Backup Exec 2012 - slow NDMP restore

[rendersr]

Hi,

I would need some additional thoughts about a setup that i'm setting up for the moment.

Environment description:

1. 2 NetApp Storage Arrays (V-series for active data / FAS2240 for SnapVaulting)
2. Snapvault data from V-Series to FAS2240.
3. Tape library is direct-attached to the FAS2240.
4. Tape library type: HP MSL8096 4 LTO4 drives. All components are up-to-date with the latest available firmware.
5. Backup Exec 2012 + NDMP option is used.
6. ONTAP version 8.1 7-mode.
7. Backup data are LUN's presented via FC (No NFS!). Lun restore is a file of the original size of the LUN.
8. Backup job sizes varies between 130GB and 6000GB.

Performance:

1. FAS2240 only performs "normal" operations (SIS + SnapVaulting) and does not perform any host IO. This is a passive array.
2. Backup speed (block size on the tape drive: 64kb) varies between 8800mb/min and 2000mb/min.
3. Restore speeds not acceptable.

Performance/restore test:

1. Backup'ped volume: 127GB
2. Backupspeed (tape block size 64kb) : 1746MB/min and 4517MB/min (7 jobs in total);
3. Backupspeed (tape block size 256kb) : 4398MB/min (1 job)
4. Restorespeed (tape block size 64kb) : 340MB/min (1 job)
5. Restorespeed (tape block size 256kb) : 700MB/min (1 job)
6. During the restore test:

Troubleshooting performed:

1. Changing the block size of the tape drives. This optimalizes the restore performance in a certain way, but it's not the result that we need. Results above.
2. Disabling the DAR (Direct Access Recovery) has no impact on the backupspeed. For more information: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH155604.
3. Partial restore and entire NetApp Volume restore;
4. NDMP parameter tweaking: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH65615. This is not applicable in our environment, because the tape drives are directly attached.
5. Different tape drives --> no better performance.

Any other thoughts how I can optimalize the speed of the restore?

Kind regards,

Ruben

[Colin_Weaver]

Can't really help with performance but do have a concern that you have mentioend LUN's

Are you only intending performing backup for DR purposes , or do you need to get an individual objects (files etc) contained within your LUN's. As if the latter then the NDMP option is not a good idea as it will only backup the LUN as a single object.

Note if you are holding an ESX datastore inside the LUN's then NDMP Option is almost certainly the wrong choice an AVVI SAN Transport backup would potentially be a better choice.

[rendersr]

The backup is only for Disaster Recovery purposes. Individual restores are not needed, as the snaps on the storage array are kept for the required period.

The AVVI SAN Transport backup does not comply with the RTO's and RPO's (backup snapshot every 2 hours) we need in this environment.

I do agree it's better to work with NFS, but at the current moment that implementation is not possible.

[rendersr]

I created a similar thread on the NetApp forums: https://communities.netapp.com/thread/23483

No solution yet..