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Need official Symantec clarification on cryptic instructions to backup Vault 8.0

worldzfree
Level 4

We recently upgraded our Vault environment to 8.0sp5 from 2007.  I am trying to get the backup procedure to work properly but I need clarification from Symantec.  We use Netbackup 7.x without the Vault Agent for Netbackup.  This uses the bpstart and bpend batch files.  The main areas I need clarification are:

 

  1. After running the powershell script to create the list of EV backup mode commands for my environment I am confused about which of the commands need to be called.  The file is divided into Site, VaultStoreGroup, VaultStore, and SiteIndexLocations.  Currently we have only one Vault server for email but soon we will have others for files and possibly Sharepoint.  Which commands do I need to call and in what order to start backup mode and end backup mode?
     
  2. Our Vault partitions are on a back-end EMC Celerra (not to be confused with Centerra).  We back those up via different means and thus need to use the IgnoreArchiveBitTrigger.txt file.  Symantec recommends calling a simple "echo > {drive}:\vaultstores\vaultpartition\IgnoreArchiveBitTrigger.txt" during our backup routine to create the trigger file every time.  Where should these commands go?  In the bpstart file?  In the bpend file?  Where in the file?  Before or After the Vault backup mode powershells?
     
  3. Since we aren't using the Netbacup Vault agent and we call our SQL backups via the bpstart entry to a third-party app (SQLSafe) are there any special commands I need to call in the database portion of the backup so that when it is complete it somehow let's Vault "know" that the SQL backup is complete?  We run weekly fulls and daily diffs on the SQL and I get constant nags from Vault in the event logs that the databases haven't been backed up in X days.

I am open to all clarifications.

-Thanks

-A

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Wayne_Humphrey
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

Hiya,

1) You can mix and match dependednt on yoru setup, if you do not have may servers just place the whold server in backup mode so in yoru case:

Set-IndexLocationBackupMode $EVServer

Set-VaultStoreBackupMode $EVVaultStore

2) bpend only if backup was sucsessful. 

3) Well this should be done at the same time as the Vault Stores are beeing backed up, or there would be no need to place EV into backup mode.

View solution in original post

12 REPLIES 12

Wayne_Humphrey
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

Hiya,

1) You can mix and match dependednt on yoru setup, if you do not have may servers just place the whold server in backup mode so in yoru case:

Set-IndexLocationBackupMode $EVServer

Set-VaultStoreBackupMode $EVVaultStore

2) bpend only if backup was sucsessful. 

3) Well this should be done at the same time as the Vault Stores are beeing backed up, or there would be no need to place EV into backup mode.

FreKac2
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

3) As Wayne says, you only need to make sure that the SQL DB's get backed up during the time when EV is in backupmode, so within the same window as the rest of EV is backed up.

In regard to the nags it will depend on how SQL Safe operates, the Recovery Model used for the DB's and the type of backups you use. E.g. if you do differential it's a backup of everything since the last full and as far as I know there is no "flag" or "record" after a diff. that EV can check that the DB have been backed up.

Also if doing a diff, the T-log won't be seen as backed up/truncated which is the other check that EV does.

So if you're sure the DB's are backed up to your liking, increase the monitoring thresholds under site->properties in EV and you'll not get the "nags".

worldzfree
Level 4

I think I understand.  So right now I have the following called during the bpstart.

 

Set-VaultStoreBackupMode -Name 'SiteName' -EVServerName evsite -EVObjectType Site

Set-VaultStoreBackupMode -Name 'Default Upgrade Group' -EVServerName evsite -EVObjectType VaultStoreGroup

Set-IndexLocationBackupMode -EVServerName evsite -EVSiteName 'SiteName'

 

Do I not need all of those?  Does the order matter? 

 

I call the "echo > trigger" in the bpend after the powershells to put the vault back into normal mode.  Is that ok or do they need to be before the powershells in that file?

FreKac2
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

You only need one vaultstorebackupmode line if you're setting the whole site in backupmode, since that means all vaultstoregroups and vaultstores in that site.

So if you only have one site (most common) you only need one.

If using multiple EV servers and you want to set each in backupmode, independantly, you''ll need to have one vaultstorebackupmode entry for each server.

Same goes for indexing if you're using multiple servers.

Easiest is just to think about the layout in the Console.

Directory->

---------------Site->

-------------------------->Enterprise Vault Servers

-------------------------------------EV Server

--------------------------------------->Index Service

-------------------------->Vault Stores

--------------------------------------->Vault Store Group

----------------------------------------------->Vault Store

 

So if you set it on the "Site" level it will affect all in that site since they belong to the site.

Then you can set it on the Vault Store Group level, which will affect all vault stores belonging to that group.

Or you can set it on the Vault Store level. which will only affect that particular vault store.

Same goes for indexes, you can set it on Site Level, which will affect all Index Locations in that site.

Or you can set it on server level or on each location independantly.

 

If you only have one EV server, I would use the site level commands.

I would put the trigger file in place before going out of backupmode.

Puting Index or Vault Stores into backupmode before the other doesn't matter.

If having more than one EV server and different archiving types/schedules then you would need to give some thought on how you want to do it.

worldzfree
Level 4

Thanks for the clarification.  Makes alot more sense now.  Is it just more or is this no where in the Symantec's documentation?  Thanks again.

TonySterling
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

have you seen this?

worldzfree
Level 4

i have seen that.  until i got the clarification from the above post the following lines were sort of grey to me.

 

"When selecting “Set Backup Mode” on Vault Stores or index locations at the site level (as shown in the previous screenshot), all Vault Stores and/or indexes in that particular Enterprise Vault site will be put into Backup Mode."

 

they could have multiple meanings.  that document also mentioned the placement of the start and stop powershells in a similar file to the netbackup files but didn't say where in the file they should be called.

worldzfree
Level 4

FreKac,

 

In theory if I just run the one command to put the whole site into backup mode it should also put the index files in backup mode right?  I just ran a test with the site backup mode powershell and then performed a get-indexlocationbackupmode and it shows a BackupMode:  False.  I'm confused again.  Heh.

 

Wayne_Humphrey
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

No, Site is for the VS not indexes, You need to place the VS & Indexes into backup mode, "Site Backup" as far as I am aware does not touch indexes, just VS.

FreKac2
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

You have to use one command for Vault Stores and one command for Indexes.

E.g.

Set-VaultstoreBackupmode 'site' evserver site

Set-IndexLocationBackupmode evserver -evsitename 'site'

 

In the Post script you just use "clear" instead of "set" in the command above.

evserver = your servername

'site' = the name of your site

the extra "site" at the end of the vaultstore command is just to tell EV that it should be done on the site-level.

Same goes for index locations but you have to add the -evsitename otherwise the index command won't work.

 

This is a line that I use very often, the paths (including the powershell path) need to be changed if it's on x64 systems.

PowerShell -psconsolefile "C:\Program Files\Enterprise Vault\EVShell.psc1" -command "& {set-vaultstorebackupmode '<SITENAME>' <EV SERVER NAME> site; set-indexlocationbackupmode <EV SERVER NAME> -evsitename '<SITENAME>'}"

The above line contains both commands seperated by a ";"

You can do it on two lines if you want of course.

FreKac2
Level 6
Partner Accredited Certified

Yes they do but you still have to use one command for VS and one for Indexes, see below.

John_Harkins
Level 3

Yes, Tony Sterling's post is make sense for my problem too.

thanks for sharing it here Tony.