Migrating Images between Netbackup Domains

[SYMAJ]

I have a requirement whereby we are replacing 4 x 50x0 Puredisk Appliances with 4 x 5220 Appliances.  The current config has all devices in the same Netbackup domain, even though 2 of the 50x0 appliances are in a remote location.  Each pair of 50x0 appliances is presented as a single pool within Netbackup.

We are implementing the new 5220 appliances in an AIR configuration - therefore there will be two distinct NBU domains (one production and one DR).  The current master server will remain in the production site, with one of the 5220 appliances in DR acting as the Master server in the other NBU domain.

My issue is in migrating the data from the current 50x0 appliances to the new 5220 appliances.  In the production site the images can simply be duplicated from the 50x0's to the 5220's, as they are all in the same NBU domain.  But when considering migrating the images from the remote 50x0's (which are part of the original production NBU domain) to the new 5220's in the new NBU domain - what are the best options here ?  The environment does not include any tape devices.

AJ

[Mark_Solutions]

The only way to something like this is to use a manual AIR replication - this is covered here:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&pmv=print&impressions=&viewlocale=&id=TE...

However - you cannot AIR from PDDO to MSDP so I am guessing that this command will fail - but worth giving it a try?

So as you have no tape that does only leave you with the option of duplicating to a removable disk storage unit - taking it to the other site and importing them there and then duplicating to the new appliance.

It may be that you have to decide whether it is worth the effort to be honest.

Hope this helps

[SYMAJ]

Mark,

As always - thanks for the input.  Unfortunately, as directed by the client, this is a mandatory requirement so I must pursue it to a resolution of some form.

I am unclear from reading the technote whether this would work MSDP to MSDP, i.e. if I duplicated the image to the local 5220 first, then attempt the reverse-AIR to pull it accross to the remote 5220 ?

Is there a way of initiating a 'life-cycle policy' operation which would duplicate the original backup to the local 5220 then AIR it to the remote 5220 ?  If so, we could have the local retention to expire after replication had completed thereby leaving the remote copy as the only valid copy of the backup.  I don't see how I could do this as to my knowledge BACKUP must be the first step in an SLP - not duplicate !

I am chasing this up internally with Symantec at present, so as soon as I get a resolution as to how we can do this I will update you.  If you have any other thoughts in the meantime any input appreciated.

AJ.

[Mark_Solutions · Accepted solution]

You cannot AIR or duplicate images from the past using a SLP - but your thoughs about taking it to the 5220 forst and the using AIR via the nbreplicate command would work

Just duplicate using the catalog section in the Admin Console and while there copy and paste the list out so that you have a list of images and then do a quick script to nbreplicate those duplicated images using AIR.

I dont think you will be able to automate it but it shouldn't take much to do it all manually and it does actually need an SLP creating at the destination site before you run the command.

So if you create the SLP at the target server named reverse-air, the username is root and for example the dedupe password over there is cbdb12343, then assuming NetBackup is installed on the C drive and the 5220 duplicated image is copy 2 you can do this ....

Make a file named images.txt and put it on the root of the C drive on the Master. After copying the image list from the catalog section (highlight all and Ctl-C) paste it straight into excel and then copy the imageid column and paste it straight into the images.txt file so that each image appear on a new line.

Next make a replication.bat file somewhere and in it put the following (edited as appropriate for your values) - note that this is all on one line:

for /f %%a in (C:\images.txt) do "c:\program files\veritas\netbackup\bin\admincmd\nbreplicate" -backupid %%a -cn 2 -rcn 102 -target_sts 5220_site_2 -slp_name reverse-air -target_user root -target_pwd cbdb12343

Try it out with one image first to see if it works

Hope this helps

[SYMAJ]

Thanks Mark.  I don't have the 2 x remote 5220's installed yet (just 2 x local) so cannot try this but it sounds like a plan......

Many thanks, and I'll keep you posted.

AJ.

[Mark_Solutions]

OK - do let me know how it goes - just a summary then ... duplicate manually from the catalog section of the admin console and then add those same set of images to the text file and run the bat file to replicate them

Hope it works for you

[SYMAJ]

Mark,

I am just setting up this test and have a few questions:

1. The nbreplicate command doesn't seem to have all of the parameters noted in your example (i.e. target_sts, target_user, target_pwd).  Should I still specify them or does it assume that the source storage unit already has the replication target setup (which it does) therefore we don't need these ?

