How to Start – Basic Configuration

This Basic Configuration section will help you get started with setting up your DPX environment, understanding its key components, and configuring backup and restore operations.

Catalogic DPX Suite Components

  1. Data Protection Management: DPX Master Server The central control unit for managing and monitoring all backup and restore operations. Typically, the DPX Master Server is deployed from an .OVA as a dedicated virtual machine.

  2. Backup Agents/Connectors:

    1. DPX Client Agent software installed on the systems that are being backed up. DPX Client executes backup and restore tasks on the client machine.

    2. Hyper-V Agent Agent software installed on Hyper-V hypervisor to communicate with VMs during backup and restore tasks. With Hyper-V Agent, there is no need to install DPX Client software on individual Hyper-V machines.

    3. DPX Proxy Server A dedicated intermediary for backup and restore operations in VMware environments. The DPX Proxy Server helps in offloading tasks from the Master Server and optimizing data flow between backup sources and storage devices.

  3. Storage: vStor vStor is a virtual storage appliance consolidating backup data into a scalable, efficient storage solution. vStor is smoothly integrated with the Catalogic DPX environment. It supports deduplication, compression and encryption, optimizing storage usage and data security. (other non-Catalogic storage solutions compatible with DPX are possible, such as tape libraries, DiskDirectory, cloud storage or NetApp)

  4. Security: GuardMode Provides early detection of possible ransomware events and data anomalies to protect backups from being compromised. It monitors file systems on backup clients, identifying potential threats and alerting administrators to ensure the integrity of backup data, employing strategies such as blocklist monitoring, honeypot files, and threshold monitoring to detect and mitigate possible ransomware activities.

Backup Types and Requirements

File/NDMP/Image Backup

  • DPX Master Server

  • DPX Client on source machine

  • Storage device (tape library or DiskDirectory)

Block Backup

  • DPX Master Server

  • DPX Client on source machine

  • Storage device (vStor or NetApp)

Application Backup

  • DPX Master Server

  • DPX Client on source machine (DPX Client automatically detects supported applications)

  • Storage device (tape library, Disk Directory, vStor or NetApp)

VMware Backup

  • DPX Master Server

  • VMware hypervisor (Agent installation not required)

  • DPX Proxy Server

  • Storage device (vStor or NetApp)

Hyper-V Backup

  • DPX Master Server

  • Microsoft Hyper-V Agent installed on the hypervisor

  • Storage device (vStor or NetApp)

Other Requirements

Firewall Settings

Ensure ports required by DPX are open:

  • 6123 on DPX Master Server, DPX Client, DPX Proxy Server for communication

  • 9101 on DPX Master Server for autoupdates

  • 9104, 9202 on DPX Client for autoupdates

Communication Protocols Used

For information about communication protocols used in backup and restore processes, see Protocols Used for Backup and Restore Data Transfer.

Network Configuration

  • Stable network connectivity between all components

  • DNS resolution for all servers and clients (recommended)

Storage Configuration

  • Sufficient storage space for backups

  • Properly configured storage devices and pools

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