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Pinku's avatar
Pinku
Level 5
9 years ago

Migration of clients from Solaris master server to new linux master server with backup images

Hi Team,

I have an activity to perform for my client and need your suggestions. The activity is:

Existing setup:

Master - solaris 11 [standalone, means non-clustered], NB  Version - 7.7 

Another site:

Master: Linx 6 [VCS clustered], NB Version - 7.7

 

I have to migrate certain clients from Existing setup to another site, i.e. move clients which are currently being backed up by Solaris master server, to new master server i.e. Linux

- We want to move the old backups as well

-The old backups includes, windows, linux, solaris clients with Vmware, Oracle, MS-SQL, Filesystem backups 

 

Here is my plan:

1) Isolate the clients and policy list
2) Determine all backup images with backup and expiry date
3) Determine the list of medias used in the backups of all these clients
4) Move the tapes to new tape library and placed them in SAFE volume pool
5) Run phase 1 on all these tapes and run phase 2 import for images determined in Step 2
6) Run bpimagelist -recalculate against all these images with the date as expiry date we find in Step 2
7) Modify the bp.conf or registry for SERVER entries and populate the new servers
8) Modify the scripts for oracle & SQL DB backups
9) RUn some test restores to test if everything is ok
10) Disable the policies in Solaris master server

My concerns are with the DB backups and vmware backups. With the phase 1 and phase 2 imports are enough for DB backups? 

Because, I beleive RMAN also keeps the information about backup media server or backup server, which will change now. Any extra steps required?

 

Thanks for your assistance and time.
 

  • Hi

     

    I"m no Oracle expert but as far as I can see it should not matter. Oracle will ask RMAN catalog for the backup image name/tag, as shown below. There is no reference to the Master in RMAN catalog. 

     

    List of Backup Sets
    ===================
    
    BS Key  Size       Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
    ------- ---------- ----------- ------------ ---------------
    7       136M       DISK        00:00:20     04-NOV-06      
            BP Key: 7   Status: AVAILABLE  Compressed: NO  Tag: TAG20071104T200759
            Piece Name: /d2/RDBMS/backupset/2007_11_04/o1_mf_annnn_TAG20071104T200759_ztjxx3k8_.bkp
    
      List of Archived Logs in backup set 7
      Thrd Seq     Low SCN    Low Time  Next SCN   Next Time
      ---- ------- ---------- --------- ---------- ---------
      1    1       173832     21-OCT-06 174750     21-OCT-06
      1    2       174750     21-OCT-06 174755     21-OCT-06
      1    3       174755     21-OCT-06 174758     21-OCT-06
    
    BS Key  Type LV Size       Device Type Elapsed Time Completion Time
    ------- ---- -- ---------- ----------- ------------ ---------------
    8       Full    2M         DISK        00:00:01     04-NOV-06      
            BP Key: 8   Status: AVAILABLE  Compressed: NO  Tag: TAG20071104T200829
            Piece Name: /disk1/oracle/dbs/c-774627068-20071104-01
      Controlfile Included: Ckp SCN: 631510       Ckp time: 04-NOV-06
      SPFILE Included: Modification time: 21-OCT-06
    
    List of Datafile Copies
    =======================
     
    Key     File S Completion Time Ckp SCN    Ckp Time
    ------- ---- - --------------- ---------- ---------------
    1       7    A 11-OCT-06       360072     11-OCT-06
            Name: /work/orcva/RDBMS/datafile/o1_mf_tbs_2_2lv7bf82_.dbf
            Tag: DF7COPY
     
    2       8    A 11-OCT-06       360244     11-OCT-06
            Name: /work/orcva/RDBMS/datafile/o1_mf_tbs_2_2lv7qmcj_.dbf
            Tag: TAG20071011T184835
     
    List of Control File Copies
    ===========================
     
    Key     S Completion Time Ckp SCN    Ckp Time
    ------- - --------------- ---------- ---------------
    3       A 11-OCT-06       360380     11-OCT-06
            Name: /d2/RDBMS/controlfile/o1_mf_TAG20071011T185335_2lv80zqd_.ctl
            Tag: TAG20071011T185335
     
    List of Archived Log Copies for database with db_unique_name RDBMS
    =====================================================================
     
    Key     Thrd Seq     S Low Time
    ------- ---- ------- - ---------
    1       1    1       A 11-OCT-06
            Name: /work/arc_dest/arcr_1_1_603561743.arc
     
    2       1    2       A 11-OCT-06
            Name: /work/arc_dest/arcr_1_2_603561743.arc
     
    3       1    3       A 11-OCT-06
            Name: /work/arc_dest/arcr_1_3_603561743.arc

19 Replies

  • Ah-hah!   So we find out that the media servers are not moving, and new media servers will exist.  And that only a few clients will be moving.  Thanks for the clarification.

