netbackup_adminguideii_winserver

Symantec NetBackup™Administrator's Guide,Volume II

Windows

Release 7.0

20654081

Symantec NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, VolumeII

The software described in this book is furnished under a license agreement and may be usedonly in accordance with the terms of the agreement.

Documentation version 7.0

PN: 20654081

Legal NoticeCopyright © 2009 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved.

Symantec, the Symantec Logo, Veritas, and NetBackup are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of Symantec Corporation or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Othernames may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This Symantec product may contain third party software for which Symantec is requiredto provide attribution to the third party (“Third Party Programs”). Some of the Third PartyPrograms are available under open source or free software licenses. The License Agreementaccompanying the Software does not alter any rights or obligations you may have underthose open source or free software licenses. Please see the Third Party Legal Notice Appendixto this Documentation or TPIP ReadMe File accompanying this Symantec product for moreinformation on the Third Party Programs.

The product described in this document is distributed under licenses restricting its use,copying, distribution, and decompilation/reverse engineering. No part of this documentmay be reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization ofSymantec Corporation and its licensors, if any.

THE DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED CONDITIONS,REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OFMERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT,ARE DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH DISCLAIMERS ARE HELD TOBE LEGALLY INVALID. SYMANTEC CORPORATION SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTALOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE FURNISHING,PERFORMANCE, OR USE OF THIS DOCUMENTATION. THE INFORMATION CONTAINEDIN THIS DOCUMENTATION IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

The Licensed Software and Documentation are deemed to be commercial computer softwareas defined in FAR 12.212 and subject to restricted rights as defined in FAR Section 52.227-19"Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights" and DFARS 227.7202, "Rights inCommercial Computer Software or Commercial Computer Software Documentation", asapplicable, and any successor regulations. Any use, modification, reproduction release,performance, display or disclosure of the Licensed Software and Documentation by the U.S.Government shall be solely in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

Symantec Corporation350 Ellis StreetMountain View, CA 94043

http://www.symantec.com

Printed in the United States of America.

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

http://www.symantec.com

Technical SupportSymantec Technical Support maintains support centers globally. TechnicalSupport’s primary role is to respond to specific queries about product featuresand functionality. The Technical Support group also creates content for our onlineKnowledge Base. The Technical Support group works collaboratively with theother functional areas within Symantec to answer your questions in a timelyfashion. For example, the Technical Support group works with Product Engineeringand Symantec Security Response to provide alerting services and virus definitionupdates.

Symantec’s maintenance offerings include the following:

■ A range of support options that give you the flexibility to select the rightamount of service for any size organization

■ Telephone and Web-based support that provides rapid response andup-to-the-minute information

■ Upgrade assurance that delivers automatic software upgrade protection

■ Global support that is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

■ Advanced features, including Account Management Services

For information about Symantec’s Maintenance Programs, you can visit our Website at the following URL:

www.symantec.com/techsupp/

Contacting Technical SupportCustomers with a current maintenance agreement may access Technical Supportinformation at the following URL:


Before contacting Technical Support, make sure you have satisfied the systemrequirements that are listed in your product documentation. Also, you should beat the computer on which the problem occurred, in case it is necessary to replicatethe problem.

When you contact Technical Support, please have the following informationavailable:

■ Product release level

■ Hardware information

■ Available memory, disk space, and NIC information

■ Operating system



■ Version and patch level

■ Network topology

■ Router, gateway, and IP address information

■ Problem description:

■ Error messages and log files

■ Troubleshooting that was performed before contacting Symantec

■ Recent software configuration changes and network changes

Licensing and registrationIf your Symantec product requires registration or a license key, access our technicalsupport Web page at the following URL:


Customer serviceCustomer service information is available at the following URL:


Customer Service is available to assist with the following types of issues:

■ Questions regarding product licensing or serialization

■ Product registration updates, such as address or name changes

■ General product information (features, language availability, local dealers)

■ Latest information about product updates and upgrades

■ Information about upgrade assurance and maintenance contracts

■ Information about the Symantec Buying Programs

■ Advice about Symantec's technical support options

■ Nontechnical presales questions

■ Issues that are related to CD-ROMs or manuals



Maintenance agreement resourcesIf you want to contact Symantec regarding an existing maintenance agreement,please contact the maintenance agreement administration team for your regionas follows:

[email protected] and Japan

[email protected], Middle-East, and Africa

[email protected] America and Latin America

Additional enterprise servicesSymantec offers a comprehensive set of services that allow you to maximize yourinvestment in Symantec products and to develop your knowledge, expertise, andglobal insight, which enable you to manage your business risks proactively.

Enterprise services that are available include the following:

These solutions provide early warning of cyber attacks, comprehensive threatanalysis, and countermeasures to prevent attacks before they occur.

Symantec Early Warning Solutions

These services remove the burden of managing and monitoring security devicesand events, ensuring rapid response to real threats.

Managed Security Services

Symantec Consulting Services provide on-site technical expertise fromSymantec and its trusted partners. Symantec Consulting Services offer a varietyof prepackaged and customizable options that include assessment, design,implementation, monitoring, and management capabilities. Each is focused onestablishing and maintaining the integrity and availability of your IT resources.

Consulting Services

Educational Services provide a full array of technical training, securityeducation, security certification, and awareness communication programs.

Educational Services

To access more information about Enterprise services, please visit our Web siteat the following URL:

www.symantec.com

Select your country or language from the site index.

mailto:[email protected]



www.symantec.com

Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Chapter 1 Additional configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

vm.conf configuration file ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13ACS_mediatype entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13ACS_SEL_SOCKET entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14ACS_SSI_HOSTNAME entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14ACS_SSI_SOCKET entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14ADJ_LSM entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15API_BARCODE_RULES entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16AUTHORIZATION_REQUIRED entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16AUTO_PATH_CORRECTION entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17AUTO_UPDATE_ROBOT entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17AVRD_PEND_DELAY entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18AVRD_SCAN_DELAY entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18CLEAN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18CLIENT_PORT_WINDOW entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19CLUSTER_NAME entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19CONNECT_OPTIONS entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19DAS_CLIENT entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20DAYS_TO_KEEP_LOGS entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20EMM_RETRY_COUNT entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21EMM_CONNECT_TIMOUT entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21EMM_REQUEST_TIMOUT entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21ENABLE_ROBOT_AUTH entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22INVENTORY_FILTER entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22MAP_ID entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22MAP_CONTINUE_TIMEOUT entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23MEDIA_ID_PREFIX entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24MM_SERVER_NAME entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25PREFERRED_GROUP entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25PREVENT_MEDIA_REMOVAL entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25RANDOM_PORTS entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26REQUIRED_INTERFACE entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26SERVER entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Contents

SSO_DA_REREGISTER_INTERVAL entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27SSO_DA_RETRY_TIMEOUT entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27SSO_HOST_NAME entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28TLH_mediatype entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28TLM_mediatype entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28VERBOSE entry in vm.conf ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Host name precedence .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29Example vm.conf file ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

About multiple NetBackup master servers ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29About multiple media servers with one master server ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

About software on each server ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32About NetBackup catalogs ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Disabling direct I/O .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32About dynamic host name and IP addressing .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

Setting up dynamic IP addresses and host names .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Configuring the NetBackup master server ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Configuring a dynamic Microsoft Windows client ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Configuring a dynamic UNIX NetBackup client ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

Specifying the locale of the NetBackup installation .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38Exporting PureDisk data to NetBackup .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

Required software and licenses ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Exporting PureDisk data ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Restoring PureDisk export data ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

Configuring NearStore storage units ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42Required software, hardware, and licenses ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Upgrading .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Advantages of NearStore disk storage units ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Preparing a NearStore configuration .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47NearStore disk storage unit properties ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50Viewing the backup image .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53About disk consumption .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Using the NearStore disk storage unit for more than one

purpose .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Disaster recovery by using volume SnapMirror on NearStore

disk storage units ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53Locating troubleshooting logs ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Chapter 2 Reference topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

Host name rules ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67Qualifying host names .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68How NetBackup uses host names .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Updating NetBackup after changing the host name .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

Contents8

Special considerations for Domain Name Service (DNS) ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Reading backup images with tar ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72

Effects of a non-NetBackup tar ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72About the files that tar generates ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

Factors that affect backup time .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Total amount of data to back up .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Transfer rate ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Device delays ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75

Determining the NetBackup transfer rate ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Network transfer rate ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Network transfer plus end-of-backup processing rate ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Total transfer rate ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Examples ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Using the System Monitor ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77

NetBackup notify scripts ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79backup_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80backup_exit_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80bpstart_notify (UNIX clients only) ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81bpstart_notify.bat (Microsoft Windows clients only) ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84bpend_notify (UNIX clients only) ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86bpend_notify.bat (Microsoft Windows clients only) ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88diskfull_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91mail_dr_info.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91media_deassign_notify ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92nbmail.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92parent_end_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93parent_start_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93pending_request_notify ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94restore_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94session_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94session_start_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95shared_drive_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95userreq_notify.cmd .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

Media and device management best practices ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96Media management best practices ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Device management best practices ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97Media and device performance and troubleshooting .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98

About TapeAlert ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99About TapeAlert cleaning (reactive cleaning) ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99About TapeAlert and frequency-based cleaning .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99About TapeAlert requirements ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100TapeAlert logs and codes ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100

About tape drive cleaning .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103

9Contents

About library-based cleaning .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103About frequency-based cleaning .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104About operator-initiated cleaning .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 104About using a cleaning tape .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105

How NetBackup selects drives ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 105How NetBackup reserves drives ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106

About SCSI persistent reserve .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108About the SPC-2 SCSI reserve process ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109About SCSI reserve requirements ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112About SCSI reserve limitations .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113About SCSI reservation logging .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113About server operating system limitations .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Checking for data loss ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Checking for tape and driver configuration errors ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114About configuring SCSI reserve .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115

How NetBackup selects media ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115Selecting media in robots ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115About selecting media in standalone drives ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118

Volume pool and volume group examples ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120About media formats ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122

About standard tape format ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123About QIC and WORM tape format ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123About fragmented backups .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123About the multiplexing format ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124About spanning tapes ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Media Manager commands .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 124

Chapter 3 UNIX reference topics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127

About exclude and include lists on UNIX clients ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127Creating an exclude list on a UNIX client ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127Syntax rules ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Example of an exclude list ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Exclude lists for specific policies or schedules ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 130Creating an include list on a UNIX client ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Schedules for user backups or archives ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 131

Chapter 4 Using NetBackup with AFS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133

Using OpenAFS with NetBackup .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 133System requirements for using NetBackup with OpenAFS .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134OpenAFS configuration .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134Backup selection example ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134OpenAFS policies backup selection list directives ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135

Contents10

OpenAFS regular expressions .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136OpenAFS exclude and include lists ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136OpenAFS backups .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136OpenAFS restores ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137Restoring from the NetBackup for OpenAFS client ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Restoring from the NetBackup master server ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Troubleshooting OpenAFS backups .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 138Troubleshooting OpenAFS restores ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141

11Contents

Contents12

Additional configuration

This chapter includes the following topics:

■ vm.conf configuration file

■ About multiple NetBackup master servers

■ About multiple media servers with one master server

■ Disabling direct I/O

■ About dynamic host name and IP addressing

■ Specifying the locale of the NetBackup installation

■ Exporting PureDisk data to NetBackup

■ Configuring NearStore storage units

vm.conf configuration fileThevm.conf file contains configuration entries for media and device management.NetBackup can create this file, but if it does not exist, you must create it.

pathname is install_path\Volmgr\vm.conf.

Various NetBackup components read this configuration file on the host wherethe component runs. The NetBackup component is a command, daemon, process,or utility. The host can be a NetBackup administration client or a server whereadministration operations are requested.

See “Example vm.conf file” on page 29.

ACS_mediatype entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server as follows:

1Chapter

ACS_mediatype = Media_Manager_mediatype

If this entry is used in vm.conf, the ACS media type is mapped to the specifiedMedia Manager media type. More than one ACS_mediatype entry can be specified.

This entry is read and interpreted on the host on which vmcheckxxx and vmupdate

run during a robot inventory operation. Use this entry on every NetBackup mediaserver that functions as an ACS robot control host.

A list of the valid ACS_mediatype entries is available.

See the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide for Windows, Volume I.

ACS_SEL_SOCKET entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server as follows:

ACS_SEL_SOCKET = socket_name

By default, acssel listens on socket name 13740. If this entry is specified invm.conf, the default can be changed. This entry is read and interpreted on thehost on which acsd runs.

ACS_SSI_HOSTNAME entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server as follows:

ACS_SSI_HOSTNAME = host

Use ACS_SSI_HOSTNAME to specify the host to which RPC return packets from ACSlibrary software are routed for ACS network communications. By default, the localhost name is used. This entry is read and interpreted on the host on which acsd

and acsssi run. Do not use the IP address of the host for this parameter.

ACS_SSI_SOCKET entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server as follows:

ACS_SSI_SOCKET = ACS_library_software_hostname socket_name

Valid value forACS_library_software_hostname is the host name of the ACS libraryhost. Do not use the IP address of the ACS library host for this parameter.

By default, acsssi listens on unique, consecutive socket names; the names beginwith 13741. If this entry is specified in vm.conf, specify socket names on an ACSlibrary software host basis. This entry is read and interpreted on the host whereacsd and acsssi are running.

Additional configurationvm.conf configuration file

14

ADJ_LSM entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server as follows:

ADJ_LSM = robot_num ACS_ID,LSM_ID ACS_ID,LSM_ID

In an ACS robot with multiple library storage modules (LSMs), pass-throughmechanisms can move ejected media to the media access port (MAP). Apass-through mechanism passes media from one LSM to another. This travel timecan be excessive when media must pass through several LSMs.

Use this entry to specify the physical orientation of the LSMs in an ACS robot. Ifthis entry is specified in vm.conf, you do not need to know which MAP (or ACSCAP) to select for efficient ejects. NetBackup determines the appropriate MAP tocomplete the media eject by using a nearest-MAP algorithm.

This nearest-MAP algorithm is based on the physical orientation of the LSMs thatdefined with this entry. This algorithm is only for the cases where more than oneMAP is requested to handle the eject. If this algorithm is used, any MAP_ID entriesin vm.conf are ignored.

Note: nearest-MAP capability is only available by using the vmchange commandwith the -map option or the Vault administrative interface. It is not available fromthe NetBackup Administration Console.

Without this entry present, NetBackup assumes that all LSMs are interconnectedwith pass-through ports, except for the first LSM and the last LSM. The LSMs areinterconnected in a line formation.

robot_num is the robot number. ACS_ID and LSM_ID are the coordinates of theLSM.

Figure 1-1 is a diagram of LSM interconnections described by the following entries:

ADJ_LSM = 700 0,0 0,1

ADJ_LSM = 700 0,0 0,6

ADJ_LSM = 700 0,1 0,2

ADJ_LSM = 700 0,1 0,6

ADJ_LSM = 700 0,2 0,6

ADJ_LSM = 700 0,2 0,3

ADJ_LSM = 700 0,3 0,4

ADJ_LSM = 700 0,4 0,5

The robot has pass-through mechanisms between 7 LSMs.

15Additional configurationvm.conf configuration file

Figure 1-1 Pass-through example

1

4

0 2

6

35

Interconnections forRobot 700

API_BARCODE_RULES entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server as follows:

API_BARCODE_RULES

If this entry is specified in vm.conf, barcode rule support for API robots is enabled.

NetBackup barcode rules allow default media mappings to be overridden. Barcoderules are especially useful when multiple generations of the same tape drive usethe same type of media.

For example STK 9940A and STK 9940B drives use STK1R media, but write dataat different densities. The drive must be configured by using different drive typessuch as HCART or HCART2. Specify a barcode rule for a series of bar codes toconfigure some of the media as HCART2. Other STK1R media not in this barcoderange are configured as HCART (the default for STK1R). Without this entry, arobot inventory operation configures all media of type STK1R as either HCARTor HCART2, depending on how the drive was configured.

AUTHORIZATION_REQUIRED entry in vm.confThis entry specifies that NetBackup should use the vm.conf file SERVER entry tocontrol which hosts can monitor and control devices on this host. This entry isread and interpreted on the media server on which the NetBackup vmd serviceruns, as follows:

AUTHORIZATION_REQUIRED


16

If this entry is specified in vm.conf, the vm.conf file also must include a SERVER

entry for every media server that controls devices on this host.

If no AUTHORIZATION_REQUIRED entry exists and no SERVER entries exist, anyNetBackup server can monitor and control devices on this host.

For maximum security, Symantec recommends that you use this entry and SERVER

entries.

This entry is read and interpreted on media servers on which the NetBackup vmd

service runs.

AUTO_PATH_CORRECTION entry in vm.confIf this entry is specified in vm.conf, it specifies whether automatic device pathremapping is enabled or disabled, as follows:

AUTO_PATH_CORRECTION = YES|NO

If the value is NO, the device configuration remains unchanged when theNetBackup Device Manager service (ltid) is started. Therefore, the saved deviceconfiguration may be different than the actual configuration after devices arechanged and the server is restarted.

If the value is YES, NetBackup tries to discover attached devices and thenautomatically update the device configuration for any device paths that areincorrect. On Windows computers, this entry is read and interpreted on the hoston which the NetBackup Device Manager service runs. On UNIX and Linuxcomputers, this entry is read and interpreted on the host on which ltid runs.

Device path remapping is enabled by default on Windows and Linux servers. It isdisabled by default on all other servers.

AUTO_UPDATE_ROBOT entry in vm.confUse this entry to inject media automatically from the Media Access Port (MAP)into a TL8 or TLD robot and update the EMM database. Media are injected if therobot generates a unit attention message.

AUTO_UPDATE_ROBOT

This entry only operates with the TL8 or TLD robots that post a unit attentionwhen their MAP is opened.

Symantec recommends that this entry not be used with partitioned libraries. Mostrobotic libraries with multiple partitions do not post a unit attention when theMAP is opened.


AVRD_PEND_DELAY entry in vm.confIf this entry is specified in vm.conf, avrd waits number_of_seconds before itdisplays a pending status (PEND) in the Device Monitor. This entry is read andinterpreted on the host on which avrd runs.

AVRD_PEND_DELAY = number_of_seconds

On some server operating systems (Windows and HP-UX), NetBackup reportsPEND if the drive reports Busy when a volume is unmounted. Use this entry tominimize the display of this misleading status.

minimum for number_of_seconds is zero. The maximum is 255. The default valueis 180 seconds.

AVRD_SCAN_DELAY entry in vm.confIf this entry is specified invm.conf,avrdwaitsnumber_of_secondsbetween normalscan cycles. This entry is read and interpreted on the host on which avrd runs.

AVRD_SCAN_DELAY = number_of_seconds

Use this entry to minimize tape mount times. Without this entry, NetBackupdelays mount requests by an average of 7.5 seconds.

The minimum for number_of_seconds is 1. The maximum is 180. A value of zeroconverts to 1 second. The default value is 15 seconds. If a value is used that isgreater than the default, NetBackup delays mount requests and drive statusupdates in the Device Monitor.

Note: Ifnumber_of_seconds is set to a value that allows media to be changed withinone scan cycle, NetBackup may not detect media changes. Data loss may occur.

CLEAN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT entry in vm.confUse this entry to specify how long NetBackup waits for a drive to be cleaned beforeit removes the cleaning request from the cleaning queue. Unprocessed requeststo clean a drive are removed from the queue after 30 minutes.

CLEAN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT = minutes

minutes can be from 1 to 144000 (100 days). The default value is 30 and a valueof zero converts to the default value of 30.


18

CLIENT_PORT_WINDOW entry in vm.confUse this entry to specify the range of non-reserved ports on this host that areused to connect to vmd on other hosts. This entry is read and interpreted on thehost on which vmd runs.

CLIENT_PORT_WINDOW = start end

For example, the following entry permits ports from 4800 through 5000:

CLIENT_PORT_WINDOW = 4800 5000

The operating system determines the non-reserved port to use in the followingcases:

■ A CLIENT_PORT_WINDOW entry is not specified.

■ A value of zero is specified for start.

CLUSTER_NAME entry in vm.confCLUSTER_NAME = cluster_alias

This entry specifies the virtual name for the media server on which the vm.conf

file resides.

See “Host name precedence” on page 29.

CONNECT_OPTIONS entry in vm.confAdd this entry in vm.conf to specify the options that enhance firewall efficiencywith NetBackup. Server connection options can be any of the following: use vnetdor the daemon’s port number, use only vnetd, or use only the daemon’s portnumber.

CONNECT_OPTIONS = server_name 0 0 [0|1|2]

CONNECT_OPTIONS entries can be specified for multiple servers.

server_name is the name of the media server to connect to. The server must beat NetBackup level 4.5 or higher for vnetd to operate correctly.

The first and second options currently are not used. Specify zero for these options.

The third option specifies the connection method to use to connect to server_nameas follows:


■ A value of 0 specifies to use vnetd to connect to a daemon on the server. If thevnetd service is not active, connect by using the traditional port number ofthe daemon.

■ A value of 1 specifies to use vnetd only to connect to a daemon on the server.

■ A value of 2 specifies to use the traditional port number of the daemon toconnect to the daemon on the server. The default value is 2.

The following example entry specifies to use either vnetd or the daemon’s portnumber to connect to server shark:

CONNECT_OPTIONS = shark 0 0 0

The following example entry specifies to use vnetd only to connect to serverdolphin:

CONNECT_OPTIONS = dolphin 0 0 1

The following example entry specifies to use the daemons’s port number only toconnect to server perch:

CONNECT_OPTIONS = perch 0 0 2

DAS_CLIENT entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

DAS_CLIENT = client_name

If this entry is specified in vm.conf, specify the DAS client name that the TLMrobot uses for communications with the DAS/SDLC server. By default this clientname is the host name of the media server. This entry is read and interpreted onthe host where tlmd is running.

DAYS_TO_KEEP_LOGS entry in vm.confIf this entry is specified in vm.conf, specify the number of days to keep debug logsbefore vmd deletes them. This entry is read and interpreted on the hosts wherevmd is running.

DAYS_TO_KEEP_LOGS = days

A value of zero means that the logs are not deleted. The default is zero. This entrydoes not affect the debug logs that Unified Logging creates.

Information about Unified Logging is available.


20

See the NetBackup Troubleshooting Guide for UNIX, Windows, and Linux.

EMM_RETRY_COUNT entry in vm.confThe vmd daemon and the ltid daemon use this entry to determine how manytimes to retry requests to the NetBackup Enterprise Media Manager.

EMM_RETRY_COUNT = number_of_retries

The default is one retry.

Only change the value of this vm.conf file entry when directed to do so by aNetBackup support representative. If this entry is added to the vm.conf file or ifthis value is changed, restart the vmd daemon and the ltid daemon.

EMM_CONNECT_TIMOUT entry in vm.confThis value applies for broken connections between the NetBackup EnterpriseMedia Manager and the following daemons: thevmddaemon and theltiddaemon.These two daemons use this entry to determine for how long they should try toreconnect to the NetBackup Enterprise Media Manager.

EMM_CONNECT_TIMOUT = number_of_seconds

The default is 20 seconds.


EMM_REQUEST_TIMOUT entry in vm.confThe vmd daemon and the ltid daemon use this entry to determine how manyseconds to allow a request to the NetBackup Enterprise Media Manager to complete.

EMM_REQUEST_TIMOUT = number_of_seconds

The default is 300 seconds.



ENABLE_ROBOT_AUTH entry in vm.confSymantec encourages the use of Symantec Product Authentication andAuthorization for NetBackup Access Control (NBAC) instead of legacy securityimplementations.

For information about the ENABLE_ROBOT_AUTH configuration entry, see theNetBackup 6.0 documentation. Information on Symantec Product Authenticationand Authorization is available.

See the NetBackup Security and Encryption Guide.

INVENTORY_FILTER entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

INVENTORY_FILTER = robot_type robot_number mode value1 [value2 ...]

