PowerProtect Data Manager 19.16 Virtual Machine User Guide

Add a service-level agreement

SLA Compliance in the PowerProtect Data Manager UI enables you to add a service-level agreement (SLA) that identifies your service-level objectives (SLOs). You use the SLOs to verify that your protected assets are meeting the service-level agreements (SLAs).

1. From the PowerProtect Data Manager UI, select Protection > SLA Compliance.
   The SLA Compliance window appears.
2. Click Add or, if the assets that you want to apply the SLA to are listed, select these assets and then click Add.
   The Add Service Level Agreement wizard appears.
3. Select the type of SLA that you want to add, and then click Next.
   • Policy. If you choose this type, go to step 4.
   • Backup. If you choose this type, go to step 5.
   • Replication. If you choose this type, go to step 6.
   • Cloud Tier. If you choose this type, go to step 7.
   You can select only one type of Service Level Agreement.
4. If you select Policy, specify the following fields regarding the purpose of the new Policy SLA:
   1. The SLA Name.
   2. If applicable, select Minimum Copies, and then specify the number of Backup, Replication, and Cloud Tier copies.
   3. If applicable, select Maximum Copies, and then specify the number of Backup, Replication, and Cloud Tier copies.
   4. If applicable, select Available Location and then select the applicable locations. To add a location, click Add Location.
      Options include the following:

      • In—Include locations of all copies in the SLO locations. Selecting this option does not require every SLO location to have a copy.
      • Must In—Include locations of all copies in the SLO locations. Selecting this option requires every SLO location to have at least one copy.
      • Exclude—Locations of all copies must be non-SLO locations.

      NOTE:Policy files backed up on a storage unit with indefinite retention hold (IRH) enabled cannot be deleted or modified, even after retention lock expiry. It is recommended that you do not select the Maximum Copies option, because it conflicts with IRH. Otherwise, the SLA does not complete successfully when the number of copies exceeds the specified number.
   5. If applicable, select Allowed in Cloud through Cloud Tier/Cloud DR.
   6. Click Finish, and then go to step 9.
5. If you select Backup, specify the following fields regarding the purpose of the new Backup SLA:
   1. The SLA Name.
   2. If applicable, select Recovery Point Objective required (RPO), and then set the duration. The purpose of an RPO is business continuity planning. It indicates the maximum targeted period in which data (transactions) might be lost from an IT service due to a major incident.
      NOTE:You can select only Recovery Point Objective required to configure as an independent objective in the SLA, or select both Recovery Point Objective required and Compliance Window for copy type. If you select both, the RPO setting must be one of the following:

      • Greater than 24 hours or more than the Compliance window duration, in which case RPO validation occurs independent of the Compliance Window.
      • Less than or equal to the Compliance Window duration, in which case RPO validation occurs within the Compliance Window.
   3. If applicable, select Compliance Window for copy type, and then select a schedule level from the list, for example, All, Full, Cumulative, and then set the duration. Duration indicates the amount of time necessary to create the backup copy. Ensure that the Start Time and End Time of backup copy creation falls within the Compliance Window duration specified.
      This window specifies the time during which you expect the specified activity to take place. Any specified activity that occurs outside of this Start Time and End Time triggers an alert.
   4. If applicable, select Verify expired copies are deleted.
      Verify expired copies are deleted is a compliance check to see if PowerProtect Data Manager is deleting expired copies. This option is disabled by default.

      NOTE:Data that is backed up on a storage unit with IRH enabled cannot be deleted or modified, even after retention lock expiry. It is recommended that you do not select Verify expired copies are deleted, because it conflicts with IRH. Otherwise, the SLA does not complete successfully.
   5. If applicable, select Retention Time Objective, and then specify the number of Days, Months, Weeks, or Years.
      NOTE:The value of Retention Time Objective must match the lowest retention value of the backup levels of the target objectives of this policy. For example, if the synthetic full backup Retain For is 30 days but the full backup Retain For is 60 days, set the Retention Time Objective to 30 days.
   6. If applicable, select Verify Retention Lock is enabled for all copies.
      Verify Retention Lock is enabled for all copies is a compliance check to see if PowerProtect Data Manager is using retention locking. This option is disabled by default.
   7. Click Finish, and then go to step 9.
      The SLA Compliance window appears with the new SLA.
6. If you select Replication, specify the following fields regarding the purpose of the new Replication SLA:
   1. The SLA Name.
   2. If applicable, select the Compliance Window, and then specify the Start Time and End Time.
      This window specifies the times that are permissible and during which you can expect the specified activity to occur. Any specified activity that occurs outside of this start time and end time triggers an alert.
   3. If applicable, select Verify expired copies are deleted.
      Verify expired copies are deleted is a compliance check to see if PowerProtect Data Manager is deleting expired copies. This option is disabled by default.

