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Understanding the E20-593 Exam Landscape

The E20-593 Exam was a significant milestone for IT professionals specializing in data protection. Titled the EMC Backup and Recovery - Avamar Specialist Exam for Implementation Engineers, it was designed to validate the skills and knowledge required to deploy, configure, and manage EMC Avamar environments. Passing this exam signified that an individual possessed the core competencies to implement Avamar solutions effectively, ensuring robust and efficient data backup and recovery for enterprise systems. The certification was a key component of the highly respected EMC Proven Professional program, serving as a benchmark for expertise in deduplication backup technologies.

For implementation engineers, success in the E20-593 Exam demonstrated a deep understanding of not just the software, but also the underlying hardware and architectural principles. The exam covered a broad range of topics, from initial site assessment and pre-installation planning to advanced administration and troubleshooting. It was created to ensure that certified professionals could handle real-world deployment scenarios, making them valuable assets to any organization leveraging Avamar for its critical data protection needs. This certification was more than just a test; it was a validation of practical, hands-on ability to deliver reliable backup solutions.

While the E20-593 Exam itself has been retired, the knowledge domains it covered remain highly relevant in the field of data protection. The principles of global deduplication, client-server backup architecture, and application-aware data protection are foundational. Professionals who once prepared for this exam developed a skill set that is still in high demand. Therefore, studying the concepts associated with the E20-593 Exam provides a comprehensive education in one of the most innovative backup technologies, which continues to evolve under the Dell EMC PowerProtect portfolio. This guide serves as a deep dive into those enduring concepts.

The structure of the E20-593 Exam was designed to test both theoretical knowledge and practical application. Questions would often present scenarios that an implementation engineer would face on a daily basis. For example, a candidate might be asked to determine the correct network configuration for a new Avamar grid or to identify the root cause of a backup failure based on log snippets. This approach ensured that certified specialists were not just book-smart but were also capable problem-solvers, ready to tackle the complexities of enterprise backup and recovery environments.

Core Concepts of Avamar Technology

At the heart of the Avamar solution, and a central topic for the E20-593 Exam, is its revolutionary approach to deduplication. Unlike traditional backup methods that deduplicate data at the target storage device, Avamar performs source-side global deduplication. This means that data is analyzed and deduplicated on the client machine before it is ever sent across the network. This process dramatically reduces the amount of data transmitted, shortening backup windows, minimizing network bandwidth consumption, and lowering the total storage footprint required for backups. Understanding this fundamental concept is the first step to mastering Avamar.

The deduplication process works through variable-length segmentation. Avamar intelligently divides files into smaller, variable-sized chunks. Each chunk is then assigned a unique identifier using a cryptographic hashing algorithm, such as SHA-1. When a backup is initiated, the Avamar client software calculates the hashes for all the data chunks on the source machine. It then communicates with the Avamar server, sending only the list of hashes. The server compares these hashes against a central repository of all hashes it has ever stored from all clients. This global view is a key differentiator.

Only the chunks with hashes that the server has never seen before are considered new and unique. The client then compresses and encrypts these unique chunks and transmits them to the Avamar server for storage. All other data, which has been seen before from any client across the enterprise, is not sent again. The backup record for the client is simply updated with pointers to the existing data chunks already stored on the server. This elegant process is what enables Avamar to achieve remarkable deduplication rates, often exceeding 95%, a critical piece of knowledge for any E20-593 Exam candidate.

This source-side global deduplication model provides several significant advantages. Backup windows are drastically reduced because the volume of data traveling over the network is a fraction of the total source data size. This is especially beneficial for remote offices with limited WAN bandwidth. Furthermore, since less data is stored, the required storage capacity on the backup target is minimized, leading to lower capital and operational costs. The efficiency of the process also means that daily full backups are feasible for all clients, simplifying recovery operations as there is no need to restore a full backup and then apply multiple incremental backups.

Avamar Architecture and Components

A thorough understanding of Avamar's architecture is essential for anyone preparing for the E20-593 Exam. A standard Avamar system, known as an Avamar Data Store (ADS), is a grid-based architecture composed of several specialized nodes working in concert. The primary nodes are the Utility Node and one or more Storage Nodes. This modular design allows the system to scale in both performance and capacity by adding more storage nodes to the grid. The entire system is designed for high availability and data integrity, ensuring that the backup data is always protected and accessible.

The Utility Node is the brain of the Avamar grid. It is a single, dedicated server that handles all management and control functions. It runs essential services such as the Avamar Administrator Server (MCS), which provides the graphical user interface and command-line interface for management, scheduling, and reporting. The Utility Node also manages all metadata for the grid, maintains the deduplication hash database, and coordinates all backup, restore, and maintenance activities. It does not store any of the actual backup data chunks itself; its role is purely administrative and coordinative.