Used to filter robot inventory results in ACS or TLH robot types. Add this entryto the configuration file (vm.conf) on the NetBackup server on which the inventoryoperation is invoked. This entry is read and interpreted on the host on whichvmcheckxxx and vmupdate run.

Note: This entry may be required for an ACS robot and the ACS library softwarehost with an STK Library Station. Newer versions of STK Library Station allowrobot inventory commands to function correctly so filters are not required.

robot_type can be ACS or TLH.

robot_number is the number of the robot as was configured in NetBackup.

mode is BY_ACS_POOL for ACS or BY_CATEGORY for TLH.

See the following examples:

INVENTORY_FILTER = ACS 0 BY_ACS_POOL 4 5

INVENTORY_FILTER = TLH 0 BY_CATEGORY FFFA CDB0

MAP_ID entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

MAP_ID = robot_num map_ID

Use this entry to configure the default media access port (MAP) to use to ejectmedia from Automated Cartridge System (ACS) robots. This default is selected in


22

the NetBackup Administration Console, but you can also select other Media AccessPorts for ejects.

If the MAP is not available or the vm.comf file does not contain this entry,NetBackup uses the default MAP selection process. By default, NetBackup usesthe smallest MAP that can hold the number of media to be ejected.

If NetBackup selects multiple MAPs, NetBackup uses the nearest-MAP algorithmrather than the MAP that is specified in the MAP ID entry.

See “ADJ_LSM entry in vm.conf” on page 15.

robot_num is the robot number.map_ID is in the format of an ACS CAP (CartridgeAccess Port) ID and cannot contain any spaces.

The following example specifies the MAP ID for ACS robot number 700. The ACSCAP ID of 0,1,0 is used.

MAP_ID = 700 0,1,0

MAP_CONTINUE_TIMEOUT entry in vm.confThis entry applies only when the vmchange command is used and the -w option isspecified.

MAP_CONTINUE_TIMEOUT = seconds

The default timeout value for seconds is 300 (5 minutes). seconds cannot be zeroand values greater than 1200 (20 minutes) can cause the robotic daemon to cancelthe operation.

If this entry is specified in vm.conf, the SCSI robotic daemons wait the specifiednumber of seconds before they time out. A timeout can occur while the daemonswait for user reply after the user removes volumes from the media access port. Ifa timeout occurs, NetBackup aborts the operation.

This entry is read and interpreted on the host on which the SCSI-controlled roboticdaemon or process runs.

Note: Non-mount activities such as a robotic inventory cannot occur during thistimeout period.

MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS entry in vm.confIf this entry is specified in vm.conf, it controls NetBackup media ID generation.This entry is read and interpreted on the host on which vmcheckxxx and vmupdate

run as part of the robot inventory operation.


MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS = robot_num barcode_length media_ID_rule

Note:To use this entry, the robot must support bar codes and the robot type cannotbe an API robot.

Choose how NetBackup creates media IDs by defining the rules that specify whichcharacters of a barcode on tape NetBackup uses. Alphanumeric characters can bespecified to be inserted in the ID.

Multiple entries can be added to the vm.conf file. For example, specify media IDgeneration for each robot or for each barcode format that has different numbersof characters. The multiple entries allow flexibility for multimedia.

If no MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS entries exist or the entry is invalid, NetBackupuses the rightmost six characters of the barcode to create its media ID.

robot_num is the robot number.

barcode_length is the length of the barcode.

Amedia_ID_rule consists of a maximum of six fields that colons delimit. Numbersin the fields define the positions of the characters in the barcode that NetBackupextracts (from left to right). For example, if the number 2 is in a field, NetBackupextracts the second character from the barcode. The numbers can be specified inany order.

If the pound sign (#) prefixes a character, that character is inserted in that positionin the generated ID. Any alphanumeric characters must be valid for a media ID.Use rules to create media IDs of many different formats. However, if the generatedmedia ID is different from the label on the media, media management may bemore difficult.

The following is an example rule and the resulting generated media ID:

Barcode on the tape: 032945L1

Media ID rule: #N:2:3:4:5:6

Generated media ID: N32945

MEDIA_ID_PREFIX entry in vm.confIf this entry is specified in vm.conf, it defines the media ID prefixes to use formedia without bar codes. This entry is read and interpreted on the host wherevmcheckxxx and vmupdate are running as part of the robot inventory operation.

MEDIA_ID_PREFIX = media_id_prefix


24

The best way to add media to a robot is to use the Robot Inventory Update VolumeConfiguration operation.

MM_SERVER_NAME entry in vm.confMM_SERVER_NAME = host_name

This entry specifies the name other NetBackup servers and clients should usewhen they refer to this server.


PREFERRED_GROUP entry in vm.confSymantec encourages the use of Symantec Product Authentication andAuthorization for NetBackup Access Control (NBAC) instead of legacy securityimplementations.

For information about the PREFERRED_GROUP configuration entry, see theNetBackup 6.0 documentation. Information on Symantec Product Authenticationand Authorization is available.

See the NetBackup Security and Encryption Guide.

PREVENT_MEDIA_REMOVAL entry in vm.confThis topic applies to the TL8 robots only.

Specifying this entry changes the default operation for TL8 robots. Without thisentry present, NetBackup allows the removal of media.

If this entry is specified in vm.conf, TL8 robots run the SCSI command PREVENT

MEDIUM REMOVAL. The robot's main door or the MAP cannot be opened while therobotic control daemon runs.

This entry is read and interpreted on the host on which the TL8 robot controldaemon or process (tl8cd) runs.

To override PREVENT_MEDIA_REMOVAL, do one of the following:

1 Use the test utility and run allow media removal.

2 Use inject or eject for access, when volumes are added or moved.


RANDOM_PORTS entry in vm.confUse this entry to specify whether NetBackup chooses port numbers randomly orsequentially for communication with other NetBackup servers. This entry is readand interpreted on hosts on which vmd runs.

RANDOM_PORTS = YES|NO

If YES or no entry exists (the default), NetBackup chooses port numbers randomlyfrom those that are available in the allowed range.

IfNO, NetBackup chooses numbers sequentially. NetBackup begins with the highestnumber in the allowed range, and then tries the next highest, and so on until aport is available.

To specify no random ports in the NetBackup configuration file, do one of thefollowing:

■ Specify RANDOM_PORTS = NO in the bp.conf file on UNIX.

■ Use the NetBackup Host Properties on Windows.

REQUIRED_INTERFACE entry in vm.confREQUIRED_INTERFACE = host_name

This entry specifies the name of the network interface that NetBackup uses toconnect to this media server.

A NetBackup server can have more than one network interface, and by defaultthe operating system determines the one to use. To force NetBackup to connectthrough a specific network interface, use REQUIRED_INTERFACE and specify thename of that network interface.


SERVER entry in vm.confThis entry determines the name other NetBackup servers should use when theyrefer to this server.

SERVER entries in the vm.conf file are used for NetBackup media server security.

SERVER = host_name

SERVER entries work with the AUTHORIZATION_REQUIRED entry to control whichhosts can monitor and control devices on this host.


26

If the AUTHORIZATION_REQUIRED entry exists, the vm.conf file must include aSERVER entry for every media server that controls devices on this host. If thevm.conf file contains any SERVER entries, it also must include a SERVER entry foritself or it cannot manage its own devices.

If no AUTHORIZATION_REQUIRED entry exists and no SERVER entries exist, anyNetBackup server can monitor and control devices on this host.

For security, the entries that allow only specific hosts to access the devices mustbe added remotely.

This entry is read and interpreted on media servers on which the NetBackup vmd

service runs.

SSO_DA_REREGISTER_INTERVAL entry in vm.confThis entry determines the name other NetBackup servers should use when theyrefer to this server.

This configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

SSO_DA_REREGISTER_INTERVAL = minutes

This vm.conf entry is for the Shared Storage Option (SSO) for Tape feature only.It is read and interpreted on the host on which ltid runs.

ltid on a scan host periodically registers its shared drives with EMM/DA to ensurethat it is still provides the drive scanning function. Only one of the hosts thatshare a drive scan the drive. This reregistration allows conditions such as a deviceallocator restart to have minimal effect on use of shared drives.

The default for the reregistration interval is 5 minutes. Use theSSO_DA_REREGISTER_INTERVAL entry to tune this interval. After the entry is added,stop and restart ltid for the change to take effect.

SSO_DA_RETRY_TIMEOUT entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

SSO_DA_RETRY_TIMEOUT = minutes


The Device Manager ltid delays before if one of the following events occurs:

■ Problems during communications with EMM/DA.

■ Failure trying to reserve a shared drive.


The default value for the delay is 3 minutes. Use the SSO_DA_RETRY_TIMEOUT entryto tune this delay period. After the entry is added, stop and restart ltid for thechange to take effect.

SSO_HOST_NAME entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

SSO_HOST_NAME = host_name


This entry specifies the name that the current host uses to register, reserve, andrelease shared drives with EMM/DA. The default is the local host name.

TLH_mediatype entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

TLH_mediatype = Media_Manager_mediatype

If this entry is specified in vm.conf, IBM ATL media types in Tape Library Half-inch(TLH) robots are mapped to Media Manager media types. This entry is read andinterpreted on the host where vmcheckxxx and vmupdate are running as part ofthe robot inventory operation.

TLM_mediatype entry in vm.confThis configuration entry applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

TLM_mediatype = Media_Manager_mediatype

If this entry is specified in vm.conf, DAS/SDLC media types in Tape LibraryMultimedia (TLM) robots are mapped to Media Manager media types. This entryis read and interpreted on the host where vmcheckxxx and vmupdate are runningas part of the robot inventory operation.

VERBOSE entry in vm.confIf this entry is specified in vm.conf, all Media Manager components on the hostare started with verbose logging enabled.

Use this option only if problems occur or if requested by Symantec support. Afterthe problem is resolved, remove the debug logs or add a DAYS_TO_KEEP_LOGS entry.


28

Host name precedenceNetBackup identifies the media server by using the following name precedence:

■ CLUSTER_NAME entry if present in vm.conf.

■ MM_SERVER_NAME entry if present in vm.conf.

■ REQUIRED_INTERFACE entry if present in vm.conf.

■ same name that NetBackup uses.

■ gethostname() name.

Example vm.conf filefollowing is an example of a vm.conf file, on host server1:

SERVER = server1

SERVER = server2

MEDIA_ID_PREFIX = NV

MEDIA_ID_PREFIX = NETB

ACS_3490E = HCART2

About multiple NetBackup master serversFor a large site, use multiple NetBackup master servers to optimize the backuploads. Divide the clients between the servers as necessary.

Figure 1-2 shows a multiple-server configuration where the two sets of networks(A1/A2 and B1/B2) each have enough clients to justify separate servers.

29Additional configurationAbout multiple NetBackup master servers

Figure 1-2 Multiple master server scenario

Workstations

Workstations

Workstations

Workstations

Network A1

Network A2

Network B1

Network B2

Massstorage

Massstorage

Router

NetBackupmaster server A

NetBackupmaster server B

In this environment, the two NetBackup server configurations are completelyindependent. You can also create a configuration where one server is the masterand the other is a media server.

Aboutmultiplemedia serverswith onemaster serverA protection domain refers collectively to the NetBackup master server, itsNetBackup media servers, and its NetBackup clients. In a group of NetBackupservers, a client can have backups directed to any device on any server in thegroup.

Set up a NetBackup protection domain as follows:

■ One master server, which controls all backup scheduling.

■ Multiple media servers, which write the backup images to disk or removablemedia. They can have peripheral devices to provide additional storage.

■ Multiple protected NetBackup clients, which send their data to the mediaservers.

Additional configurationAbout multiple media servers with one master server

30

A common alternative strategy is to install extra peripherals on the clients thatproduce large amounts of data. The master server directs the data from the clientto the client’s peripherals, which reduces network traffic because the data doesnot traverse the network. This strategy also distributes the backup load betweenthe master and the media servers.

Important factors to remember about master and media servers are as follows:

■ There can be only one master server in a group.

■ A NetBackup master server is a media server for itself but cannot be a mediaserver for another master server.

Figure 1-3 shows where software is installed and where the NetBackup catalogsare located (by default).

Figure 1-3 Catalog location using multiple media servers

StorageDevice

StorageDevice

NetBackup Catalogs

Image database

* You can also use the Backup, Archive, and Restore userinterface from a Windows client that has the RemoteAdministration Console installed.

Master Server

Remote AdminConsole*

Configuration files

Information inrelational databases

(about devices,volumes)

User Interface (BAR)

StorageDevice

Remote AdminConsole*

User Interface

NetBackupMedia Server

NetBackup

Media Server

NetBackupClient


AdministrationInterface*

AdministrationInterface*


31Additional configurationAbout multiple media servers with one master server

About software on each serverThis topic applies to NetBackup Enterprise Server only.

Install NetBackup server software on each NetBackup server that has a peripheralthat you want to include in a storage unit. The NetBackup installation programhas choices for master and media server installation.

About NetBackup catalogsThis topic applies to NetBackup Enterprise Server only.

The master server is the default location for the NetBackup catalogs. The catalogsinclude the media and the volume database (emm_data.db). The volume databasecontains the media usage information and the volume information that are usedduring the backups.

Disabling direct I/OTo disable direct I/O, create the following touch file on the media server that ownsthe storage unit:

install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\DISABLE_DIRECT_IO

About dynamic host name and IP addressingBefore making changes to a configuration, read this entire topic.

By default, a NetBackup server assumes that a NetBackup client name is the sameas the network host name of the client machine. This assumption makes it difficultto back up any clients that have network host names that might change. Forexample, a portable machine that plugs into a LAN and obtains IP addresses froma DHCP server. Or, a remote machine that dials into a PPP server. Use dynamichost name and IP addressing to define NetBackup clients that do not have fixedIP addresses and host names.

If dynamic addressing is used, remember that the NetBackup servers still requirefixed IP addresses and host names.

All clients that are configured to use dynamic addressing and host names musttrust each other, similar to the NetBackup altnames feature.

The following process is required to support the configurations that use dynamicIP addressing for NetBackup.

■ Configure the network to use a dynamic IP addressing protocol like DHCP.NetBackup requires that IP addresses of clients have a network host name.

Additional configurationDisabling direct I/O

32

Be sure to define network host names for the range of dynamic IP addressesin the hosts file and (or) DNS on the network.

■ Determine the NetBackup client names for the machines that have dynamicIP addresses and network host names.These NetBackup client names are used in other steps. Each NetBackup clientmust have a unique NetBackup client name. The NetBackup client name thatis assigned to a client is permanent.

■ Make changes on the master server, as follows:

■ Create NetBackup policies with client lists that include the new names.

■ Create entries in the NetBackup client database for the new client names.Use the bpclient command to create the entries.

■ Make changes on each dynamic NetBackup Windows client as follows:Start the Backup, Archive, and Restore user interface on the client. Select File> NetBackup Client Properties. In the NetBackup Client Properties dialogbox, select the General tab. Change the ClientName to the correct NetBackupclient name for the machine.

■ On the master server, enable the AnnounceDHCPInterval option as follows:Open the NetBackup Administration Console and navigate to the HostProperties for clients. (Select NetBackup Management > Host Properties >Clients.) Open the client properties for the Windows client(s). Under theWindowsClient host properties, select Network. Check the AnnounceDHCPInterval checkbox.

■ Make changes on each dynamic NetBackup UNIX client as follows:

■ Modify the bp.conf file to include a CLIENT_NAME entry with the correctNetBackup client name for the machine.

■ Configure the system to notify the master server of the machine'sNetBackup client name and current network host name during startup.The bpdynamicclient command is used to notify the master server.

■ Configure the system to notify periodically the master server of themachine's NetBackup client name and current network host name.

Setting up dynamic IP addresses and host namesConfigure the network to use a dynamic IP addressing protocol. A protocol likeDHCP has a server and several clients. For example, when a DHCP client startsup, it requests an IP address from the DHCP server. The server then assigns anIP address to the client from a range of predefined addresses.

33Additional configurationAbout dynamic host name and IP addressing

NetBackup requires that the IP addresses of NetBackup clients have correspondingnetwork host names. Ensure that each IP address that can be assigned to NetBackupclients has a network host name. The host name should be defined in the hostfile, NIS, and DNS on the network.

For example, 10 dynamic IP addresses and host names are available.

The dynamic IP addresses and host names might be as follows:

123.123.123.70 dynamic00

123.123.123.71 dynamic01

123.123.123.72 dynamic02

123.123.123.73 dynamic03

.

.

.

123.123.123.79 dynamic09

Assign a unique NetBackup client name to each NetBackup client that might useone of these dynamic IP addresses. The NetBackup client name that is assignedto a client is permanent and should not be changed. The client name that isassigned to NetBackup clients with dynamic IP addressing must not be the sameas any network host names on the network. If the NetBackup client names arechanged or are not unique, backup and restore results are unpredictable.

For example, 20 machines share the IP addresses as previously defined.

To make these machines NetBackup clients, assign them the following NetBackupclient names:

nbclient01

nbclient02

nbclient03

nbclient04

.

.

.

nbclient20

Configuring the NetBackup master serverOn the master server, create the NetBackup backup policies. For client name lists,use the NetBackup client names (for example, nbclient01) rather than the dynamicnetwork host names (for example, dynamic01).

Next, create the client database on the master server.

Additional configurationAbout dynamic host name and IP addressing

34

The client database consists of directories and files in the following directory:

install_path\NetBackup\db\client

Create, update, list, and delete client entries with the bpclient command.

The bpclient command is in the following directory:

install_path\NetBackup\bin\admincmd

■ To create a dynamic client entry, enter the following command:

bpclient.exe -add -client client_name -dynamic_address 1

Where client_name is the NetBackup client name. The -dynamic_address 1

argument indicates that the client uses dynamic IP addressing. It is possibleto create entries with -dynamic_address 0 for static IP addressing. However,to do so is unnecessary and adversely affects performance.

■ To delete a client entry, enter the following command:

bpclient.exe -delete -client client_name

■ To list a client entry, enter the following command:

bpclient.exe -L -client client_name

■ To list all client entries, enter the following command:

bpclient.exe -L -All

In the example, enter the following commands to create the 20 clients:

cd install_path\NetBackup\bin\admincmd

To see what is currently in the client database, run bpclient as follows:

install_path\NetBackup\bin\admincmd\bpclient -L -All

The output is similar to the following:

Client Name: nbclient01

Current Host:

Hostname: *NULL*

IP Address: 0.0.0.0

Connect on non-reserved port: no

Dynamic Address: yes



Current Host:

Hostname: *NULL*

IP Address: 0.0.0.0



.

.

.


Current Host:

Hostname: *NULL*

IP Address: 0.0.0.0



The NetBackup client notifies the NetBackup server of its NetBackup client nameand network host name. Then the Current Host, Hostname, and IP address fieldsdisplay the values for that NetBackup client.

Configuring a dynamic Microsoft Windows clientIf it is not already installed, install NetBackup on the Windows client.

Start the Backup, Archive, and Restore user interface on the client. Then selectFile > NetBackup Client Properties. In the NetBackup Client Properties dialogbox, select the General tab. Change the Client Name to specify the NetBackupclient name for the Windows client.

In the NetBackup Administration Console, set Announce DHCP Interval. Thisvalue specifies how many minutes the client waits before it announces that it willuse a different IP address.

Additional information is available on the Announce DHCP interval.

See the Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

The server is not notified if the default value of 0 is used. For a DHCP client, agood value to use is one-half of the lease period.

On the client, stop and restart the NetBackup Client service to have the changestake effect.

Configuring a dynamic UNIX NetBackup clientIf not already installed, install the NetBackup client software.

Additional configurationAbout dynamic host name and IP addressing

36

Edit the /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf file. Use the CLIENT_NAME entry tospecify the NetBackup client name for the machine, as follows:

CLIENT_NAME = nbclient00

Run the bpdynamicclient command once when the system first starts up.bpdynamicclientnotifies the NetBackup server of the machine's NetBackup clientname and current network host name. The bpdynamicclient command is in thedirectory:

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin

The format of the bpdynamicclient command is as follows:

bpdynamicclient -last_successful_hostname file_name

When bpdynamicclient starts up, it checks for the existence of file_name. Iffile_name exists, bpdynamicclient determines if the host name that is written inthe file is the same as the current network host name. If the host names match,bpdynamicclient exits and does not connect to the master server. If the hostnames do not match, bpdynamicclient connects to the master server and informsthe server of its NetBackup client name and host name. If bpdynamicclientsuccessfully informs the server, bpdynamicclient writes the current networkhost name into file_name. If bpdynamicclient cannot inform the server,bpdynamicclient deletes file_name.

Most UNIX systems provide a facility to define startup scripts.

For example, create the following script in the /etc/rc2.d directory on a Solarissystem:

# cat > /etc/rc2.d/S99nbdynamicclient <<EOF

#! /bin/sh

rm /usr/openv/netbackup/last_successful_hostname

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpdynamicclient

-last_successful_hostname \

/usr/openv/netbackup/last_successful_hostname

EOF

# chmod 544 /etc/rc2.d/S99nbdynamicclient

Ensure that the dynamic client startup script is called after the machine obtainsits IP address.

You must also create a root crontab entry to call the bpdynamicclient commandperiodically.


For example, the following entry (one line) callsbpdynamicclient at seven minutesafter each hour:

7 * * * * /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpdynamicclient

-last_successful_hostname

/usr/openv/netbackup/last_successful_hostname

For DHCP, an acceptable interval to use between calls to bpdynamicclient isone-half of the lease period.

Specifying the locale of the NetBackup installationThe /user/openv/msg/.conf file (UNIX and Linux) and theinstall_path\VERITAS\msg\LC.CONF file (Windows) contain information on thesupported locales. These files define the date and the time formats for eachsupported locale. The .conf file and the LC.CONF file contain very specificinstructions on how to add or modify the list of supported locales and formats.

The .conf file and the LC.CONF file are divided into two parts, the TL lines andthe TM lines:

■ TL LinesThe third field of the TL lines defines the case-sensitive locales that theNetBackup applications support. The fourth and the fifth fields define the dateand the time fields and associated separators for that supported locale.Modify the existing formats to change the default output.For example, the TL line for the C locale is the following:

TL 1 C :hh:mn:ss/mm/dd/yyyy

An alternate specification to the order of months, days, and years is as follows:

TL 1 C :hh:mn:ss -yyyy-mm-dd

Or:

TL 1 C :hh:mn:ss/dd/mm/yy

To add more TL lines, see the comments in the .conf file.

If the .conf file is not accessible, the default locales (TL lines) are:

TL 1 C :hh:mn:ss /mm/dd/yyyy

TL 2 ov :hh:mn:ss/mm/dd/yyyy

Note that C and ov are synonymous.

Additional configurationSpecifying the locale of the NetBackup installation

38

■ TM LinesThe TM lines define a mapping from unrecognized locales to those supportedby NetBackup, as defined by the TL lines.

The third field of the TM lines defines the unrecognized locale. The fifth fielddefines the supported equivalent that is identified in the TL lines.

For example, use the following TM line to map the unrecognized locale Frenchto the supported locale fr, the TM line is:

TM 6 french 2 fr

To map French to C

TM 6 french 1 C

To add more TM lines, see the specific instructions in the .conf file.

If the .conf file is not accessible, no default TM lines exist as the default localeis C (ov).

Exporting PureDisk data to NetBackupNetBackup allows the export of PureDisk backups of Files and Folders dataselections to NetBackup. NetBackup then can create copies of the data in NetBackupfile format on NetBackup-supported media for possible disaster recovery purposes.

Required software and licensesThe PureDisk export capability is supported jointly by NetBackup and PureDisk.

■ PureDisk requires release 6.1 MP1 or later.For more information about software versions and licensing, see the PureDiskAdministrator's Guide.

■ The NetBackup DataStore license is required to provide the DataStore policytype selection.

Exporting PureDisk dataTo export PureDisk backup data to NetBackup requires the creation of the followingtwo active policies:

■ An Export to NetBackup policy in PureDisk.

■ A DataStore type policy in NetBackup.

