Commvault license upgrade program FAQ

What is the license upgrade program?

This program is for Commvault customers that are still using the Agents and Options license model. That model is more complicated and less flexible than the current ways of licensing our software. Our newer license models are designed for the faster pace of change in modern IT. Plus, these new ways of licensing allow you to change and grow in a more cost-effective way.

Dependent on your environment, the program may offer benefits to change such as:

  • Additional VM licenses
  • Extra dedupe capacity
  • Value from options you have not previously purchased

These benefits are in addition to simpler, more flexible and cost-effective ways to grow your estate. Upgrading will also add new functionality for ransomware, cloud, hyperconverged infrastructure and governance.

Why convert from agents and options to Commvault Complete™ Backup & Recovery?

Agents and Options licensing means your purchases are fixed to a single use case, and as you change your environment, licenses may become redundant. At the same time, you may still need to add new types of agents to cover any new environment changes you made.

Commvault Complete Backup & Recovery licenses are designed to meet the agility demands of your business, by allowing your IT teams to modernize faster. Where Agents are still required, they turned into classes, so you can re-deploy them as required. This means redundant licenses can be re-used as you change, rather than needing to buy new ones.

That covers agents, what do you mean by options?

Options are items that work across your Commvault estate, such as encryption, data erase and offline mining tools. If you don’t currently have these, converting to one of the current license models, through upgrading, means they will automatically be added to your Commvault license. Encryption is critical for cloud use and is also important for CCPA or GDPR, as is data erase.

If there are ‘benefits to change’ there must be a catch?

No catch. You just need to upgrade to the latest release of Commvault software to get these benefits. Moving to the latest release will unlock a wealth of modern, industry-leading features to help you better leverage the cloud and cut your operational burden with automation and a simpler, role-based user experience.

You’ll benefit from the high levels of development that provide new features such as the Commvault Command Center™ and improvements to cloud functionality, disaster recovery and dedupe. We’ve also designed the upgrade program to be more cost-effective and deliver extra flexibility beyond just upgrading what you have on a like-for-like basis.1

What if we want to move backup and recovery to an appliance instead?

If your preference is an appliance, Commvault can offer a number of options in this area. The good news is that you’re not limited to backup and recovery, either, as our appliances are capable of performing all of the same data management operations as our software. Please ask your Commvault reseller for more details.

Can I get help upgrading?

The answer is yes! We help our customers upgrade all the time and we can assist with a self-managed upgrade, with either automated scoping tools or by providing more detailed plans and optimization advice from Commvault experts. If you prefer, we can also scope and fully deploy your upgrade. Many Commvault partners also offer professional services and can help with upgrades. Finally, your Commvault support team is always on hand to help should you have any unexpected challenges, and we also offer additional support services. Here are more details about the upgrade process.

Can I upgrade directly to the current version of Commvault software?

Version 10 customers can execute an in-place/direct technical upgrade to the current version, however, customers running versions prior to v10 will typically have to make a multi-step upgrade to arrive at the current version. If you are running a version prior to version 10, please contact your local partner or Commvault system engineer for guidance on the upgrade process.