Storage Nodes, as the name implies, are responsible for storing the deduplicated data chunks. In a multi-node grid, these nodes work together in a redundant array of independent nodes (RAIN) configuration. This provides protection against the failure of an individual node. Each storage node contains its own processing power, memory, and disk storage. They run the GSAN (Grid Server Access Node) service, which manages the storage and retrieval of data chunks. When a client sends a unique data chunk, the Utility Node directs it to a specific storage node for safekeeping.

To ensure data integrity and availability, Avamar employs a RAIN architecture. Data chunks and their associated parity information are distributed across all the storage nodes in the grid. This means that if an entire storage node fails, the system can continue to operate and can rebuild the lost data from the remaining nodes and the parity information. The E20-593 Exam requires a solid grasp of how this architecture provides resiliency. Additionally, some configurations include a Spare Node, which is a hot-standby node that can automatically take over the role of a failed storage node, further enhancing system availability.

For smaller environments or for proof-of-concept deployments, EMC also offered the Avamar Virtual Edition (AVE). AVE is a single-node, virtual appliance that can be deployed on VMware vSphere. It contains all the necessary Avamar services, including the functions of both a Utility Node and a Storage Node, within a single virtual machine. While it offers the same powerful deduplication features as its physical counterpart, it is designed for smaller data volumes and does not have the scalability or high availability features of a multi-node physical grid. Understanding the use cases for both ADS and AVE is important.

The Avamar Deduplication Process Explained

To succeed in the E20-593 Exam, an engineer must have a granular understanding of the deduplication workflow. The process begins on the client machine when a scheduled or on-demand backup is initiated. The Avamar client software, known as avtar, first breaks the source files into variable-sized data chunks. This variable-length chunking is a sophisticated process that is data-aware, meaning it identifies natural break points within the files. This ensures that if a small change is made to a large file, only the affected chunks will be modified, not all subsequent chunks.

Once the data is chunked, a unique hash identifier is generated for each individual chunk using the SHA-1 algorithm. This hash acts as a digital fingerprint for the data segment. At the same time, the client software maintains a local hash cache, which contains the hashes of all chunks that have been previously backed up from that specific client. The newly generated hashes are first compared against this local cache. If a hash is found in the cache, it means the data chunk has been backed up before from this client, and it does not need further processing at this stage.

For any hashes that are not found in the local client cache, the client sends these hashes to the Avamar Utility Node. The Utility Node checks these hashes against its global hash database, which contains the hashes for every unique data chunk stored on the entire grid from every client. If the Utility Node finds a match, it informs the client that the data already exists on the server. The client then knows it does not need to send that data chunk. This global lookup is the key to Avamar's high deduplication rates across an entire enterprise.

If a hash sent by the client is not found in the global database on the Utility Node, the data chunk is truly new and unique to the Avamar grid. The Utility Node then instructs the client to send the actual data chunk. The client compresses and encrypts this unique chunk and transmits it across the network to one of the Storage Nodes, as directed by the Utility Node. The Storage Node saves the chunk, and the Utility Node updates its global hash database. Finally, a new backup metadata file, which is essentially a recipe for rebuilding the files from chunks, is created and stored.

Avamar System Installation and Initialization

The practical aspects of deploying an Avamar system were a major focus of the E20-593 Exam. Proper installation and initialization are critical for the long-term stability and performance of the backup environment. The process begins long before the hardware is powered on. A thorough pre-installation planning phase is required. This involves working with the customer to understand their network infrastructure, including IP addressing schemes, DNS configuration, and NTP (Network Time Protocol) server availability. Accurate time synchronization across all nodes and clients is absolutely essential for Avamar's operation.

During the planning phase, the implementation engineer must complete a detailed site checklist. This document captures all the necessary configuration details, such as hostnames and IP addresses for the utility node and all storage nodes, as well as for the internal network switches that connect the nodes. Firewall considerations are also critical. The engineer must ensure that all required ports are open between the Avamar clients, the Avamar grid, and any other integrated components like VMware vCenter or Data Domain systems. Failure to properly configure the network is one of the most common causes of deployment issues.

Once the planning is complete and the physical Avamar Data Store hardware is racked and cabled, the software installation process can begin. This typically involves connecting a laptop to the utility node's service port and using a specific software utility to perform the initial configuration. The engineer will input the network details gathered during the planning phase. This script initializes the nodes, configures the internal network, and brings up the core Avamar services. This process establishes the grid's identity and prepares it for operation.

