In short: Commvault Cloud is Commvault's data protection platform for on-premises, cloud and SaaS workloads, managed from one console. It is sold in three cumulative packages, Operational Recovery, Autonomous Recovery and Cyber Recovery, and infrastructure is licensed by front-end terabytes or protected instances, delivered as a Commvault-hosted service, self-managed software or both.
What Commvault Cloud is
Commvault Cloud is the name for the whole Commvault platform: the SaaS services that used to be sold as Metallic, the self-managed Commvault software and Commvault's on-premises solutions, all run from one management console. The Commvault Cloud Unity platform release, announced in November 2025, brings data security, cyber recovery and identity resilience into the same platform.
The platform protects a very wide range of workloads: physical and virtual servers, databases, file systems and object storage, Kubernetes, public cloud services on AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, endpoints, and SaaS applications. The SaaS applications have their own pages: Microsoft 365 backup, Salesforce backup and Active Directory backup.
What is included in each package
Commvault packages the platform in three tiers, each including everything in the one below.
| Package | What it adds | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Operational Recovery | Backup and recovery across hybrid workloads, with zero trust architecture, immutable storage, encryption, security posture monitoring and backup anomaly detection | Day-to-day backup and restore |
| Autonomous Recovery | Everything in Operational Recovery, plus continuous and periodic replication to a secondary site, automated failover and failback, application recovery validation and isolated post-event forensic analysis | Organisations that need fast failover, not just restore |
| Cyber Recovery | Everything in Autonomous Recovery, plus data security posture capabilities such as sensitive data discovery, threat scanning, cyber deception and threat detection | Organisations planning for ransomware and compliance |
Optional extras sit alongside the packages. Commvault Cleanroom tests and recovers into an isolated cloud environment so you do not restore malware back into production; Commvault states it requires Autonomous Recovery or above. Commvault Air Gap is an isolated, immutable cloud storage target with frequent access, infrequent access and archive tiers, and Commvault also lists Compliance (eDiscovery collection) as an add-on.
How Commvault Cloud is licensed
Infrastructure protection is licensed in one of two ways:
- Capacity: by front-end terabytes (FET), which Commvault calculates from the source data retained in backup, archive, snapshot and replication jobs, not from the size of the backup copies. This suits estates with a lot of data on relatively few systems.
- Instance: by protected virtual machine or operating system instance. This suits large numbers of smaller systems.
Laptops and desktops are licensed separately by endpoint user: Commvault excludes machines configured as laptops from the capacity count and counts each unique laptop owner once. SaaS applications such as Microsoft 365 and Salesforce are licensed per user.
Air Gap storage is bought as a set capacity for a fixed term. When usage reaches the purchased capacity, Commvault's documentation says backup (write) operations fail until more capacity is added, so we size it with headroom for growth and retention. Commvault licences are subscriptions; we confirm the term and billing frequency for each element in your quote, and help you choose between capacity and instance licensing by modelling both against your estate.
Requirements and deployment
You can run Commvault Cloud in three ways:
- As a service: Commvault hosts the management platform and, if you choose, the backup storage. On-premises data is reached through lightweight access nodes in your network.
- Self-managed software: you run the Commvault software on your own servers or cloud instances, with storage of your choice.
- On-premises solutions: Commvault Edge for remote sites and smaller businesses, Commvault Grid, a scalable multi-node platform with load balancing and data caching, and Commvault Flex, which separates compute from external storage for multi-petabyte data sets.
Commvault's documentation lists United Kingdom regions for its SaaS workloads and Air Gap storage, so backups can stay in the UK. Commvault's cryptographic library also holds a FIPS 140-3 validation under the NIST Cryptographic Module Validation Program.
Who it suits
Commvault Cloud suits organisations with a mixed estate, for example on-premises servers, Azure or AWS workloads and Microsoft 365, that want one product and one console instead of a separate tool for each. It is also a natural renewal path for organisations already running Commvault software, since existing environments can be managed from the same platform. If you only need SaaS backup, start with the Microsoft 365 or Salesforce service instead.
How we help
We size your front-end data and instance counts, recommend a package, quote it and set up backup plans, Air Gap storage and retention. We then handle capacity increases, renewals and restore testing with you. For alternatives, see server and endpoint backup and disaster recovery.
Explore Commvault Cloud platform
How Forever Systems supplies your software licences
Forever Systems Ltd supplies business software subscriptions to UK organisations from one account, with one monthly invoice and a UK team who know the products.
- The right edition first time: we check what you need before you buy, so you are not paying for features you will never use
- Monthly or annual terms where the vendor offers them, and help timing renewals and commitments
- Licence changes handled for you: add or remove users, upgrade editions and true-up without starting a new contract
- Deployment and support from engineers who run these products every day, not just a reseller account
- Consolidated billing and renewal reminders so nothing lapses unexpectedly
We work with businesses, schools, charities and public sector organisations of all sizes.
Need a licence quote or a second opinion on your renewal?
Tell Forever Systems what you need and we will come back to you by email with options, not a hard sell.
Contact usFrequently asked questions
What is the difference between Operational, Autonomous and Cyber Recovery?
They are cumulative Commvault Cloud packages. Operational Recovery covers backup and restore with immutable storage and anomaly detection; Autonomous Recovery adds replication to a secondary site and automated failover and failback; Cyber Recovery adds sensitive data discovery, threat scanning, cyber deception and threat detection.
Should I license Commvault by capacity or by instance?
Capacity licensing, by front-end terabytes, usually suits a few systems holding a lot of data. Instance licensing, per virtual machine or operating system instance, usually suits many smaller systems. We model both for your estate before you commit.
Do I need my own backup storage?
No. You can use Commvault Air Gap storage, which Commvault runs in the cloud, use your own storage, or combine both. Air Gap storage is licensed by capacity for a fixed term.
Can existing Commvault software customers move to Commvault Cloud?
Commvault Cloud covers its self-managed software as well as its SaaS services, so existing environments can be managed from the same platform. We review your current licences at renewal and recommend the simplest route.