Sharing of tape library between Media Server and Netapp filer for NDMP Backup

[Riyajahamed]

Hi There,

Need a solution regarding NDMP backup for Symantec Backup Exec 2010.

1. Backup Server BE2010

2. Tape Library with Dual Drives [One drive connected to Media Server and other to Filer]

3. Netapp FAS2020 Filer

Need to Share tape library between Media Server and Netapp filer for NDMP Backup. Can it be done using direct connectivity or a SAN Switch is Required.

[VJware]

Ideally, would not recommend to share the library b/w the media server & the filer due to access issues...i.e. if either one takes control, the other one would not have access to it...

Its better if the library is attached to the filer directly and not shared...

If you do plan to share the library, you would have to run the following command on the filer before the backup as this would reserve the library to one system...also, do make sure the library is listed in the compatibility list under NDMP & SSO options as well

options tape.reservations off

[RahulG]

Following are the document for your reference 

You can have the Library share , have look of the following document 

 http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH69193

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO21783

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH48957

[Riyajahamed]

The below mentioned Paragraph was specified in the last Link Provided by you.

Note: Only NDMP data can be backed up to the NDMP storage devices. A library should not be shared between a filer and a Media Server, because the machine that accesses the library first will have ownership of it, and the other machine won't have access.  The duplicating of NDMP backup sets is also not supported.

[RahulG]

Well Thsi was limitation in Backup exec 11d but from 12.5 Onwards things have changed and you can run duplicate backups and also run backup of NDMP backup to a library which is  localy attached to the media server .

[Riyajahamed]

can we connect the library with two drives directly to media and filer or there should be a SAN switch in between...

If SAN switch is not required, then after runnning the command you provided, should i be able to view the tape library and tape under NDMP Storage devices in symantec...

[Colin_Weaver]

If you intend to share a library bwteen media server and filer, then it is usually more reliable that all drives and the robotic arm itself are zoned to both filer and media server  over a SAN switch and that you let BE manage the drives instead of making parts of the library only visible on one side and not the other.

 The library arm must be connected to both anyway, and we have seen some libraries report the installed drive details through the arm configuration which means BE ends up with an error condition as the library says it has multiple drives, but the SAN does not let the media server attach to them all. - This might be a hardware vendor specific issue, however, easist avoided by letting the media server and the filer see all the drives and then have the software handle it.

[teiva-boy]

This is all dependent on the library.  I've worked with one HP model that were configured with one drive partitioned for NDMP and directly connected via SCSI to the NAS, the library portion was connected to the media server via FC.  Library controls were handled by the media server.  

In this case the library was split off via partitioning.  In some lower end overland libraries, I didn't have that option or couldn't find it.

Can it be done, yes.  You'll have to read your tape library manual to find out how if at all.

[Colin_Weaver]

Not sure what Backup product you are using but BE sends NDMP library commands throuigh the NetApp to the library for NDMP backup and if you then want to run Windows data to the same library by sharing it then we send SCSI commands over Fiber channel directly to the library as such for BE anyway the robotic arm of the library MUST be presented to all hosts (servers/filers) that might run backup jobs. if you somehow got it to work with the libray arm only connected to one place then it may count as an untested configuration from a Symantec point of view

[Riyajahamed]

Need to know whether backup can run on both [Media Server and NDMP Server] in this senerio.... The library is with two fiber drives [ One connected to Netapp / other to BE Media Server].

[Riyajahamed]

Need to know whether backup can run on both [Media Server and NDMP Server] in this senerio.... The library is with two fiber drives [ One connected to Netapp / other to BE Media Server].

[Colin_Weaver]

We don't support backing up Windows data as a 3-way with the library only connected to the filer, as such the data paths in that diagram will only work if the media server and the netapp are both connected equally to the library (robotic arm) via a SAN switch.

Whether you can get away with only connecting one drive inside the library to the NetApp  and the other drive inside the library only to the Media Server depends on the hardware itself but as we only test with every drive connected to both media server and netapp we don't have a list of which hardware might work with them split - so if you want to do this, then the only way to find out is to try it.