After the initial software installation, the system undergoes an initialization process. This can take several hours, during which the system configures the storage pools, sets up the RAIN protection, and performs a series of internal checks to ensure all hardware and software components are functioning correctly. The engineer must monitor this process closely. Upon successful initialization, the Avamar grid is ready. The final steps involve performing post-installation validation, which includes running health checks and ensuring the Avamar Administrator GUI is accessible and fully functional, ready for client registration and policy configuration.

Navigating the Avamar Administrator Console

The Avamar Administrator console is the primary graphical user interface (GUI) for managing, monitoring, and controlling the Avamar server. Proficiency with this tool is a non-negotiable skill for the E20-593 Exam. The console is a Java-based application that can be launched from any workstation with network access to the Avamar Utility Node. When you first log in, you are presented with a dashboard that provides a high-level, at-a-glance view of the system's health, capacity, and recent backup activity. This is the starting point for daily administrative tasks.

The console is logically divided into several key panes and tabs. One of the most frequently used sections is the Activity Monitor. This window provides a real-time view of all running, queued, and recently completed jobs, including backups, restores, and maintenance tasks. An administrator can use this screen to monitor backup progress, identify failed jobs, and access the logs for any specific activity. Understanding how to interpret the information in the Activity Monitor is crucial for effective day-to-day operations and for troubleshooting backup failures.

Policy management is another critical area within the Avamar Administrator console. This is where you define the entire backup strategy. It involves configuring four key components: Datasets, which specify what data to back up; Schedules, which define when backups should run; Retention Policies, which determine how long backups are kept; and Groups, which logically organize clients and tie them to the other policy components. An implementation specialist must be an expert at creating and managing these policies to meet specific business requirements and service level agreements (SLAs).

The Administration window provides access to more advanced system management functions. From here, an engineer can manage user accounts and roles, configure system-wide preferences, install client software updates, and manage downstream replication. This is also where you monitor and initiate essential system maintenance tasks like checkpoints, garbage collection, and integrity checks. A deep familiarity with all the options available in the Administration window was expected of any candidate taking the E20-593 Exam, as it contains the tools needed to maintain the health and security of the Avamar grid.

Preparing a Study Plan for the E20-593 Exam

Creating a structured study plan is the most effective way to prepare for the E20-593 Exam. The first step is to obtain and thoroughly review the official exam description and objectives. This document outlines the specific domains and topics that will be covered, along with the weighting for each section. This allows you to focus your study time on the areas that are most heavily tested. Key domains historically included Avamar implementation, configuration, administration, client management, performance tuning, and troubleshooting. A successful plan will allocate time to master each of these areas.

While official courseware was the recommended path, self-study using product documentation is also a viable strategy. The Avamar Administrator Guide, Installation Guide, and Product Security Guide are invaluable resources. These documents provide the detailed, authoritative information that the exam questions are based on. It is not enough to simply read them; you should actively study them, taking notes and creating summaries of key concepts like the deduplication process, the RAIN architecture, and the steps for configuring application backups. This foundational knowledge is essential.

Hands-on experience is arguably the most important component of preparation for an implementation-focused exam like the E20-593 Exam. If possible, gaining access to a lab environment is critical. This could be through an employer's test lab or by deploying the Avamar Virtual Edition (AVE) on a personal server. Practicing tasks such as installing the server, activating clients, creating backup policies, performing restores, and running CLI commands will solidify your theoretical knowledge. There is no substitute for practical application when preparing for a specialist-level certification.

Finally, incorporate practice exams into your study plan, especially in the final weeks before your scheduled test date. Practice questions help you get accustomed to the format and style of the exam questions. They are also an excellent tool for identifying your weak areas. When you answer a question incorrectly, don't just memorize the correct answer. Take the time to go back to the documentation or your lab environment to understand why it was incorrect. This process of continuous assessment and targeted review will build the confidence and competence needed to pass the E20-593 Exam.

Pre-Implementation Planning for the E20-593 Exam

A successful Avamar deployment, and a core competency tested in the E20-593 Exam, hinges on meticulous pre-implementation planning. This phase is about gathering information and ensuring the customer's environment is ready for the new system. The process begins with a site readiness assessment. An implementation engineer must verify that the data center has adequate space, power, cooling, and network connectivity for the Avamar Data Store hardware. Neglecting these physical requirements can lead to significant delays and installation failures. It's crucial to confirm power specifications and have the correct rack space allocated before the hardware arrives on site.

Network configuration is the most critical element of the planning phase. The engineer must work closely with the customer's network team to obtain a block of static IP addresses for the Avamar nodes. This includes public IPs for the utility node and storage nodes, as well as private IPs for the internal backend network that connects the nodes. Accurate DNS configuration is mandatory; both forward (A record) and reverse (PTR record) DNS entries must be created for all public-facing node interfaces before the installation begins. Without proper DNS resolution, client registration and internal grid communication will fail.

