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mpw613's avatar
mpw613
Level 3
13 years ago

Restore Catalog from Tape

Have a complex issue on our NBU 7.5 Master Server. Our Master Server crashed. Was running on a Dell PE 2950, with an MD1000 attached. Something happened with the OS of the Master Server and it would no longer boot into Windows. So I grabbed a Dell PE 1950 and configured it for Windows, same name, same IP's, same level of NBU 7.5.

Previously, long before any issues, had moved the images catalog directory to another drive, on the MD1000. Used this procedure to do this: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH68160

After the setup on the new server, I again changed the catalog directory to point to this MD1000. After this, and a reboot, I could see the policies from before the crash, but there are still issues with media servers missing, no catalog information if I try to do a restore, Volume Pools missing. So it seems after the reinstall and pointing it to the catalog directory, that not everything is visible again.

I do have the old server that crashed, and using a recovery boot disk I can access the old OS partition, the files still exist.

My question: are there any files I can copy from the crashed server to the new server that, in addition to the catalog information on the MD1000, will get me back in a working condition with the catalog information available?

Also, because it was what I tried first, it seems our catalog backup has been having issues. We do it to disk and tape (Multiple Copies), but for some reason the BTD only contains the differential backups for the last few weeks, no full backup it seems. And I'm working on recalling backup tapes to see if any of those have a full backup, but it's possible we don't have a full catalog backup on tape. But since all the files are available, either on the old crashed server or the MD1000, I'm hoping there is somthing we can do.

I have a ticket with Symnatec, but as this is quite urgent I wanted to ask here as well.

Thanks for your help!

7.5
Backup and Recovery
NetBackup
Recovering
Restore
Troubleshooting
Windows
  • mpw613's avatar
    mpw613
    13 years ago

    Worked with Symnatec Support over the phone and this is a summary they sent that, well, sums up what it took to get it working:

    -- To recover and resynchronize the NetBackup relational databases (NBDBs),tried bprecover -r -nbdb.
    still same issue.

    -- checked latest catalog backup and found latest catalog backup on 14th July.
    -- Seems,due to the latest catalog backup on 14th July i.e.after crash,while recover NBDB,it is capturing information from 14th July's full catalog information.
    -- Expired the catalog backup images which has been taken after server crash,so that bprecover can recover the NBDB before the server crash.
    -- Run the bprecover -r -nbdb to recover NBDB.
    -- Able to see the volume pools,storage units and groups.
    -- Checked with Restore and Image cleanup.Working fine.

     

    At first could not access the Media server, but after a reboot of the entire environment this was OK as well.

    Thanks for all your help mph999 Martin! Very much appreciated.

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  • mph999's avatar
    mph999
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    If you can identify the incremental (the last incremental) the DR file will contain details for the other tapes needed.

    If you can get to the header files (as you explained you can) - then taking the last catalog backup with the latest ctime and following this TN http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH47797 should allow a catalog recovery.

     

    If this doesn't work, all I can think to do is ...

    Option 1

    Phase 1 import the tapes ...

    Follow this 

    http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH47797

    To 'find' the DR file, which = the latest catalog backup header file.

    Option 2

    Phase 1 / 2 import all the tapes and recreate all catalog info.  Recover policy info from the backups when this done.

    Martin

  • mpw613's avatar
    mpw613
    Level 3
    13 years ago

    Worked with Symnatec Support over the phone and this is a summary they sent that, well, sums up what it took to get it working:

    -- To recover and resynchronize the NetBackup relational databases (NBDBs),tried bprecover -r -nbdb.
    still same issue.

    -- checked latest catalog backup and found latest catalog backup on 14th July.
    -- Seems,due to the latest catalog backup on 14th July i.e.after crash,while recover NBDB,it is capturing information from 14th July's full catalog information.
    -- Expired the catalog backup images which has been taken after server crash,so that bprecover can recover the NBDB before the server crash.
    -- Run the bprecover -r -nbdb to recover NBDB.
    -- Able to see the volume pools,storage units and groups.
    -- Checked with Restore and Image cleanup.Working fine.

     

    At first could not access the Media server, but after a reboot of the entire environment this was OK as well.

    Thanks for all your help mph999 Martin! Very much appreciated.

  • mph999's avatar
    mph999
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    How did it take a catalog backup after the crash, I thought it was 'down'.

    No matter, the important thing is you have it back.

    Please ensure you always copy/ mail of the DR files - it makes recovery a lot easier.  Also, if you can, I recommend a full catalog backup daily.

    If possible, please make the most helpful post as the solution, if you liked any of them ...

    Regards,

    Martin

  • mpw613's avatar
    mpw613
    Level 3
    12 years ago

    After the reinstall, pointing it to the MD1000 all the policies were there, but not all the settings were recovered. But since the catalog backup went to a netowrk location it did run again as scheduled. So this needed to be removed to get the correct catalog recovered.