The policies can be created in any order. The export takes place when the PureDiskpolicy runs.

39Additional configurationExporting PureDisk data to NetBackup

Standard debugging techniques apply to both PureDisk and NetBackup. The VxBSAdebug log is written to the pdexport directory.

How to create a PureDisk export policyFor information about creating an export policy, see the NetBackup PureDiskRemote Office Edition Administrator’s Guide

Creating aNetBackup policy for a PureDisk backup data exportUse the following procedure to create a DataStore type policy for a PureDiskbackup data export.

To configure a NetBackup policy for a PureDisk backup data export

1 Open the NetBackup Administration Console.

2 Select the master server that controls the media server to perform the export.

3 Select the Policies utility, then Actions > New > New Policy.

4 Enter a name for the policy. This name is entered in the Parameters tab inthe PureDisk export policy.

5 Complete the following tabs in the Add New Policy dialog box:

■ Attributes tabSelect DataStore as the policy type. (The DataStore policy type selectionappears if the DataStore license key is installed.) The compression andmultiple data streams attributes are not supported for export becausethey are not supported upon restore. To run multiple streams, multipleexport agents are required.

■ Schedules tabBy default, a DataStore policy type uses an Application Backup schedule.The start window for an Application Backup type is open every day for 24hours.You can adjust the default schedule or create a new schedule, but the startwindows must coincide with the PureDisk Export policy start window.

■ Clients tabIn the Clients tab, add the name of the PureDisk export agent(s). (MultiplePureDisk export agents can indicate the same NetBackup DataStore policy.Add the export agents in the Clients tab as needed.) Do not include thename of the originating PureDisk clients.

■ Backup Selections tab

Additional configurationExporting PureDisk data to NetBackup

40

No entries are required on the Backup Selections tab.

6 Save and close the policy.

Restoring PureDisk export dataUse the NetBackup client interface, Backup, Archive, and Restore, to restore thePureDisk export data to a PureDisk export agent. The system to which the dataselections are restored must contain the NetBackup client software and theNetBackup engineering binary to support the export engine.

After the data is restored to the export agent, use a network transfer method tomove the files to individual PureDisk clients.

To restore PureDisk export data

1 Open the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore interface on the exportagent.

2 Select File > Specify NetBackup Machines and Policy Types.

3 In the Specify NetBackup Machines and Policy Types dialog box, select thePureDisk-Export policy type to display the export data available for restore.

Although the NetBackup job runs as a DataStore policy type, the job iscataloged as a PureDisk-Export policy type under the name of the PureDiskagent.

Select PureDisk-Exportas the policy type

Select the PureDiskagent where the datawas exported from. Torestore the data, theagent must containNetBackup clientsoftware.

Select the NetBackupserver where thePureDisk backup datawas exported to.

4 Select a backup to restore from the NetBackup History.

5 Restore the files to the selected client as you would restore from auser-directed backup.

41Additional configurationExporting PureDisk data to NetBackup

About restore supportNetBackup can restore only what PureDisk supports as part of its backups. Forexample, PureDisk does not provide access control list (ACL) support beyond UNIXfile or directory permissions, so NetBackup cannot restore ACLs. See the PureDiskdocumentation for complete details.

Additional comments on restores includes the following:

■ While Windows and UNIX security information can be restored, one limitationexists regarding restores to an alternate client for UNIX files.NetBackup backs up both the user ID and user name, but PureDisk backs uponly the user ID. In non-PureDisk export backups during a restore to analternate client, a user name can map to a different user ID. NetBackupperforms a search for the user name and changes the user ID appropriately.For PureDisk export backups this ability is lost since the user name is notavailable. Files that are restored can belong to a different user.

■ Windows files can be restored to UNIX systems and UNIX files can be restoredto Windows systems. However, security information is lost when Windowsfiles are restored to UNIX.

Configuring NearStore storage unitsThis topic contains information about how to administer NetApp NearStore® diskstorage units by using NetBackup. This feature is also known as the SnapVault®for NetBackup solution. The NearStore disk storage unit features are available onall supported media server platforms.

For additional information, see the Data ONTAP System Administrator’s Guide.

The following terms are used in this topic:

■ Data ONTAPThe NetApp storage operating system provides unified data management forboth block and file serving environments.

■ File system export modeIn the file system export mode, backups become user mountable when exportedas CIFS or NFS file systems. This mode is in effect when both the Enable filesystem export setting and the Enable block sharing setting are enabled.NetApp also refers to this mode as context-aware SIS.The file system export mode adds functionality to the space optimized imagemode by enabling a file system export of the backup image. Mount the backupimage as a file system, drag and drop, or copy files to restore location.

■ Image mode

Additional configurationConfiguring NearStore storage units

42

This mode is in effect when neither Enable block sharing nor Enable filesystem export are selected in the storage unit dialog box. In the image mode,the disk storage unit acts much like a BasicDisk storage unit in how data isstored.

■ Qtree (quota tree)A subdirectory in a NearStore volume that acts as a virtual subvolume withspecial attributes, primarily quotas and permissions.

■ SnapshotA read-only, point-in-time copy of the entire file volume. A snapshot capturesfile modifications without duplicating file contents.

■ SnapVaultAllows exports of snapshot copies to another NetApp system, providing anincremental block-level backup solution.

■ space optimized image modeThe space optimized image mode is in effect when the Enable block sharingsetting is enabled in the NearStore disk storage unit dialog box. This modemakes use of single-instance store without the additional requirement ofmanaging snapshots. NetApp also refers to this mode as context independentSIS or advanced single instance store. To use this mode, the nearstore_asis1license must be turned on for each volume.

■ WAFL (Write Anywhere File Layout)The file system used in all NetApp storage servers. WAFL supports snapshotcreation.

Required software, hardware, and licensesTo configure a NearStore disk storage unit, the following hardware and software(and accompanying licenses) must be in place and configured:

■ NetBackup Enterprise on the master server and media server, with theOpenStorage Disk Option license installed.

■ NetBackup client software.

■ A NetApp NearStore server running Data ONTAP 7.2 or later, with the followingsoftware installed:

■ A SnapVault™ secondary license (enabled)

■ A NetApp nearstore_option license (required when a NetApp FAS deviceis used; for example, a FAS3050)

43Additional configurationConfiguring NearStore storage units

■ To configure the storage unit to use the space optimized image mode (Enableblock sharing enabled), the nearstore_asis1 license must be turned on foreach volume on the filer.

UpgradingThe following topics address SnapVault considerations:

■ NearStore disk storage units and SnapVault storage units cannot sharevolumes.NearStore and SnapVault storage units cannot share the same volume.

To prepare a volume to support NearStore storage units:

■ Disable any incremental backups to the secondary qtrees that wereoriginally scheduled for the volume.

■ Release existing SnapVault relationships. Use the NetAppsnapvault -stop

command to stop all backups and delete the qtrees and configurations ona volume.

■ Disable any existing WAFL snapshots on the volume. This includes thedefault WAFL snapshot schedule that is automatically configured whenthe volume is created.

■ Clean up configured qtrees.Qtree entries in the SnapVault configuration database are not deleted whena volume is destroyed. Make sure to delete the qtree entry in the configureddatabase.

■ Manage NearStore SnapVault snapshot schedules.Use the snapvault snap sched command to display the currently configuredSnapVault snapshot schedule. The command lets you view the basenames ofall snapshot sets for all SnapVault volumes on the filer.

Note: Volumes that are configured for NetBackup NearStore disk storage unitsdo not support the snapvault snap sched command. Any attempt to run thesnapvault snap sched command on a NetBackup NearStore volume fails.

Use the snapvault snap unsched command to turn off the SnapVault schedulefor a set of snapshots and stop the snapshot process for the SnapVault secondarystorage system.


44

Note: The snapvault snap unsched command does not end the SnapVaultrelationships between the secondary system qtrees and their platform sourcedrives or directories. To do so, run the snapvault stop command for eachconfigured qtree or existing on the volume to be used as a NearStore disk storageunit.

■ Perform initial full backups for client and policy pairs.For every client and policy pair, a full backup must be performed to a NearStoredisk storage unit before an incremental of any type can be performed.

Advantages of NearStore disk storage unitsThe following items are notes regarding the advantages of using NearStore diskstorage units:

■ Backup data reduction.NearStore avoids duplicating disk blocks by comparing blocks in the mostrecent backup with the preceding backup image. Incremental backups do notconsume disk space unless blocks in the new backup image differ from blocksin the active file system. As a result, multiple backups to the same volumestore only uncommon blocks, and blocks that are common continue to share.Space savings are based on a per-client basis and only for files with identicalnames.Use the Data ONTAP snapvault status -b command to view data on thespace savings. For example:

gabe*> snapvault status -b

Snapvault secondary is ON.

Volume actual used saved %saved ratio

------ ------ ---- ----- ------ -----

image_size_vol 1471MB 1174MB 297MB 20% 1.25:1

r200> df -s

Filesystem used shared saved %saved

/vol/vol0/ 1335000 0 0 0%

/vol/flexsle/ 96 0 0 0%

/vol/sim/ 292 0 0 0%

/vol/p3/ 21304124 14637384 21731976 50%

■ The tar image is retained for interoperability.The NetBackup tar image is preserved in a WAFL qtree to support NetBackupadministrative functions such as file restoration, duplication, disk staging,import from disk, and twinning to another storage unit.


■ No NetBackup administrator necessary to perform user restores.Backups to NearStore disk storage unit with the file system export optionenabled do not require a NetBackup administrator to perform restore. Filesystem export allows the NetApp storage system to present a normal CIFS orNFS file system to users to perform simple file restores.

Restrictions in the current releaseThe following items are notes regarding restrictions in the current release:

■ A NearStore requires an Ethernet connection since data is transferred over aTCP/IP socket. Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) is preferred.

■ A NearStore disk storage unit does not support the checkpoint restart feature.This restriction will be removed in future NetBackup releases.

■ Table 1-1 shows how NearStore disk storage units do not support backupsbased on the specific policy configurations.

■ A NearStore disk storage unit with the file system export option enabled doesnot support user backups. NetBackup does not collect True Image Restoreinformation for user backups. The file system export mode requires that TIRinformation be collected.

■ A NearStore disk storage unit with the file system export option enabled doesnot support hot catalog backups. Hot catalog backups rely, in part, on the userbackup process that does not collect TIR information.

■ NearStore disk storage units cannot operate with the clustering functionalityin ONTAP 7.2 or earlier. Clustering is turned on by default on some filers. Toallow NearStore functionality, remove the clustering license and reboot thefiler.

■ Table 1-2 shows how NearStore disk storage units offer partial support forbasic disk staging.

Table 1-1 Unsupported policy configurations

In Imagemode

In file systemexport mode

In spaceoptimizedimage mode

Backup policy configuration

YesNoYesNetBackup for Microsoft SQL Server

NoNoNoNetBackup for Microsoft SQL Server(multistreamed)

YesNoYesNetBackup for Sybase


46

Table 1-1 Unsupported policy configurations (continued)

In Imagemode

In file systemexport mode

In spaceoptimizedimage mode

Backup policy configuration

NoNoNoNetBackup for Sybase (multistreamed)

YesNoYesNetBackup for Oracle proxy block levelincremental

NoNoNoNetBackup for Oracle proxy block levelincremental (multistreamed)

Table 1-2 Support for basic disk staging

In image modeIn file system exportmode

In space optimizedimage mode

Basic disk staging storage unitconfiguration

YesNoNoStage I disk staging storage unit

YesYesYesStage II disk staging storage unit(finaldestination)

Preparing a NearStore configurationTo make the SnapVault storage unit available for backups, add, enable, andconfigure SnapVault on the secondary filer.

Configuring SnapVault on the secondary filerUse the following procedure to configure SnapVault on the secondary filer.

To configure SnapVault on the secondary filer

1 Add the secondary SnapVault license by typing the following command:

license add sv_secondary_license

2 Enable SnapVault by typing the following command:

options snapvault.enable on

3 Grant access to the primary filer and to the media servers authorized to accessthe NearStore system by entering the following command:

options snapvault.access

host=nbu_media_server1,nbu_media_server2...

See “NearStore disk storage unit properties” on page 50.


Authenticating a NetBackup media serverYou must configure a NearStore user name and password in NetBackup beforethe storage unit is created. NearStore authentication information is stored in theNetBackup Enterprise Media Manager (EMM) database.

Note:A NetBackup NDMP license is not required to create a NearStore disk storageunit. However, to use the NetBackup Administration Console to enable NearStorecredentials instead of tpconfig, NDMP must be enabled.

Use the following procedure to authenticate a NetBackup media server.

To authenticate the NetBackup media server

1 On the NetBackup server, in the NetBackup Administration Console, selectMedia and Device Management > Credentials. Click NDMP Hosts.

2 On the Actions menu, select New > New NDMP Host.

3 In the Add NDMP Host dialog box, provide the name of the secondary host.Click OK.

4 Specify the credentials on the NDMP host. Use global credentials or credentialsspecific to this host.

Credentials can also be configured by using the tpconfig command.

Creating a root NearStore user name and passwordUse the following procedure to create a root NearStore user name and password.

To create a root NearStore user name and password

◆ Type the following command:

tpconfig -add -snap_vault_filer -nh hostname -user_id root_ID

[-password root_password]

Note: It is important to avoid using root as an NDMP password because root isnot encrypted, and can compromise the integrity of the storage system.

Creating a non-root NearStore user name and passwordAdministrators can create user accounts on the NearStore to perform backupsand restores. The following procedure describes a method to send a user’sencrypted password over the network.


48

To create a non-root NearStore user name and password

1 Log onto the Nearstore.

2 To create a new user, enter the following command:

useradmin user add userID -g groupID

Enter a password when prompted.

3 To receive the encrypted version of the password, enter the followingcommand:

ndmpd password userID

where userID is the name of the user added.

4 Record the password.

5 Log off of the NearStore.

6 Enter the following tpconfig command:

tpconfig -add -user_id user name -nh

nearstore_name-snap_vault_filer -password encrypted_password

The encrypted password is passed across the network.

Verifying the NearStore credentials in the EMM databaseUse the following procedure to verify that the NearStore credentials have beenentered into the NetBackup EMM database.

To verify that NearStore credentials are in the NetBackup EMM database

◆ After the tpconfig command is run, ensure that the media server isauthenticated by running the following command:

nbemmcmd -listhosts -list_snap_vault_filers

-machinenamemedia_server_name

For example:

C:\Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\admincmd>

nbemmcmd -listhosts -list_snap_vault_filers -machinename entry

NBEMMCMD, Version:6.0CA(20050628)

The following hosts were found:

ndmp mmnetapp.xxx.yyy.com

Command completed successfully.


NearStore disk storage unit propertiesThe properties that are specific to NearStore storage units are described in thefollowing topics. The entries in this dialog box are case sensitive.

Figure 1-4 Creating a new NearStore disk storage unit

File system export mode

If neither option is enabled, thestorage unit uses image mode(which acts much like aBasicDisk storage unit)

Space optimized image mode

Displays only those volumesthat are available to theNearStore disk storage unit

For a NearStore storage unit, select Disk as the Storage unit type.Storage unit type

A NearStore disk storage unit can only be used on demand. On demand only cannotbe deselected.

On demand only

Depending on what is licensed, there are a number of disk types available from whichto choose. To configure a NearStore storage unit, select NearStore.

Disk type

The NearStore server drop-down list contains all NearStore hosts configured andauthenticated for the selected media server and available to NetBackup.

NearStore server


50

The Absolute pathname to volume drop-down list contains all the volumes in theselected NearStore that are capable of serving as NetBackup disk storage units. Thelist displays only FlexVol volumes. For example, WORM volumes are filtered out.

Initially, every volume requires a full backup. All subsequent backups are incremental.

Absolute pathname tovolume

Click the Properties button to display the following:

■ Volume capacityThe total capacity of the volumes on the NearStore unit.

■ Available spaceThe storage currently available for use on the NearStore unit.

■ % FullThe storage that is currently in use on the NearStore unit.

Properties button


How the data is stored differs depending on whether the Enable block sharing settingor the Enable file system export setting is selected. Each setting permits the storageunit to store data in one of the following modes: the space optimized image mode, thefile system export mode, or the image mode.

■ Enable block sharing option

The Enable block sharing setting allows data blocks that have not changed fromone backup to the next to be shared. Sharing data blocks can save disk spacesignificantly in the storage unit.

If only the Enableblocksharing setting is enabled, the NearStore is using the spaceoptimized image mode. The space optimized image mode makes use ofsingle-instance store (SIS) without the additional requirement of managingsnapshots. This mode is especially useful for database backups since an exportedfile system of a database backup is not useful in that case.

■ Enable file system export option

If both the Enable file system export and the Enable block sharing settings areenabled, the backups are created using the file system export mode. In the file systemexport mode, backups become user mountable when exported as CIFS or NFS filesystems. This means that the user mounts the backup image with CIFS or NFS andcopies the files using native tools (for example, Windows Explorer).

Be sure to enable Collect true image restore information with move detection onthe policies that write to FSE-enabled NearStore disk storage units. This policyattribute must be enabled or the backups fail.

Backups that use the file system export mode use snapshots to tie images together.The space that a snapshot consumes is unavailable for reuse until every image inthe snapshot expires and is deleted.

Because of this behavior, configure policies so that the images in the NearStorestorage unit do not become interrelated. For example, do not combine scheduleswith dissimilar backup frequencies or retention periods within the same policy.

Note: The 7.2 ONTAP kernel enforces a limit of 255 snapshots per volume and 200volumes per NearStore.

■ Image mode option

To select Enable temporary stagingarea (used for basic disk staging), both Enableblock sharing and Enable file system export must not be selected. In this way, theNearStore stores the backup using the image mode. Using this mode, the client’star stream is passed to the NearStore without additional information. Since theONTAP kernel cannot read NetBackup’s tar format, only basic NetBackup operationscan be performed, not SIS.

Enable block sharing andEnable file system export

NearStore uses the Reduce fragment size setting differently than other storage units.NetBackup writes to a NearStore by laying out the data in one large image, and notdividing the data into fragments.

Reduce fragment size

To select Enable temporary staging area, both Enable block sharing and Enable filesystem export must not be selected. As previously stated, when the NearStore is inimage mode, it acts much like a BasicDisk storage unit in how data is stored.

Temporary staging area


52

Viewing the backup imageUse the bpstsinfo command to look for images on the NearStore, as well as tolook at server and logical storage unit (LSU) attributes. Details about the bpstsinfocommand are available in NetBackup Commands.

About disk consumptionSnapshot creation consumes a large amount of disk space. NetBackup preparesfor this space requirement by reserving 20% of the disk space on the volume tobe used exclusively for the snapshot, and not for the active file system.

If the snapshots exceed the reserved amount, space is consumed as needed fromthe active file system. However, the active file system cannot consume disk spacethat is reserved for snapshots.

About file system full conditionsWhenever snapshots consume more than 100% of the reserved space, the activefile system is in danger of becoming full. Under these conditions, backups failuntil administrative action is taken.

Administrative action can include the following:

■ Use the NetBackup Catalog utility to expire images.

■ Lowering the retention level for images so that images are expired sooner.

End of Media detection on disk staging storage unitsTo permit End of Media detection on NearStore disk staging storage units, backupperformance is diminished when a NearStore volume is within 4 gigabytes ofbeing full.

Using the NearStore disk storage unit for more than one purposeThe volume properties of the NearStore storage unit display a value for the storageavailable on the volume. A volume that is designated for NearStore storage shouldbe used exclusively for NetBackup.

Disaster recovery by using volume SnapMirror on NearStore diskstorage units

NetBackup and NetApp volume SnapMirror® technology can be used to providea disaster recovery solution for NearStore disk storage units.


The volume SnapMirror feature can be used to replicate a NearStore disk storageunit from one NearStore to a second NearStore to provide failover support in adisaster recovery situation.

Disaster recovery planning should always include NetBackup catalog backup andrestore procedures.

Information about catalog backups and restores in a disaster recover situation isavailable.

See the NetBackup Troubleshooting Guide.

Disaster recovery scenariosThe examples in this topic are based on the following representative environment:

■ Two media servers back up to volumes on a NearStore disk storage unit(NearStoreA).

■ mediaserver1 backs up to volume1 on NearStoreA

■ mediaserver2 backs up to volume2 on NearStoreA.

■ NearStoreA contains volumes that are replicated by using SnapMirror toNearStoreB.

Figure 1-5 Example NearStore configuration

Mediaserver1

SnapMirror relationship

Vol1

Vol2

Mediaserver2

NearStoreA diskstorage unit

NearStoreA failsover to NearStoreB

NearStoreB diskstorage unit

Vol1

Vol2

Two basic disaster recovery scenarios for the volumes on NearStore A are asfollows:

■ The volumes on NearStoreA are unrecoverable.


54

If the volumes on NearStoreA were destroyed and cannot be recovered, theSnapMirror relationship must be manually broken, making the replicatedvolumes on NearStoreB read-enabled and write-enabled.For each replicated volume on each media server, an entry is added in theNetBackup bp.conf file (UNIX) or registry (Windows) that instructs NetBackupto redirect restores, verifications, and deletions to the replicated copy. Thebpstsinfo command provides a check to identify any images that were notreplicated before the failure. After the failover, storage units must be alteredso that future backups go to volumes on the failover NearStore.

■ The volumes on NearStoreA are recoverable.If the volumes were not destroyed but are temporarily unavailable, all databacked up to NearStoreB while NearStoreA was unavailable can be transferredback to NearStoreA. NetBackup then can be reconfigured to direct restores,verifications, deletions, and backups to NearStoreA again.

Initial NearStore configurationAs in any NetBackup environment, create NearStore storage units, create backuppolicies, and configure catalog backups.

On NearStoreB, configure a SnapMirror relationship for each volume to bereplicated from NearStoreA. Configure a SnapMirror schedule with a relativelysmall time period to minimize any data mismatches between the source anddestination in the case of a disaster.

Information on how to configure SnapMirror relationships and schedules isavailable.

See the NetApp Online Backup and Recovery Guide.

General failover configurationIf NearStoreA becomes unavailable, break the SnapMirror relationship to useNearStoreB as the new NearStore disk storage unit.

Use the following procedure to position a NearStore storage unit so that it handlesall backups and restores.

To configure a NearStore storage unit for failover protection

1 Break the SnapMirror relationship between the volumes. To do so, issue asnapmirror break command on the replicated volumes on NearStoreB.

2 Allow NearStoreB to restore images that were backed up to NearStoreA. Todo so, add an entry for each replicated volume as follows:


■ On each UNIX media server, add a NEARSTORE_FAILOVER_SERVERentry to the /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf file.

■ On each Windows media server, use the bpgetconfig command to obtaina list of configuration entries. Then use bpsetconfig to add theNEARSTORE_FAILOVER_SERVER entry to the registry.If added correctly, theentry should appear in the following registry location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VERITAS\NetBackup\

ConcurrentVersion\Config

3 Use the bpstsinfo -comparedbandstu command to compare the contentsof the NetBackup catalog with the list of images reported from the NearStore.

Because the SnapMirror replication is performed asynchronously, it is possiblethat images may not have been fully replicated before the NearStoreA wentdown.

bpstsinfo -comparedbandstu creates a list of images that the catalog thinksare on NearStoreA and compares that list to the images that NearStoreBreports it contains. Any image is listed that is not present both in the catalogand on NearStoreB. Also listed is the image location, whether the image is inthe catalog only or on media only. The list identifies any discrepancy to theadministrator so the appropriate action can be taken.

4 For future backups to be successful, change NearStoreA to NearStoreB on allNetBackup NearStore disk storage units.

5 If the catalog was backed up to NearStoreB, the disaster may require a catalogrecovery.

See the NetBackup Troubleshooting Guide.

Catalog backups to NearStore disk storage units are restricted to those thatdo not have the File System Export option enabled.

For more examples, see the following topics:

See “Example 1” on page 56.


Failover examplesFigure 1-5 was used as the basis for the following examples.

Example 1

Figure 1-6 shows that NearStoreA is unavailable, and NearStoreB is configuredas the new NearStore disk storage unit.