Equally important is the configuration of Network Time Protocol (NTP). All nodes in an Avamar grid, as well as all clients, must be synchronized to the same time source. The E20-593 Exam would often test knowledge of this requirement. The implementation engineer must identify a reliable internal NTP server within the customer's environment and ensure the Avamar nodes can communicate with it. Time discrepancies can cause a wide range of issues, from failed backups to problems with maintenance routines like garbage collection. It is a simple but absolutely critical prerequisite for a stable system.

Finally, firewall rules must be addressed. A comprehensive list of required network ports for Avamar communication must be provided to the network security team. This includes ports for client-to-server communication, administrative access, replication, and communication with other systems like VMware vCenter or Data Domain. The engineer must ensure that all necessary ports are opened and verified before attempting the installation. Creating a detailed pre-installation checklist to track each of these items—physical, network, DNS, NTP, and firewalls—is a best practice and a key to passing the E20-593 Exam.

Avamar Data Store Gen4/Gen4S Hardware Overview

The E20-593 Exam was closely tied to the hardware platforms available at the time, specifically the Avamar Data Store (ADS) Gen4 and Gen4S models. Understanding the physical components of these systems is essential for an implementation engineer. The ADS is a pre-configured, purpose-built backup appliance. A multi-node system consists of a single Utility Node and between one and sixteen Storage Nodes. All these nodes are housed in a single rack and are interconnected through redundant internal network switches, creating a high-performance, private backend network for grid communications.

The Utility Node, typically a 1U Dell PowerEdge server, is the central management point for the grid. It contains the operating system and all the Avamar software services required for administration, scheduling, and metadata management. It does not store backup data itself but orchestrates all activities on the grid. It features redundant power supplies, network interfaces, and mirrored boot drives for high availability. The E20-593 Exam would expect you to know the distinct role of the Utility Node compared to the Storage Nodes.

Storage Nodes are the workhorses of the ADS, responsible for the storage and retrieval of deduplicated data chunks. These were typically 2U Dell PowerEdge servers, each populated with multiple hard drives. The total usable capacity of the Avamar grid is the sum of the capacity of all its Storage Nodes. Each Storage Node runs its own instance of the Avamar operating system and the GSAN service. The nodes work in parallel to process backup and restore requests, which allows the system's performance to scale linearly as more nodes are added to the grid.

The RAIN (Redundant Array of Independent Nodes) architecture is a key concept related to the hardware. Avamar distributes data and parity information across all available Storage Nodes. This means that if a single Storage Node fails completely, no data is lost. The system can continue to operate in a degraded state, and the data from the failed node can be rebuilt from the parity information stored on the surviving nodes. This inherent fault tolerance is a major selling point of the Avamar grid architecture and a frequent topic in E20-593 Exam questions related to system availability and data protection.

Step-by-Step Avamar Server Software Installation

While pre-planning is crucial, the hands-on software installation process is where an implementation engineer's skills are truly tested. This practical knowledge is a cornerstone of the E20-593 Exam. After the hardware is physically racked, cabled, and powered on, the engineer connects a laptop to the service port of the Utility Node. The installation is typically initiated using a bootable USB stick or by accessing a pre-installed software image. The first step involves running a configuration wizard that prompts for the essential network information gathered during the planning phase.

The engineer carefully enters the hostname, IP address, netmask, and gateway for the Utility Node and each Storage Node. DNS and NTP server information must also be provided at this stage. It is imperative that this information is entered correctly, as mistakes can be difficult to correct later. The wizard validates the network settings and the connectivity between the nodes over the internal backend network. Once the basic network configuration is applied, the main installation script begins, which deploys the Avamar software packages to all nodes in the grid.

This process, known as the Avamar Installation Manager, automates the majority of the software deployment. It pushes the operating system and Avamar application files to each node, configures system services, and establishes the initial grid identity. The engineer's role during this phase is to monitor the progress and watch for any errors or warnings. The installation can take a significant amount of time, depending on the number of nodes in the grid. Patience and attention to detail are key attributes for the engineer performing this work.

Upon completion of the software installation, the final step is to run the post-installation configuration, often referred to as the "init" or initialization process. This is typically done through the Avamar Installation Manager interface. This finalizes the grid configuration, creates the GSAN file systems, configures RAIN parity, and starts all the necessary Avamar services. After a successful initialization, the Avamar grid is officially online and ready for use. The engineer would then perform a series of validation tests, such as logging into the Avamar Administrator GUI and running a system health check, to confirm a successful deployment.

