Quest vRanger
Installation/Upgrade Guide
17
Note: The vRanger VA is now bundled with vRanger, and can be found in: C:\Program Files
(x86)\Quest Software\vRanger\Client\Quest_vRanger-Virtual-Appliance_190.ova
2.6.0
Creating a vRanger Repository
Designed for ease-of-use in recovery operations, repositories eliminate the need for countless
backup locations and endless configurations. With vRanger, you can configure a repository once,
and use it forever.
Repositories can be one of the formats below:
CIFS
NFS (version 3)
FTP
SFTP
NetVault SmartDisk®
EMC® Data Domain® Boost™
Dell DR4000 Disk Backup Appliance
A repository is essentially a directory on a supported file system that vRanger uses to store
savepoints (backup archives). When viewed from outside vRanger (through Windows Explorer, for
example), a repository consists of a configuration file (GlobalManifest.metadata) and directories for
each savepoint.
Any time you add a repository in vRanger a GlobalManifest.Metadata XML file is created in the
selected folder. It is the presence of that manifest file that tells vRanger that a repository exists in that
folder.
Repository location, along with the configuration of jobs to those repositories, plays a significant role
in the performance of vRanger. Use the recommendations below to aid on planning your repository
configuration.
2.6.1
Repository Storage Devices
Slow disk performance has been shown to negatively impact the backup performance of vRanger.
When configuring repositories, special attention should be paid to the type of storage devices used.
The use of SAS (Serial Attached SCSI) disk drives are recommended. SAS drives typically offer a
30% performance improvement over SATA drives.
The use of external USB drives or low quality NAS devices is not recommended. If these types of
storage are used, the vRanger configuration settings must be adjusted to accommodate the slow
devices. Recommended configuration settings for slower repositories are shown below. These
configurations can be made in the vRanger Configuration Options dialog, available on the Tools>
Options menu.
Maximum number of tasks running off a LUN = 3
Maximum number of tasks running off a host = 1
Maximum number of tasks running per repository = 2
If no errors are received with these settings, increment the tasks per repository value by 1 to find the
best fit for your environment.
2.6.2
Bandwidth to Repositories
While performance varies based on environmental factors, data throughput during a single backup
task can reach up to 100 MB/s. If we assume a standard case of a repository connected via a Gigabit
network, then as little as ten concurrent jobs can saturate the link to that repository.