56

Figure 1-6 NearStoreB as the new disk storage unit

Mediaserver1 Mediaserver2

NearStoreB diskstorage unit

Vol1

Vol2

Vol1

Vol2

NearStoreA diskstorage unit

To enable NearStoreB in the example, use the following steps:

■ Break the SnapMirror relationship between the volumes. Issue a snapmirror

break command on the replicated volumes on NearStoreB.

NearStoreB> snapmirror break volume1


■ Change the configuration for each volume that was being failed over.

■ On each UNIX media server, do the following:Add a NEARSTORE_FAILOVER_SERVER entry to the bp.conf file for eachvolume that was being failed over. The following entry is for mediaserver1:

NEARSTORE_FAILOVER_SERVER = NearStoreA:/vol/volume1

NearStoreB:/vol/volume1

The following entry is for mediaserver2:NEARSTORE_FAILOVER_SERVER = NearStoreA:/vol/volume2NearStoreB:/vol/volume2

■ On each Windows media server, do the following:Use the bpsetconfig to add the NEARSTORE_FAILOVER_SERVER entry to theregistry (type Multi-String Value).If added correctly, the entry should appear in the following registry location:



The following entry is for mediaserver1:


NearStoreA:/vol/volume1 NearStoreB:/vol/volume1


NearStoreA:/vol/volume2 NearStoreB:/vol/volume2

■ On each media server, run the bpstsinfo -comparedbandstu command. Thecommand displays differences between the contents on the catalog, andcontents on the disk storage unit.The following is the command for mediaserver1:

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/bpstsinfo -comparedbandstu

-oldservervolume NearStoreA:/vol/volume1 -servername NearStoreB

-serverprefix ntap: -lsuname /vol/volume1

The following is the command for mediaserver2:

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/bpstsinfo -comparedbandstu

-oldservervolume NearStoreA:/vol/volume2 -servername NearStoreB

-serverprefix ntap: -lsuname /vol/volume2

■ No differencesIf no differences exist between the images in the catalog and the imageson the NearStore volume, no images are listed in the output.The output contains only debug logging as follows:

STS: STH_ESDEBUG: comparedbandstu: libsts openp() 06/09/12 10:48:37:

opening module /usr/openv/lib/libstspibasicdiskMT.so

STS: STH_ESDEBUG: comparedbandstu: libsts openp() 06/09/12 10:48:38:

opening module /usr/openv/lib/libstspinearstoreMT.so

Nearstore disk subtype

■ With differencesThe output contains additional information if mismatches are found. Amismatch can exist if, for example, one image did not get replicated toNearStoreB before NearStoreA went down.

STS: STH_ESDEBUG: comparedbandstu: libsts openp() 06/09/12

10:39:37: opening module /usr/openv/lib/libstspibasicdiskMT.so

Nearstore disk subtype

ONLY IN CATALOG

imagename:mediaserver1_1157990060 policy:powerpoint_backup

copy_num:1 frag_num:0 is_header:TRUE resume_num:0

ONLY IN CATALOG


58

imagename: mediaserver1_1157990060 policy: powerpoint_backup

copy_num:1 frag_num:1 is_header:FALSE resume_num:0

Note: Two images are listed but they represent only one backup. There areseparate files for the header and the actual backup data. If this backup wasenabled for True Image Restore, three images would have printed. Todetermine if the images are part of the same backup, look at the imagenamefield. In the example, both listings have the same image name, which indicatesthat they are part of the same backup.

Remove the entries for this image from the NetBackup catalog either by usingthe NetBackup Administration Console or by running bpexpdate.

To remove the entry from the catalog by using bpexpdate, enter the following:

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/bpexpdate -backupid

mediaserver1_1157990060 -d 0

■ If the original volumes on NearStoreA are never expected to recover, manuallydelete the snapshot copies used by the SnapMirror transfer on volumes volume1and volume2. (Do this if, for example, if you do not expect that the volume willbe SnapMirror resynced.)Issue snapmirror status -l on the destination volume on NearStoreB:

NearStoreB> snapmirror status -l vsmtest1

The following is the output:

NearStoreB> snapmirror status -l volume1

Snapmirror is on.

Source: NearStoreA:volume1

Destination: NearStoreB:volume1

Status: Idle

Progress: -

State: Broken-off

Lag: 00:05:28

Mirror Timestamp: Fri Sep 29 10:39:28 PDT 2006

Base Snapshot: NearStoreB(0101178726)_volume1.2

Current Transfer Type: -

Current Transfer Error: -

Contents: Replica

Last Transfer Type: Resync

Last Transfer Size: 72 KB


Last Transfer Duration: 00:00:03

Last Transfer From: NearStoreA:volume1

Delete the base snapshot copy associated with the volume, as follows:

NearStoreB> snap delete volume1 NearStoreB(0101178726)_volume1.2

Repeat this procedure for volume2 as well.

■ Remove any SnapMirror schedules added in the snapmirror.conf file for thesevolumes.

■ Reconfigure the disk storage units that were originally configured to thevolumes on NearStoreA.Point the disk storage units to the disk storage units on NearStoreB by usingthe following command:

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/bpsturep -label <storage unit

label> -nh NearStoreB

Example 2

In this example, NearStoreA is taken down for maintenance and NearStoreB isconfigured as the new NearStore disk storage unit.

To enable NearStoreB as the new temporary disk storage unit, the administratorperforms the steps outlined in the following topic:


When NearStoreA is back online, the administrator wants to use it again as thedisk storage unit. All data backed up to NearStoreB while NearStoreA wasunavailable must be transferred to NearStoreA before re-enabling NearStoreA asthe disk storage unit.

Follow these steps to transfer data from NearStoreB to NearStoreA and use it asthe disk storage unit for NetBackup:

■ Resync the volume(s) from NearStoreB back to NearStoreA.

NearStoreA> snapmirror resync -S NearStoreB:volume1

volume1NearStoreA> snapmirror resync -S NearStoreB:volume2 volume2

■ Issue snapmirror release commands for both volumes on NearStoreA, asNearStoreA is no longer the replica source.

NearStoreA> snapmirror release volume1

NearStoreB:volume1NearStoreA> snapmirror release volume2

NearStoreB:volume2


60

■ Delete the base snapshots on NearStoreB. The snapshots that were originallyused by SnapMirror while transferring data from NearStoreA to NearStoreBare no longer needed.

■ Confirm that the relationships are intact by issuing SnapMirror updates onNearStoreA by entering the following:

NearStoreA> snapmirror update -S NearStoreB:volume1

volume1NearStoreA> snapmirror update -S NearStoreB:volume2 volume2

■ Break the replicated relationship on NearStoreA by entering the following:

NearStoreA> snapmirror break volume1

NearStoreA> snapmirror break volume2

■ Resync the volumes from NearStoreA to NearStoreB by entering the following:

NearStoreB> snapmirror resync -S NearStoreA:volume1

volume1NearStoreB> snapmirror resync -S NearStoreA:volume2 volume2

To resync, the volumes may return a message similar to the following and failthe resync operation:

The resync base snapshot will be:

NearStoreA(0101179629)_volume1.4

These older snapshots have already been deleted from the source

and will be deleted from the destination:

NearStoreB(0101178726)_volume1.20699


Are you sure you want to resync the volume? y

Wed Sep 27 12:30:24 PDT [snapmirror.dst.resync.success:notice]:

SnapMirror resync of volume1 to NearStoreA:volume1 successful.

Transfer started.

Monitor progress with 'snapmirror status' or the snapmirror log.

NearStoreB> Wed Sep 27 12:30:26 PDT

[snapmirror.dst.snapDelErr:error]: Snapshot

NearStoreB(0101178726)_volume1.20699 in destination volume

volume1 is in use, cannot delete.

Wed Sep 27 12:30:27 PDT [snapmirror.dst.err:error]: SnapMirror

destination transfer from NearStoreA:volume1 to volume1 :

snapmirror transfer failed to complete.

If such a case occurs, do the following steps:

■ The SnapMirror resync operation replicated the volume, so break the replicaby issuing a snapmirror break:



■ Manually delete the snapshot copy in question by entering the following:

NearStoreB> snap delete volume1


■ Retry the resync operation.You may need to repeat these steps until no more snapshot copies no longercause problems with the resync operation.

■ Repeat steps 2 through 4, on NearStoreB as follows:

■ Issue snapmirror release commands for both volumes on NearStoreB,as NearStoreB is no longer the replica source.

■ Delete the base snapshots on NearStoreA. The snapshots were originallyused by SnapMirror while transferring data from NearStoreB to NearStoreAand are no longer needed.

■ Confirm that the relationships are intact by issuing SnapMirror updateson NearStoreB.

■ Change the configuration for each volume to redirect access of backups madeto NearStoreB to NearStoreA:

■ On each UNIX media server do the following:Change the bp.conf entry for each volume to redirect access of backupsmade to NearStoreB to NearStoreA.

NEARSTORE_FAILOVER_SERVER = NearStoreB:/vol/volume1

NearStoreA:/vol/volume1


NEARSTORE_FAILOVER_SERVER = NearStoreB:/vol/volume2

NearStoreA:/vol/volume2

■ On each Windows media server do the following:Use the bpsetconfig command to add the NEARSTORE_FAILOVER_SERVER

entry to the registry (type Multi-String Value).If added correctly, the entry should appear in the following registry location:



The value for mediaserver1 is as follows:


62

NearStoreB:/vol/volume1 NearStoreA:/vol/volume1

The value for mediaserver2 is as follows:

NearStoreB:/vol/volume2 NearStoreA:/vol/volume2

■ Reconfigure the disk storage units that were originally configured to thevolumes on NearStoreB.Point the disk storage units to the disk storage units on NearStoreA, using thefollowing command:

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/bpsturep -label <storage unit

label> -nh NearStoreA

Locating troubleshooting logsTroubleshooting logs are located in the following areas:

■ By default (if not creating multiple copies): /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bpdm

■ If creating multiple copies: /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bptm

All other logging is similar to a standard backup, for example, producing progresslogs.

Troubleshooting logs contain more information about the interaction withNearStore.

On the NearStore, the root volume contains a NetBackup-specific log file thatdetails the protocol between NetBackup and the NearStore.

ONTAP debug logs are located in the following area:

/vol/vol0/etc/logs/nbu_snapvault

Licensing and permissionsThe following items are notes regarding licensing and permissions:

■ Make sure that the permissions on the disk storage unit are set so that datacan be written to the volume.If permissions are Read Only, NetBackup cannot write to it.

■ Make sure that the SnapVault license has been added and is turned on.

■ Make sure the tpconfig command is used to add the NearStore user ID andpassword into the EMM global database.Additional information is available in the following topic:See “To authenticate the NetBackup media server” on page 48.


■ If the maximum number of transfers allowed to a single NearStore is exceeded,the ONTAP kernel reports the following error:

inf Wed Jul 6 07:28:27 CDT [10.80.106.36:58645] Maximum

active transfers reached.

The maximum number of concurrent backup or restore connections is 128.

About disk full conditionsThe following items are notes regarding disk full conditions:

■ If jobs fail to write to the NearStore, make sure that the space that is reservedfor snapshots on the NearStore is not completely full. When the reserved spaceis full, NetBackup uses the active file system space as needed.

■ In the case of a disk full condition on the NearStore, make sure that no WAFLsnapshots are consuming disk space.

About the file system export modeThe following items are notes regarding the file system export mode:

■ Snapshots are used to ensure the integrity of the exported file system. Asnapshot is made up of one or more images in a group. Before a snapshot canbe reclaimed (or deleted), all the images it contains must be deleted.

The snapshots must be deleted to keep the NearStore file system synchronizedwith the last NetBackup catalog image:

■ Use bpstsinfo -imagegrouplist to determine what image groups arecontained within a snapshot.

■ Use bpstsinfo -deleteimage to delete the images within a snapshot.

■ A File System Export-enabled NearStore storage unit may generate a returncode of 1 (partially successful) even if all the data was backed up successfully.This can occur if the last backup to that client and policy pair did not generatea return code of 0 due to incorrect True Image Restore information.In the Activity Monitor, in the Job Details for the job, note that additional filesmay have been exported on the NearStore that were not in the most recentclient backup:

9/27/2009 5:20:34 PM - Error bpdm(pid=2328) The backup was

successful but the exported filesystem on the storage host gabe

may display files that are no longer present on the client

filesystem. (STS_EEFSCHK)

9/27/2009 5:20:38 PM - Warning bpbrm(pid=2412) The filesystem


64

exposed by the nearstore DSU may not be up to date. Check the

Nearstore's nbu_snapvault log for details



66

Reference topics


■ Host name rules

■ Reading backup images with tar

■ Factors that affect backup time

■ Determining the NetBackup transfer rate

■ NetBackup notify scripts

■ Media and device management best practices

■ About TapeAlert

■ About tape drive cleaning

■ How NetBackup selects drives

■ How NetBackup reserves drives

■ How NetBackup selects media

■ Volume pool and volume group examples

■ About media formats

■ Media Manager commands

Host name rulesNetBackup uses host names to identify, communicate with, and initiate processeson NetBackup client and server computers. The correct use of host names duringconfiguration is essential to the proper operation of NetBackup.

2Chapter

See “About dynamic host name and IP addressing” on page 32.

NetBackup uses TCP/IP host names to connect to NetBackup servers and clients.NetBackup validates its connections by performing a reverse host name lookup.That is, NetBackup determines the IP address of a connection and then uses theIP address to look up the host name with gethostbyaddr(). The host name andaddress resolution must be set up correctly in DNS, WINS, or the local%Systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file (if necessary).

Note: Place the system host name and IP address in the%Systemroot%\system32\drivers\etc\hosts file to accelerate name lookups.

Qualifying host namesA major consideration is the extent to which you qualify host names. In manycases, the short host name of a computer is adequate. If the network environmentcontains multiple domains, qualify host names to the extent that servers andclients can identify each other in a multi-domain environment.

For example, use a name such as mercury.bdev.null.com or mercury.bdev ratherthan only mercury.

How NetBackup uses host namesThe following topics discuss how NetBackup stores and uses host names. Thesetopics also address factors to consider when you choose host names.

Note: Do not change the host name of a NetBackup server. This practice is notrecommended. You may need to import all previously used media to the serverbefore you can use it under the new host name.

Policy configurationThe configured name for a client is the host name as it is added to a policy. Thisname is how the client is identified in the NetBackup configuration.

The server uses the client’s configured name to connect to the client and startthe processes that satisfy client requests. Always use qualified host names to addclients to a policy so that all NetBackup servers can connect to the clients.

When a client makes a user backup, archive, or restore request to the NetBackupserver, the server uses the peer name of the client. The peer name (identified fromits TCP connection) is used to determine the client’s configured name.

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68

If you add a client to more than one policy, always use the same name in all cases.If the same name is not used, the client cannot view all the files that are backedup on its behalf. In this case, file restores become complicated because both useraction and administrator action is required to restore from some of the backups.

Image catalogA subdirectory in the image catalog is created for a client when a backup is firstcreated for that client. The subdirectory’s name is the client’s configured name.

Every backup for a client has a separate file in this subdirectory. Each of thesebackup records contains the host name of the server on which the backup waswritten.

Error catalogNetBackup uses entries in the error catalog for generating reports. These entriescontain the host name of the server that generates the entry and the client’sconfigured name, if applicable. The server host name is normally the server’sshort host name. (For example, servername instead of servername.null.com.)

Catalog backup informationThis topic applies to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

If you include a media server’s catalog files in the NetBackup catalog, qualify thehost name of the media server in the file path. Qualified names are necessarybecause they allow the master server to connect to the media server.

Updating NetBackup after changing the host nameDo not change the host name of a NetBackup server. A name change might requirethat all previously used media be imported to the server before the host can beused under the new name.

Use the following steps to update the NetBackup configuration if a client’s hostname is changed.

69Reference topicsHost name rules

To update NetBackup after a master server name change

1 On the master server, delete the client’s old name from all policies where itexists and add the client’s new name to those policies. You do not need toreinstall NetBackup software on the client. The client continues to have accessto all previous backups.

2 Create a file named ALTPATH in the image catalog directory.

For example, if the client name is client1, the ALTPATH file is created in thefollowing location:

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\db\images\client1\

ALTPATH

3 Create a directory for the new client2 in the \images directory:

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\db\images\client2

4 On the first line of the client1\ALTPATH file, specify the path to the directoryfor the new client. The path is the only entry in the ALTPATH file.

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\db\images\client2

To update NetBackup after a client name change

1 On PC clients, change the client name setting either through the user interfaceor in a configuration file.

See the online Help in the Backup, Archive, and Restore client interface.

2 On UNIX clients, change the CLIENT_NAME value in the bp.conf file to thenew name.

If users on UNIX clients have a bp.conf file in the $HOME directory, users mustchange CLIENT_NAME in that file to the new name.

Special considerations for Domain Name Service (DNS)In some requests to the master server, client software sends the name that itobtains through its gethostname library function. If the name is unknown to themaster server Domain Name Service, the master server may not be able to replyto client requests.

This possible situation depends on how the client and the server are configured.If gethostname on the client returns host the names that DNS on the master servercannot resolve, problems occur.

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One possible solution is to reconfigure the client or the master server DNS hostsfile. Another option is to create a special file in the altnames directory on themaster server. The file forces the translation of NetBackup client host names.

install_path\NetBackup\db\altnames\host.xlate

Each line in the host.xlate file contains three elements: a numeric key and twohost names. Each line is left-justified, and a space character separates each elementof the line:

key hostname_from_ client client_as_known_by_server

Where

■ key is a numeric value used by NetBackup to specify the cases where translationis to be done. Currently this value must always be 0, which indicates aconfigured name translation.

■ hostname_from_client is the value to translate. The client name mustcorrespond to the name that is obtained by running the client’s gethostname.The value must be sent to the server in the request.

■ client_as_known_by_server is the name to substitute forhostname_from_clientfor request responses. The name must match the name in the NetBackupconfiguration on the master server and must also be known to the masterserver’s network services.

Consider the following example:

0 xxxx xxxx.eng.aaa.com

The line specifies that when the master server receives a request for a configuredclient name (numeric key 0), the name xxxx.eng.aaa.com always replaces xxxx.

The substitution resolves the problem if the following conditions are true:

■ When gethostname is run on the client, it returns xxxx.

■ The master server’s network services gethostbyname library function did notrecognize the name xxxx.

■ The client was configured and named in the NetBackup configuration asxxxx.eng.aaa.com. And, this name is also known to network services on themaster server.

71Reference topicsHost name rules

Reading backup images with tarNetBackup for UNIX uses a modified GNU tar for reading backup images. By usingthe modified tar, NetBackup can understand compressed files, sparse files, longpathnames, and ACL information. It offers features similar to those in cpio.

Although non-NetBackup versions of tar can be used to restore files, they provideonly limited restore capabilities.

Note: You cannot use the NetBackup modified-GNU tar on UNIX or tar32.exeon Windows to extract files from a NetBackup for Windows backup image.

Effects of a non-NetBackup tarNon-NetBackup versions of tar do not supply all of the restore capabilities thatthe NetBackup /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/tar provides. Possible problemsresult.

The following is a list of effects that a non-NetBackup tar can encounter:

■ Compressed backups cannot be recovered.

■ Multiplexed backups cannot be recovered.

■ Solaris extended attributes cannot be restored to a client.

■ VxFS named data streams cannot be restored to a client.

■ Backups cannot be recovered that contain raw partitions. (Includes FlashBackupimages.)

■ NDMP client backup images cannot be restored, though NDMP vendors mayhave tools or the utilities that can perform a restore directly from the media.

■ Non-NetBackup versions of tar may have trouble with sparse files and oftenskip sparse files.

■ HP CDFs are restored with non-NetBackup versions of tar. The directory is nolonger hidden and the name of the directory has a + appended to it.

■ If the backup spans more than one piece of media, you must read and combinethe fragments from the media to give to tar. To combine the fragments, thesystem’s dd command may be useful.

Another possibility is to use tar on the fragments. To use tar on fragmentscan allow recovery of any file in the backup other than the one that spannedthe media.

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72

Some versions of the HP9000-800 /bin/tar command are known to give adirectory checksum error for the second fragment of a backup that crossedmedia.

■ Some versions of Solaris tar combine the atime, mtime, and ctime strings withthe file name and create the file paths that are not desirable.

About the files that tar generatesAny version of tar (including NetBackup-modified tar) can generate a numberof files depending on the circumstances of the recovery, as follows:

■ @@MaNgLeD.nnnn

For backups containing pathnames longer than 100 characters, tar generatesthe files that are named @@MaNgLeD.nnnn that contain the actual file.

■ @@MaNgLeD.nnnn_Rename

tar generates another file (@@MaNgLeD.nnnn_Rename) that explains how torename the @@MaNgLeD.nnnn files to return the files to the correct location.

■ @@MaNgLeD.nnnn_Symlink

For long names of symbolic links, tar generates the files that are named@@MaNgLeD.nnnn_Symlink. These files contain descriptions of the symboliclinks that must be made to return a link to the correct file.

■ For cross-platform ACLs restores, tar creates and stores the ACLs in.SeCuRiTy.nnnn files in the rootdirectory. Read or delete the files. Regeneratethe ACLs to the corresponding files by hand.

■ For cross-platform VxFS extent attribute restores, tar creates and storesextent attributes in .ExTeNt.nnnn files in the root directory. The files caneither be deleted or read and the extent attributes regenerated by hand to thecorresponding files.

Factors that affect backup timeThe amount of time that NetBackup requires to complete a backup is an importantfactor in setting up schedules. The importance of time is particularly true for thesites that handle large amounts of data. For example, the total backup time canexceed the time that is allotted to complete backups and interfere with normalnetwork operations. Longer backup times also increase the possibility of a problemthat disrupts the backup. The time to back up files can also give an indication ofhow long it may take to recover the files.

Figure 2-1 shows the major factors that affect backup time.

73Reference topicsFactors that affect backup time

Figure 2-1 Backup time formula

Compression factor(optional)

Backup timeTotal data

Transfer rateDevice delays= x+

Total amount of data to back upThe total amount of data to back up depends on the size of the files for each clientin the policy. The total amount of data also depends on whether the backup is afull backup or an incremental backup.

The implications are as follows:

■ Full backups involve all the data. Therefore, a full backup usually takes longerthan an incremental backup.

■ Differential incremental backups include only the data that changed since thelast full or incremental backup.

■ Cumulative incremental backups include all the data that changed since thelast full backup.

For incremental backups, the amount of data depends on the frequency with whichfiles change. If a large number of files change frequently, incremental backupsare larger.

Transfer rateThe transfer rate depends on the following factors:

■ The speed of the backup device. Backups that are sent to tapes with a transferrate of 800 kilobytes per second are generally faster than tapes with a transferrate of 400 kilobytes. (Assume that other factors allow for the faster transferrate.)

■ The available network bandwidth. The available bandwidth is less than thetheoretical network bandwidth and depends on how much other network trafficis present. For example, multiple backups occurring on the same networkcompete for bandwidth.

■ The speed with which the client can process the data. The speed varies withthe hardware platform and depends on the other applications that run on theplatform. File size is also an important factor. Clients can process larger filesfaster than smaller ones. A backup for 20 files, 1 megabyte each, is faster thana backup for 20,000 files that are 1 kilobyte each.

■ The speed with which the server can process the data. Like client speed, serverspeed also varies with the hardware platform and depends on the other

Reference topicsFactors that affect backup time

74

applications that run on the platform. The number of concurrent backupsbeing performed also affects server speed.

■ Network configuration can affect performance. For example, when somemachines run full-duplex and some run half-duplex in an Ethernetenvironment, the throughput is significantly reduced.See “Determining the NetBackup transfer rate” on page 75.

Device delaysDevice delays can be due to the following factors:

■ The device may be busy or slow to load the media.

■ The device may be slow to find the location on the media at which to startwriting the backup.

These delays can vary widely and depend on the devices and the computingenvironments.

Determining the NetBackup transfer rateCalculate three variations of the backup transfer rate by using NetBackup reportdata.

