What happens to backup data if a media agent fails in a SAN storage configuration?

Data from the LUN managed by the failed media agent cannot be recovered until that media agent is brought back online. In shared storage configurations, this could mean no restorable data is available during the outage period.

Why is NAS storage recommended for environments using deduplication with multiple media agents?

NAS storage provides direct paths to storage through the NAS device using CIFS or NFS, allowing multiple media agents to access the same storage independently. This offers better resiliency compared to SAN or direct-attached storage where media agent availability directly impacts data accessibility.

Disk Storage Types in Commvault: NAS, SAN & Direct-Attached

Name: Disk Storage Types in Commvault: NAS, SAN & Direct-Attached
Uploaded: 2026-03-12T15:39:29-04:00
Duration: 1 min 56 s
Description: TL;DR Commvault disk storage uses logical containers with mount paths as backup locations, supporting both drive letters and UNC paths for flexible configuration. NAS storage provides the best resiliency and is the preferred method for shared network s...

Commvault

03/12/2026

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TL;DR

Commvault disk storage uses logical containers with mount paths as backup locations, supporting both drive letters and UNC paths for flexible configuration.
NAS storage provides the best resiliency and is the preferred method for shared network storage environments using multiple media agents with deduplication.
SAN storage offers scalability advantages but creates media agent dependencies that can leave backup data inaccessible during agent failures.

This technical overview explains how disk storage works within Commvault's backup architecture, focusing on the relationship between logical storage containers, mount paths, and media agents. The video establishes that a disk storage device in Commvault is fundamentally a logical container where physical mount paths serve as backup locations, with storage added by configuring the disk storage and then adding mount paths that can be either drive letters or UNC paths. The core of the presentation compares three storage connection types and their implications for backup infrastructure design. Network-attached storage provides direct paths to storage through NAS devices using CIFS or NFS protocols, offering superior resiliency compared to other options and serving as the preferred connection method when using shared network storage with multiple media agents and partition deduplication. SAN-attached storage enables multiple media agents to access shared disk devices for greater scalability, but introduces a critical dependency: if a media agent fails, data from the LUN it manages becomes inaccessible until that agent is restored, potentially leaving no restorable data in shared configurations. Direct-attached storage offers the simplest implementation with disk devices physically connected to media agents, but provides the lowest recoverability since media agent failure renders stored data inaccessible until hardware repair or replacement. Understanding these tradeoffs is essential for backup administrators designing resilient, scalable storage architectures.

Chapters

0:00 - Disk Storage Fundamentals
0:19 - Network-Attached Storage (NAS)
1:01 - SAN Storage Considerations
1:34 - Direct-Attached Storage

Key Quotes

0:01 "A disk storage device is a logical container where physical mount paths are used as backup locations."
0:42 "This provides better resiliency compared to direct attached or SAN attached storage."
1:24 "The failure of one media agent may result in no restorable data until the media agent is brought back online."

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