vRanger 7.8 - Integration Guide for NetVault SmartDisk

Hardware requirements

The use of NetVault SmartDisk in a production environment is only supported when run on a physical machine.

The NetVault SmartDisk server must meet the following hardware requirements:

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Processor requirements: Processor requirements vary based on the required NetVault SmartDisk Deduplication Rate (the rate at which NetVault SmartDisk deduplicates data) — the higher the Deduplication Rate requirements, the higher the CPU requirements for the machine where NetVault SmartDisk software is installed. Generally, the NetVault SmartDisk machine should be equipped with two dual-core processors.

The NetVault SmartDisk Deduplication Rate must be greater than or equal to the Ingest Rate to ensure that the deduplication process completes during the backup window or before the next weekly backup window begins. For more information, see Deduplication Rate < Ingest Rate.

•	Memory requirements:

Required minimum: 2 GB

Recommended minimum: An extra 400 MB per 1 TB of NetVault SmartDisk-unique data

Example

10 TB of NetVault SmartDisk Unique Data

2 GB + (400 MB * 10) = 2 GB + 4000 MB = 6 GB

•	Network requirement for all NetVault SmartDisk Instances: TCP/IP name resolution. After the machine that hosts the NetVault SmartDisk software has been identified, verify that the machine can resolve its own host name.

•	Storage Pool requirements: For Storage Pool requirements based on whether your goal is simplified management or optimal performance, see Defining a NetVault SmartDisk Storage Pool strategy.

Authentication requirements

•	Administrator account for installation: Administrator credentials are only required for use during the installation process, removal process, and, if necessary, manually restarting the NetVault SmartDisk Services.

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NetVault SmartDisk Non-privileged Group and User: Security group with full NetVault SmartDisk configuration and monitoring rights. You are not required to create the non-privileged user before installation. You can enter the applicable information during the installation process. The installer verifies that the account meets all applicable system requirements before continuing with the installation process.

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UNC path and credentials if using a network share on Windows: You can specify a path that includes a network share, whether it is mapped or using Universal Naming Convention (UNC). To do so, the parent directory of the target directory must exist — the target directory does not have to exist yet — and you must have the access credentials.

Important notes regarding Windows and the Non-Privileged User

The NetVault SmartDisk installer grants read- and write-access permission to the specified non-privileged user during the installation process. This access, which lets NetVault SmartDisk report Windows® Events, only applies to the Application log.

If you change the non-privileged user by using smartdisk password, the same rights are granted to the new user. The rights are retained for the original user because the original user might be assigned to multiple services on the same system. For the same reason, this access is also retained if you remove NetVault SmartDisk.

The modified registry key is:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\ Eventlog\Application

Therefore, if you know that a non-privileged user is not needed for other services, manually update the registry key and user account.

Installing the NetVault SmartDisk software

Throughout this document, an ellipsis (…) represents the path to where you installed NetVault SmartDisk. Replace the ellipsis with the applicable information.

Important considerations

•	If you install NetVault SmartDisk on a double-byte Windows® operating system and you do not use the default directories for installation, verify that the new directories are created using single-byte characters; installation fails if you use double-byte characters.

•	You cannot install the NetVault SmartDisk binaries — installation files — on a Network File System (NFS) share.

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During installation, you are prompted for two volume paths, which must be different. One volume contains the Staging Store, and the other contains the Chunk Index, Chunk Store, and Content Index. You can specify any supported file system that is listed in the Quest NetVault Backup Compatibility Guide available at https://support.quest.com. However, if you intend to use a third-party deduplication appliance, filer, or other form of network-attached storage (NAS) for the NetVault SmartDisk Storage Pools, you must use the network share for the appliance that is exported through Common Internet File System (CIFS) or NFS as the target for the Staging Store. You can specify one network share for each path during installation; if you need additional shares for the Storage Pools, you can add them after installation is finished. You can specify one network share for each path during installation; if you need additional shares for the Storage Pools, you can add them after installation is finished. For more information, see Completing the installation process.

 

NOTE: The Staging Path and Store Path must point to different target directories, for example, \\Server\share\Stage and \\Server\share\Store. For best performance, they should be on different physical storage devices.

•	If installation is interrupted or fails for any reason, for example, due to a power outage, remove the product before attempting to install it again. Manually delete the NetVault SmartDisk-related directory and its contents.