Automating restores

[mascardr]

Per management I have to restore a file from each of my servers every day. I have 10 Window servers and 3 Netware servers. Netbackup server is a Sun box. I would like to automate these restores instead of spending an hour or so every day manaully doing this. I have read up on bprestore but I am completely confused of where I run it from and the command switches.

I would like to restore all 3 netware servers to one folder on one server. So a file from all 8 volumes to one volume, one folder. And one file from every Windows server to one specific Windows server. Does this make sense? So that I can go to one area on my Netware server and check all restores and go to one Windows server to check all Windows restores.

Can anyone give me some advice on how to accomplish this? I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks,

Debra

[Stumpr2]

baby steps

do it all from the Sun master server.

first do all restores via the master server GUI to familiarize yourself with alternate client restore.

Make sure you can successfully do what you desire through the GUI

next ensure you can list the files through bplist. this will help you learn about the different parameters.

finally do a bprestore for just one of the clients. Then do a bprestore for each remaining client

Now you have the proper command syntax to do the restores. list them into a script and make a cron entry on the master server to run the script containg the bprestores

[mascardr]

Ok...we have created scripts for the automation of restores for our Windows servers and Unix servers but I can't find a way to run bprestore.exe on my Netware servers. Is there an NLM or a way to schedule bprestore on Netware?

Thanks,

Debra

[Stumpr2]

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@mascardr wrote:

 bprestore on Netware?

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Again. Why on Netware? Do the bprestore from the master server.

[mascardr]

Bob,

We don't have access to the master server. The Master server is used for the whole County I work for. So we are running our scripts from a Windows server to take care of the Windows restores. And running scripts on the Unix boxes to take care of the Unix restores. Since Bprestore is a command drive utility, what is the equalivant for Netware. Am I making sense? My co-worker created a batch file on the unix and windows side to run the bprestore.exe with the switches. I am totally confused on how to accomplish the same task for my Netware servers. Can I run a bprestore script from say a Unix box to accomplish my Netware restores?

Thanks,

Debra

[Stumpr2]

if you setup the .../altnames/No.Restrictions or .../altname/$CLIENT

if the unix box is a valid server

if you use -S $MASTERSERVER

then you might be able to do the restore.

Again, it may be simpler to "submit a work request" for the owner of the master server to create the bprestore commands and place them in a single script to implement via a cron entry or atjob.

[mascardr · Accepted solution]

It is easier trying to figure this out than trying to get permission for the master server. Thanks for all your help. Since all servers but my 3 Netware servers are automated, I will just do the Netware restores manually.
Debra

[sdo]

If your management team are keen to perform daily restore checks, and you don't have access rights to automate this task - then pass it back to management to liaise with IT Management to get the task automated on the server side for you.  The whole point of NetBackup is to reduce man effort.

That said Bob's suggestion should work.  Your NetBackup administrator's can grant your Windows Servers permission (within NetBackup) to read the backups of the NetWare servers.  I'm not sure of compatibility between file systems, but if your NBU admins can create "altnames" entries allowing your Windows servers to read the backups of the Netware servers then you might be able to pull down Netware files to your Windows servers - notwithstanding file system compatbility issues - thus proving the Netware backups are readable.

Better still would be to use "bplist" to check the NetBackup catalog.  If the backup failed, bplist won't find anything.  This also saves on re-mounting the media, and reduces I/O, and is quicker - and avoids any file system compatibility issues for restores.  You'll still need Boib's suggestion of altnames so that your Windows servers can "browse" (i.e. bplist) the backups of the NetWare servers.  Also, you don't then have to clean-up any restored files.

All this seems a bit pointless to me anyway.  Why not do a bplist test once a month - BUT ensure that the Operators at your Data Center monitor daily/hourly and escalate/call-out backup failures for your critical/production servers.