Before you configure backups, review your VMware environment and make a few key decisions about where components run and how data is accessed. In most cases, you can start with default settings and adjust only if your environment requires it.
Understand your environment
Your VMware environment affects how Commvault accesses data and which features are available.
On-premises vSphere
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Full access to vCenter and ESXi hosts
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All transport modes are typically available
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Fewer restrictions on restore targets and networking
Cloud-hosted vSphere
Cloud-hosted environments include services such as Azure VMware Solution, Google Cloud VMware Engine, and Amazon Elastic VMware Service (EVS).
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Access to ESXi hosts is restricted
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Operations rely on vCenter APIs
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HotAdd is the primary supported transport mode
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Some features, such as live recovery or live mount, might not be available
If you use a cloud-hosted environment, review provider-specific limitations before you configure backups.
Decide how to use access nodes
Default approach: Automatic selection
When you set up backups for VMware vCenter, start with Automatic access node selection. Commvault chooses an available access node based on your configuration.
When to select a specific access node
Select or deploy a specific access nodes when:
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Your environment has segmented or restricted networks
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You need to control where backup or restore operations run
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You need additional capacity for concurrent operations
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File restore operations require a specific access node
Restricted or offline environments
In restricted or offline environments (for example, air-gapped networks), standard access node deployment workflows aren’t available. Instead, deploy a Linux access node by using a locally staged access node and MediaAgent OVA file. For instructions, see Deploy a Linux access node for VMware vSphere.
Choose how data is accessed (transport mode)
Transport modes control how Commvault reads VM data during VMware backups and restores. The right choice depends on your network design, where you can place access nodes, and whether you can meet prerequisites such as VMware licensing and storage access.
When to use each mode
| Transport mode | Use it when | Requirements and prerequisites |
|---|---|---|
| Auto | You want Commvault to select the best available mode for each VM. | At least one supported transport mode must be viable for the environment. If Auto selects an unexpected mode, validate that the preferred mode’s prerequisites are met. |
| HotAdd | You want backups to run through virtual access nodes inside the VMware environment. | VMware licensing must support SCSI HotAdd. Place the access node where it can attach and mount VM disks for read operations. Ensure the access node can reach vCenter and the ESXi hosts that run the protected VMs. Size and place access nodes for throughput and concurrency. |
| NBD | You can read data over the network and performance is acceptable. | The access node must have network connectivity to vCenter and ESXi hosts. Ensure bandwidth and latency can support backup and restore throughput. |
| NBDSSL | You must encrypt NBD traffic in transit. | Same prerequisites as NBD. Account for encryption overhead when sizing and scheduling jobs. |
| SAN | You have a physical access node with direct SAN access to the VMFS datastores. | Use a physical access node with direct SAN access. Ensure the access node sees the same storage LUNs as the ESXi hosts and that zoning and multipathing are configured correctly. Confirm the access node can still reach vCenter and ESXi hosts for control-path operations. |
| NAS | Your VMs run on supported NFS datastores and you want to read directly from NFS storage. | VMs must reside on supported NFS datastores. The access node must be able to access the NFS storage that hosts the datastores. Confirm connectivity to vCenter and ESXi hosts for snapshot and control operations. |
Common causes of failures and what to check first
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HotAdd isn’t available
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Access node placement doesn’t match the environment
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SAN storage isn’t presented correctly to the access node
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NBD performance is too slow or jobs time out
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Auto selects a fallback mode you didn’t expect
Legacy licensing and controller notes
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SCSI HotAdd availability can vary by VMware edition and licensing. If HotAdd isn’t available in your vSphere edition, use an alternate transport mode.
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HotAdd relies on SCSI and doesn’t support IDE disks.