Hello Geeks ! We have one old master server running on 7.5.0.6 and we no longer using it to take backups ,it used to backup on 4-5 clients and have like 500 odd media in its EMM. Now our new master server runs on same OS solaris X64 and netbackup 7.5.0.6 ,what I am looking for is to move the consolidate the images of clients on old master server to new master server. I will copy db/images of clients from old master to new master and vmadd all 50 media ? Questions here are: 1) would the media expire on their due data if i simply vmadd in our new master? 2) do i need to create the volume pools that were in the old master or can simply put them in any read only volume pool as we don't intent to use those media for backups . PS: We are not looking to import all the media. Please advise.

We looking if netbackup would be able to relate if we add the media in a read only pool ,import catalog and copy over the images. There is no such thing as catalog import from another master server. If you use the 'Recovery without Import', you need to keep track of expiration tapes in DONOTUSE pool outside of NBU. You can use 'Media List' or 'Media Summary' (verbose option) reports on old master to keep track of expiration dates. The only other option is to get a Symantec Consulting Partner to merge the 2 master servers. Oh! There is another option: You can perform a phase 1 and 2 import of all 500 tapes...

if you just add the to the new server,the new server will not know that the tapes have valid backups and, if the tapes are in a "wrong" pool he will overwrite them. If you do not want to use these tapes, add them to a volume pool that you will never use for backups. If you want you can create all the old volume pools and add there the media but you have to be sure that you are not using these pools. if you want to copy the db/images also, it is a different think, read this document for a step by step guide: https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.TECH28722.html

If you have not started using the new master server, best to perform proper migration. Install new master with same hostname, install and patch NBU to same path and patch level, then recover catalog backup from old master. For NBU 7.5 and higher, it will not work to only copy images, because the image headers are stored in EMM database. You can search this forum or Symantec site for 'Recovery Without Import '. With this method you copy images across and combine with cat_export and import to bring image headers across as well. This method does not brìng across the media pools and Assign Time of tapes. Extremely important to put tapes with unexpired images in a separate pool that will never be used for backups to prevent tapes from being overwritten. This leaves your image and EMM databases in inconcistent state until all images from old server have expired and you have manually moved tapes back into Scratch. Best migration method is catalog backup and recovery. Next best option is to get a Symantec consulting partner to merge 2 masters if new master is already in use.

500 old media, or 50 old media? Yes, I'd create dummy media entries on the new master - and place the dummy media entries in to a 'do_NOT_use' volume pool. You could also write protect all of the old media. Do this whilst you consider your options for the long term... If you ever want to restore from them in the new environment - then clearly you'll need to know the contents. So, if you want to decommission the old env - then it's usually best to import the old media - or to have previously engaged consulting services to migrate the NetBackup Catalog. I dare say they could still do it. But you cannot do this. So, you only options are: 1) Leave the old environment up. And place dummy media entries in the new env so that old media do not accidentally get overwritten. 2) Create and save and copy a media and catalog listing of old env. Shutdown old env. And hope that no-one asks for a restore. And if they do, then import as quick as you can the tapes that you think you need (from what you can discern/decypher/gather from the old listsing). 3) Import all the old media in to new env. Then shutdown old env. 4) Engage consulting to migrate/merge the remnants of the old catalog in to the new catalog, then shutdown old env. . Questions: 1) Were the old media encrypted? 1a) If so - can you re-create the keys, or export them? 2) What type were the old media ? (LTO1/2/3/4/5/6? or something else) 3) Do you have a compatible tape drive on the new master server environment (either on master, or on a media server)? (i.e. what are the drive types in teh new environment). 3a) If not - and assuming the old library is FC/SAN - you could re-zone the old tape library to the new master or a media, and then import using the old tape drives? 3b) If not, and you do NOT have a compatibile tape drive - then you'll never be able to read the old tapes until you acquire a compatible drive type - in which case you're probably stuck with the old env until all old images have expired naturally.

Thanks you all for replying ! Marianne you right ,I forgot to add cat_export and import to have metadata imported. What we need they should atleast show the date after vmadd ,images copy and cat_import as all media have diffrent retention period and it would be impossible to keep a track in excel sheet and expire manually.We looking if netbackup would be able to relate if we add the media in a read only pool ,import catalog and copy over the images. We do have a new master up and running for 7 months now ,all 500 media are diffrently labelled and will put them seperately in a read only volume pool.

If you copy the images files over (.f) and then cat_export / import then yes, those media can be searched via the normal BAR gui and restores run. What you cannot do, is write to them, as they have no media db entry. There is also a risk they could be over written, as NBU only knows about them physically (ie localtion/ type), there is no media db entry which is how NBU knows the tape is free to use. PUtting them in an unused volume pool (eg do_not_use) is essential, but doesn;t give 100% protection, as someone could still select that pool in a policy (perhaps by accident). There are two ways around this, well, three if you include a proper catalog restore to move everything across, but I guess that has been ruled out. So the other two options. 1) bptm -makedbentry command. However, do NOT do this, it breaks nbcc. This command should never be run by anyone, even support due to the NBCC issue. 2) Run NBCC - this is the best option. It will add the media db entries for those media using, funnily enough, bptm -makedbentry. However, it then runs some SQL that tidies up the entry which prevents future NBCC issues. This leaves an 'acceptable' media DB entry so the media won't be accidently overwritten, and should still expire correctly. they can't be written to as they are marked full, but at least they are safe.

Media and images movement from old master to new

13 Replies

StefanosM
Level 6
10 years ago
if you just add the to the new server,the new server will not know that the tapes have valid backups and, if the tapes are in a "wrong" pool he will overwrite them.

