Forum Discussion

keelin_hart's avatar
18 years ago

change of device host name

Hello. We are currently standardising our NetBackup naming conventions. Here's what I've done for one of our media servers: created an alias in DNS to the new name, added this to the master's bp.conf, created a REQUIRED_INTERFACE entry in the media server's bp.conf, created REQUIRED_INTERFACE and DEVICE_HOST entries in its vm.conf, and restarted NBU services on both the media and master server. But the master server still does not see the new name as either a media server or device host. Any tips? I am probably missing something very obvious... Thanks.
  • start at the beginning and test with bpclntcmd

    How to verify name resolution for Veritas NetBackup (tm) systems, using the "bpclntcmd" command
    http://support.veritas.com/docs/261393

    Details:
    The bpclntcmd utility resolves internet protocol (IP) addresses into host names and host names into IP addresses by using the same system calls as the NetBackup application software. The command that starts the utility is located in the install_path\NetBackup\bin directory. Run it in an MS-DOS command window so that the results can be seen.

    Bpclntcmd options that are useful for testing the functionality of the host name and IP address resolution are -hn, -ip, and -pn. The following sections explain each of these options:


    1. bpclntcmd -hn Hostname

    The -hn option allows a host name to be specified. Bpclntcmd uses gethostbyname() on the NetBackup node to obtain the IP address associated with the host name defined in the node's Domain Name Service (DNS), Windows Internet Naming Service (WINS), or local hosts file entries.

    The -ip and -hn options can be used to verify the ability of a NetBackup node to resolve the IP addresses and host names of other NetBackup nodes. For example, it is possible to verify whether or not a NetBackup server can connect to a client. In this case, the steps to be followed are:

    On the NetBackup server, use bpclntcmd -hn to verify that the operating system can resolve the host name of the NetBackup client (as configured in the client list for the class) to an IP address. The IP address is then used in the node's routing tables to route a network message from the NetBackup server.


    Example of successful response: Master server = master Client server = client
    The command is run on master.
    C:\Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin>bpclntcmd -hn client
    host client: client.domain.com at 10.82.108.42 (0x846c520a)
    checkhname: aliases:



    2. bpclntcmd -ip IP_Address

    The -ip option allows an IP address to be specified.

    Bpclntcmd uses gethostbyaddr() on the NetBackup node and gethostbyaddr() returns the host name with the IP address as defined in the node's DNS, WINS or local hosts file entries.

    On the NetBackup master server, use bpclntcmd -ip to verify that the operating system can resolve the IP address of the NetBackup client.


    Example of successful response: Master server = master Client server = client
    The command is run on master.
    C:\Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin>bpclntcmd -ip 10.82.108.42
    checkhaddr: host : client: client.domain.com at 10.82.108.42 (0x846c520a)
    checkhaddr: aliases:


    3. bpclntcmd -pn

    When run on a NetBackup client, the -pn option initiates an inquiry to the NetBackup master server, and then the server returns information to the requesting client. First, bpclntcmd identifies the server to which it is making the request (current server in the server list), and then it displays the information that the server returns.

    Example of successful response: Master server = master Client server = client
    The Command is run on client.
    C:\Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin>bpclntcmd -pn
    expecting response from server master
    client.domain.com client 10.82.108.42 1117

    where:
    "expecting response from server master" returns the master server entry from the server list on the client.
    "client.domain.com client 10.82.108.42 1117" is the connection name (peername) returned by the master server. The master server obtained this name through "gethostbyaddr()"
    Client is client name configured in the NetBackup class client list.
    In this example, 10.82.108.42 is the IP address of the client connection and 1117 is the port number of the connection on the client.
  • Verify the Client is communicating properly:

    * bpclncmd -ip --> from both client and server
    * bpclntcmd -hn --> from both client and server
    * bpclntcmd -pn --> from client only
    run bpcoverage -c clientname to verify connectivity.
    run nslookup hostname and nslookup IP adress to verify dns is working.
    insure the media servers name is in the client bp.conf
    telnet to client to verify netbackup client telnet clientname bpcd
    You can also ftp a large file from the client to the
    media server to verify connectivity and speed.
  • Thanks for your responses. But communications between the master and media server are fine, its just that its still resolving to the 'old' hostname, despite the actions in my initial post.
  • Are you using NB5 or 6?
    Reason for asking is there's implication to those media assigned to "old" media server if you successfully "register" the "new" media server. You need to take care of the media assignment as any query on media (e.g. bpimmedia, etc) that assigned to old server may fail.
  • Hi Chia - good point! Though I imagine bp.conf entry FORCE_RESTORE_MEDIA_SERVER old_name new_name could work around this. We are using NBU5.1MP5.
  • > its still resolving to the 'old' hostname

    Make sure that DNS cache is purged
  • ipconfig /flushdns on pc's
    on solaris nscd -i hosts or stop then start the nscd daemon.
    you may also want to clear the arp cache
    windows I think arp -a works on soloaris I think arp -d *
  • > Hi Chia - good point! Though I imagine bp.conf entry
    > FORCE_RESTORE_MEDIA_SERVER old_name new_name could
    > work around this. We are using NBU5.1MP5.

    FORCE_RESTORE_MEDIA_SERVER is applicable during restore. But if you've scripts or when you issue some NB commands it will still reference back to old server and will fail after timeout. You need to "move" the media to standalone then to new server. I suggest after you've confirmed successfully converted to new server, revert back to old server and move the associated media to standalone, convert to new server again and move the media to it.

    Following technote give some good pointers of moving the associated media.
    http://support.veritas.com/docs/230047
    How to correctly decommission a NetBackup Media Server and remove it from the NetBackup environment
  • Thanks Chia. I reckon that will do the trick. Just need to find a window to do it in! ;o)