What is Simpana OnePass and how does it work?

Simpana OnePass is a feature of CommVault's enterprise backup software platform that is designed to streamline backup, archive and reporting. The feature is based on the idea that backup and archive data collection can be conducted simultaneously and share a common infrastructure. It is designed to eliminate point products and processes for archiving, data analysis, compliance and e-discovery.

OnePass uses a single scan to collect backup, archive and reporting data instead of conducting this process data three times. It is aimed at organizations which must protect and retain large files or large amounts of data, because the scanning process in these scenarios can be lengthy.

Data is stored in a virtual repository which CommVault calls ContentStore. Deduplication is performed against the repository and Simpana maintains an index of the data across disk, tape and Cloud storage. The software tracks blocks, files and objects, and enables tiering -- recently created backups live on disk for fast restores, while older data is sent off to tape or cloud to reduce storage costs.

Search can be conducted manually via a web-based console and the software can also be configured to conduct automated searches in situations that require ongoing data collection. The search capability allows users to sort data based on a variety of criteria, including file type, keywords, tags, timeframe, file name, file size etc.

OnePass is an example of the wider trend of backup convergence with additional IT tasks which is aimed at streamlining processes and reducing the number of copies of data an organization needs to store. This concept is sometimes generically called "copy data management," a term coined by data protection vendor Actifio to describe their CDS software which offers backup, archive, and disaster recovery capabilities.