RALUS Not Really Backing Up!

[Patrick_Tavares]

I have installed and configured the RALUS agent on some Solaris 8 and 9 machines and kicked off some backup jobs. The job completes successfully with a couple of exceptions (2 files skipped).

If I go to browse through the restore selections I see all the files listed from the backup set with the correct sizes. However, if I look at the backup job summary, I see a fraction of the total bytes backed that should be reported (file selection around 20 GB, actual backed up is around 20 MB, with a backup time of only 10 mins).

Because of these discrepencies, I decided to run a test restore today of one of my backup sets. The restore job runs for 5 minutes and again reports restoring only a fraction of the number of bytes that should be restored (estimates 1.5 GB, restores 5 MB).

However, when browsing through the restored files, all files from the backup set are listed with the correct file size when doing an ls -lah. However, the "du -sh" of the directory containing the restored files shows 5 MB!! If I try to cat any files or list the contents of any tar files, they are all empty!!!

What gives? Should I be running some other daemon other than beremote?

Any help would be greatly appreciated as I am to this point, highly dissatisfied with the RALUS agent and am regretting paying for the license when I could have continuted using the old Unix agent for no cost.

Thanks,
-Patrick

[Aalok_Pathak_2]

Hello Patrick,


This issue could occur if the option "Never" or "Without a lock" was selected under "Open file backup when Advanced Open File Option is not used" in the Advanced section of the backup job properties.

As a workaround do not use the option "Never" or "Without a lock" as an advanced open file backup setting.


The options "With a lock" or "If closed within X seconds" can be used to successfully protect Linux/Unix systems.

Hope, this will resolve the issue.

[Rohit_Sonawale]

We hope this information helps, if you have any other questions please respond to the post and we will be more than happy to assist you further.

[Patrick_Tavares]

We performed out back-up with the "without a lock" de-selected, and our Oracle database became corrupted. It appears that when Veritas placed the lock, Oracle didn't wait or retry. Consequently, our belief is that allowing Veritas to place locks will result in unpredictable behavior, as we do not know how each of the different software applications will behave when on of their associated files is locked by Veritas.

At this time we have no intention of purchasing or using an Oracle agent as we don't rely on BE to backup our Oracle database.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks for the replies.
-Patrick

[Vidyaj__Patneka]

Patrick,

We request you to kindly refer the following link and check whether you have configured the RALUS agent as per the instructions mentioned.

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/269804.htm

If not then re-install and configure the RALUS agent as per above technote.
-Create a new backup for the Linux host and observe the results.


You can refer the Backup exec admin guide manual, page no # 825 onwards for more details.

You can download the soft copy of the manual from the following link,

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/269777.htm


Hope this helps.

[Patrick_Tavares]

This is exactly how we installed and configured the RALUS agent. I have uninstalled and reinstalled following these directions again and still the jobs are not backing up correctly.

Again, currently we are successfully backing up using the older Unix agent. However, we have paid for RALUS and would like to use it.

[Milin_Desai]

Have you tried excluding the oracle .dbf files from the backup by placing them in the exclude list? Ralus wuld not try and lock them.

[SANDEEP_PILLAY]

Hi,

In order to resolve the issue, please install the following hotfix:

- Remote Agent for Linux/UNIX Servers (RALUS) update - Backup Exec 10.0 Remote Agent for Linux/UNIX Servers (RALUS) backups may result in unrecoverable data if the option "Never" or "Without a lock" is selected as an open file backup setting.

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/275381.htm

We hope this will help.

Thanks

[gaurav_seth]

Hello

In reference to our previous reply to your post, we would request you to update us on the progress. However, if we do not receive your intimation within two business days, this post would be assumed answered and archived.

Regards,
Gaurav

[gaurav_seth]

Archiving the post as per our previous reply.

[Patrick_Tavares]

Our issue has still not been resolved.

[Amruta_Bhide]

Hello,
Please try installing the legacy agent and try backing up with the same as a test.
Let us know the results.

VERITAS Backup Exec (tm) 10.0 for Windows Servers - Agent for UNIX version 5.046 (Legacy Agent)
http://support.veritas.com/docs/269803
***********************************************************************
***********************************************************************
NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked ‘assumed answered’ and would be moved to ‘answered questions’ pool.

[Patrick_Tavares]

As I mentioned previously, we have been able to successfully backup and restore using the Legacy Unix agent. However, this is not the optimal solution as communication between backup agent and backup server sometimes fail.

I am beginning to think that BackupExec 10 is a complete waste of money as we have a complete 9.x environment (unix and windows servers and agents) that works flawlessly.

[Ajit_Kulkarni]

Hello,

I sincerely understand your concern regarding problem.

Therefore I request you to let us know if there are any errors or any event log created in Windows during backup ?

Kindly update.


NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked "assumed answered" and would be moved to "answered questions" pool.

[Patrick_Tavares]

There are errors. I have gone round and round with technical support providing error logs, etc. RALUS will not work and we are therefore reverting back to BackupExec 9.1

To date, over a 120 man hours (three full work weeks) have been spent chasing this issue, not to mention the $700 each RALUS license cost (4 total). BackUp Exec 10 was a complete waste of our time and money and I do not recommend the upgrade.

[Amruta_Purandar]

Hello,

We apologize for the inconvenience. Please let us know what are the errors in the event logs. This will enable us to further troubleshoot this problem.

NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered and would be moved to answered questions pool.