If you do not want to use these tapes, add them to a volume pool that you will never use for backups. If you want you can create all the old volume pools and add there the media but you have to be sure that you are not using these pools.

if you want to copy the db/images also, it is a different think, read this document for a step by step guide:

https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.TECH28722.html
Marianne
Level 6
10 years ago
If you have not started using the new master server, best to perform proper migration. Install new master with same hostname, install and patch NBU to same path and patch level, then recover catalog backup from old master. For NBU 7.5 and higher, it will not work to only copy images, because the image headers are stored in EMM database. You can search this forum or Symantec site for 'Recovery Without Import '. With this method you copy images across and combine with cat_export and import to bring image headers across as well. This method does not brìng across the media pools and Assign Time of tapes. Extremely important to put tapes with unexpired images in a separate pool that will never be used for backups to prevent tapes from being overwritten. This leaves your image and EMM databases in inconcistent state until all images from old server have expired and you have manually moved tapes back into Scratch. Best migration method is catalog backup and recovery. Next best option is to get a Symantec consulting partner to merge 2 masters if new master is already in use.
sdo
Moderator
10 years ago
500 old media, or 50 old media?

Yes, I'd create dummy media entries on the new master - and place the dummy media entries in to a 'do_NOT_use' volume pool. You could also write protect all of the old media. Do this whilst you consider your options for the long term...

If you ever want to restore from them in the new environment - then clearly you'll need to know the contents. So, if you want to decommission the old env - then it's usually best to import the old media - or to have previously engaged consulting services to migrate the NetBackup Catalog. I dare say they could still do it. But you cannot do this.

So, you only options are:

1) Leave the old environment up. And place dummy media entries in the new env so that old media do not accidentally get overwritten.

2) Create and save and copy a media and catalog listing of old env. Shutdown old env. And hope that no-one asks for a restore. And if they do, then import as quick as you can the tapes that you think you need (from what you can discern/decypher/gather from the old listsing).

3) Import all the old media in to new env. Then shutdown old env.

4) Engage consulting to migrate/merge the remnants of the old catalog in to the new catalog, then shutdown old env.

.

Questions:

1) Were the old media encrypted?

1a) If so - can you re-create the keys, or export them?

2) What type were the old media ? (LTO1/2/3/4/5/6? or something else)

3) Do you have a compatible tape drive on the new master server environment (either on master, or on a media server)? (i.e. what are the drive types in teh new environment).

3a) If not - and assuming the old library is FC/SAN - you could re-zone the old tape library to the new master or a media, and then import using the old tape drives?

3b) If not, and you do NOT have a compatibile tape drive - then you'll never be able to read the old tapes until you acquire a compatible drive type - in which case you're probably stuck with the old env until all old images have expired naturally.
batrap
Level 2
10 years ago
Thanks you all for replying !

Marianne you right ,I forgot to add cat_export and import to have metadata imported.

What we need they should atleast show the date after vmadd ,images copy and cat_import as all media have diffrent retention period and it would be impossible to keep a track in excel sheet and expire manually.We looking if netbackup would be able to relate if we add the media in a read only pool ,import catalog and copy over the images.

We do have a new master up and running for 7 months now ,all 500 media are diffrently labelled and will put them seperately in a read only volume pool.
mph999
Level 6
10 years ago
If you copy the images files over (.f) and then cat_export / import then yes, those media can be searched via the normal BAR gui and restores run.

What you cannot do, is write to them, as they have no media db entry. There is also a risk they could be over written, as NBU only knows about them physically (ie localtion/ type), there is no media db entry which is how NBU knows the tape is free to use. PUtting them in an unused volume pool (eg do_not_use) is essential, but doesn;t give 100% protection, as someone could still select that pool in a policy (perhaps by accident).

There are two ways around this, well, three if you include a proper catalog restore to move everything across, but I guess that has been ruled out.

So the other two options.

1) bptm -makedbentry command. However, do NOT do this, it breaks nbcc. This command should never be run by anyone, even support due to the NBCC issue.

2) Run NBCC - this is the best option. It will add the media db entries for those media using, funnily enough, bptm -makedbentry. However, it then runs some SQL that tidies up the entry which prevents future NBCC issues. This leaves an 'acceptable' media DB entry so the media won't be accidently overwritten, and should still expire correctly. they can't be written to as they are marked full, but at least they are safe.
revarooo
Level 6
10 years ago
I would do as Martin suggested an move to a do_not_use pool AND freeze or suspend the tapes.
Marianne
Level 6
10 years ago
Only Assigned tapes can be suspended or frozen.
Marianne
Level 6
10 years ago

We looking if netbackup would be able to relate if we add the media in a read only pool ,import catalog and copy over the images.

There is no such thing as catalog import from another master server.

If you use the 'Recovery without Import', you need to keep track of expiration tapes in DONOTUSE pool outside of NBU.
You can use 'Media List' or 'Media Summary' (verbose option) reports on old master to keep track of expiration dates.

The only other option is to get a Symantec Consulting Partner to merge the 2 master servers.

Oh! There is another option:

You can perform a phase 1 and 2 import of all 500 tapes...
mph999
Level 6
10 years ago
"You can perform a phase 1 and 2 import of all 500 tapes..."

I actually had someone do that once, it was a tad more than 500 though ... it took a while, in fact several months.

Goes to show what happens if you don't have a catalog backup ...
batrap
Level 2
10 years ago
Thanks you very much folks - i will sureply reply back on this with what happened after couple of weeks, it is when our activity is .

Thanks !

PranavB