How To Move USB BTD Content To A New Server

[Willard_Hoppe]

I have ServerA running BE2010 R3.  I have a USB RDX drive that is running BTD jobs with no problem.

I would like to test disaster recovery, so I have installed BE2010 R3 on ServerB. 

How do I restore data backed up onto the RDX onto ServerB?

I tried to add a removable folder on ServerB (as I set it up originally on ServerA), but it sees it and says the a folder already exists.

[ANevatia]

Hello,

I see that you want to test a Disaster Recovery. Which Server would you like to Recover ?

Answering your question though.

You can attach the USB RDX drive on ServerB and then create a Removable B2D on ServerB Backup Exec.

If possible please attach a screenshot of the situation when you say that it sees it says the folder already exists.

After setting up a Removable B2D you should be able to see the data after running an Inventory.

Run a catalog and then you should be able to restore the data.

-Scenario2

You can install a Backup Exec Remote Agent on ServerB and then run a restore from ServerA to ServerB from the RDX.

But it depends on what kind of DR you are trying to perform.

Thanks,

ANevatia

[Willard_Hoppe]

I am trying to run a test as if ServerA crashed and could not be brought back up. 

When I try to create a new removable BTD folder on Server B (with the RDX drive attached and a RDX cartridge with BTD data in the drive), I get the following error message:

"An unknown backup-to-disk folder was found at the specified path.  Do you still want to create a new backup-to-disk folder at this path?"

The path is Z:\, which is the same on both servers.

[ANevatia]

Hello Willard,

Alright. I get the scenario now.

So this is what you should be doing.2 scenarios

( And in case you are performing a manual DR)

If you trying to test as if ServerA crashed 

-You will install the OS first with the same patches as it was before it crashed.

-Install Backup Exec on ServerA again but this time on a different location than it was earlier . Do not rename the Server. Keep it in a Workgroup if it was part of a Domain Before.

-Now connect the RDX drive to the server. Inventory and Catalog it. Restore the C and System state from the backup and it should automatically restore Backup your ServerA ( Non Authoratative restore) and join it to a domain after a reboot.

2nd Way

-You have installed BE on serverB

-You will still have to build up ServerA and install the OS again with same patches as it was before it crashed. Keep it in Workgroup.

-Then you will have to push out a remote agent on ServerA from ServerB.

-Attach the RDX to ServerB . Give it a different Drive letter may be X : ( That answers the reason for pop up . You can still go ahead with the same Drive letter you just have to say yes to the pop up Do you still want to create a new backup-to-disk folder at this path?" )

-Create a Removable B2D and Inventory and Catalog it.

-Run a Restore of C and system state.

-Now you have an option of performing an Intelligent Disaster Recovery as well in BE 2010 R3.

-But for that you will need to create a IDR disk and it will automatically boot up your system after running a Restore. Please find Articles for that :

 http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO23844

Thanks,

ANevatia

[Willard_Hoppe]

I changed the drive letter and the same message still popped up.

If I hit YES, will it erase any of the data that is on there?  WHat exactly is it asking?

[ANevatia]

Hello ,

Have you by any chance used the CASO - MMS option for ServerA and ServerB ( like made the serverB as a MMS )

Basically what is happening here is that you have already created a Removable B2D on ServerA so the RDX media already has the files changer.cfg and folder.cfg and hence that message pops up that there is already a unknown B2D created.

So when you attach it to ServerB either it should detect the Removable B2D automatically and you need not create one. ( Try restarting the BE services and see the devices console whether the B2D gets created automatically ) 

I would like to probably have a look via webex or maybe screenshots. Else what you can do here when you attach the RDX media to the ServerB you can delete the changer.cfg and folder.cfg files ( this will not affect the data. The only thing you need to make sure is you dont delete the .bkf files ) and then it will not give you that message but I would first of all recommend to check whether BE automatically detects that removable B2D when you attach it and restart the BE services.

Thanks,

ANevatia

[Willard_Hoppe]

Hi ... I restarted the services, as well as the server itself.  The drive shows up in Windows, but not in BE.

So what you are saying is to delete the changer.cfg and folder.cfg files?  And then it should work?

If I do that, what will happen if I reuse the RDX cartridge on ServerA?

[ANevatia]

Hello,

You will have to do the same thing when you move the drive to serverA. You will have to delete the changer.cfg and folder.cfg and then create the Removable media again.

This is happening because the changer.cfg and folder.cfg are already when you move the RDX catridge to a new machine.

This will not delete any data ( if you make sure that the .bkf files are not touched )

[Willard_Hoppe]

I ended up just anwering "YES" to the popup.

I re-cataloged the BKF files (which is a cumbersome process) and everything seems to be working fine.

[ANevatia]

Yup that should work

[Willard_Hoppe]

What exactly are the changer.cfg and folder.cfg files?

Once the RDX drive was set up, I had no other issues with it on ServerB. 

When do those files get written, and what is in them?

[ANevatia]

Hello Williard,

Changer.cfg and folder.cfg are configuration files which get created when you create a backup to disk storage location. 

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH33414

Backup Exec for Windows includes a feature called Backup-to-Disk, which allows you to back up data to a folder on a hard disk instead of to a tape device. A backup folder  is a  virtual device that Backup Exec treats as any real tape device.

In Windows Explorer, the backup folders display in the path you specified when you added the folders, and the backup files display with a .bkf file extension. Each backup folder contains two configuration files ( a changer.cfg file and a folder.cfg file)  which store information about the backup files.

So I would say basically changer.cfg and folder.cfg would be acting as a Robotic arm of a Robotic Library.

ANevatia

[Willard_Hoppe]

I guess my real question is:

If that file is created on ServerA, if you use that tape in ServerB, do new files get created?

[ANevatia]

Hello Willard,

I am sorry I didnt you question. Which file are you talking about ? changer.cfg and folder.cfg ?

They are configuration files so if you take a RDX media there and delete those files and create a disk storage there then again the files would get created.

Thanks,

ANevatia

[Willard_Hoppe]

So if you move that cartridge to another server, what happens?

Once I had the BTD folder set up on the new server, it didn't ask me for anything ... the catridge just worked.

[ANevatia]

Hello,

For e.g you are using a RDX and have a removable B2D created ( which mean that changer.cfg and folder.cfg are present ) . If you move that RDX to another server with Backup exec and try to create a removable B2D on the RDX then Backup Exec will detect those changer.cfg and folder.cfg and say that there is already an unknown Backup to Disk folder created ( which means it doesnt recognise it as it was not created here ) and you simply have to follow the steps which you did above.

If you move a RDX without the .cfg files then you can simply create the removable B2D and BE will not give you any prompts and it will create new .cfg files.