Configuring Avamar Clients for Backup

Once the Avamar server is operational, the focus shifts to the clients that need to be protected. This process, a fundamental skill for the E20-593 Exam, involves installing the Avamar client software on each source machine and then activating, or registering, the client with the Avamar server. The client software is available for a wide variety of operating systems, including Windows, Linux, UNIX, and macOS. The installation package can be downloaded directly from the Avamar server's web interface or deployed using software distribution tools.

The installation itself is straightforward, typically involving a standard setup wizard. During the installation on a Windows machine, for example, the wizard will install the Avamar agent, which runs as a system service. This service is responsible for handling backup and restore requests from the Avamar server. For Linux and UNIX systems, the installation is usually done via RPM or tar packages. Regardless of the operating system, the key outcome is the placement of the Avamar binaries, including the crucial avtar command-line utility, onto the client system.

After the software is installed, the client must be activated. Activation is the process of registering the client with a specific Avamar server. This is typically done from the Avamar Administrator console. An administrator navigates to the client management section and invites the client to join the system. The client, listening on a specific network port, receives this invitation and responds. This establishes a secure communication channel and associates the client with the server. The server then pushes down its configuration information to the client, completing the registration.

During activation, the client is placed within a specific domain on the Avamar server. Avamar domains are hierarchical folders used to organize clients, similar to organizational units in Active Directory. This allows for logical grouping of clients, for instance, by department, geographic location, or operating system. Proper use of domains is essential for managing a large number of clients and for applying role-based access control. Understanding how to install, activate, and organize clients within the Avamar domain structure is a practical skill tested thoroughly in the E20-593 Exam.

Mastering Avamar Datasets

Datasets are a core policy component in Avamar and a topic that any E20-593 Exam candidate must master completely. A dataset defines exactly what will be backed up from a client. At its simplest, a dataset specifies the source files and directories to be included in the backup. However, it offers a great deal of power and flexibility through various options and plug-ins. Without a correctly configured dataset, a backup job may either miss critical data or back up unnecessary files, wasting resources.

When creating a dataset, an administrator first selects the appropriate source data. For a standard file system backup, this might be a specific drive letter like C:\ on Windows or a directory like /home on Linux. The dataset can also be configured with explicit inclusions and exclusions. For example, you could specify to back up the entire C:\Users directory but explicitly exclude all files with a .mp3 extension. This level of granular control is essential for tailoring backups to specific requirements and for optimizing backup performance by skipping temporary or non-essential files.

The true power of datasets comes from the use of plug-ins. Avamar provides a wide range of application-specific plug-ins that allow for intelligent, application-aware backups. For instance, instead of just backing up the raw files of a Microsoft SQL Server, you can use the SQL Server plug-in. This plug-in communicates directly with the SQL Server VDI (Virtual Device Interface) to perform a consistent backup of the databases. The dataset options for a plug-in allow you to specify which databases to back up, whether to back up transaction logs, and other application-specific settings.

Creating effective datasets is an art that balances the need for comprehensive data protection with the need for efficiency. An implementation engineer must be proficient in defining datasets for various scenarios, including file systems, virtual machines (using the VMware Image plug-in), and critical applications like Oracle, SQL Server, and Exchange. The E20-593 Exam would often present scenarios requiring the candidate to choose the correct plug-in and configure the appropriate dataset options to meet a given backup objective, making this a critical area of study.

Understanding Avamar Schedules and Retention Policies

Automating backups is the primary goal of any enterprise backup solution, and in Avamar, this is achieved through schedules. An Avamar schedule defines when a backup job should be executed. A schedule can be configured to run on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis. For example, a common configuration is to have a schedule for daily incremental backups that runs every evening from Monday to Friday, and another schedule for a weekly full backup that runs on Saturday. The scheduler offers fine-grained control, allowing you to specify the exact time of day for the backup to start.

When creating a schedule, the administrator also defines the backup window. This is the period during which the backup is allowed to run. If a backup job has not completed by the end of its window, the Avamar server will automatically terminate the job. This is a crucial feature for ensuring that backups do not overrun into business hours and impact production system performance. The E20-593 Exam expects candidates to understand how to configure schedules and backup windows to meet the service level agreements (SLAs) of the business.

Coupled with schedules are retention policies. A retention policy dictates how long a backup is kept on the Avamar server before it is automatically deleted. This is a critical aspect of managing storage capacity and meeting regulatory compliance requirements. A retention policy can be defined in terms of days, weeks, months, or even years. For example, a daily backup might be retained for 14 days, a weekly backup for 5 weeks, and a monthly backup for 12 months. When a backup's retention period expires, it is marked for deletion.