2. As we are not using the standard SLP approach here we are not specifying a retention on the replicate command.  As I must use a TARGET RETENTION (and cannot use a fixed retention) on the SLP in the remote domain how is the retention value going to be specified ?

3. In the environment I am testing in I only have a 5220 at the source end, and a 5220 and tape at the remote end.  As I am trying to simulate the procedure as closely as possible I am firstly attempting to perform the duplicate of an existing backup image (which is currently on the local 5220 - and has been replicated via AIR already through the automated SLP procedure).  This duplicate is failing with a media write 84 error - and I think this is down to the image alrwady existing on the 5220 and me trying to duplicate it onto the same storage pool.  Does this sound right ?  If so I may try and simply reverse-AIR the existing copy number 1.  My only fear here is as the image has already been AIR'd automatically will this fail - and if so I will simply perform a backup locally not using SLP / AIR and use this as my source copy.  I could even do this to a standard disk pool (not the 5220) if needs be.  Thoughts ??

4. Finally - the syntax in the batch file where we specify the images.txt file.  Is the (d:\images.txt) correct - i.e. use brackets as opposed to "d:\images.txt" ?

Thanks,

AJ.

[SYMAJ]

A few answers to my own question from a first pass at this:

I created a basic disk STU on the master server and performed a small backup to it - all worked OK.  I then duplicated this backup to the local 5220 - all worked OK so I now have copy 2 on the local 5220.  Reverse AIR test can now begin.

When first attempting this the nbreplicate command is crashing, so I removed the additional parameters as above (target_sts, target_user, target_pwd).  Still crashing.

I then noticed that rcn can only be in the range 1-100, so changed that to be 52 - still crashing.

(The syntax of the (d:\images.txt) is good and all works OK - it is passng in my backupid OK)

My current command resulting from the running of the batch file is as follows:

"d:\veritas\netbackup\bin\admincmd\nbreplicate" -backupid bckpsys_1381232559 -cn 2 -rcn 52 -slp_name Reverse_AIR

I created the Reverse_AIR SLP on the remote master server ONLY, with a retention period of TARGET RETENTION.

Whatever I seem to do results in Netbackup crashing (just this nbreplicate command).  I am running the batch file from a CMD window launched with RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR on the local W2K8R2 master server.

Any thoughts ?

AJ 

[SYMAJ]

One extra piece of info - each time I try and run this it leaves a replication job in the activity monitor in a queued status - no info within the job.

[SYMAJ]

Getting no further with this. 

I checked to see if the parameters on the nbreplicate command had changed between 7504/251 and 7506/253 - but they have not - same parms available at both levels.

If I put an incorrect backup-id in it tells me so immediately, same if I omit the -rc.  However as long as I have a valid backup-id specified and the -cn parm (even if it is invalid) the command starts to process and then crashes leaving a replicate job queued in the activity monitor.

AJ

[Mark_Solutions]

Ok - just picking up on what you have been saying and a couple of things that may help...

According to the tech note the rcn should be the remote copy number plus 101 - so as it has never seen it before it should actually be 102 according to the tech note

However - the help for the command shows valid settings of 1 to 100 - so based on that it should be set to 1

The Reverse_AIR SLP needs to be created on the target domain, otherwise any images sent across will not have a proper retention period and you need to set their expiry date manually after replication.

The tech note did say to use the username and password etc. so was following that, though it also notes that you also need to set it up in the remote master section of the storage server tab as usual

Do re-read the tech note so that you have everything setup as it should be

Try it with rcn 1 and double check everything else and see how it goes

[SYMAJ]

After reviewing the technote I note one key factor, it states this works for 7505 and above. Whilst I will be doing this on 7506, I am testing on 7504 ! I am still concerned that the command help has no reference to the user, password and storage server parms listed in the technote ! Are these simply hidden parms ? I had a con-call with Symantec this afternoon and they are to send on their procedures for completing this task (which do utilize nbreplicate) so am keen to see that. I will report back with details. AJ