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Enterprise Vault backup using Backup Exec

gafoorgk
Level 4

Dear All,

We just finishing installing and configuring Enterprise Vault in our environment. Before archiving is applied through the enterprise, I would like to have a proper working backup procedure in place. Brief of the configuration is below;

  1. Enterprise Vault: EV01.domain.com (configured in Windows Failover Cluster with EVNode1.domain.com and EVNode2.domain.com as member nodes for cluster EV01.domain.com)
  2. Database: Configured in a shared db server DBS.domain.com
  3. Backup Solution: Backup Exec v16

Everything is working as expected. Only thing is I'm a lot confused of a proper backup procedure. Help I get is not very comprehensive, thus confused. I would like to take EV in backup mode before taking database, store, index backups. I'm planning to do database backup following this document https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.000040169. My confusions are;

  1. In the above document, there are 2 sections. "Configuring a maintenance plan" and "Creating a database maintenance plan". It's not very clear there that why 2 sections. Is one for daily maintenance and other for weekly maintenance?
  2. I read that backup of vault store, index and databases need to be taken in sync after taking EV in backup mode. I did generate backup mode set/clear powershell commands for EV server, which I need to run in Pre/Post backup commands in BackupExec server. But how do I make sure Backup Exec process is done after database backup. Best practice on complete process is not mentioned anywhere or I couldn't find yet at least.
  3. I read that BE will fail backup if it finds EV already in backup mode. What if, at the time BE backup of EV, BE finds EV in backup mode, which was set by SQL Server agent for the sake of taking backup of EV databases?

 

Thank you

2 ACCEPTED SOLUTIONS

Accepted Solutions

Thanks Virgil.

But this wasn't exactly I was expecting. I did read all these docs and white papers while searching for best practice on EV backup. These docs are not very comprehensive on the steps to do complete EV backup in sync though it does explain in detail how to do each part.

The more I read, the more I get an impression that there is no way to backup EV in following pseudo order in a single script/job. (I believe I can very well comprise all these in a powershell script from active node of EV cluster with few r&d. For some reason, I don't feel comfortable with this approach, which involves invoking tasks remotely on db server and BE server);

  1. At 9:00 PM set the whole EV site in Backup Mode [will happen in active node of EV cluster]
  2. At 9:02 PM run pre-configured SQL Server Maintenance Plan, which will do tasks mentioned in EV Db Maintenance Best Practice Guide. [the window for this task(s) is 20 minutes long]
  3. At 9:25 PM run BackupExec job to backup Vault Store and Index locations. Force this job to stop if it goes beyond the specified time. (in my case 10:58 PM)
  4. At 11:00 PM clear Backup Mode from the whole EV site.

 

I might end up doing above as separate jobs in different servers in different times within a specified time assigned for EV backup. Any advice if there is a better way? Btw, I do not have EV Agent for BE.

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VirgilDobos
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

If you do not have a license for the BE EV agent, then that approach looks ok. Just make sure the archiving window does not overlap with the backup window. By the way, it is recommended to run the backup after the archiving, so if your archiving window is, say 5pm - 12AM, your backups should ideally start immediately after.

--Virgil

View solution in original post

4 REPLIES 4

VirgilDobos
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

Hi mate,

EV has several components that must be backed up for an effective data protection strategy. The minimum are:
1) Indexes
2) Vault Stores
3) SQL Databases

When you use BE or NBU EV agent, the agent takes care of everything, including setting/clearing backup-mode. See here BE EV best practices: http://www.veritas.com/docs/000068221

Besides this, you or your DBA will have to do SQL maintenance on a regular basis. That is documented in the article you mentioned (second part): http://www.veritas.com/docs/000040169


You may want to have a look on this article as well: Backing Up Enterprise Vault White Paper: http://www.veritas.com/docs/000010873

Hope this helps.

--Virgil

Thanks Virgil.

But this wasn't exactly I was expecting. I did read all these docs and white papers while searching for best practice on EV backup. These docs are not very comprehensive on the steps to do complete EV backup in sync though it does explain in detail how to do each part.

The more I read, the more I get an impression that there is no way to backup EV in following pseudo order in a single script/job. (I believe I can very well comprise all these in a powershell script from active node of EV cluster with few r&d. For some reason, I don't feel comfortable with this approach, which involves invoking tasks remotely on db server and BE server);

  1. At 9:00 PM set the whole EV site in Backup Mode [will happen in active node of EV cluster]
  2. At 9:02 PM run pre-configured SQL Server Maintenance Plan, which will do tasks mentioned in EV Db Maintenance Best Practice Guide. [the window for this task(s) is 20 minutes long]
  3. At 9:25 PM run BackupExec job to backup Vault Store and Index locations. Force this job to stop if it goes beyond the specified time. (in my case 10:58 PM)
  4. At 11:00 PM clear Backup Mode from the whole EV site.

 

I might end up doing above as separate jobs in different servers in different times within a specified time assigned for EV backup. Any advice if there is a better way? Btw, I do not have EV Agent for BE.

VirgilDobos
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

If you do not have a license for the BE EV agent, then that approach looks ok. Just make sure the archiving window does not overlap with the backup window. By the way, it is recommended to run the backup after the archiving, so if your archiving window is, say 5pm - 12AM, your backups should ideally start immediately after.

--Virgil

Okay. Already made sure archiving window doesn't overlap backup. Good idea to start backup immediately after archiving. Thanks again Virgil.