      NOTE:Data that is replicated on a storage unit with IRH enabled cannot be deleted or modified, even after retention lock expiry. It is recommended that you do not select Verify expired copies are deleted, because it conflicts with IRH. Otherwise, the SLA does not complete successfully.
   4. If applicable, select Retention Time Objective, and then specify the number of Days, Months, Weeks, or Years.
      NOTE:Set the value of Retention Time Objective to match the lowest retention value of the backup levels of the target objectives of this policy.
   5. If applicable, select Verify Retention Lock is enabled for all copies.
      Verify Retention Lock is enabled for all copies is a compliance check to see if PowerProtect Data Manager is using retention locking. This option is disabled by default.
   6. Click Finish, and then go to step 9.
      The SLA Compliance window appears with the newly added SLA.
7. If you select Cloud Tier type SLA, specify the following fields regarding the purpose of the new Cloud Tier SLA:
   1. The SLA Name.
   2. If applicable, select Verify expired copies are deleted.
      This option is a compliance check to determine if PowerProtect Data Manager is deleting expired copies. This option is disabled by default.
   3. If applicable, select Retention Time Objective and specify the number of Days, Months, Weeks, or Years.
      NOTE:Set the value of Retention Time Objective to match the lowest retention value of the backup levels of the target objectives of this policy.
   4. If applicable, select Verify Retention Lock is enabled for all copies.
      Verify Retention Lock is enabled for all copies is a compliance check to see if PowerProtect Data Manager is using retention locking. This option is disabled by default.
   5. Click Finish.
8. If the SLA has not already been applied to a protection policy:
   1. Go to Protection > Protection Policies.
   2. Select the policy, and then click Edit.
9. In the Objectives row of the Summary window, click Edit.
10. Do one of the following, and then click Next:
    • Select the added Policy SLA from the Set Policy Level SLA list.
    • Create and add the SLA policy from the Set Policy Level SLA list.
    The Summary window appears.
11. Click Finish.
    An informational message appears to confirm that PowerProtect Data Manager has saved the protection policy.
12. Click Go to Jobs to open the Jobs window to monitor the backup and compliance results, or click OK to exit.
    NOTE:Compliance checks occur automatically every day at 2 a.m. Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). If any objectives are out of compliance, an alert is generated at 2 a.m. UTC. The Validate job in the System Jobs window indicates the results of the daily compliance check.

    For a backup SLA with a required RPO setting that is less than 24 hours, PowerProtect Data Manager performs real-time compliance checks. If you select Compliance Window for copy type and set the backup level to All, the real-time compliance check occurs every 15 minutes only within the compliance window. If the backup level is not All, or if a compliance window is not specified, the real-time compliance check occurs every 15 minutes without stop.

    NOTE:If the backup SLA has a required RPO setting of 24 hours or greater, compliance checks occur daily at 2 a.m. UTC. Real-time compliance checks do not occur for backup SLAs with an RPO setting of 24 hours or greater.

    Real-time compliance-check behavior

    If the asset was not backed up within the RPO backup interval requirement, an alert indicates that the RPO of the asset is out of compliance. This alert is generated once within an RPO period. If the same backup copy is missed when the next compliance check occurs, no further alerts are generated.

    If the asset was backed up within the RPO backup interval requirement, the RPO of the asset is in compliance.

    If multiple assets in a policy are out of compliance, a single alert is generated. This alert includes information for all the assets in the policy. In the Alerts window, the asset count next to the alert summary indicates the number of assets that are out of compliance in the policy.

13. In the Jobs window, click next to an entry to view details on the SLA Compliance result.