in network management systems to monitor network-attached devices for
conditions that warrant administrative attention.

92 Avamar 7.5.1 Data Domain System Integration Guide

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