utilize all 3 PowerProtech DD network interfaces during backup

that is what the so-called ifgroup approach is for on DD end, then multiple interfaces are bundled and the ddboost protocol sorts out which interface to use for loadbalancing. The boost protocol also offers build-in failover, simply by having a -failover. entry in DNS (or resolvable via hosts entries on client end) besides the primary interface . . If it can't reach the primary interface that is stated in backup applications to be used, then the boost protocol will automatically try to use that failover interface instead. So in this case, it would have to point to any of the other interfaces in the ifgroup (preferably to an interface on a physical different network card).

from the ddos6.2 (as I don't know what DDOS version you use) admin guide:
"About interface groups
This feature lets you combine multiple Ethernet links into a group and register only one interface on the Data Domain system with the backup application. The DD Boost Library negotiates with the Data Domain system to obtain the best interface to send data. Load balancing provides higher physical throughput to the Data Domain system.

Configuring an interface group creates a private network within the Data Domain system, comprised of the IP addresses designated as a group. Clients are assigned to a single group, and the group interface uses load balancing to improve data transfer performance and increase reliability."

Hi Barry_beckkers,

Thank you for your feedback.
The explanation is very clear.

Now I would like to know how to configure it at the Data Domain level.

Thanks again for your availability.

Assuming you have a supported environment, get the available manual for the ddos version you have and work from there? This as it is a good idea to get the grasp of what it is and how to use it and how to configure it.

https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/dd-os/docs

I for one am doing pretty much everything via CLI, where the manual talks more about using the GUI.

"Creating interface groups
Use the IP Network tab to create interface groups and to add interfaces and clients to the groups.
About this task
Multiple interface groups improve the efficiency of DD Boost by allowing you to:
● Configure DD Boost to use specific interfaces configured into groups.
● Assign clients to one of those interface groups.
● Monitor which interfaces are active with DD Boost clients.
Create interface groups first, and then add clients (as new media servers become available) to an interface group.
Steps
1. Select Protocols > DD Boost > IP Network.
2. In the Interface Groups section, click Add (+).
3. Enter the interface group name.
4. Select one or more interfaces. A maximum of 32 interfaces can be configured.
NOTE: Depending upon aliasing configurations, some interfaces may not be selectable if they are sharing a physical interface with another interface in the same group. This is because each interface within the group must be on a different physical interface to ensure fail-over recovery.
5. Click OK.
6. In the Configured Clients section, click Add (+).
7. Enter a fully qualified client name or *.mydomain.com.
NOTE: The * client is initially available to the default group. The * client may only be a member of one ifgroup.
8. Select a previously configured interface group, and click OK."

"Clients
IFGROUP supports various naming formats for clients. Client selection is based on a specified order of precedence.
An IFGROUP client is a member of a single ifgroup and may consist of:
● A fully qualified domain name (FQDN) such as ddboost.datadomain.com
● A partial host, allowing search on the first n characters of the hostname. For example, when n=3, valid formats are
rtp_.*emc.com and dur_.*emc.com. Five different values of n (1-5) are supported.
● Wild cards such as *.datadomain.com or "*"
● A short name for the client, such as ddboost
● Client public IP range, such as 128.5.20.0/24

Prior to write or read processing, the client requests an IFGROUP IP address from the server. To select the client IFGROUP
association, the client information is evaluated according to the following order of precedence.
1. IP address of the connected Data Domain system. If there is already an active connection between the client and the Data
Domain system, and the connection exists on the interface in the IFGROUP, then the IFGROUP interfaces are made available
for the client.
2. Connected client IP range. An IP mask check is done against the client source IP; if the client's source IP address matches
the mask in the IFGROUP clients list, then the IFGROUP interfaces are made available for the client.
● For IPv4, you can select five different range masks, based on network.
● For IPv6, fixed masks /64, /112, and /128 are available.
This host-range check is useful for separate VLANs with many clients where there isn't a unique partial hostname (domain).
3. Client Name: abc-11.d1.com
4. Client Domain Name: *.d1.com
5. All Clients: *"

We ousrselves do not use the mechanism to differentiate anything as a client can only connect to one subnet on the DD anyways, not to any of the others. So we have "*" set for the configured clients section in the one ifgroup being used. You can only use "*" once if you'd wanna have multiple ifgroups. You can also use onl y the Default ifgroup instead of giving it your own ifgroup name.