    .

    Back to your DB backup question - Riaan previously asked you a question, are you able to answer it?  Your answer will steer the thinking.

  • Another tip - if the old master also a BMR Master Server... if so, then you will want to setup the new master as a BMR Master Server beforehand too, before taking your recovery point catalog backup of the new master.   Do not worry about copying over all the 'BMR client' details, these will get re-created as soon as new backups run on the new master.

    Also, remember that any incrementals on the new master, will effectively run as full.

    Also, any use of Accelerator will result in new track log databases on any clients.  You may want to go back to clients after all is done, and remove any old track logs for the old master server name.

    If your old master was also a BMR Boot Server, then you might want to consider how you might network boot any Solaris clients... and, whilst any BMR SRT of the old Solaris master won't be of any use of a Linux BMR Boot Server, you may have some BMR boot ISOs that you want to copy over too.

  • Thanks guys, I can use the tips recommended by @sdo. Last time, I did something like that, the policeis got corrupted. I can try this still.

    @Mark_solutions: We don't have any replication from old to new site. And, I'll have to use the tape for imports in new master and send them back in old server. [Business requirement]

    Moreover, I have list of 8-10 clients which will be migrated, and you are migrating all the clients, right?

    But, my major concern is: How the DB backups will be impacted. Will the DB backups in new master server be able to restore? Let's say, I use phase1 and phase2 imports and populate the catalog of new master server. Now, I don't have issue with media server because import will assign new media server to all images. But, how the RMAN or MS-SQL will react? I blv RMAN keeps some information about backup server in control file or catalog server. Not so sure.

     

  • I am going to do a similar thing tomorrow but am basing it on the recovery wothout import method .. i have prepared all clients by adding the new Master / Media servers to their server list, checked DNS / Hosts files, routes etc, added all used tapes manually into a "Do_not_use" pool on the new server, created the policies ready for them but left them deactivated .. and will them follow the "recover without import" method http://www.veritas.com/docs/000026322

    Way quicker than many hours of phase 1 and phase 2 imports

    My prep is all done so i will be doing the move of all clients tomorrow .. this includes getting the encrypted volume pools ready to make sure i can do restores on the other NBU installation.

    Well worth a look at this method as it could save you hours and it should all be possible to do in a single day once you have done your preparation.

  • If you are going to copy /db/class to copy the backup policies, then you may need to manually create any required SLPs - with exactly the same names (as those used in the backup polcies) before hand on the new master - otherwise "nbpem" on the new master might choke.

    Also, another tip - is to de-activate *all* policies on the old master, before copying them - so that they do not start to trigger as soon as they appear on the new master.

    Another tip, on the new master, have a separate Catalog backup policy with a name that will not clash with the one coming over from the old master, and make sure that you have a full catalog backup on the new master before making any changes to NetBackup - i.e. before re-creating anything.

    .

    When you are ready, if you re-post your updated plan - which includes all of the points that we have all helped you with... then we'll double check it again for you.

  • Phase 1 keeps for 7 days.  Phase 2 will auto re-calculate using the "ret levels" on the master doing the importing.  So, if you have the same ret levels on teh new master as you have on the original master, then as long as you complete your phase 2 within 7 days of doing the phase 1 - then you'll be ok. 

    Q2) You need to consider how you will drop the media servers from teh old environment, and add to the new environment.  Some steps at an early stge would be to down all tape tapes in old env, down any disk volumes, down any disk pools, and offline any media servers - all in the old environment.   Then you need to think about making the old/original media servers members of the new NetBackup "domain".  Do you need a hand with this too?

  • @sdo - I think i'll hav eto use recalculate, because phase 1 and phase 2 imports the images with 7 days retention.

    -I'll move disabling the policies up

     

    Q1 - new master server is with different name, moveing only few clients not all. Old setup will continue running

    Q2 - Previous media server will be in old setup

    Q3 - The tapes we'll move to new server, but only for the clients we are migrating

     

    @Riaan: I'll add the steps to re-create policies, will also try to copy the required folders from class location in old setup

    RMAN backups are using both, some are configured with recovery catalog and some are using just control file

  • You dont have a step recreate the policies. You can do it manually or copy them from the old master server (netbackup/db/class).

    Are you oracle rman backups using a recovery catalog or just writing to control file?

  • 6) bpexpdate -recaclculate.     No need for this, if you configure the same retention levels before importing anything.

    10) Disable policies on old Solaris master.   You need to move this step way up the list to the top.

    .

    I'm not sure about the RMAN elements.  Anyone else?

    .

    Q1) Is the master 'name' changing?

    Q2) How will previous media server be known?

    Q3) And their devices... disk pools and tapes?