The expired backup data is not immediately deleted from the system. Instead, it is removed during a background maintenance process called garbage collection. This process scans the system for data chunks that are no longer referenced by any valid, unexpired backup and reclaims the storage space they occupy. Understanding the relationship between retention policies and the garbage collection process is fundamental. An engineer must be able to configure appropriate retention settings to balance data availability for recovery with the efficient use of the Avamar grid's storage capacity.

Implementing Avamar Groups and Policies

The final step in configuring automated backups is to bring all the policy components together using Avamar Groups. A Group is a logical container that links clients with a dataset, a schedule, and a retention policy. This is the object that effectively creates a backup job. An administrator creates a group, assigns one or more clients to it, and then specifies which dataset to use, which schedule to follow, and which retention policy to apply to the backups created by that group. This powerful structure is central to Avumar's policy-driven automation.

For example, an administrator could create a group named "Daily-File-Servers-Windows". They would add all the Windows file server clients to this group. They would then associate the group with a dataset that defines the file system paths to be backed up, a schedule that runs the backup every night at 10:00 PM, and a retention policy that keeps each backup for 30 days. Once saved and enabled, the Avamar server will automatically execute this backup plan every night without any manual intervention. This is the essence of Avamar policy management.

Proper group management is key to an organized and scalable Avamar environment, a concept frequently tested in the E20-593 Exam. It is best practice to create groups based on function, service level, or data type. For instance, you might have separate groups for database servers, file servers, and virtual machine infrastructure. This allows you to apply different backup policies that are tailored to the specific needs of each system type. A database server, for example, will require a different dataset (using an application plug-in) and may have different retention requirements than a standard file server.

An implementation engineer must be proficient in designing and implementing a logical group structure that is easy to manage and understand. This includes using a consistent naming convention for groups and other policy objects. A well-designed policy framework not only ensures that all data is being protected according to business requirements but also simplifies administration and troubleshooting. When a backup fails, an administrator can quickly identify the group, check its members, and review the associated dataset, schedule, and retention settings to diagnose the problem.

Securing the Avamar Environment

Securing the backup environment is just as important as protecting the production data itself. The E20-593 Exam includes objectives related to securing the Avamar system. Avamar provides a robust framework for security through role-based access control (RBAC). This allows the lead administrator to create different user accounts and assign them to specific roles with varying levels of permissions. This ensures that users only have access to the functions and data that are necessary for their job, following the principle of least privilege.

Avamar comes with several pre-defined roles, such as Administrator, Restore Only, and Monitor. The Administrator role has full access to the system. The Restore Only role, as the name suggests, allows a user to perform restores but not to modify backup policies or system settings. This is useful for application owners or help desk staff who may need to recover data but should not have administrative rights. The Monitor role provides read-only access, perfect for users who need to view reports and check backup status without being able to make any changes.

In addition to the built-in roles, a full administrator can create custom roles. This provides granular control over permissions. For example, you could create a role for a specific team that only allows them to manage backups for the clients within their own Avamar domain. This is particularly useful in large, multi-tenant environments where you need to delegate administrative tasks without granting universal access. Understanding how to create users, manage roles, and apply them to specific domains is a key security skill for an Avamar specialist.

Beyond RBAC, securing an Avamar environment involves other best practices. This includes changing all default passwords upon installation, configuring the system to use a secure protocol like HTTPS for the web interfaces, and ensuring the underlying operating system of the Avamar nodes is hardened. Data can also be encrypted both in-flight (as it travels over the network) and at-rest (as it is stored on the Storage Nodes). A comprehensive security strategy addresses user access, network communication, and data storage, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of the backup data.

Advanced Client Configuration for the E20-593 Exam

Beyond the standard installation and activation, Avamar offers a range of advanced client configuration options that an implementation engineer must understand. This knowledge is crucial for performance tuning and troubleshooting, key topics for the E20-593 Exam. These settings are often managed by editing client-side configuration files or by passing specific flags to the avtar backup command. One of the most important files is avs/var/avtar.cmd, a dataset file on the client where you can specify persistent flags for all backups.

A critical area of advanced configuration is managing the client-side caches. Avamar clients maintain two primary cache files: the file cache (f_cache.dat) and the hash cache (p_cache.dat). The file cache stores metadata about files that have been backed up, such as their size and modification time, which helps speed up the process of identifying changed files. The hash cache stores the SHA-1 hashes of all data chunks previously backed up from that client. A larger hash cache can improve backup performance by reducing the need to communicate with the server to check for duplicate chunks.

