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kybeer's avatar
kybeer
Level 5
11 years ago

Protecting MSDP deduplication databases

I have two Media 7.5.0.4 servers running MSDP in my environment (on Win2008R2). How do I backup/protect the deduplication database that's on each server? Does the Calaog backup do that? I may be blind but I can't find anyhing about it in:

NetBackup Deduplication Guide http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC5187

NBU Deduplication: Additional Info  http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH77575

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  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    11 years ago

    This question was asked a while ago in a Partner mailing list.

    This is how Alex Davies replied:

    The meta-base (the “database” disk on an MSDP server) is specific to the deduplication data held on the same server (the “data” disk) and we consider the contents of both disks  to be part of the data store itself and not a data store and a catalog.

     

    The recommended way to “protect” both the data and database (beyond the obvious storage level protection) is to use optimized duplication (either within the domain or, using A.I.R., between domains) to duplicate the data between MSDP media servers.

     

    Alex Davies

    Manager, NetBackup TFE

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  • Mark_Solutions's avatar
    Mark_Solutions
    Level 6
    11 years ago

    I dont believe that there is anything to do it

    The database and actual storage is so complex that it changes constantly (queue processing running etc.) so without actually creating a mirror of your entire de-dupe data and database areas there would ne nothing that could protect it effectively as you would never get the databases and de-dupe storage in synch enough to recover it

    Hope this helps

  • kybeer's avatar
    kybeer
    Level 5
    11 years ago

    But if the array/drive that houses the deduplication database dies, is not everything in the dedupe store useless then? Or is the NBU Catalog enough protect the dedupe store?

  • Mark_Solutions's avatar
    Mark_Solutions
    Level 6
    11 years ago

    There are methods and tools to re-create a lot of components of the de-dupe architecture depending on what you had left

    It is a little like disk staging - if you loose the disk that stores your images then they are gone

    There are ways to recreate the de-dupe and then re-import all of the images - see the de-dupe admin guide recovery section for more details

  • kybeer's avatar
    kybeer
    Level 5
    11 years ago

    So if you loose the disk with the dedupe database, but still have the dedupe store, there are tools to re-create the DB? I will consult the admin guide.

  • Mark_Solutions's avatar
    Mark_Solutions
    Level 6
    11 years ago

    It is more a case of rebuilding things and importing the data - but depending on how bad things are the recovercr tool can also be used

    It is suggested that you do back up your configuration however - there are tech notes about that

  • Marianne's avatar
    Marianne
    Level 6
    11 years ago

    This question was asked a while ago in a Partner mailing list.

    This is how Alex Davies replied:

    The meta-base (the “database” disk on an MSDP server) is specific to the deduplication data held on the same server (the “data” disk) and we consider the contents of both disks  to be part of the data store itself and not a data store and a catalog.

     

    The recommended way to “protect” both the data and database (beyond the obvious storage level protection) is to use optimized duplication (either within the domain or, using A.I.R., between domains) to duplicate the data between MSDP media servers.

     

    Alex Davies

    Manager, NetBackup TFE