Back up specific files from NetBackup master command-line

Should work:

       -i     Starts an immediate manual backup. This operation is equivalent to starting a manual backup from the NetBackup administrator interface. You must be the administrator on the master server to use the -i option.

Are you logged in as the administrator? What version of NBU are you using?

bpbackup -i on the master server will start policy schedule type Full or Incr (not User type) and the file and folder names in Backup Selection will be used. Same as right-click on a policy in the GUI and select Manual Backup.
So, here the files/folders need to be in Backup Selection.

bpbackup on a client will start a User type schedule in the policy where files/folders can be typed as part of the command or a filename with -f option.
Backup Selection is ignored.

I think he wants to intiage a backup from the master side but backup something else than what the policy states in the include list. Basically a 'userbackup' type of backup only not initiated from the client side.

Don't think that actually works.

Christoph and Marianne are right, the goal is to initiate a backup from the master server (i.e. with -i), but use a custom file selection different from what's defined in the policy.

According to the manual (haven't tested it myself), this functionality is available when backuping up from the client (without -i), but not when backing up from the server (with -i).

Does anybody know another way of achieving this, maybe with some other command?

What is the master OS and client OS? Perhaps if unix you could use rsh/ssh to remote connect from master to client, to initiate a user-initiated backup ???

Some endpoints are Linux and other Windows.

As a last resort I could definitely use SSH and other remote access tools to run from the client itself, but that would immensely complicate the solution - it would require assuring that I have connectivity and access credentials to all the servers, as well as setting up remote access to Windows servers too.

It would be way simpler if there was a way of doing this from the master side.

It would be way simpler if there was a way of doing this from the master side.

Agreed. Almost seems to be an 'oversight' that there is no equivalence of the bpbackup 'versions'.

Only other alternative, which Marianne has already alluded to, is to have a policy that you would then add your file selections to - this could potentially be scripted I suppose if required - & then instigate the bpbackup (manual backup) of that policy from the master.

I agree with Andy. You could script it on the master (If its UNIX), so have a policy with no open windows, for unix and for windows so it never runs with nbpem scheduler.

Add all the clients to it then use bpplinclude to add the file you want to backup to the policy, then run a manual backup ? then use bpplinclude to remoe the file from the Backup Selection in the policy?

Or you could even add the clients on the fly too with bpplclients too.

Cool hack!

The next logical step though, if I want to support any policy without manipulating it, is to create a modified copy of the policy, use it, then remove it.

Would that work? What would happen to the snapshots once the temporary policy is removed?