Forum Discussion

Nayabsk's avatar
Nayabsk
Level 6
10 years ago

Backup Exec NDMP configuration

Hi All, I need to configure NDMP backup on my backup exec to backup my Netapp, and i have tape library, and i have been reading the NDMP document and i have come across the statemement from Backup...
2014
Backing Up
Backup and Recovery
Backup Exec
Basics
Configuring
Integration
Windows Server (2003-2008)
  • Colin_Weaver's avatar
    Colin_Weaver
    10 years ago

    1) You can choose to connect the tape library only to the NetApp or Zone it to both NetApp and Media Server locations (kind of depends on whether or not all of the data you intend to backup is on the NetApp or if some of it is on separate remote systems.

    2) It is by design that as soon a you add the Netapp (with an attached library) and restart services even though the library is only attached to the NetApp that it will also show up under the media server. As far as I know it should be still reasonably obvious how to set the target device in the job, (although I do not have such a config available to check this)

    3) The way communication happens is Backup Exec sends NDMP requests to the NetApp's NDMP Data Mover to send the data straight to the NetApp's NDMP Tape Server, once the requests are sent, apart from some control and update information all further activity is performed within the NetApp (and therefore subject to how a NetApp actions NDMP requests.)

    4) Incremental backups are possible on a NetApp but using Levels - but it is fiddly as you have set setup a different job config for each day (with a single job definition)  to set the different levels:

    Level 0 = Backup Eveything (A full)

    Level 1 = Backup all changes since Level 0 ( so either first incremental or a differential)

    Level 2 = Backup all changes since Level 1 (2nd incremental)

    Level 3 = Backup all changes since Level 2 (3rd incremental)

    For more info on Levels please review NetApp's own documentation regarding NDMP backups

     

    BTW if your Netapp holds anything other than direct user data but instead holds data containers such as  LUNs, Exchange databases or Virtual Machines, then the NDMP option is not recommended because GRT is NOT available meaning you would only be able to restore the whole of the data container and not individual data contained within it. See this blog for LAN free descriptions that partially explain this

    https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/blogs/lan-free-including-san-backup-configurations-backup-exec