Win2008 Lotus Notes DAOS no data backed up.

[Agust]

Dear friends and foes,

I have a windows 2008 R2 machine (with all the most recent updates and security patches) running Lotus Notes 8.5.2 (no clue about patches and updates to that system). The machine has remote agent for windows systems that is up to date and finally it is running DFS to sync with another server running all the same stuff.

The Lotus server has a folder D:\DAOS\ that contains 85 GB of data but when I back up that folder I only receive about 900Mb and Backup Exec claims the backup is successfull (witch it clearly is not).

The backup server is a 2008 R2 machine running Backup Exec 2010.

Best regards,
Agust.

[ZeRoC00L]

Do you have the Lotus Domino agent installed on your Backup Exec media server ?

What does the backup log say ? Does it skip the files ?

[Simon_B_]

As the DAOS Files are database files they are excluded automatically by BE because generally a flat file backup of a database in use does not result in a consistent backup.

Refer to this technote for further description and possible workarounds: http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH23369

Be aware that when using this workaround you need to stop the Domino services for the time of the backup. 

[Agust]

First off let me thank you for your responses but...

Dear ZeRoC00L I do not think there is a Lotus Domino Agent any more. There is just the Remote Agent that serves all products as far as I know. If however I am mistaking please point me to the Lotus Domino Agent download (I did a rudimentary search and did not find it).

In regards to the log, that happily claims that all is well but the backup may not contain any data.

Backed up 0 files in 4 directories.
Processed 952 bytes in  2 minutes and  4 seconds.
Throughput rate: 0.000 MB/min
Compression Type: Hardware

Dear Simon B. stopping the domino services is not an acceptable solution for me since I have people working around the clock using the mail system. I can only get a few minutes of downtime every now and then and I have to advertise it with two days notice.

And finaly I want to add that I had the backup set up so that I selected the DAOS folder in the file structure of windows as oppose to selecting it as a database in lotus notes. I will try selecting it as a database and run it but in the mean time I would still appreciate any hints and ideas.

thank you and best regards,
Agust.

[Simon_B_]

You are right - there is no dedicated Domino Agent. I think zerocool wanted to know if you got the Domino Agent licensed as this is a requirement if you want to perform consistent backups of a running domino DB.

Selecting the DAOS folder from the DB should solve the issue as BE then uses the domino agent to backup the data so then of course there is no need to shutdown the services.

This would have only applied if you wanted to have a consistent flat file backup (without having the domino agent license).

So basically you should be fine after you edit your selection list. 

[Agust]

Hi Simon B.

I have the license but was planning on doing a flat file backup becuse I read somwhere that was faster than going through the Lotus Domino system. However when I was going to select the DAOS folder through the Lotus Domino datatabase interface the DAOS folder was not visible through that interface.

any idea what might cause that?

Best regards,
Agust.

[ZeRoC00L]

I still see a domino agent on the product site of Backup Exec:

http://www.symantec.com/business/products/agents_options.jsp?pcid=pcat_storage&pvid=57_1

[Agust]

Hi ZeRoC00L,

there is apparently some special agent software for Domino software but that seems to be bundled with the one agent symantec has for windows machines so it ist just up to the license wether it is available or not.

[pkh]

@zerocool - The Domino Agent is just like any other BE agent.  You activate it by entering a licence key on the media server.  There is no seperate agent per se.

[pkh]

@Agust -  If your DAOS directory in under DFS, then it is not backed up the "normal" way.  It is backed up as part of the Shadow Copy Component.  See the document below

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH85354

However, I don't think you need to back up the DAOS directory seperately.  When you backup the .nsf files under the Domino Databases section (not in the C: drive section), the associated DAOS files would be backed up to achieve consistency.

[Agust]

Hello and thank you for your answers. I have been ill and therefore not able to tend to this problem. Now I am back and wish to continue.

It turns out that the DFS feature was turned off and therefore it is not possible to to use the shadow copy component as explained in http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH85354 and I think that is just for the status of the DFS not the files themselves (witch is what I wish to back up).

Here below you can see the selection list and as you can see the folder I wish to back up is not in the lotus database so I can not use that method to back it up.

The folder contains about 160 GB on this server but when it is backed up only 1664 bytes are backed up. I intended to attatch the job logs but the this system does not allow the files to be uploaded.

[pkh · Accepted solution]

It could be the files are excluded by AFE.  As I said previously, when you backup the .nsf under the Domino databases section, the associated files like the DAOS files should also be backed up along with the .nsf.  You don't have to backup the DAOS files seperately.

[Agust]

Hi pkh,

you are right about the daos folder being backed up when the .nsf files are backed up at least if I calculate the amount of data being backed up.

I was going to go on a rant but I guess I have to familarize myself with this 'Advanced File Exclusion' thingy.

Thank you again for your help.

[pkh]

AFE is a feature to automatically exclude the backup of obvious files like .nsf for Domino, .mdf and .ldf for SQL Server, etc.  so that they are not doubly backed up.