NetApp to Disk to Tape

[Chris123456]

Hello All,

We have a setup with NetApp FAS2040 Filer's at 2 separate sites.  We use SnapMirror to backup data for different volumes between the sites.  We also have a 2 member DAG setup for our Exchange that is stored on the NetApp.  At our one site we have a media server connected to a tape device.  I'd like to be able to take the local snapshot data from the local NetApp as well as the snapmirrored data from the other site that is stored on the local NetApp and off load that to tape once a week or once a month.  This includes snapshot of VM's, Exchange and SQL.  We have the NDMP licensing setup and enabled, just wondering if there's a best practice for this, any tips from anyone that may have things setup in this manor...etc.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Colin_Weaver]

1) We don't test with Snap Mirror and don't currently support it. Whilst we can backup, with the NDMP option, an individual snapshot located on a volume on a NetApp, you have to know the folder name for the snapshot to make the backup selection list which would mean that the software making the snapshot would have to always use the same folder name.

2) Assuming the Exchange data is presented into a LUN on the NetApp then you should not use the NDMP option as this cannot give any form of individual e-mail restore so in effect would give you a DR option but nothing else. Best practice would therefore be perform remote agent backups of the Exchange Information Stores and do not use Snap Mirror or the NDMP option. Thi is in order to achive Information Store and Individual e-mail restore from a single backup operation using GRT.

[Chris123456]

Thanks for the reply Colin.  We are using agents for the Exchange and SQL data which seems to be working fine.  If I understand what you're saying, there's no automatic way to pull the data from the NetApp for snapshots and snapmirror, all that would need to be done manually, correct?

[Colin_Weaver]

Yes if SnapMirror creates a subfolder in the .snapshot folder on the NetApp then BE lets you select one .snapshot subfolder at a time as a valid selection list for a backup. However to create a recuring backup job you would have to either restict tthe name of the subfolder to a specific unchanging name every day or somehow script a job (and I am not sure the BE 2010 command line tools support scripted job creation for NDMP resources)