The sizes of these caches can be tuned using specific flags. For example, the --cache-size-mb flag can adjust the file cache, while --hash-cache-max-mb controls the hash cache. Knowing when and how to adjust these values is a mark of an experienced specialist. A client with millions of small files might benefit from a larger file cache, whereas a database server might see better performance with an expanded hash cache. The E20-593 Exam could present scenarios where you need to choose the appropriate tuning parameter to resolve a performance issue.

Another important advanced topic is client-side encryption. By default, data is encrypted in-flight between the client and the server. However, Avamar also provides the option for clients to encrypt the data before it is sent to the server, using a separate encryption key known only to the client. This means the Avamar server administrators cannot view the backup data. This is configured using the --encryption flag and requires careful management of the encryption passphrase. Understanding the security implications and configuration steps for different encryption methods is an essential advanced skill.

Backing Up File Systems with Avamar

Protecting standard file systems is the most common use case for Avamar, and the E20-593 Exam requires a deep understanding of the nuances involved. For Microsoft Windows clients, Avamar leverages the Volume Shadow Copy Service (VSS) to ensure consistent backups of open or locked files. When a backup starts, the Avamar client requests VSS to create a point-in-time snapshot of the volume. The backup then proceeds from this static snapshot, guaranteeing that all files are captured in a consistent state, even if they are being actively modified by applications.

The Windows File System plug-in in the Avamar dataset provides several options to control this behavior. For example, an administrator can choose to enable or disable VSS, and can also specify how to handle certain system files like the System State. Backing up the System State is critical for bare-metal recovery of a Windows server, as it includes the registry, boot files, and other critical operating system components. A specialist must know how to properly configure a dataset to capture all necessary components for different recovery scenarios.

For Linux and UNIX file systems, the considerations are different. Avamar handles file permissions, ownership, and special file types like symbolic and hard links correctly. When performing a restore, these attributes are preserved, which is essential for maintaining the integrity of the operating system and applications. The dataset options for Linux allow for fine-grained control over things like crossing file system boundaries. An administrator can specify whether a backup of / should also include other mounted file systems like /home or /opt.

A common challenge in file system backups is dealing with a very large number of files, sometimes referred to as "many-file" or "tree-walking" performance issues. The initial backup of a file server with tens of millions of files can be slow as the client has to scan the entire file system. An engineer preparing for the E20-593 Exam should be familiar with techniques to optimize this, such as splitting the backup into multiple, smaller jobs using different datasets, or tuning the client-side file cache to speed up subsequent scans.

Configuring Application-Aware Backups

While file system backups are fundamental, protecting enterprise applications is where Avamar's value truly shines. The E20-593 Exam places a strong emphasis on application-aware backups. This requires using specific Avamar plug-ins that are designed to integrate with applications like Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle, Microsoft Exchange, and SharePoint. These plug-ins do more than just back up the application's data files; they communicate with the application through its native APIs to ensure the data is captured in a consistent, recoverable state.

The key benefit of an application plug-in is achieving application consistency. Simply backing up the live data files of a running database is not sufficient, as the files on disk may be in a transactional state of flux. This can lead to a "crash-consistent" backup, which may be corrupt or unusable upon restore. Application plug-ins work with services like VSS on Windows or RMAN for Oracle to properly quiesce the application, flushing all in-memory data and pending transactions to disk before the backup or snapshot is taken. This guarantees a fully consistent and recoverable backup.

Each application plug-in has its own unique set of configuration options within the Avamar dataset. For a Microsoft Exchange backup, for instance, an administrator can choose to perform a full, incremental, or differential backup of the mailbox databases. The plug-in also provides features like log truncation, which is essential for managing disk space on the Exchange server. For an Oracle database, the plug-in integrates with RMAN (Recovery Manager), allowing DBAs to continue using their familiar RMAN scripts while directing the backup data to the Avamar grid.

An implementation engineer's role is to work with the application owners or database administrators (DBAs) to correctly install and configure the appropriate plug-in. This involves understanding the application's specific requirements for backup and recovery. Questions on the E20-593 Exam would often test this knowledge by presenting a scenario, such as a requirement for point-in-time recovery for a SQL database, and asking the candidate to select the correct backup method (e.g., including transaction log backups) in the dataset options.

Detailed Guide to Avamar for SQL Server

Protecting Microsoft SQL Server databases is a critical task in most enterprises, making it a detailed topic for the E20-593 Exam. Avamar provides a dedicated plug-in that integrates tightly with the SQL Server environment. The first step is to install the Avamar client software on the SQL server, ensuring that the SQL Server plug-in component is selected during the installation. Once installed, the client must be activated with the Avamar server. The plug-in will automatically detect the SQL instances and databases present on the server.