Three rates and calculation methods are available:

■ See “Network transfer rate” on page 75.

■ See “Network transfer plus end-of-backup processing rate” on page 76.

■ See “Total transfer rate” on page 76.

■ See “Using the System Monitor” on page 77.

The Microsoft Windows System Monitor also displays the NetBackup transferrate.

Network transfer rateThe network transfer rate is the rate provided in the All Log Entries report.

The network transfer rate considers only the time it takes to transfer data overthe network from client to server.

This rate ignores the following:

■ The time the device requires to load and position media before a backup.

75Reference topicsDetermining the NetBackup transfer rate

■ The time that the tape file requires to close and write an additional NetBackupinformation record to the tape.

Network transfer plus end-of-backup processing rateThis rate ignores the time it takes to load and position media before a backup.However, the rate does include the end-of-backup processing that is ignored inthe network transfer rate. To determine this rate, use the All Log Entries reportand calculate the time from the message:

begin writing backup id xxx

until the message

successfully wrote backup id xxx

To calculate the transfer rate, divide this time (in seconds) into the total bytesthat are transferred. (The total bytes that are transferred is recorded in the AllLog Entries report.)

Total transfer rateThis transfer rate includes the time it takes to load and position the media as wellas the end-of-backup processing. Use the List Client Backups report to calculatethe transfer rate by dividing Kilobytes by Elapsed Time (converted to seconds).

ExamplesAssume that the reports provide the following data.

Sample All Log Entries report:

TIME SERVER/CLIENT TEXT

04/28/09 23:10:37 windows giskard begin writing backup

id giskard_0767592458, fragment 1 to

media id TL8033 on device 1 . . .

04/29/09 00:35:07 windows giskard successfully wrote

backup id giskard_0767592458,

fragment 1, 1161824 Kbytes at

230.325 Kbytes/sec

Sample List Client Backups Report:

Client: giskard

Backup ID: giskard_0767592458

Policy: production_servers

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76

Client Type: Standard

Sched Label: testing_add_files

Schedule Type: Full

Backup Retention Level: one week (0)

Backup Time: 04/28/09 23:07:38

Elapsed Time: 001:27:32

Expiration Time: 05/05/09 23:07:38

Compressed: no

Kilobytes: 1161824

Number of Files: 78210

The following three rates were compiled with the backup data from the samplereports:

Network transfer rate:

1161824 Kbytes at 230.325 Kbytes per second

Network transfer plus end-of-backup processing rate:

23:10:30 - 00:35:07 = 01:24:30 = 5070 seconds

1161824 Kbytes/5070 = 229.157 Kbytes per second

Total transfer rate:

Elapsed time = 01:27:32 = 5252 seconds

1161824 Kbytes/5252 = 221.216 Kbytes per second

Using the System MonitorNetBackup adds the NetBackup Disk/Tape performance object to the list of objectsthat the Windows System Monitor monitors.

Four counters are available for the NetBackup Disk/Tape performance object, asfollows:

■ Disk/Tape Read Bytes (GB)

■ Disk/Tape Read Bytes/sec (KB)

■ Disk/Tape Write Bytes (GB)

■ Disk/Tape Write Bytes/sec (KB)

The NetBackup performance object supports instances in the System Monitor.The instances can be drive names or absolute paths to which NetBackup writes,or from which NetBackup is reads.

The System Monitor displays object instances when NetBackup reads or writesfrom the disk or tape. The read or write counters are updated depending on the

77Reference topicsDetermining the NetBackup transfer rate

type of NetBackup operation performed. The object instance is removed from thelist once the NetBackup operation completes.

If the performance is monitored locally or remotely during a NetBackup read orwrite operation, the object instance exists after the NetBackup operation iscomplete. In this case, the object instance is removed when performancemonitoring stops.

To monitor NetBackup counters remotely, the initiating computer attaches to thetarget computer’s WinLogon process through RPC. To attach to the process locksthe object instances. Thus, the object instances remain until the system reboots.

To use the System Monitor with NetBackup

1 Open the System Monitor on the Windows system.

2 Click the plus sign (+) to add a counter. Select NetBackup Disk/Tape fromthe Performance objects drop-down list.

In order for the NetBackup objects to be available for selection, the followingconditions must be met:

■ The drive must be connected to a Windows media server (or SAN mediaserver). A NetBackup job must be active (a drive is in use).

■ The user must have permissions to read the Windows registry.

■ Performance data collection is enabled (select Host Properties > MediaServers > Universal Settings > Enable performance data collection).

3 Select the counter to display from the list of available counters. Availablecounters are as follows:

■ Disk/Tape Read Bytes (GB)

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■ Disk/Tape Read Bytes/sec (KB)

■ Disk/Tape Write Bytes (GB)

■ Disk/Tape Write Bytes/sec (KB)

4 Select one or more object instances from the list of instances. Instances appearwhen NetBackup begins to read or write from the disk or the tape drives.

5 Click Add. The number of bytes that are read or written is updateddynamically, along with the rate.

NetBackup notify scriptsNetBackup provides scripts or batch files that can collect information and be usedto notify administrators of specific events.

TheInstall_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\directory contains sampleshell scripts to modify. The scripts in the \goodies directory are not supportedbut are intended as examples to customize.

The following scripts are active on the master server:

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\backup_notify.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\backup_exit_notify.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\diskfull_notify.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\mail_dr_info.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\media_deassign_notify

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\nbmail.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\pending_request_notify

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\restore_notify.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\session_notify.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\session_start_notify.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\userreq_notify.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\parent_end_notify.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\parent_start_notify.cmd

Install_path\VERITAS\Volmgr\bin\shared_drive_notify.cmd

The following scripts are run on clients:

79Reference topicsNetBackup notify scripts

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\bpstart_notify.bat (MicrosoftWindows clients only)

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\bpend_notify.bat (MicrosoftWindows clients only)

To use the client scripts, first create the script on the client.

See “bpstart_notify.bat (Microsoft Windows clients only)” on page 84.

See “bpend_notify.bat (Microsoft Windows clients only)” on page 88.

For further information, refer to the comments in the scripts.

Note:This note applies to NetBackup Enterprise Server only. If you use either thebpstart_notify or bpend_notify scripts, do not include any commands thatwrite to stdout. NetBackup sends the output that is written to stdout to the serveras part of the backup. The resulting backup can abort with an error message thatpertains to block sizes. Also, ensure that all commands in the scripts areappropriate to the client platform. For example, the -s parameter is invalid forthe UNIX mail command on some UNIX platforms. Its use can cause data to bewritten to stdout or stderr.

backup_notify.cmdThe backup_notify.cmd script runs on the NetBackup server where the storageunit is located. It is called each time a backup is successfully written to media.

NetBackup passes the following parameters to this script:

■ The name of the program doing the backup

■ The backup-image name or path

For example:

backup_notify.cmd bptm host_0695316589

backup_exit_notify.cmdThe backup_exit_notify.cmd script runs on the master server. It is called toperform site-specific processing when an individual backup completes.

NetBackup passes the following parameters to the script:

Name of the client from the NetBackup catalog.clientname

Policy name from the NetBackup catalog.policyname

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Schedule name from the NetBackup catalog.schedname

One of the following: FULL, INCR (differentialincremental),CINC (cumulative incremental),UBAK, UARC

schedtype

Exit code for the entire backup job.exitstatus

The backup stream number for a job.

0 = The backup job is not running multiple data streams.

-1 = The job is a parent job.

stream

0 = The job is not complete and will retry.

1= The job is complete and will not retry.

If the system is configured to make 3 attempts in 12 hours,the job could run this script up to 3 times. On the finalattempt, thedone_trying flag is set to 1. The job has eithercompleted successfully or has failed and exhausted thenumber of tries.

done_trying

For example:

backup_exit_notify.cmd clientname1 pol_prod sched_fulls FULL 0 -1 1

backup_exit_notify.cmd clientname2 pol_prod sched_incr INCR 73 0 1

bpstart_notify (UNIX clients only)On UNIX clients, NetBackup calls the bpstart_notify script each time the clientstarts a backup or an archive.

Note: Ensure that this script can be run by others on the client before it is used.To do so, run chmod 755 script_name, where script_name is the name of thescript.

To use this script, copy the following file from the server:

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\bpstart_notify.bat

Then place the script in the following location on the UNIX client:

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/

Modify the script and ensure that you have permission to run the script.


The bpstart_notify script runs each time a backup or an archive starts andinitialization is completed. The script runs before the tape is positioned. Thisscript must exit with a status of 0 for the calling program to continue and for thebackup or archive to proceed. A nonzero status causes the client backup or archiveto exit with a status of bpstart_notify failed.

If the /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpstart_notify script exists, it runs in theforeground and the bpbkar process on the client waits for it to complete beforecontinuing. Any commands in the script that do not end with an ampersandcharacter (&) run serially.

The server expects the client to respond with a continuemessage within the timethat the BPSTART_TIMEOUT option specifies on the server.

The default for BPSTART_TIMEOUT is 300. If the script needs more time than 300seconds, increase the value to allow more time.





One of the following: FULL, INCR (differential incremental), CINC(cumulative incremental), UBAK, UARC

schedtype

Note: The bpstart_notify script also runs for NetBackup catalog backups if a.policyname[.schedule] is not specified.

For example:

bpstart_notify client1 pol_cd4000s sched_fulls FULL

bpstart_notify client2 pol_cd4000s sched_incrementals INCR

bpstart_notify client3 pol_cd4000s sched_fulls FULL

bpstart_notify client4 pol_cd4000s sched_user_backups UBAK

bpstart_notify client5 pol_cd4000s sched_user_archive UARC

To create a bpstart_notify script for a specific policy or policy and schedulecombination, create script files with a [.policyname] or .policyname.schedulenamesuffix. The following are two examples of script names for a policy (production)that has a schedule (fulls):

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpstart_notify.production

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpstart_notify.production.fulls


82

The first script affects all scheduled backups in the policy that are namedproduction. The second script affects scheduled backups in the policy that isnamed production only when the schedule is named fulls.

Note: For a given backup, NetBackup uses only one bpstart_notify script andthat is the script with the most specific name. For example, if there are bothbpstart_notify.production and bpstart_notify.production.fulls scripts,NetBackup uses only bpstart_notify.production.fulls.

The bpstart_notify script can use the following environment variables:

BACKUPID

UNIXBACKUPTIME

BACKUPTIME

The NetBackupbpbkarprocess creates these variables. The following are examplesof the strings that are available to the script to use to record information abouta backup:

BACKUPID=client1_0857340526

UNIXBACKUPTIME=0857340526

BACKUPTIME=Sun Mar 2 16:08:46 2009

In addition, the following environment variables can be used to support multipledata streams:

■ STREAM_NUMBER

This variable indicates the stream number. The first stream from a policy,client, and schedule is 1. A 0 value indicates that multiple data streams is notenabled.

■ STREAM_COUNT

This variable specifies the total number of streams to be generated from thispolicy, client, and schedule.

■ STREAM_PID

This variable is the pid (process ID) number of bpbkar.

■ RESTARTED

Use this variable for checkpointed restarts or checkpointed backup jobs. Avalue of 0 indicates that the job was not resumed. (For example, upon firstinitiation.) A value of 1 indicates that the job was resumed.


bpstart_notify.bat (Microsoft Windows clients only)For all Windows clients, you can create batch scripts that provide notificationwhenever the client starts a backup or archive.

To use this script, copy the following file from the server:

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\bpstart_notify.bat

Then place the file on the client in the same directory as the NetBackup clientbinaries:

Install_path\NetBackup\bin\

Where Install_path is the directory where NetBackup is installed.

You can create bpstart_notify scripts that provide notification for all backupsor for backups of a specific policy or schedule.

To create a script that applies to all backups, name the script bpstart_notify.bat

To create a bpstart_notify script that applies only to a specific policy or policyand schedule combination, add a .policyname or .policyname.schedulename suffixto the script name.

The following are examples of bpstart_notify script names:

■ The following script applies only to a policy named days:

install_path\netbackup\bin\bpstart_notify.days.bat

■ The following script applies only to a schedule that is named fulls in a policynamed days:

install_path\netbackup\bin\bpstart_notify.days.fulls.bat

The bpstart_notify script also runs for NetBackup catalog backups if a.policyname[.schedule] is not specified.

The first script affects all scheduled backups in the policy named days. The secondscript affects scheduled backups in the policy named days only when the scheduleis named fulls.

For a given backup, NetBackup calls only one bpstart_notify script and checksfor them in the following order:

bpstart_notify.policy.schedule.bat

bpstart_notify.policy.bat

bpstart_notify.bat


84

For example, if there are both bpstart_notify.policy.bat andbpstart_notify.policy.schedule.bat scripts, NetBackup uses only thebpstart_notify.policy.schedule.bat script.

Note: bpend_notify scripts can provide a different level of notification than thebpstart_notify scripts. For example, to use one of each, the script names mightbe bpstart_notify.policy.bat and bpend_notify.policy.schedule.bat.


Name of the client from the NetBackup catalog.%1

Policy name from the NetBackup catalog.%2

Schedule name from the NetBackup catalog.%3

One of the following: FULL, INCR, CINC, UBAK, UARC%4

Status of the operation is always 0 for bpstart_notify.%5

Results file that NetBackup checks for a return code from the script. NetBackupuses %6 to pass the file name and then expects the script to create the file inthe same directory as the script.

If the script applies to a specific policy and schedule, the results file must benamed

install_path\netbackup\bin\BPSTART_RES.policy.schedule

If the script applies to a specific policy, the results file must be named

install_path\netbackup\bin\BPSTART_RES.policy

If the script applies to all backups, the results file must be named

install_path\netbackup\bin\BPSTART_RES

An echo 0> %6 statement is one way for the script to create the file.

NetBackup deletes the existing results file before it calls the script. After thescript runs, NetBackup checks the new results file for the status. The statusmust be 0 for the script to be considered successful. If the results file does notexist, NetBackup assumes that the script was successful.

%6

The server expects the client to respond with a continuemessage within the timethat the NetBackup BPSTART_TIMEOUT option specifies. The default forBPSTART_TIMEOUT is 300. If the script needs more than 300 seconds, increase thevalue to allow more time.


For Windows 2000 clients, the bpstart_notify script can use the followingenvironment variables for the support of multiple data streams:

■ STREAM_NUMBER


■ STREAM_COUNT


■ STREAM_PID


bpend_notify (UNIX clients only)To receive a notification whenever a UNIX client completes a backup or an archiveoperation, copy the following file from the server:

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\goodies\bpend_notify

Then place the file in the following location on the UNIX client:

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpend_notify

Modify the script and ensure that you have permission to run the script.

Note: The bpend_notify script is run when the client is finished sending data,but the server has not yet completed writing to media.

Note: Ensure that this script can be run by others on the client before it is used.To do so, run chmod 755 script_name, where script_name is the name of thescript.

The bpend_notify script runs each time a backup or archive completes. Forarchives, it runs after the backup but before the files are removed.

If bpend_notify exists, it runs in the foreground and bpbkar on the client waitsuntil it completes. Any commands that do not end with an ampersand character(&) run serially.

The server expects the client to respond within the time that the BPEND_TIMEOUTNetBackup configuration option specifies. The default for BPEND_TIMEOUT is 300.


86

If the script needs more than 300 seconds, set BPEND_TIMEOUT to a larger value.Avoid too large a value because it can delay the server from servicing other clients.





One of the following: FULL, INCR (differential incremental), CINC(cumulative incremental), UBAK, UARC

schedtype

Exit code from bpbkar. The status is the client status and does notindicate that the backup is complete and successful.

The client can display a status 0 when, due to a failure on the server,the All Log Entries report displays a status 84.

exitstatus

Note: The bpend_notify script also runs for NetBackup catalog backups if a.policyname[.schedule] is not specified.

For example:

bpend_notify client1 pol_1 fulls FULL 0

bpend_notify client2 pol_1 incrementals INCR 73

To create a bpend_notify script for a specific policy or policy and schedulecombination, create script files with a .policyname or .policyname.schedulenamesuffix. The following are two examples of script names for a policy that is namedproduction with a schedule that is named fulls:

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpend_notify.production

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpend_notify.production.fulls

The first script affects all scheduled backups in the policy production. The secondscript affects scheduled backups in the policy production only when the scheduleis named fulls.

Note: For a given backup, NetBackup uses only one bpend_notify script and thatis the one with the most specific name. For example, if there are bothbpend_notify.production and bpend_notify.production.fulls scripts,NetBackup uses only bpend_notify.production.fulls.


The bpend_notify script can use the following environment variables:

BACKUPID

UNIXBACKUPTIME

BACKUPTIME

The NetBackupbpbkarprocess creates these variables. The following are examplesof the strings that are available to the script for use to record information abouta backup:

BACKUPID=client1_0857340526

UNIXBACKUPTIME=0857340526

BACKUPTIME=Sun Mar 2 16:08:46 2009

The following environment variables can be used for the support of multiple datastreams:

■ STREAM_NUMBER


■ STREAM_COUNT


■ STREAM_PID


■ FINISHED

This variable can be used for checkpointed restarts of backup jobs. A value of0 indicates that the client was not finished sending all of the data. A value of1 indicates that the client was finished sending all the of data.

bpend_notify.bat (Microsoft Windows clients only)For Windows clients, you can create batch scripts that provide notificationwhenever the client completes a backup or archive. These scripts must reside onthe client and in the same directory as the NetBackup client binaries:

Install_path\NetBackup\bin\bpend_notify.bat

Install_path is the directory where NetBackup is installed.

You can create bpend_notify scripts that provide notification for all backups orfor backups of a specific policy or schedule.


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To create a bpend_notify script that applies to all backups, name the scriptbpend_notify.bat

To create a script that applies only to a specific policy or policy and schedulecombination, add a .policyname or .policyname.schedulename suffix to the scriptname as follows:

■ The following script applies only to a policy named days:

Install_path\netbackup\bin\bpend_notify.days.bat

■ The following script applies only to a schedule that is named fulls in a policynamed days:

Install_path\netbackup\bin\bpend_notify.days.fulls.bat

Note: The bpend_notify script also runs for NetBackup catalog backups if a.policyname[.schedule] is not specified.

The first script affects all scheduled backups in the policy named days. The secondscript affects scheduled backups in the policy named days only when the scheduleis named fulls.

For a given backup, NetBackup calls only one bpend_notify script and checks forthem in the following order:

bpend_notify.policy.schedule.bat

bpend_notify.policy.bat

bpend_notify.bat

For example, if there are both bpend_notify.policy.bat andbpend_notify.policy.schedule.bat scripts, NetBackup uses onlybpend_notify.policy.schedule.bat.

Note: bpstart_notify scripts can provide a different level of notification thanthe bpend_notify scripts. For example, if you had one of each, they could bebpstart_notify.policy.bat and bpend_notify.policy.schedule.bat.

NetBackup passes the following parameters to the script when the backupcompletes:

Name of the client from the NetBackup catalog.%1

Policy name from the NetBackup catalog.%2


Schedule name from the NetBackup catalog.%3

One of the following: FULL, INCR, CINC, UBAK, UARC%4

Status of the operation. It is the same status as is sent to the NetBackup server.The status is 0 for successful backups and 1 for partially successful backups. Ifan error occurs, the status is the value associated with that error.

%5

Results file that NetBackup checks for a return code from the script. NetBackupuses %6 to pass the file name and then expects the script to create the file inthe same directory as the script.

If the script applies to a specific policy and schedule, the results file must benamed

Install_path\netbackup\bin\BPEND_RES.policy.schedule

If the script applies to a specific policy, the results file must be named

Install_path\netbackup\bin\BPEND_RES.policy

If the script applies to all backups, the results file must be named

Install_path\netbackup\bin\BPEND_RES

An echo 0> %6 statement is one way for the script to create the file.

NetBackup deletes the existing results file before it calls the script. After thescript runs, NetBackup checks the new results file for the status. The statusmust be 0 for the script to be considered successful. If the results file does notexist, NetBackup assumes that the script was successful.

%6

The server expects the client to respond with a continue message within the timethat the BPEND_TIMEOUT option specifies. The default for BPEND_TIMEOUT is 300.If the script needs more than 300 seconds, increase the value to allow more time.

For Windows 2000 clients, the bpend_notify script can use the followingenvironment variables for the support of multiple data streams:

■ STREAM_NUMBER


■ STREAM_COUNT


■ STREAM_PID



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diskfull_notify.cmdThe diskfull_notify.cmd script runs on the NetBackup server that contains thestorage unit. The disk media manager (bpdm) calls this script if it encounters adisk full condition while it writes a backup to a disk storage unit. The defaultaction is to report the condition and immediately try to write the data again. (Thefile being written is kept open by the active bpdm).

The script can be modified to send a notification to an email address. Or modifiedto perform actions such as removing other files in the affected directory or filesystem.


Name of the program (always bpdm).programname

Path to the file being written.pathname

For example:

diskfull_notify.cmd bpdm

/disk1/images/host_08193531_c1_F1

In previous releases, the diskfull_notify.cmd script default condition was tosleep for five minutes when a disk storage unit became full. To retain this behaviorupon upgrade, do one of the following:

■ Copy the netbackup/bin/diskfull_notify.old_revision_number script tonetbackup/bin/diskfull_notify, or

■ Modify the script, to change sleep 0 to:

sleep 300

mail_dr_info.cmdUse mail_dr_info.cmd to send NetBackup disaster recovery information tospecified recipients after running an online, hot catalog backup.

To create the script, copy the following script from the master server:

Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\nbmail.cmd

Place it into the following location:

Install_path\NetBackup\bin\mail_dr_info.cmd.



The recipient's address. For multiple addresses, enter email1,email2%1

The subject line.%2

The message file name.%3

The attached file name.%4

NetBackup checks to see if mail_dr_info.cmd is present inInstall_path\NetBackup\bin. If mail_dr_info.cmd exists, NetBackup passesthe parameters to the script.

Note: All NetBackup email notifications require that a public domain SMTP mailclient be configured. (For example, blat.) For details, see the comments in thenbmail.cmd script.

media_deassign_notifyThe NetBackup Enterprise Media Manager calls the media_deassign_notify

script after media is deassigned. To send an email notification when media isdeassigned, include an email address in the script where indicated. (The scriptmust be run as the root user.)

CopyInstall_path\NetBackup\bin\goodies\media_deassign_notify.cmd intoInstall_path\NetBackup\bin\ on the EMM server. (Usually the master server.)

If the script exists in the \bin directory, the following parameters are passed tothe script: media ID, legacy media type, barcode, robot number, and robot type.

nbmail.cmdUsenbmail.cmd to send specified recipients notifications about scheduled backups.The recipients email addresses must also be configured in the Universal Settingshost properties.

Windows systems also require that you install the Simple Mail Transfer Protocolapplication to transfer messages in order to accept script parameters. UNIXplatforms have a built-in SMTP transfer method.

To create the script on a client, copyInstall_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\nbmail.cmd from the master server intoInstall_path\NetBackup\bin of each client that is to receive the notification.



92

The address of the recipient. For multiple addresses, enter email1,email2%1

The contents of the subject line.%2

The file that is sent in the body of the email. This is generated by another script.%3

The attached file name.%4

NetBackup checks to see if nbmail.cmd exists is present inInstall_path\NetBackup\bin. If nbmail.cmd exists, NetBackup passes theparameters to the script.

parent_end_notify.cmdNetBackup calls the parent_end_notify.cmd script each time a parent job ends.





One of the following: FULL, INCR (differential incremental),CINC (cumulative incremental), UBAK, UARC

schedtype

Exit code for the entire backup job.status

The stream number is always -1.stream

If the job starts normally, the stream count indicates how maystreams were started.

Use this count to verify the number of streams that complete andrun backup_exit_notify. If a failure occurs that makes itimpossible to start any streams, a stream count of -1 is returned.

stream_count

parent_start_notify.cmdNetBackup calls the parent_start_notify.cmd script each time a parent jobstarts.






