Backup/Restore CIFS on EMC Celerra

[Joel_F]

I am using Backup Exec 2010 R3.  We recently purchased an EMC SAN.  I am able to backup and restore data over an iSCSI connection.  I am creating CIFS storage, but am not sure exactly how to backup or restore.  EMC recommended using NDMP to backup and restore from a Backup Exec media server, but I'm running into connection issues, and find this protocol to be quite limited.  For instance, sometimes, I need to restore data, but redirect it to another location to preserve what's currently on the production file server.  Also, I don't like the fact that you can't get accurate information (on a successful restore - which was not successful - it says "The file and directory count might be displayed as zero"). 

Am I not using NDMP correctly?  I see there really isn't much to configure with NDMP.  I really wish we didn't purchase the agent before evaluating it.  Or is there a better way of backing up and restoring data to CIFS? 

Just in my testing of backing up and restoring, I get different failure messages, even when I select "Retry Job", I don't get consistent errors.  I've seen:

0xe000846b - The resource could not be backed up because an error occurred while connecting to the Backup Exec for Windows Servers Remote Agent

0xe000fe28 - A network connection to the server could not be established.

0xe000fe29 - Authentication failed on connection to the server.  Make sure that the user account has the appropriate permissions and that the password was typed correctly.

0xe00084af - The directory or file was not found, or could not be accessed. 

Thanks,
Joel
 

[RahulG]

To perform a backup without the NDMP option you need to disable NDMP on the Emc Celerra device. Once you have disabled that you can add the CIFS share in the user defined selection and perform the backup , the bakcup would complete with an exception that the remote agent is not installed.Make sure you give proper rights and permission to the backup exec service account on the CIFS share .

INcase if you wish to use the NDMP option Agent , have look on the compatibility guide before you purchase it .

[CraigV]

Hi GSB 2,

The TN below states the requirements for using an EMC Celerra with BE 11d and above...

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH51276

Give it a read and see if this helps. If you want further information on how it works, then get hold of the BE 2010 Admin Guide for a bit more background information.

Thanks!

[teiva-boy]

I hate NDMP!  However, sometimes it is the only way to backup a "head-less," device.  (Since there is no agent you can install)

Remember NDMP is a protocol, it CONTROLS the device in question, telling it what to do.  Each NAS will then do its own internal functions.  DUMP, CPIO, TAR the data on the volumes, and stream thhat output to an interface to a target.

The real-time information is never accurate for backup file count.  This is a NDMP limitation in general.

With NDMP, your backups and restores are ONLY understood by that make/model device.  You cannot as you've found out do a redirected restore to a different device.  The data was created by the filer, it was to be opened and read by the filer.  5 yrs from now, you need to restore something that was done with NDMP...  You don't have EMC anymore, you have NetApp.  Your restores will FAIL.

The flipside, is that user-defined shares to backup the CIFS mounts are SLOOOOOOOOW.  

So pick your poison...  Faster backups, less flexible.  Or slower backups that are more flexible.  Tough choice I know.

[Joel_F]

Unfortunately, the purchase was made before evaluating the agent. 

I tried unchecking NDMP on the EMC side and adding the resource as user defined.  Still can't do anything with it.  From the Backup Exec server, I can get to \\$cifs$\, and get into all shares from there.  Backup Exec can't get into them, no matter which resource credentials I try to use.  After clicking OK several times, BE eventually lets you select the resource.  Still, the job instantly fails because of the lack of Windows Server Remote Agent. 

This really stinks.  Sure, I can attach a Windows server to the EMC SAN using iSCSI, and just treat it like a native Windows drive, but the EMC appliance doesn't offer deduplication and compression on that type of storage.  Instead, I have to use CIFS to get that functionality out of it, but backup/restore seems to be my hangup now. 

Back to NDMP.  Thanks Craig, I thought I had read up on all I needed to know from the admin guide for v2010.  I'm going to have to talk to EMC, since I don't see some of these options on our EMC appliance.

Thanks,
Joel

[CraigV]

...if you're not running the reqiured DART OS, check with EMC and see if any additional functionality is added in later releases...