Configuration is handled through the Avamar dataset. When creating a dataset and selecting the Microsoft SQL Server plug-in, a new set of options becomes available. The administrator can choose which databases to back up or select an option to automatically protect all databases on the instance. The most important choice is the backup method. Avamar supports full backups, which capture the entire database, and transaction log backups. Regular transaction log backups are essential for enabling point-in-time recovery, allowing an administrator to restore the database to any specific minute.

The plug-in also supports differential and incremental backup types, which can be used to reduce backup times and network traffic for very large databases. A differential backup captures all changes made since the last full backup, while an incremental backup captures changes since the last backup of any type. The plug-in uses the SQL Server Virtual Device Interface (VDI) API, which is Microsoft's recommended method for third-party backup solutions. This ensures high-performance, reliable, and consistent backups.

Restore operations are equally flexible. From the Avamar Administrator console, you can initiate a restore of a SQL database. The restore can be directed to the original location, overwriting the existing database, or it can be redirected to a different SQL server or a different location on the same server (restoring with move). If transaction log backups were performed, the interface allows you to select a specific point in time for the recovery. A deep understanding of these backup and restore options is required to effectively manage SQL protection with Avamar.

Implementing Avamar Backups for Oracle Databases

Oracle databases are the backbone of many enterprise applications, and protecting them effectively is a key skill for any data protection specialist. The E20-593 Exam requires knowledge of how Avamar integrates with Oracle. Unlike the SQL Server plug-in, Avamar's Oracle backup solution is based on an integration with Oracle's own native backup and recovery tool, RMAN (Recovery Manager). This approach is preferred by most Oracle DBAs as it allows them to maintain control and use their existing RMAN scripts and catalogs.

The implementation involves installing the Avamar Oracle DB plug-in on the database server. This package contains a special media management library (MML) file. The Oracle DBA then needs to configure RMAN to use this Avamar MML. This is done by linking the library file and modifying the RMAN configuration to specify SBT (System Backup to Tape) as the device type. Even though the backups are not going to tape, SBT is the standard RMAN interface for integrating with third-party backup software like Avamar.

Once configured, the DBA can initiate backups using standard RMAN commands. For example, a command like BACKUP DATABASE sent through RMAN will cause Oracle to stream the backup data blocks to the Avamar MML. The Avamar library then processes this data, deduplicating and compressing it before sending it to the Avamar server. This means the powerful deduplication capabilities of Avamar are applied to the Oracle backup stream, significantly reducing the required backup storage compared to a traditional disk backup.

From the Avamar perspective, the backup is managed through a special dataset using the Oracle Database plug-in. This dataset tells the Avamar client on the Oracle server to listen for an incoming RMAN backup. The DBA triggers the backup from the Oracle server, and the Avamar client facilitates the data transfer. Restores are also initiated via RMAN. The DBA uses RMAN RESTORE and RECOVER commands, and RMAN communicates with the Avamar MML to retrieve the required data blocks from the Avamar grid. This DBA-centric workflow is a critical concept to grasp for the E20-593 Exam.

Managing Backups for Virtual Environments

Virtualization has become ubiquitous, and protecting virtual machines (VMs) is a major focus of modern data protection and the E20-593 Exam. Avamar provides a robust solution for backing up VMware vSphere environments. The solution is proxy-based. Instead of installing an Avamar client inside every single guest VM, you deploy one or more Avamar Proxy VMs into the vSphere cluster. These proxies are dedicated virtual appliances that handle the data movement for VM backups. This approach simplifies management and reduces the resource overhead on the ESXi hosts.

The integration is configured by deploying the Avamar proxy OVF template and registering the vCenter server in the Avamar Administrator console. Once registered, Avamar can see the entire vCenter inventory, including data centers, clusters, hosts, and individual VMs. VM backups are configured by creating a group and adding the virtual machine clients from the vCenter domain to that group. The dataset uses the VMware Image plug-in, which tells Avamar to perform an image-level backup of the VM.

Image-level backups work by creating a snapshot of the VM. The Avamar proxy then mounts the VM's virtual disks (VMDKs) from this snapshot and reads the data. To make this process efficient, Avamar leverages VMware's vStorage APIs for Data Protection (VADP), specifically the Changed Block Tracking (CBT) feature. After the first full backup, CBT allows VMware to keep track of which blocks have changed. For subsequent backups, the Avamar proxy can ask for only the changed blocks, resulting in very fast, incremental-forever backups.

Restores are highly flexible. An administrator can choose to restore the entire VM image back to its original location or to a new location. This is useful for disaster recovery or for cloning VMs. Avamar also provides the capability for file-level recovery (FLR). This allows you to browse the contents of an image-level backup and restore individual files and folders without having to restore the entire VM. This combination of efficient, image-level protection and granular file-level recovery makes Avamar's VMware solution powerful and versatile.

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