One of the following: FULL, INCR (differential incremental),CINC (cumulative incremental), UBAK, UARC

schedtype

Exit code for the entire backup job.status

The stream number for a parent job is always -1.streamnumber

pending_request_notifyThe NetBackup Enterprise Media Manger calls the pending_request_notify

script after a pending request is issued for a media resource (tape volume). Tosend an email notification when a pending request is initiated, include an emailaddress in the script where indicated. (The script must be run by the root user.)

Copy Install_path\NetBackup\bin\goodies\pending_request_notify.cmd

into Install_path\NetBackup\bin\ on the EMM server. (Usually the masterserver.)

If the script exists in the \bin directory, the following parameters are passed tothe script: media ID, barcode, action code, robot type, robot number, media server,volume group, and pending time (in seconds since the UNIX epoch).

restore_notify.cmdThe restore_notify.cmd script runs on the server that contains the storage unit.The NetBackup tape or disk manager (bptm or bpdm) calls the script when it finishessending data to the client during a restore. The script is called regardless ofwhether data is sent.


Name of the program doing the restore or other read operation.programname

Path to the backup name or path.pathname

One of the following:restore, verify, duplication, importoperation

session_notify.cmdThe session_notify.cmd script runs on the master server. It is called at the endof a backup session if at least one scheduled backup succeeded. NetBackup passesno parameters to this script. Scheduling is suspended until this script completes,so no other backups can start until that time.


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session_start_notify.cmdThe session_start_notify.cmd script runs on the master server. When a set ofbackups is due to run, NetBackup calls this script to do any site-specific processingbefore it starts the first backup. NetBackup passes no parameters to this script.

shared_drive_notify.cmdNetBackup runs the shared_drive_notify.cmd script when a shared drive isreserved or released.

■ The name of the shared drive.

■ The name of the current scan host.

■ The operation, which is one of the following:

The host on which the script is executed needs SCSI access to thedrive until it is released.

RESERVED

Informational only. It does not change the fact that the host thatreserved the drive needs SCSI access.

ASSIGNED

Only the scan host needs SCSI access to the drive.RELEASED

The host that executes the script has become the scan host. A hostshould not become a scan host while the drive is RESERVED.

The scan host may change between a RESERVED operation and aRELEASED operation.

SCANHOST

The script resides in the following directory:

Install_path\VERITAS\Volmgr\bin\shared_drive_notify.cmd

The script must be executable by the root user.

The script exits with status 0 upon successful completion.

userreq_notify.cmdThe userreq_notify.cmd script runs on the master server.

NetBackup calls it each time a request is made to either of the following:

■ List files that are in backups or archives

■ Start a backup, archive, or restore

You can alter this script to gather information about user requests to NetBackup.



Defines the action and can have the following values: backup,archive, manual_backup, restore, list

action

Defines the client name.clientname

Defines the user ID.userid

For example:

userreq_notif.cmd backup mercury jdoe

userreq_notify.cmd archive mercury jdoe

userreq_notify.cmd manual_backup mercury jdoe

userreq_notify.cmd restore mercury jdoe

userreq_notify.cmd list mercury jdoe

Media and device management best practicesUse the following best practices for NetBackup media and device management.Follow these recommendations to minimize problems and to reduce the time andthe effort required to administer the configuration.

For a list of supported devices, server platforms, and the latest device mappingfile, see the NetBackup support Web site:

http://entsupport.symantec.com.

The following items are general best practices for media and device management:

■ Use only the NetBackup commands that Symantec documents and supports.

■ Refer to the NetBackup release notes for configuration and operational changesin the current release or in future releases. The release notes also containinformation about all new functionality in each release.

■ Use the documented methods for terminating the NetBackup Media Managerdaemons and services.

■ Periodically verify the backups by using NetBackup Management > Catalogin the NetBackup Administration Console. Also, periodically restore files toprove that restores work correctly.

■ Always back up the NetBackup catalogs. You may also want to back up thevm.conf file and the bp.conf (UNIX system) files on the media servers.

■ When you restore the NetBackup catalog (for example, master server databasesand the EMM database), use backups from the same point in time.

Reference topicsMedia and device management best practices

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■ Ensure that all names and numbers for devices and all media IDs and bar codesare unique across the entire enterprise.

■ To use the devices that NetBackup controls but are used with other applications,down the drive if the drive is in the UP state.

Media management best practicesThe following items are media management best practices:

■ Use the robot inventory update operation for media management.

■ Use a scratch pool for unassigned media.

■ Configure cleaning cartridges for tape drives and use TapeAlert for automaticdrive cleaning if the drives support automatic cleaning.

■ Replace old media according to the life-span recommendations of themanufacturer. Replace old cleaning media also.

■ Use the robotic libraries that have a barcode reader and use only the barcodelabels that the robot vendor recommends.

■ Use barcode rules for media type assignment when you inventory multimedialibraries. Use barcode naming conventions to differentiate between data andcleaning tapes and different physical media types. A common convention is aprefix that identifies the type of media.

■ Before performing inject or eject commands, ensure that the media access portis empty. Although NetBackup can handle a port that is not empty, somelibraries can have problems.

Device management best practicesThe following items are device management best practices:

■ Monitor the NetBackup system log for device errors encountered.

■ Monitor devices by using the NetBackup Device Monitor.

■ Investigate the causes of all drives that are down.

■ Do not use the robotic test utilities while running backup or restore jobs.

■ Read the NetBackup Device Configuration Guide before configuring deviceson media servers (or SAN media servers).

■ Use only computers, operating systems and devices that Symantec supports.For supported devices, see the NetBackup hardware compatibility list on theNetBackup support site.

97Reference topicsMedia and device management best practices

■ Use only fully-serialized devices. A fully-serialized SCSI library should reporta serial number for the robot and also a serial number for each drive in therobot.

■ Always configure and use pass-through paths for robotic libraries and drives.

■ When possible, use SCSI persistent reserve or SCSI reserve and release.

■ Use persistent bindings for fibre-attached devices.

■ Use the NetBackup Device Configuration Wizard to configure the devices.

■ Download and install the latest device mapping file from the NetBackup supportWeb site before you use the Device Configuration Wizard.

■ Use consistent logical drive types for all physical drive types on all servers inthe environment. For example, use the DLT drive type as the logical drive typefor all DLT7000 drives.

■ Do not load vendor medium-changer drivers on Microsoft Windows hosts. Thedefault Microsoft medium-changer driver is acceptable (but is not required)for use with NetBackup.

Media and device performance and troubleshootingThe following items are performance and troubleshooting best practices:

■ Use the performance-tuning documents available on the NetBackup supportWeb page.

■ Use only a dedicated server for the NetBackup master server and EnterpriseMedia Manager (EMM) server. Do not use a server that hosts other applicationsor one that stores data. Plan periodic maintenance for all of the backup servers.

■ Consult the Troubleshooter in the NetBackup Administration Console or theNetBackup Troubleshooting Guide for all error conditions.

■ Always install the latest NetBackup release updates that are available fromSymantec.

■ Verify all SCSI-related operating system configuration files ( such as the Solarisst.conf file), when you install system release updates.

■ For problems with devices, consult the vendor for firmware upgrades andconsult the NetBackup hardware compatibility list for supported firmwarelevels.

■ Do not use the NetBackup DISABLE_RESOURCES_BUSY touch file.

■ Do not disable the operating system TCP_NODELAY functionality.

Reference topicsMedia and device management best practices

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■ See theNetBackupSharedStorageGuide before the NetBackup Shared StorageOption, OpenStorage, or SharedDisk are installed and configured.

About TapeAlertTapeAlert is a tape drive status monitor and message utility. The TapeAlert utilitycan detect tape quality problems, defects in tape drive hardware, and the need toclean drives. For the tape drives that support TapeAlert, the TapeAlert firmwaremonitors the drive hardware and the media. Error, warning, and informationalstates are logged on a TapeAlert log page.

For the drives that do not support TapeAlert, configure and use frequency-basedcleaning.

See “About frequency-based cleaning” on page 104.

About TapeAlert cleaning (reactive cleaning)Reactive cleaning by using TapeAlert is a function of the tape drive. The drivedetermines and initiates the cleaning when needed. If a drive supports theTapeAlert capability and it is enabled on the drive, the NetBackup bptm processpolls the drive for status from TapeAlert.

TapeAlert allows reactive cleaning for most drive types. Not all platforms, robots,drives, or firmware levels support tape alert reactive cleaning.

A drive with TapeAlert capability tracks how many read and write errors it hasencountered within a certain time period. Although a drive can recover from theseerrors, the drive sets a CLEAN_NOW or CLEAN_PERIODIC flag when a thresholdis reached.

If the bptm process detects that either of the following flags are set, it performsa cleaning at one of the following times:

■ At the end of a backup or a restore to the drive.

■ Before the next backup or restore to the drive.

Symantec recommends that you use reactive cleaning.

About TapeAlert and frequency-based cleaningUsing TapeAlert with frequency-based cleaning ensures that a drive is cleanedat least every x hours, depending on the setting for the cleaning frequency. Inaddition, the drive can be cleaned sooner if the drive sets the CLEAN_NOW orCLEAN_PERIODIC TapeAlert flag.

99Reference topicsAbout TapeAlert

When TapeAlert is used without frequency-based cleaning, a drive is cleaned onlywhen the drive sets its CLEAN_NOW or CLEAN_PERIODIC flags.

About TapeAlert requirementsTo use TapeAlert no additional configuration is needed.

All of the following conditions must be true:

■ The drive must support the TapeAlert capability, and the TapeAlert must beenabled on the drive.To determine if a drive supports TapeAlert, see the Symantec support Website.

■ A cleaning tape is configured and available in NetBackup for the robotic library.

■ The cleaning tape has not reached its end of life.

■ Pass through device files are configured on UNIX and Linux media servers.See the NetBackup Device Configuration Guide.

TapeAlert logs and codesTapeAlert codes are derived from the T10 SCSI-3 Stream Commands standard(see http://t10.org/). For the list of codes that the device supports, see the device’sdocumentation.

TapeAlert checks for errors of the following types:

■ Recoverable read and write drive problems

■ Unrecoverable read and write drive problems

■ Hardware defects

■ Wrong or worn-out media

■ Expired cleaning tapes

■ Abnormal errors

A set of TapeAlert conditions are defined that can cause the media in use to befrozen. Another set of conditions are defined that can cause a drive to be downed.

NetBackup writes TapeAlert conditions into the following logs:

■ The bptm log

■ The error log

■ The job details log

■ The system log on UNIX and Event Viewer on Windows

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Table 2-1 describes the codes.

Table 2-1 TapeAlert log codes

Error messageError typeDefault actionTapeAlert code

Read warningWarning - WRNNone0x01

Write warningWarning - WRNNone0x02

Hard errorWarning - WRNNone0x03

MediaCritical - CRTFreeze media - FRZ0x04

Read failureCritical - CRTFreeze media - FRZ0x05

Write failureCritical - CRTFreeze media - FRZ0x06

Media lifeWarning - WRNFreeze media - FRZ0x07

Not data gradeWarning - WRNFreeze media - FRZ0x08

Write protectCritical - CRTNone0x09

No removalInformational - INFONone0x0a

Cleaning mediaInformational - INFONone0x0b

Unsupported formatInformational - INFONone0x0c

Recoverablemechanical cartridgefailure

Critical - CRTFreeze media - FRZ0x0d

Unrecoverablemechanical cartridgefailure

Critical - CRTFreeze media - FRZ0x0e

Mic failureWarning - WRNFreeze media - FRZ0x0f

Forced ejectCritical - CRTNone0x10

Read onlyWarning - WRNNone0x11

Directory corruptedon load

Warning - WRNNone0x12

Nearing media lifeInformational - INFOFreeze media - FRZ0x13

Clean nowCritical - CRTClean drive - CLN0x14

Clean periodicWarning - WRNClean drive - CLN0x15

101Reference topicsAbout TapeAlert

Table 2-1 TapeAlert log codes (continued)


Expired cleaningmedia

Critical - CRTFreeze media - FRZ0x16

Invalid cleaning tapeCritical - CRTFreeze media - FRZ0x17

Retension requestedWarning - WRNNone0x18

Dual-port errorWarning - WRNNone0x19

Cooling fan failureWarning - WRNNone0x1a

Power supply failureWarning - WRNNone0x1b

Power consumptionWarning - WRNNone0x1c

Drive maintenanceWarning - WRNNone0x1d

Hardware ACritical - CRTDown drive - down0x1e

Hardware BCritical - CRTDown drive - DOWN0x1f

InterfaceWarning - WRNNone0x20

Eject mediaCritical - CRTNone0x21

Download failWarning - WRNNone0x22

Drive humidityWarning - WRNNone0x23

Drive temperatureWarning - WRNNone0x24

Drive voltageWarning - WRNNone0x25

Predictive failureCritical - CRTNone0x26

Diagnostics req.Warning - WRNNone0x27

UndefinedInformational - INFONone0x28 - 0x31

Lost statisticsWarning - WRNNone0x32

Directory invalid onunload

Warning - WRNFreeze media - FRZ0x33

System area writefailure


System area readfailure


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102

Table 2-1 TapeAlert log codes (continued)


No start of dataCritical - CRTFreeze media - FRZ0x36

Loading failureCritical - CRTFreeze media - FRZ0x37

Unrecoverableunload failure


Automation interfacefailure

Critical - CRTNone0x39

Firmware failureWarning - WRNNone0x3a

UndefinedInformational - infoNone0x3d - 0x40

About tape drive cleaningThe following types of drive cleaning are available by using NetBackup:

■ Reactive cleaningSee “About TapeAlert cleaning (reactive cleaning)” on page 99.Symantec recommends that you use reactive cleaning.

■ Library-based cleaningSee “About library-based cleaning” on page 103.

■ Frequency-based cleaningSee “About frequency-based cleaning” on page 104.

■ Operator-initiated cleaningSee “About operator-initiated cleaning” on page 104.

See “About using a cleaning tape” on page 105.

About library-based cleaningNetBackup does not support library-based cleaning for most robots because roboticlibrary and operating systems vendors implement this cleaning in different ways.(Library-based cleaning also is known as robotic cleaning or auto cleaning.) Thesedifferent methods often interfere with NetBackup robotic control operations.

NetBackup does not define the cleaning media that is used for library-basedcleaning, and the robotic library manages the cleaning media.

Because TapeAlert provides the same type of cleaning as library-based cleaning,Symantec recommends disabling library-based cleaning when you use TapeAlert.

103Reference topicsAbout tape drive cleaning

About frequency-based cleaningFrequency-based cleaning occurs when the accumulated mount time exceeds thetime you specify for the cleaning frequency. NetBackup updates the mount timefor the drive each time a tape is unmounted.

The cleaning frequency is configured when a drive is added to NetBackup. Changethe cleaning frequency by changing the drive properties or by using the Mediaand Device Management Device Monitor.

If the following conditions are met, drive cleaning occurs when the accumulatedmount time exceeds the time specified for the cleaning frequency:

■ The drive is in a robotic library that supports drive cleaning.

■ A cleaning tape is configured and available for the robotic library.

■ The cleaning tape has cleanings remaining.

NetBackup cleans the drive immediately after a tape is unmounted. Drive cleaningdoes not unmount a drive in the middle of an active backup. The mount time isreset after the drive is cleaned. The cleaning frequency value remains the same.

A cleaning can occur within a backup if the backup spans tapes. For example, ifcleaning is due after the first tape is full, NetBackup cleans the drive before itmounts the next tape.

Media can remain in a drive for extended periods. It does not affect the cleaningfrequency because NetBackup increments the mount time only when NetBackupassigns the media to a process.

See “About TapeAlert and frequency-based cleaning” on page 99.

About frequency-based cleaning limitationsThe following applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

Frequency-based cleaning is not supported for drives in the ACS or the TLHlibraries that are under API robotic control. The robotic library software controlsthe drive cleaning. To manage drive cleaning for these robots, use the robot vendorinterfaces.

About operator-initiated cleaningA drive cleaning can be initiated regardless of the cleaning frequency oraccumulated mount time of the drive. Clean standalone drives or robotic drivesif a cleaning tape of the correct media type and residence for the drive was addedto NetBackup.

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NetBackup reports that a drive needs cleaning if either of the following conditionsare true:

■ The value for the mount time is greater than the cleaning frequency.

■ The TapeAlert CLEAN_NOW or CLEAN_PERIODIC flag is set.

And either of the following conditions must be true:

■ The drive is a standalone drive and a cleaning tape is not defined.

■ The drive is a standalone drive and no cleaning tape has any cleanings thatremain.

NetBackup displays NEEDS CLEANING as follows:

■ The TapeCleaningComment column of the DriveList in the Devices node ofthe NetBackup Administration Console.

■ The comment field of the output from the tpclean -L command.

About using a cleaning tapeSpecify the number of cleanings that are allowed for a cleaning tape. This numberis reduced with each cleaning. When the number of cleanings is zero, NetBackupstops by using the cleaning tape. Then use a new cleaning tape or increase thenumber of cleanings that are allowed for the tape.

Note: NetBackup does not control the cleaning tapes that library-based cleaninguses.

Symantec suggests following the recommendations from cleaning tape vendorsfor the amount of tape usage. If you clean a tape past its recommended life,cleaning delays can occur (due to excessive tape position operations) and drivescan be downed.

How NetBackup selects drivesNetBackup stores media information and device configuration and statusinformation in the EMM database. When a robotic mount request is issued, theNetBackup Resource Broker (nbrb) queries the EMM database for the media ID ofthe volume requested. If the volume is in the EMM database, the media requestis matched with a compatible drive in the robot. The mount request is forwardedto the appropriate robotic daemon (UNIX) or process (Windows) based on thelocation of the media. Location is the robotic library and the storage slot number,if applicable.

105Reference topicsHow NetBackup selects drives

A drive must meet the following criteria to be selected for the mount request:

■ The drive is configured.

■ The drive is in the robotic library that contains the media.

■ The drive allows the requested media density.

The EMM server (nbemm) manages the drives and requests for locally-attached orshared drives in the EMM domain.

The EMM server manages the drives by doing the following actions:

■ Determines which of the drives are currently available.

A drive is available if it is one of the following:

■ Configured as UP

■ Not assigned

■ Compatible with the media type

■ Not reserved by another host (NetBackup Enterprise Server only)

■ Picks an available drive that was least recently used.NetBackup selects the robotic-based drives over standalone drives unless thecorrect media already is loaded in a standalone drive.

The first drive in the drive configuration is used first, and then the second drive,and then the next. Use the tpconfig -d command to see the drive order in theconfiguration.

The following applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

If some of the drives are shared drives, NetBackup chooses a nonshared drive first(if one is available). NetBackup chooses a shared drive first so the shared drivescan be used on other hosts that share the drives. Shared drives require the SharedStorage Option.

How NetBackup reserves drivesIn multiple-initiator (multiple host bus adapter) environments, device-level accessprotection is required to avoid unintended sharing of tape devices and possibledata loss problems. (Shared Storage Option is a multiple-initiator environment.)Access protection on a tape drive prevents an HBA that is not the reservationowner from issuing commands to control the drive. SCSI access protection operatesat the SCSI target level and depends on correct operation of the fiber-to-SCSIbridge or the native fiber device hardware.

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The only commonly available technique for this purpose is SPC-2 SCSI reserveand release functionality. All tape drive vendors support the SPC-2 SCSI reservemethod. NetBackup has used SPC-2 SCSI reserve since NetBackup 3.4.3; it is thedefault tape drive reservation method in NetBackup. SPC-2 SCSI reserve is effectivefor most NetBackup environments.

Alternatively, the new SCSI persistent reserve method may be more effective ineither of the following environments because it provides device status detectionand correction:

■ NetBackup media servers are in a cluster environmentNetBackup can recover and use a reserved drive after a failover (if NetBackupowns the reservation). (With SPC-2 SCSI reserve, a drive reset usually isrequired because the reservation owner is inoperative.)

■ Environments where high drive availability is importantNetBackup can resolve NetBackup drive reservation conflicts and maintainhigh drive availability. (SPC-2 SCSI reserve provides no method for drive statusdetection.)However, the SCSI persistent reserve method is not supported or not supportedcorrectly by all device vendors. Therefore, analyze the environment to ensurethat all of the hardware supports SCSI persistent reserve correctly.NetBackup lets you configure either SCSI persistent reserve or SPC-2 SCSIreserve.

The following are the protection options:

This option provides SCSI persistent reserve protectionfor SCSI devices. The devices must conform to the SCSIPrimary Commands - 3 (SPC-3) standard.

SCSI persistent reserve

This option provides SPC-2 SCSI reserve protection forSCSI devices. The devices must conform to the reserveand release management method in the SCSI PrimaryCommands - 2 standard.

SPC-2 SCSI reserve (default)

Other HBAs can send the commands that may cause a lossof data to the tape drives.

No protection

You can configure access protection for each NetBackup media server. Theprotection setting configures tape drive access protection for all tape drive pathsfrom the media server on which the setting is configured. The media server settingfor any drive path can be overridden.

SCSI reservations provide protection for NetBackup Shared Storage Optionenvironments or any other multiple-initiator environment in which drives areshared.

107Reference topicsHow NetBackup reserves drives

About SCSI persistent reserveThe NetBackup process that reads from or writes to the media in a drive (bptm)issues SCSI persistent reserve commands to do the following:

■ Register with the tape drive’s device server (the server is a logical unit withina drive that processes SCSI tasks)

■ Request an exclusive access reservation

If the tape drive’s device server grants the reservation, the NetBackup processhas exclusive use of the device. The reservation prevents other host bus adapters(HBAs) from issuing any commands that can cause data loss.

If the reservation fails, NetBackup fails the job.

When the NetBackup process is finished with the drive, NetBackup unloads thedrive and sends a persistent reserve clear command to the drive. The commandremoves both the reservation and the registration.

SCSI persistent reserve also provides device status detection, which NetBackupuses to resolve reservation conflicts within NetBackup.

The reservation does not prevent other applications on the host that has thereservation from using the same device and from causing data loss. For example,if a user on the same host issues a UNIX mt command, the mt command can takecontrol of the drive.

Also, other HBAs can clear or release a SCSI persistent reservation. Therefore, anapplication can clear another HBA reservation (although it should not do so).

About SCSI persistent reserve commandsWhen a device receives an exclusive access type SCSI persistent reservationcommand, it does not process commands from any other HBA. The device processescommands from another HBA only when the HBA that owns the SCSI persistentreservation clears the reservation. If an application sends a command to a reserveddevice, the device fails the command by returning a status of RESERVATIONCONFLICT. The only exceptions to this action are several commands that cannotinterfere with the reservation, such as Inquiry or Request Sense.

A device stays reserved until one of the following events occurs on the device:

■ Released by the HBA that reserved it

■ Power cycled (usually)

■ Preempted by a SCSI persistent reserve command


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About SCSI persistent reserve conflictsNetBackup uses unique reservation keys. Therefore, NetBackup attempts to resolveconflicts with other NetBackup reservations. If a conflict exists, NetBackup sendsSCSI commands to unload the drive. Based on the drive status, NetBackup triesto unload the drive again by using additional information to release or preemptthe persistent reservation.

In cluster environments after a failover event, NetBackup on the active clusternode detects the persistent reservation and clears the reservation. NetBackupregains use of the drive without power-cycling the drive.

If NetBackup does not own the persistent reservation, NetBackup reports a pendingstatus in the Device Monitor. The reservation owner must clear the reservationbefore NetBackup can use the drive. For example, NetBackup does not clear aNetApp persistent reservation.

About the SPC-2 SCSI reserve processThe NetBackup process issues an SPC-2 SCSI reserve command to the tape drivethat contains the media. (The process can be bptm, bprecover, or bpbackupdb.) Ifthe device is not reserved, NetBackup acquires a reservation. The drive does notprocess commands from any other host bus adapters (HBAs) until NetBackupreleases the reservation or the reservation is broken. If the reservation fails,NetBackup fails the job.

The reservation does not prevent other applications on the host that has thereservation from using the same device and from causing data loss. For example,if a user on the same host issues a UNIX mt command, the mt command can takecontrol of the drive.

