Connect a duplicated Backup Exec NAS drive to Backup Exec

[kshaetaa]

Let me outline what I do first.

All of my backups are backed up over the network to a NAS device, where they are stored on 16TB RAID drive system, called STORE1.

I have a second drive system that is the same size, and is a replicated copy of STORE1, called STORE2 located in a different building.  It replicates all the changes that occurred on STORE1 to STORE2 each day, after the backups have finished.  This is for disaster recovery, should a meteorite destroy the primary site.  Or more likely, we have a fire in the server room.

My questions is... if STORE1 were to perish, Would I be able to hook up STORE2, by adding it as a backup destination, and would backup exec be smart enough to recognize this backup source?  Would it just think that it is STORE1, because all the files are the same?

Alternatively, if I hooked up STORE1 and STORE2 at the same time Would BE freak out because I would have two drive locations with the same Id's?

Thanks for any clarification.

[Colin_Weaver]

Flat file copies (or replications) of Disk Storage locations are not recommended because you have only taken 1/3rd of a relational database.

If you take care to have ways to get the other 2/3 all time synched then probably no issues but if any one of the parts is out of synch you can get problems. (some of which are easy to work around, some not so easy.)

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH176061

[kshaetaa]

SO.... My primary building burns to the ground, everything is destroyed.  All I have is the 1/3 backup tape you mentioned above.  Are you saying that I'm not protected because I'm missing my inventory & catalog?  Can I not rebuild my Inventory & Catalog, from my backup?  I sure hope so!

If I were to send my backups to an external drive, then copy that drive to a different drive, then hook up that drive, Backup exec shouldn't be aware I've changed drives, since it just looks on the drive for it's Id.  At least, that's the way I understood it from various things I've read.

This STORE2 that I have is for disaster recovery only.  It's a replica of STORE1.  It is there in case STORE1 dies.  Should STORE1 die, then STORE2 can be connected to Backup Exec, and take over, without Backup Exec even noticing.

I think the line "A complete move of the data should not cause issues, because the media is marked as offline (so won't be re-used). An inventory job may still be needed once they (the data) are returned to a live B2D folder." in your linked document probably describes my process the best.

[pkh]

You can do an inventory and catalog to restore from whatever disk you want.  However, there may be clashes when you just copy the .bkf and/or the .img files from one disk to another.  See this document 

Reasons why copying backup to disk data files is NOT recommended.

Of course, ifyou are to inventory and catalog a copied disk on a brand-new BE system, there would be no clashes.

[kshaetaa]

That's the exact same document Collin posted above.

To me it is saying don't restore & backup INDIVIDUAL files or IMG folders, not entire B2D folders.

I'm replicating the entire B2D folder, to another location, that Backup exec doesn't see.  Backup exec would only see this folder if STORE1 were to die.

Thanks for the feedback, because I now what my boundaries are.

[Diedrich_Michae]

In my experience with NAS devices, a true MPHA/MPIO configuration works that way.If they perform thier own replication and manage thier own failover systems then if one of these devices goes down the other picks up assuming its identity and open connections. In an instance like this Backup Exec wouldnt even know it happened. 

What NAS devices are you using here? And how are you managing the replication between the devices?