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Toddman214's avatar
Toddman214
Level 6
13 years ago
Solved

NetBackup SQL Retention Periods - I may be in big trouble

Windows 2008r2, Netbackup 7.1.0.4.

 

Hello all,

I was asked to perform a restore of some warehouse timeclock data from SQL backups. I cannot locate any restorable data over 1 month old. In every one of our SQL policies, the "application backup" is set for a retention of 1 month, which explains this. In each policy, I also have a retention of 7 weeks for the weekly backup, and 7 years for the monthly backups. Both of these retentions are "automatic backups". We are contractually obligated to our clients that we have a daily backup, weekly, and monthly, but with our SQL backups, it appears that ONLY the "application backup" has any effect on the retention. Our clients are big, powerful corporations (I promise you are either wearing, eating, or using something right now that came through our databases), and I dont want to be messing around and not retaining their data properly. I am already running 112 individual SQL policies in Netbackup (since each database has its own policy for full backups, and one for transactions logs). I'm REALLY hoping that I dont have to add another policy to capture the "application backup" data for the weekly, and another for "monthly" data. Please help. Ive been Googling, and seeing a few things, but nothing that I "want" to know. :-(

 

Thanks all!

 

Todd

7.1.x and Earlier
Backup and Recovery
NetBackup
  • Will_Restore's avatar
    Will_Restore
    13 years ago

    from the Admin Guide:

    The retention period for an Application Backup schedule refers to the length of time that

    NetBackup keeps backup images (stream-based backups). The retention period for an

    automatic schedule controls how long NetBackup keeps records of when scheduled backups

    occurred (proxy backups).

4 Replies

  • Will_Restore's avatar
    Will_Restore
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    from the Admin Guide:

    The retention period for an Application Backup schedule refers to the length of time that

    NetBackup keeps backup images (stream-based backups). The retention period for an

    automatic schedule controls how long NetBackup keeps records of when scheduled backups

    occurred (proxy backups).

  • RamNagalla's avatar
    RamNagalla
    Moderator
    13 years ago

    hi

    each of your automatic backup calls the Application schedule to compleate the data base backup.

    so when you have 3 different retenctions in the same policy  you would need to have 3 Application schedules with reference to that retenctions and your bch file needs to call those scripts accrodingly.

    like :-

    1 month retenction automatic schedule calls 1 month retenction Application schedule

    7 weeks retenction automatic schedule calls 7 weeks retenction Application schedule

    7 years retenction automatic schedule calls 7 years retenction Application schedule

    so in total you need to have 6 scheduels(3 application 3 automatic) 3 scripts(bch files) to call respective schedules for the same policy.

     

    another way would be.

    create seperate policy for each retenction.

    in this case you can simply use single bch file for all 3 policies for each DB

     

  • Toddman214's avatar
    Toddman214
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    I had to created a separate policy for the other retention period. When i took over backups for the company, the sql policies were previously set up just like a typical Windows file-based backup, with all retentions within the same policy. Apparently, this cannot be done with SQL database backups. The "automatic backup" ONLY determines when the backup can start, and has no effect on the retention. the "application backup" determines the retention. I'm not sure why when a sql policy is created that the settings in the "automatic" schedule doesnt grey out the retention options. From what I have ready, many people have made this same mistake before.

  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    Please be kind enough to mark the post that pointed you in the right direction as Solution.

    Both Bill and Nagalla were correct. Your post is merely a summary of what they said.