After the NetBackup process finishes with the media, it issues an SPC-2 SCSIcommand to release the reservation during the unmount operation. The releasefrees the device for access by another HBA.

SCSI reserve does not provide a method to determine if a device is reserved. Onlythe reservation owner (the host bus adapter) can release the reservation. However,these limitations do not interfere with NetBackup operations in mostenvironments.

About SPC-2 SCSI reserve commandsWhen a device receives an exclusive access type SCSI persistent reservationcommand, it does not process commands from any other HBA. The device processescommands from another HBA only when the HBA that owns the reservation issuesthe release command. If an application sends a command to a reserved device,the device fails the command by returning a status of RESERVATION CONFLICT.


The only exceptions to this action are several commands that cannot interferewith the reservation, such as Inquiry or Request Sense.

A device stays reserved until one of the following events occurs on the device:

■ Released by the HBA that reserved it

■ Released by a TARGET or a LOGICAL UNIT RESETThese resets are protocol dependent and differ between parallel SCSI and FCP(SCSI on fibre channel). These resets can be issued from any HBA.

■ Released by fibre channel LOGO, PLOGO, PRLI, PRLO, or TPRLO action orfailed discovery (link actions)

■ Power cycled

A negative consequence of SPC-2 SCSI reserve occurs if the HBA that owns thereservation fails. A device stays reserved until the reservation is removed orbroken. Only the original HBA can remove the reservation, which means thesystem must be available. If the HBA that owns the reservation fails, it cannotremove the reservation. Therefore, the reservation must be broken.

To break a reservation, one of the following actions must break the reservation:

■ SCSI reset

■ Bus device reset

■ LUN device reset

■ Power cycle

■ Fibre Channel link actions may break reservations

SPC-2 SCSI reserve commands are mandatory for all SCSI-2 and SCSI-3 devices.See the SCSI 2 standard for a detailed description of SCSI reserve commandoperation and behavior.

About SCSI reservation conflictsThe NetBackup Automatic Volume Recognition process (avrd) manages access totape devices. A properly configured NetBackup environment and properlyconfigured tape devices should not receive a reservation conflict message froma tape drive. When avrd starts, it issues an SPC-2 SCSI release to all configured,nondisabled tape drive paths that are currently in the Up state. The commandreleases all devices that were SPC-2 reserved at the time of a system restart orcrash. The SCSI release command returns tape devices to general availability aftera system crash.

If the avrd process receives a reservation conflict message, it changes the statusof the device to PEND. It also writes the following message in the system log:


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Reservation Conflict status from DRIVENAME (device NUMBER)

Also, the NetBackup Administration Console Device Monitor or the output fromthe vmoprcmd command shows PEND in the Control column.

If a conflict occurs, a reservation problem can exist. If the HBA that reserves thedrive is unavailable (for example, due to a system crash or hardware failure), itcannot release the reservation. NetBackup cannot release or break an SPC-2 SCSIreservation automatically. Force a release or break the reservation to make thedrive available, even for a failover server in a cluster environment.

When the conflict is resolved, the following message is written to the log:

Reservation Conflict status cleared from DRIVENAME (device NUMBER)

About forcing a releaseTo force a release of an unavailable HBA’s SPC-2 reservation, use the followingNetBackup vmoprcmd command and option:

vmoprcmd -crawlreleasebyname drive_name

This option requests that all hosts that are registered to use the drive issue SPC-2SCSI release commands to the drive.

Issue the vmoprcmd command on the host that is the device allocator (DA host).Alternatively, use the -h option of the command to specify the DA host. The DAhost is also the EMM server.

Note: Use this command after a PEND status appears in the NetBackupAdministration Console Device Monitor. However, do not issue this commandduring backups.

More information about using the vmoprcmd command is available.

See the NetBackup Commands guide.

Breaking a reservationIf you cannot release an SPC-2 SCSI reservation, try to use an operating systemcommand that forces a device reset. A device reset breaks a reservation. Theprocedure depends on the operating system type.


Note: The reset operation can reset other devices in the configuration. Loss ofdata is also possible. Try alternate methods first to break the reservation on adevice (by using switch and bridge hardware).

Lastly, if the following operating system commands cannot break the reservation,power-cycle the drive. A power cycle breaks SPC-2 SCSI drive reservations (andusually breaks SCSI persistent drive reservations).

To break an SPC-2 reservation on Solaris

1 Issue mt -f drive_path_name forcereserve.

2 Issue mt -f drive_path_name release.

See the mt(1) man page for more information.

To break an SPC-2 reservation on HP-UX

◆ Issue st -f drive_path_name -r.

See the st(1m) man page for more information.

To break an SPC-2 reservation on AIX

◆ Issue tctl -f drive_path_name reset.

See the tctl man page (in the IBM AIX Commands Reference) for moreinformation.

About SCSI reserve requirementsTo use SCSI persistent reserve or SPC-2 SCSI reserve, the following requirementsmust be met:

■ There must be pass through driver access to all shared drives.The pass through driver must be installed and all required paths must becreated.Information about how to configure and use the pass through driver for UNIXoperating systems is available.See the NetBackup Device Configuration Guide .

■ You must configure the operating systems on the NetBackup media serversso they let NetBackup control SCSI persistent reserve or SPC-2 SCSI reserve.

■ On HP-UX systems, disable the operating system's use of SPC-2 SCSI reserve.See the NetBackup Device Configuration Guide.

■ Depending on the tape drives, you may have to disable the operating system’suse of SPC-2 SCSI reserve. AIX and Solaris may require such a change.See the NetBackup Device Configuration Guide.


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About SCSI reserve limitationsThe NetBackup implementation of SCSI persistent reserve and SPC-2 reserve hasthe following limitations:

■ SCSI persistent reserve and SPC-2 reserve do not apply to NDMP drives.The NDMP filer is responsible for providing exclusive device access.

■ Third-party copy configurations must be configured correctly.To retain reservation of a tape device during a third-party copy backup,configure the NetBackup mover.conf file.

Do not use SCSI persistent reserve on the drive paths that are used forthird-party copy backups.See the NetBackup Snapshot Client Administrator's Guide.

■ With SPC-2 SCSI reserve, devices may remain reserved after a failover incluster environments or multipath environments with failover capability.You cannot use SPC-2 SCSI reserve if the following factors are true: The failoverdoes not break the device reservations and those devices that were in useduring the failover must be available without manual intervention. Use SCSIpersistent reserve.

■ If the drive path changes, the backup jobs and the restore jobs fail.Therefore, jobs fail in cluster environments or any multipath environmentsthat share paths dynamically. If you cannot disable dynamic path sharing, youcannot use SPC-2 SCSI reserve or SCSI persistent reserve in NetBackup.

About SCSI reservation loggingThe bptm process logs SCSI reservation-related commands. Examine the bptm logon all NetBackup media servers to ensure that the SCSI operations are logged.SCSI reservation commands are labeled SCSI PERSISTENT RESERVE or SCSIRESERVE in the log.

In addition, information about the SCSI persistent reservations that are brokenare also written to the NetBackup Problems report.

About server operating system limitationsThis topic applies to Windows servers.

Windows operating systems cannot distinguish between a reserved device and abusy device. Therefore, PEND appears in the Device Monitor if another applicationcontrols the tape drive. NetBackup cannot share tape devices with otherapplications. If you use other applications, use the NetBackup tpreq commandor Down the drive before using the drive.


These operating systems also may report PEND if the drive reports Busy when avolume is unmounted. Use the AVRD_PEND_DELAY entry in the vm.conf

configuration file to filter out these extraneous reports.

Checking for data lossTo detect data loss, the bptm process reads the tape position and then verifies theactual position against the expected position.

If the actual position is less than the expected position at the end of the backupprocess, the following events occur:

■ The tape is frozen.

■ The backup fails.

■ The following error message entry is written to the bptm log:

FREEZING media id xxxxxx, External event caused rewind during

write, all data on media is lost

About possible data loss causesIf tape drive access protection is not enabled on the NetBackup media servers,the following may cause data loss: configuration errors, incorrect paths, multiplemaster servers, incorrect Shared Storage Option configurations, and third-partyor operating system utilities.

If access protection is enabled on all NetBackup media servers, the following cancause data loss: any third-party or operating system utilities that run on the serverthat runs the NetBackup backup job.

Unfortunately, data loss cannot be prevented only recognized after the fact.NetBackup does not remove catalog information about the backup sessions thatwere lost. Use the bpexpdate command to expire the images for the lost backupsessions.

Checking for tape and driver configuration errorsTo detect data loss, the bptm process reads the tape position and then verifies theactual position against the expected position.

If a configuration problem causes the actual position to be greater than theexpected position at the end of the backup process, the following events occur:

■ The tape is frozen.

■ The backup fails.


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■ The following error message entry is placed in the bptm log:

FREEZING media id xxxxxx, too many data blocks written, check

tape/driver block size configuration

The backup data may be usable. If so, import the image by using the NetBackupbpimport command so the data is available for restores.

About common configuration problemsIdentify and fix the source of the configuration problem that causes data loss.The most common configuration error is a failure to configure the driver forvariable length blocks.

A less common error may be in the tape driver's configuration data, such as inthe /kernel/drv/st.conf file on a Solaris system.

Information about tape driver configuration is available.

See the NetBackup Device Configuration Guide.

About configuring SCSI reserveThe SCSI reserve protection setting configures tape drive access protection forall tape drives from the media server on which the setting is configured. You canconfigure the protection for each media server and override the global setting forany drive path.

To configure SCSI reserve protection on a media server: use the NetBackupAdministration Console to set the media server host property EnableSCSIReserveon the Media tab.

To override the media server protection setting: use the NetBackup AdministrationConsole to set the drive path property Override SCSI reserve settings when youadd a drive or change a drive’s properties.

How NetBackup selects mediaHow NetBackup selects media depends on whether the media is in a robot or astandalone drive.

Selecting media in robotsWhen NetBackup receives a request for a volume, it searches the EMM databasefor the media ID. The external media ID should correspond to the NetBackupmedia ID.

115Reference topicsHow NetBackup selects media

A request for a volume includes the following attributes:

■ The media ID

■ The device density

■ The file name that is used to link to the device that is assigned.

NetBackup selects a volume in a robot in the following order:

■ NetBackup searches the media catalog for a volume that is already mountedin a drive and meets the following criteria:

■ Configured to contain backups at the retention level that the backupschedule requires. However, if the NetBackup Media host property Allowmultiple retentionspermedia is specified for the server, NetBackup doesnot search by retention level.

■ In the volume pool that the backup job requires.

■ Not in a FULL, FROZEN, IMPORTED, or SUSPENDED state.

■ Of the same density that the backup job requested, and in the robot thatthat the backup job requested.

■ Not currently in use by another backup or a restore.

■ Not written in a protected format. NetBackup detects tape format after thevolume is mounted. If the volume is in a protected format, NetBackupunmounts the volume and resumes the search.

If a suitable volume is found, NetBackup uses it.

■ If NetBackup cannot find a mounted volume that satisfies all of the previousconditions, it checks the media catalog for any volume that is suitable.

■ If a suitable volume is in a robot, NetBackup issues the commands that dothe following: Move the volume to a drive, position the heads to thebeginning of the volume, and assign it to the request. No manualintervention is required.

■ If a suitable volume is not in a robot but is in a standalone drive, NetBackupautomatically mounts and assigns it. No manual intervention is required.

■ If a suitable volume is not in a robot or a standalone drive and the requestis media-specific, NetBackup may pend a mount request. A media-specificmount request is one for a restore, for an import, or from the tpreq

command.

■ If a suitable volume is not in a robot or a standalone drive, NetBackup mayattempt to use another volume only as follows: For backup jobs for whichany other media can be used.

Reference topicsHow NetBackup selects media

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■ If a suitable volume does not exist or if a suitable volume is at end of media(EOM), NetBackup assigns a new volume. NetBackup may assign a new volumeeven if a volume is not full (because NetBackup received an EOM message fromthe drive).

The new volume must meet all of the following criteria:

■ Is the correct media type

■ Is for the correct robot type (if applicable)

■ Is located in the requested robotic peripheral (if applicable)

■ Resides on the requested host

■ Is in the correct volume pool

■ Is not currently assigned (not already allocated to NetBackup)

■ Is not expired (if an expiration date is defined in NetBackup)

■ Has not exceeded the maximum number of mounts allowed

■ If more than one volume qualifies, NetBackup chooses the volume that wasleast recently used.NetBackup then adds it to the media catalog and assigns it the specifiedretention level.

■ If there are no unassigned volumes of the requested type, the backup terminateswith an error message that no media were available.

About spanning media with automatic media selectionAfter an end of media (EOM) is reached, automatic media selection depends onwhether NetBackup is configured to allow backups to span media, as follows:

■ NetBackup spans media if the NetBackup Media host property Allowbackupsto span media is specified for the server.In this case, NetBackup uses another volume to start the next fragment andthe resulting backup is composed of fragments on different volumes.

■ NetBackup does not span media if the media Allow backups to span mediaproperty is not specified.In this case, the backup terminates abnormally and the operation is retriedaccording to the NetBackup Global Attributes host property, Schedulebackupattempts.


About selecting media in standalone drivesThe following topics explain media selection and other aspects of standalone driveoperations.

About selecting media by using standalone drive extensionsWith NetBackup standalone drive extensions, NetBackup tries to use any labeledor any unlabeled media that is in a standalone drive. This capability is enabled bydefault during installation.

The media selection process is as follows:

■ If a backup is requested and an appropriate standalone drive does not containa volume, NetBackup selects a volume.See “How NetBackup selects media” on page 115.The Device Monitor shows the mount request, and an operator must manuallyinsert the volume and assign it to a drive.

■ If an appropriate drive contains a volume, NetBackup tries to select and usethat volume.

A volume that was used previously for backups must meet the following criteria:

■ Not be FULL, FROZEN, or SUSPENDED

■ Contain backups at the retention level and be in the same volume pool as thebackup that requires a volume.However, if the NetBackup Media host property Allow multiple retentionsper media is specified for the server, NetBackup does not require a specificretention level.

NetBackup uses the media that was not used previously.

If the media is unlabeled, the following actions occur:

■ NetBackup labels the media.

■ NetBackup adds a media ID to the volume configuration, if necessary.If a media ID is added, the NetBackup Media ID prefix (non-robotic) is used asthe first characters of the media ID.

■ If a media ID prefix is not specified, the default prefix is the letter A. Forexample, A00000.

■ NetBackup adds the requested volume pool to the volume configuration (if thebackup policy specifies a volume pool).

If the unused media is not labeled, label it by using the bplabel command. Specifythe -u parameter to force assignment of a specific drive index, which eliminatesthe need to assign the drive manually.

Reference topicsHow NetBackup selects media

118

About disabling standalone drive extensionsDisable the standalone drive extensions by clearing the NetBackup media serverhost property, Enable standalone drive extensions. If this property is cleared,NetBackup uses the same method to select media for standalone drives as it usesfor robotic drives.

About spanning mediaMedia selection after an end of media (EOM) condition depends on whetherNetBackup is configured to allow backups to span media, as follows:

■ NetBackup spans media if the Allow backups to span media host property isspecified for the server. NetBackup selects another volume to begin the nextfragment, and the resulting backup has data fragments on more than onevolume.After an EOM condition, NetBackup attempts to use an unassigned volumerather than one that already has images on it. NetBackup checks the EMMdatabase for a volume that is the correct media type, in the correct volumepool, and so on.If a suitable unassigned volume is unavailable, NetBackup selects a volume.

■ NetBackup does not span media if the Allow backups to span media hostproperty is not specified. The backup terminates abnormally when the end ofmedia is reached. The operation is rescheduled according to the master serverhost property Schedule backup attempts.

You can further configure NetBackup behavior for standalone drives. Normally,when NetBackup spans media and an EOM is encountered on a standalone drive,NetBackup searches for other media or generates a pending mount request. Youcan configure a wait period for standalone drives. The wait period is helpful whena gravity feed tape stacker takes a long time to load the next media in the drive.

To configure NetBackup to wait, specify the Media request delay media serverhost property. This property specifies the number of seconds NetBackup waits touse a volume that is loaded in a compatible drive. After the wait period expires,NetBackup searches for another drive. NetBackup also waits to generate a pendingmount request during tape span operations. The Media request delay propertyapplies only when standalone drive extensions are enabled.

About leaving standalone drives in the ready stateTo leave standalone drives in a ready condition after a backup or restore completes,use the nbemmcmd command to enable the -do_not_eject_standalone option.NetBackup does not eject the tape after an operation completes. The media is stillejected if EOM is reached or an error is encountered. Also, the media is ejected if


the drive needs to be used with another media or the media needs to be used withanother drive.

One standalone drive may be ready and contain suitable media.

Detailed information on the nbemmcmd command is available.

See the NetBackup Commands guide.

Volume pool and volume group examplesThe following three examples show the relationship between volume pools andvolume groups.

Figure 2-2 shows an example of one volume pool (named NB_pool) and severalvolume groups.

You can move volumes between the groups in the robotic library and any groupsthat are off site. All volumes, however, remain in the same pool.

Media in the same volume pools are in different volume groups. Note that thedata is stored on separate volumes by assigning different volume pools. Thevolumes in a pool can be in more than one physical location and in more than onevolume group.

Figure 2-2 Volume pool with multiple volume groups

Robotic

Group 1 Group 2

Group 3 Group 4

Off-site 1

Off-site 2

Standalone

NB_pool

Figure 2-3 shows how the volumes in the pool NB_pool_dept_1 are spread amongthe rob_A, standalone1, and off-site volume groups.

Reference topicsVolume pool and volume group examples

120

These groups also have volumes from more than one pool (though the volumesin each group must all be the same type).You also can configure a scratch poolfrom which NetBackup can transfer volumes when a volume pool has no mediaavailable.

Figure 2-3 Volume groups with multiple volume pools

Grouprob_B

Grouprob_A

Groupoff-siteGroup

standalone1

Robot A

Robot B

NB_pool_dept_2

NB_pool_dept_1

Standalone

Standalone

NB_pool_dept_3

In Figure 2-4, the scratch pool is named Scratch_pool. The three robots containvolumes from that pool in addition to those from other pools.

Assume the following sequence of events:

■ A backup job requires a DLT volume, so NetBackup attempts to assign onefrom NB_pool_dept_1 in Robot C.

■ Robot C has no unassigned volumes available in the NB_pool_dept_1 pool.

■ NetBackup searches the scratch pool for an unassigned DLT volume in RobotC. If a volume is available, NetBackup moves it to NB_pool_dept_1. Otherwise,NetBackup logs a media unavailable status.

121Reference topicsVolume pool and volume group examples

Figure 2-4 Scratch pool example

Grouprob_A

Grouprob_C

Robot A - TL8 Robot C - DLT

Robot B - TL8

Grouprob_B

NB_pool_dept_1

NB_pool_dept_2

Scratch_pool

About media formatsNetBackup writes media in a format that allows the position to be verified beforeNetBackup appends new backups.

Table 2-2 shows the symbols that are used in the media format descriptions.

Table 2-2 Media format descriptions

DescriptionSymbol

Media header (1024 bytes).MH

Tape mark.*

Backup header (1024 bytes).BH

Backup headers (1024 bytes). One for each job that is part of the set of thejobs that are multiplexed

BH1 ... BHn

Reference topicsAbout media formats

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Table 2-2 Media format descriptions (continued)

DescriptionSymbol

Data from the backup.Image

Empty backup header, which is used for position validation.EH

About standard tape formatFor all tape media except quarter-inch cartridge (QIC) and WORM, the format forthe backups that are not multiplexed is as follows:

MH * BH Image * BH Image * BH Image * EH *

When a new backup image is added, the tape is positioned to the EH and theposition is verified. The EH is overwritten by a BH and the backup proceeds. Whencomplete, a new EH is written for future positioning validation.

When NetBackup encounters the end of media during a write operation, itterminates the tape with two tape marks and does not write an EH.

About QIC and WORM tape formatThis format is used for quarter-inch cartridge (QIC) and WORM media. Unlike thestandard tape format, NetBackup does not write empty backup headers (EH). Theformat is as follows:

MH * BH Image * BH Image * BH Image *

To append backup images to QIC media, NetBackup positions to the end of data(EOD) and then starts the next backup.

About fragmented backupsFor fragmented backups, the media format is similar to the standard tape format.The difference is that NetBackup breaks the backup image into fragments of thesize that are specified when the storage unit is configured.

The following is an example:

MH * BH Image (frag 1)* BH Image (frag 2)* BH Image (frag n) * EH *

Fragmentation is intended primarily for storing large backup images on a disktype storage unit.

For multiplexed backups, image fragmentation results in faster restores becauseNetBackup can advance to the specific fragment before it begins a search for thefile.

123Reference topicsAbout media formats

Note: If an error occurs in a backup, the entire backup is discarded and the backuprestarts from the beginning. It does not restart from the fragment where the erroroccurred. Exception: checkpoint and restart backups resume from the lastcheckpoint fragment.

About the multiplexing formatThe tape format for multiplexed backups is as follows:

MH * BH1 ... BHn Image ...

By default, the data image is in 64-kilobyte blocks. Each block also contains 512bytes that are reserved for multiplexing control information and to identify thebackup to which the block corresponds.

When a job ends or a new job is added to the multiplexing set, NetBackup writesa tape mark. NetBackup then starts multiplexing the revised set of jobs.

The following is an example:

MH * BH1 BH2 BH3 Image* BH2 BH3 Image* BH2 BH3 BH4 Image. .

About spanning tapesBy default, NetBackup spans a backup image to another tape if it encounters theend of media during a backup. The format is the same as described for fragmentedbackups. The first fragment on the next tape begins with the buffer of data wherethe end of media occurred.

The following is the first tape format (NetBackup does not write an EH andterminates the tape with two tape marks):

MH * ... *BHn Image (frag 1) * *

The following is the second tape format:

MH * BHn Image (frag2)* ... * EH *

Media Manager commandsDetailed information about the Media Manager commands is available. Thesecommands are located in install_path\VERITAS\Volmgr\bin.

SeeNetBackup Commands for detailed information about most of the commandsthat are in the following tables.

Reference topicsMedia Manager commands

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Note:Start and stop services by using the Services tool available in AdministrativeTools in the Microsoft Windows Control Panel. If they are started from thecommand line, some services occupy that NetBackup Console session until theyare stopped.

Table 2-3 shows the Media Manager services and processes and the commandsthat start each.

Table 2-4 lists commands and the devices and processes that each stops.

Table 2-3 Starting services and processes

DescriptionCommand

The Automated Cartridge System robotic process. The Device Managerltid starts this process.

Applies only to NetBackup Enterprise Server.

acsd

The Automatic Volume Recognition process. The Device Managerltid starts this process.

avrd

Starts the NetBackup Device Manager service. Starting ltid alsostarts the robotic, robotic control, Media Manager volume, andautomatic volume recognition daemons.

ltid

The Tape Library 4MM robotic process. The Device Manager ltidstarts this process.

tl4d

Starts the Tape Library 8MM robotic-control process. The DeviceManager ltid starts this process.

tl8cd

The Tape Library 8MM robotic process. The Device Manager ltidstarts this process.

tl8d

Starts the Tape Library DLT robotic-control process. The DeviceManager ltid starts this process.

tldcd

The Tape Library DLT robotic process. The Device Manager ltidstarts this process.

tldd

Starts the Tape Library Half-inch robotic-control process. The DeviceManager ltid starts this process.


tlhcd

The Tape Library Half-inch robotic process. The Device Managerltidstarts this process.


tlhd

125Reference topicsMedia Manager commands

Table 2-3 Starting services and processes (continued)

DescriptionCommand

The Tape Library Multimedia process. The Device Manager ltidstarts this process.


tlmd

The NetBackup Volume Manager service. The Device Manager ltidstarts this process.

vmd

The NetBackup Status Collection service. Thenbemm command startsthis service on the same host as the EMM server if one or moreNetBackup 5.x servers are present in the configuration.

vmscd

Table 2-4 Stopping services and processes

DescriptionCommand

Stops the device, robotic, and robotic-control services.stopltid

Stops the Tape Library DLT robotic-control process.tldcd -t

Stops the Tape Library 8MM robotic-control process.tl8cd -t

Stops the Tape Library Half-inch robotic-control process.


tlhcd -t

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UNIX reference topics


■ About exclude and include lists on UNIX clients

■ Schedules for user backups or archives

About exclude and include lists on UNIX clientsOn UNIX clients, you create the exclude and include lists in the following files onthe client:

/usr/openv/netbackup/exclude_list

/usr/openv/netbackup/include_list

The following topics explain the rules for creating these lists on UNIX clients.