Why not deploy a DDVE as you can use it with a basic 500GB raw capacity freely without needing a capacity license? However this still requires a Dell support account to be able to download the DDVE OVA. Then deploy it within vmware vsphere or any of the other hyper visors supported by DDVE.

https://dl.dell.com/content/manual68345036-dell-emc-powerprotect-ddve-on-premises-7-8-installation-and-administration-guide.pdf?language=en-us&ps=true

Pecialirly this ddos7.8 deployment manual, refers still to https://www.emc.com/products-solutions/trial-software-download/data-domain-virtual-edition.htm to download the DDVE, but the link states "Forbidden You don't have permission to access this resource.". Hence you would have to go via the offical support page, https://www.dell.com/support/home/en-us/product-support/product/dd-virtual-edition/drivers and then accept the EULA from https://dl.dell.com/downloads/DLD2155_PowerProtect-DD-Virtual-Edition-7.7.2.0-LTS.pdf and then download the required DDVE for either AWS, Azure, GCP, hyperV, KVM, VMC or vSphere. At the time with the DDVE going together with ddos6.x (can't recall exact version I started with) I only got to work by using hyperV_guy's (Karsten Bott, Dell CTO Cloud, nowadays calling himself Azure_guy I beleive)) method to deploy VM's within vmware workstation using powershell, amongst which it was also possible to deploy a DDVE, pointing towards an OVA, with his superb project LabBuildr (http://labbuildr.bottnet.de/ and https://gitlab.com/bottkars/labbuildr). However I believe it is no longer being maintained actively by him, but nonetheless it worked still a year or so ago, when I used it to deploy a windows 2012 R2 DC, to be used as DNS server to have the DDVE and NW NVE point towards for DNS services (which helps to prevent having to fiddle around too much with host entries all over the place).

I couldn't get it to work directly to deploy DDVE with vmware workstation at the time, but with labbuildr I was able to do so (I am now downloading ddve 7.7.2.0 LTS version to see how things are nowadays). However didn't get under the hood of it enough to find out exactly how he deployed it with vmware workstation and got it to work. Choosing the DDVE files in the zip, directly within workstation (which officially is not supported) some years ago, at least didn't work. But I still am using that DDVE and have updated it from DDOS6 to 7.2 or thereabouts (using the update rpm's).

Then still however is how you are going to use it from that point onwards? Are you using the DD's via a Dell data protection software like Networker, Avamar or PPDM? Or 3rd party backup tool or what?

I setup a homelab with Networker virtual edition (however it would require a license to keep it working beyond the 90 days grace period) and a DDVE (which you can keep on using for up to 500GB raw capacity).

I would like to organize a 15mn session with you if possible. I have a virtual data domain.
I want to implement 2 scenarios under your supervision.

I'd rather have others benefit from any information being shared in this community so I'll continue here if you don't mind?

Or do you have the DDVE already running? What two implementation scenario's are you thinking about?

Wrg to DDVE deployment in an own test lab, you can also look at post https://www.dell.com/community/Data-Domain/is-there-a-way-to-run-DD-VE-in-test-on-VMware-Workstation/td-p/7106724/page/2.

Just tested with DDVE7.7 OVA within vmware workstation 16.2, by first opening the ova from the downloaded ddve zip file, that I unpacked. This won't do much yet in vmware workstation, except putting the files into the directory you choose. So you'd have a .vmx, a .vmxf file and two .vmdk files.

Then edit the .vmx file from this new vm and change both scsi0:x.mode = "independent_persistent" lines

to:

scsi0:0.mode = "independent-persistent"
scsi0:1.mode = "independent-persistent"

So with a dash (-) instead of an underscore (_). With that the configuration seems to become valid for vmware workstation to actually open the .vmx file.

Then add the 3rd SCSI disk (max. 500GB to remain within the free DDVE capacity tier) for the actual backup data, before booting the VM.

Once booted login with user "sysadmin" and password "changeme" and configure the DDVE as required, following the steps as described in the Dell EMC PowerProtect DDVE on Premises Installation and Administration Guide for DDOS7.7.

I configure everything via CLI, like the first steps like setting the hostname by chossing yes for the performing the System configuration option. Once that was done, it will reboot. After that I added dev3, the 500GB disk to the active storage tier:

# storage add dev3

Create the file system:
# filesys create

Next is to configure the nics and work from there...

So found out how to work around the initial issue in vmware workstation I encountered earlier, in above way, as I now have a running ddve with ddos 7.7.2.0.