Note: Exclude and include lists do not apply to user backups and archives.

Creating an exclude list on a UNIX clientIf a /usr/openv/netbackup/exclude_list file exists on a UNIX client, NetBackupuses the contents of the file as a list of patterns. NetBackup skips the files duringautomatic full and incremental backups.


The following types of files appear in an exclude list:

■ *.o files

■ core files

3Chapter

■ a.out files

■ Files that begin or end with ~ (backups for editors)

■ Files and directories under /tmp, /usr/tmp

■ Man pages

■ Software that you can restore from original installation tapes

■ Automounted directories

■ CD-ROM file systems

■ NetBackup automatically excludes the following file system types:

■ mntfs (Solaris)

■ proc (all UNIX platforms)

■ cdrom (all UNIX platforms)

■ cachefs (AIX, Solaris, SGI, UnixWare)

Check with users before any files are excluded from backups.

Note: Symantec suggests that you always specify automounted directories andCD-ROM file systems in the exclude list. Otherwise, if they are not mounted atthe time of a backup, NetBackup must wait for a timeout before proceeding.

Syntax rulesThe following syntax rules apply to exclude lists:

■ Blank lines or lines that begin with a pound sign (#) are ignored.

■ Only one pattern per line is allowed.

■ The following special or wildcard characters are recognized:[ ]?*{ }

■ To use special or wildcard characters literally, precede the character with abackslash (\). For example, assume the brackets in the following are to be usedliterally:

/home/abc/fun[ny]name

In the exclude list, precede each bracket with a backslash as in

UNIX reference topicsAbout exclude and include lists on UNIX clients

128

/home/abc/fun\[ny\]name

A backslash (\) acts as an escape character only when it precedes a special ora wildcard character. NetBackup normally interprets a backslash literallybecause a backslash is a legal character to use in pathnames.

■ If all files are excluded in the backup selections list, NetBackup backs up onlywhat is specified by full path names in the include list. Files can be excludedby using / or * or by using both symbols together (/*).

■ Spaces are considered legal characters. Do not include extra spaces unlessthey are part of the file name.For example, if you want to exclude a file named/home/testfile (with no extra space character at the end)

and the exclude list entry is/home/testfile (with an extra space character at the end)

NetBackup cannot find the file until you delete the extra space from the endof the file name.

■ End a file path with / to exclude only directories with that path name (forexample, /home/test/). If the pattern does not end in / (for example,/usr/test), NetBackup excludes both files and directories with that path name.

■ To exclude all files with a given name, regardless of the directory path, enterthe name without a preceding slash. For example:

test

rather than

/test

This is equivalent to prefixing the file pattern with a slash:

/

/*/

/*/*/

/*/*/*/

and so on.

■ Do not use patterns with links in the names. For example, assume /home is alink to /usr/home and /home/doc is in the exclude list. The file is still backedup in this case because the actual directory path, /usr/home/doc, does notmatch the exclude list entry, /home/doc.

129UNIX reference topicsAbout exclude and include lists on UNIX clients

Example of an exclude listIn this example, an exclude list contains the following entries:

# this is a comment line

/home/doe/john

/home/doe/abc/

/home/*/test

/*/temp

core

Given the exclude list example, the following files and directories are excludedfrom automatic backups:

■ The file or directory named /home/doe/john.

■ The directory /home/doe/abc (because the exclude entry ends with /).

■ All files or directories named test that are two levels beneath home.

■ All files or directories named temp that are two levels beneath the rootdirectory.

■ All files or directories named core at any level.

Exclude lists for specific policies or schedulesNetBackup lets you create an exclude list for a specific policy or for a policy anda schedule combination. Create an exclude_list file with a .policyname or.policyname.schedulename suffix. The following two file examples use a policythat is named wkstations. The policy contains a schedule that is named fulls:

/usr/openv/netbackup/exclude_list.wkstations

/usr/openv/netbackup/exclude_list.wkstations.fulls

The first file affects all scheduled backups in the policy that is named wkstations.The second file affects backups only when the schedule is named fulls.

For a given backup, NetBackup uses a single exclude list—the list that containsthe most specific name. For example, if there are files named:

exclude_list.wkstations and exclude_list.wkstations.fulls

NetBackup uses only:

exclude_list.wkstations.fulls

UNIX reference topicsAbout exclude and include lists on UNIX clients

130

Creating an include list on a UNIX clientTo add back in a file that is eliminated with the exclude list, create a/usr/openv/netbackup/include_list file. The same syntax rules apply as forthe exclude list.


To illustrate the use of an include list, we use the example from the previousdiscussion. The exclude list in that example causes NetBackup to omit all files ordirectories named test from all directories beneath /home/*/test.

In this case, add a file named /home/jdoe/test back into the backup by creatingan include_list file on the client. Add the following to the include_list file:

# this is a comment line

/home/jdoe/test

To create an include list for a specific policy or policy and schedule combination,use a .policyname or .policyname.schedulename suffix. The following are twoexamples of include list names for a policy that is named wkstations that containsa schedule that is named fulls.

/usr/openv/netbackup/include_list.workstations

/usr/openv/netbackup/include_list.workstations.fulls

The first file affects all scheduled backups in the policy that is named workstations.The second file affects backups only when the schedule is named fulls.

For a given backup, NetBackup uses only one include list: the list with the mostspecific name. Given the following two files:

include_list.workstations

include_list.workstations.fulls

NetBackup uses only include_list.workstations.fulls as the include list.

Schedules for user backups or archivesTo have NetBackup use a specific policy and schedule for user backups or archivesof a UNIX client, add the following options to the /usr/openv/NetBackup/bp.conffile:

■ BPARCHIVE_POLICY

131UNIX reference topicsSchedules for user backups or archives

■ BPARCHIVE_SCHED

■ BPBACKUP_POLICY

■ BPBACKUP_SCHED

These options can also be added to a user’s $HOME/bp.conf file on the client.

UNIX reference topicsSchedules for user backups or archives

132

Using NetBackup with AFS


■ Using OpenAFS with NetBackup

■ System requirements for using NetBackup with OpenAFS

■ OpenAFS configuration

■ Backup selection example

■ OpenAFS policies backup selection list directives

■ OpenAFS regular expressions

■ OpenAFS exclude and include lists

■ OpenAFS backups

■ OpenAFS restores

■ Restoring from the NetBackup for OpenAFS client

■ Restoring from the NetBackup master server

■ Troubleshooting OpenAFS backups

■ Troubleshooting OpenAFS restores

Using OpenAFS with NetBackupThis topic explains how to install, configure, and use NetBackup to back up AFSfile servers. (AFS is the acronym for Andrew File System.)

4Chapter

System requirements for using NetBackup withOpenAFS

The following AFS file servers can be NetBackup AFS clients:

■ Solaris 7 and HP-UX 11.0, or IBM AIX 4.3.3 platforms

■ AFS level 3.6 or later installed

The NetBackup software that is needed to support AFS is automatically installedwith the server and client.

OpenAFS configurationTo configure backups for NetBackup AFS clients, add an AFS policy to theNetBackup configuration on the master server. The requirements are largely thesame as for other NetBackup policies, with some exceptions. To back up the filesand directories that are not in AFS volumes, create separate policies.

Note: NetBackup supports the maximum AFS 3.6 volume size of 8 GB.

The exceptions are as follows:

Specify AFS as the policy type in the policy’s generalattributes.

General policy attributes

In the client list, specify the names of the AFS file serversto be backed up. These systems must have the NetBackupclient installed.

Client list

In the backup selection list for the AFS policy, specify theAFS volumes and vice partitions to be backed up.

Backup selections

Backup selection exampleThe following example shows both volumes and vice partitions:

user.abc

/vicepb

/vicepc/user.*

In this instance, NetBackup backs up the following volumes:

■ The volume user.abc

Using NetBackup with AFSSystem requirements for using NetBackup with OpenAFS

134

■ All volumes in vice partition vicepb

■ All volumes in vicepc that begin with user.

When the list includes a vice partition, all the volumes in the partition are backedup one at a time.

OpenAFS policies backup selection list directivesThe following directives can be in the backup selection list in an AFS policy:

■ CREATE_BACKUP_VOLUMES

This directive causes NetBackup to create .backup volumes before it performsthe backup. If a .backup volume already exists, NetBackup overwrites it tocreate a more recent copy.Because NetBackup backs up only the .backup copy of AFS volumes, thisdirective is useful if an automated mechanism is not in place to create .backupcopies. Creating .backup copies also ensures that the backups include thelatest changes.If an automated mechanism is not in place to create .backup copies, includethe CREATE_BACKUP_VOLUMES directive in the backup selection list. OtherwiseAFS volumes are not backed up.

■ REMOVE_BACKUP_VOLUMES

This directive causes NetBackup to remove .backup volumes after the backupis complete. The directive removes .backup volumes created by using theCREATE_BACKUP_VOLUMES directive or created by another mechanism.

■ SKIP_SMALL_VOLUMES

This directive allows small or empty volumes to be skipped during backups.For example:

SKIP_SMALL_VOLUMES=5

(do not include spaces on either side of the = sign)In this example, NetBackup skips volumes ≤ 5 KB. Specify any number for thevolume size.If no number is specified, the size defaults to 2 KB. For example:

SKIP_SMALL_VOLUMES

The following rules also apply to the directives:

■ Directives must be all uppercase.

135Using NetBackup with AFSOpenAFS policies backup selection list directives

■ Although directives can be located anywhere in the backup selection list, tryto place directives at the top. For example:

CREATE_BACKUP_VOLUMES

SKIP_SMALL_VOLUMES

/user.abc

/vicepb

OpenAFS regular expressionsNetBackup supports regular expressions in backup selection list entries.

Regular expressions are useful to perform the following actions:

■ Add or move volumes without having to change the backup selection list.

■ Add vice partitions without having to change the backup selection list.

■ Split volumes and vice partitions on AFS file servers into groups that can bebacked up by separate policies. The different groups allow for concurrentbackups or multiplexing.The following examples use regular expressions:

user.[a-m]*

/vicep[a-c]

OpenAFS exclude and include listsExclude lists can be created on the client to exclude certain specific volumes fromautomatic backups. An exclude list cannot contain vice partitions but it can containindividual volumes within a vice partition.

An include list adds volumes to the backup that were specified in the exclude list.For example, if a range of volumes is excluded, the include list can add back specificvolumes within the range.

OpenAFS backupsUser backups or archives of AFS volumes are not allowed.

You must set up automatic or manual backups as follows:

Using NetBackup with AFSOpenAFS regular expressions

136

The most convenient way to back up NetBackup for AFS clientsis to configure an AFS policy and set up schedules for automatic,unattended backups.

Automatic backup

The administrator on the master server can use the NetBackupAdministration Console to run manually a backup for an AFSpolicy.

Manual backup

OpenAFS restoresThe administrator performs all restores on either the NetBackup AFS client orthe master server. Restores are performed on the basis of volumes. To restore avice partition, the administrator must select all the volumes in that partition.

Note: If the Overwrite Existing Files option is selected, the volumes areoverwritten. All changes or files that were created since the last backup will belost.

Consider the following items about restores:

■ If the administrator does not specify OverwriteExistingFiles or an alternatename for the volume, NetBackup adds an R to the name of the restored volume.For example:If the volume name is less than 22 characters long, NetBackup adds a leadingR to the name of the restored volume. For example:

If the volume name is:

/AFS/server1/vicepa/user.abc

The restored name is:

/AFS/server1/vicepa/Ruser.abc

If the volume name is 22 characters long, the first character of the originalvolume name is replaced with an R. (The maximum allowable length for avolume name is 22 characters.) For example:If the volume name is:

/AFS/server1/vicepa/engineering.documents1

The restored name is:

/AFS/server1/vicepa/Rngineering.documents1

137Using NetBackup with AFSOpenAFS restores

■ To specify an existing volume to restore to an alternate path, enable theOverwriteExistingFiles option. In this case, the entire volume is overwritten.If Overwrite Existing Files option is not enabled, the restore fails.

■ To restore a volume to an alternate vice partition, the vice partition must existor the restore fails.

Restoring from the NetBackup for OpenAFS clientAn administrator on a NetBackup AFS client (AFS file server) can use theNetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore interface to restore volumes to thatclient. An administrator can perform a redirected restore as well. A redirectedrestore restores a volume to another volume or another vice partition.

Restoring from the NetBackup master serverThe administrator can use the Backup, Archive, and Restore interface on themaster server to restore volumes to the same NetBackup AFS client (AFS fileserver). Or, to perform a redirected (or server-directed) restore. For instructions,see the online Help in the Backup, Archive, and Restore interface.

Troubleshooting OpenAFS backupsTo increase the level of detail in the logs:

■ Add the VERBOSE option to the /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf file on theNetBackup for AFS client.

■ Create the following debug log directory on the NetBackup for AFS client:

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bpbkar

If the AFS backup terminates with a status code of 9, the code indicates thatNetBackup AFS client software was not properly installed. (An extensionrelease update is needed.)If the AFS backup terminates with a status code of 78, the code indicates anAFS vos command failure. (afs/dfs command failed) The NetBackup ProblemsReport provides additional information as to why the command failed. Thebpbkar debug log shows the command that was run. Run the vos commandmanually to attempt to duplicate the problem.Also, examine the /usr/openv/netbackup/listvol file on the NetBackupclient for irregularities. The vos listvol command can demand much fromsystem resources so NetBackup caches the output of thevos listvol command

Using NetBackup with AFSRestoring from the NetBackup for OpenAFS client

138

in this file. NetBackup uses the cached listvol file to obtain the volume listinstead of running another vos listvol command (if the cached listvol filewas created less than four hours before the backup).

For additional troubleshooting information, see the NetBackup TroubleshootingGuide.

Troubleshooting OpenAFS restoresIf the restore of an AFS volume fails, check the restore process log for additionalinformation. Create a /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/tar debug log directory if avos restore command failure is indicated. Then retry the operation and checkthe resulting log to see that the vos restore command was run.

For additional troubleshooting information, see the NetBackup TroubleshootingGuide.

139Using NetBackup with AFSTroubleshooting OpenAFS restores

Using NetBackup with AFSTroubleshooting OpenAFS restores

140

Symbols.ExTeNt.nnnn files 73.SeCuRiTy.nnnn files 73@@MaNgLeD.nnnn files 73@@MaNgLeD.nnnn_Rename files 73@@MaNgLeD.nnnn_Symlink files 73

AAbsolute pathname

to volume storage unit setting 51access control

lists (ACLs) 73ACS_ vm.conf entry 13ACS_SEL_SOCKET

vm.conf entry 14ACS_SSI_HOSTNAME

vm.conf entry 14ACS_SSI_SOCKET

vm.conf entry 14ADJ_LSM

vm.conf entry 15AIX cachefs file system 128All Log Entries report 76Allow backups to span media 117alternate client restores

host.xlate file 70Andrew File System (AFS)

backup selection list 134directives 135installing 134regular expressions 136restores 137troubleshooting 138

Announce DHCP interval property 33API_BARCODE_RULES

vm.conf entry 16AUTHORIZATION_REQUIRED

vm.conf entry 16auto cleaning 103AUTO_PATH_CORRECTION

vm.conf entry 17

AUTO_UPDATE_ROBOTvm.conf entry 17

AVRD_PEND_DELAYvm.conf entry 18, 114

AVRD_SCAN_DELAYvm.conf entry 18

Bbackup selection list

AFS 134, 136backup selection list, AFS 134, 136backup_exit_notify script 80backup_notify script 80backups

backup_exit_notify script 80backup_notify script 80bpend_notify script

UNIX client 86Windows client 88

bpstart_notify scriptUNIX client 81Windows client 84

compressed 72diskfull_notify script 91estimating time required 73multiplexed 72session_notify script 94session_start_notify script 95

basic disk stagingand NearStore disk storage units 46

bpdynamicclient 37bpend_notify script

UNIX client 86Windows client 88

bpstart_notify scriptUNIX client 81Windows client 84

bpstsinfo command 53

Ccdrom file system 128

Index

CLEAN_REQUEST_TIMEOUTvm.conf entry 18

cleaningfrequency-based 104library-based 103TapeAlert reactive 99times allowed 105

CLIENT_PORT_WINDOWvm.conf entry 19

clientschanging host names 69dynamic UNIX client 36exclude files list, UNIX 127include files list 131

cluster environments 113CLUSTER_NAME

vm.conf entry 19compressed backups 72CONNECT_OPTIONS

vm.conf entry 19crawlreleasebyname

vmoprcmd option 111CREATE_BACKUP_VOLUMES 135

DDAS_CLIENT

vm.conf entry 20DataStore policy type 39DAYS_TO_KEEP_LOGS

vm.conf entry 20device

best practices 97delays 75using with other applications 97

DHCP server 32directives for AFS 135disk

consumption 53Disk type storage unit setting 50diskfull_notify script 91Domain Name Service (DNS) hostnames 70drives

cleaningmanual 104operator-initiated 104overview 103

Dynamic host name and IP addressing 32

EEMM_REQUEST_TIMOUT

vm.conf entry 21EMM_RETRY_COUNT

vm.conf entry 21Enable block sharing storage unit setting 52Enable file system export storage unit setting 52Enable performance data collection property 78ENABLE_ROBOT_AUTH

vm.conf entry 22escape character on UNIX 129Exclude files list

UNIX 127exclude lists

creating 127example 130files on UNIX 127for specific policies and schedules 130syntax rules 128wildcards in 128

extended attribute files 72ExTeNt.nnnn files 73

Ffiles

.ExTeNt.nnnn 73

.SeCuRiTy.nnnn 73@@MaNgLeD.nnnn 73@@MaNgLeD.nnnn_Rename 73@@MaNgLeD.nnnn_Symlink 73goodies scripts 79

FlashBackup 72fragmented backups 123frequency-based drive cleaning 104

GGNU tar 72goodies directory 79

Hhost names

changing client name 69changing server name 68–69client peername 68correct use 67short 69

host.xlate file and alternate client restores 70

Index142

Iinclude files list 131INVENTORY_FILTER

vm.conf entry 21–22

Llibrary-based cleaning 103logical storage unit (LSU) attributes 53

Mmail_dr_info.cmd 91MAP_CONTINUE_TIMEOUT

vm.conf entry 23MAP_ID, vm.conf entry 22media

best practices 97formats 122selection algorithm 116, 118spanning 117, 119using tar to read images 72

media and device managementbest practices 96performance and troubleshooting 98

Media Managerbest practices 96configuration file 13security 26

media_deassign_notify script 92MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS

vm.conf entry 23MEDIA_ID_PREFIX

vm.conf entry 24MM_SERVER_NAME

vm.conf entry 25mntfs file system 128multiple servers 29multiplexing (MPX)

backups 124recovering backups 72tape format 124

Nnamed data streams

VxFS 72nbmail.cmd 92NDMP 72, 113NearStore

server storage unit setting 50

NearStore (continued)storage units 44

authenticating media servers 48disk consumption 53properties 50SnapVault schedules 44

storage units disk type 46NetApp 42NetBackup Access Control (NBAC)

use of 22, 25network transfer rate 75notification scripts 79

OOn demand only storage unit setting 50OpenStorage Disk Option 43

Ppeername

client 68pending_request_notify script 94Performance Monitor

using with NetBackup 78PREFERRED_GROUP

vm.conf entry 25PREVENT_MEDIA_REMOVAL

vm.conf entry 25proc file system 128PureDisk

exporting backups to NetBackup 39restoring export data 41

RRANDOM_PORTS

vm.conf entry 26raw partitions 72reactive cleaning 99Reduce fragment size storage unit setting 52regular expressions

AFS file list 136REMOVE_BACKUP_VOLUMES 135REQUIRED_INTERFACE

vm.conf entry 26RESERVATION CONFLICT status 110restore_notify script 94restores

AFS clients 137restore_notify script 94

143Index

robotic cleaning 103

Sscripts

backup_exit_notify 79backup_notify 79bpend_notify 80bpstart_notify 80–81, 84diskfull_notify 79goodies 79mail_dr_info.cmd 79media_deassign_notify 79nbmail.cmd 79notification 79parent_end_notify 79parent_start_notify 79pending_request_notify 79restore_notify 79session_notify 79session_start_notify 79shared_drive_notify 79, 95userreq_notify 79

SCSI persistent reserve 107SCSI reserve and release

break a reservation 110–111error recovery 111limitations 113overview 107PEND status 111requirements 112RESERVATION CONFLICT 110

SeCuRiTy.nnnn files 73SERVER

vm.conf entry 26servers

changing host names 68–69NetBackup

master 30media 30multiple 29

session_notify script 94session_start_notify script 95SGI cachefs file system 128Simple Mail Transfer Protocol 92Single-Instance Storage (SIS) 42–43, 52SKIP_SMALL_VOLUMES 135SnapVault storage units 44Solaris

extended attributes 72

Solaris (continued)file systems 128

spanning media 117, 119, 124SSO

vm.conf entries 28SSO_DA_REREGISTER_INTERVAL

vm.conf entry 27SSO_DA_RETRY_TIMEOUT

vm.conf entry 27SSO_HOST_NAME

vm.conf entry 28standalone drive

extensionsdisabling 119

storage unitsNearStore 46

System Monitorusing with NetBackup 77–78

System Monitor, using with NetBackup 77–78

Ttape

spanning 117, 119tape format

fragmented 123multiplexed 124non-QIC 123QIC 123spanned tapes 124WORM 123

TapeAlertabout 99log codes 100requirements 100

tarGNU 72to read backup images 72

temporary staging area 52TLH_ vm.conf entry 28TLM_ vm.conf entry 28transfer rate 74–75troubleshooting AFS backups 138

UUnixWare cachefs file system 128userreq_notify script 95using devices with other applications 97

Index144

VVERBOSE, vm.conf entry 28vm.conf file

ACS_ entries 13ACS_SEL_SOCKET entries 14ACS_SSI_HOSTNAME entries 14ACS_SSI_SOCKET entries 14ADJ_LSM entries 15API_BARCODE_RULES entries 16AUTHORIZATION_REQUIRED entries 16AUTO_PATH_CORRECTION entries 17AUTO_UPDATE_ROBOTentries 17AVRD_PEND_DELAY entries 18AVRD_SCAN_DELAY entries 18CLEAN_REQUEST_TIMEOUT entries 18CLIENT_PORT_WINDOW entries 19CLUSTER_NAME entry 19CONNECT_OPTIONS entries 19DAS_CLIENT entries 20DAYS_TO_KEEP_LOGS entries 20ENABLE_ROBOT_AUTH entries 22INVENTORY_FILTER entries 21–22MAP_CONTINUE_TIMEOUT entries 23MAP_ID entries 22MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS entries 23MEDIA_ID_PREFIX entries 24MM_SERVER_NAME entry 25overview 13PREFERRED_GROUP entries 25PREVENT_MEDIA_REMOVAL entries 25RANDOM_PORTS entries 26REQUIRED_INTERFACE entry 26SERVER entries 26SSO_DA_REREGISTER_INTERVAL entries 27SSO_DA_RETRY_TIMEOUT entries 27SSO_HOST_NAME entries 28TLH_ entries 28TLM_ entries 28VERBOSE entries 28

volume groupsexamples 120

volume poolsexamples 120

VxFSextent attributes 73named data streams 72

WWAFL qtree

cleaning up 44wildcard characters

in AFS file list 136in exclude lists 128UNIX escape character 129

Windows System Monitor, using with NetBackup 77

145Index

netbackup_adminguideii_winserver

Documents

symantec product

technical support information

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technical support group

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product documentation

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