BEST BACKUP SELCTION PATHS FOR RECOVERY IN A BIG ,DYNAMIC AND VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT

[Ayes]

Hello House,

My environment is such below :

BEST BACKUP SELCTION PATHS FOR RECOVERY IN A BIG ,DYNAMIC AND VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.

What is the best way to backup all require data without having to always check for changes done like migration, ctreating new volumes and decommissioning as well as optimising backup window and volume of data.

Thanks for all.

[sri_vani]

If my understanding is correct please verfiy automatic vitual selection

REf link:http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO70959

[Marianne]

You really need to tell us your NBU version in all posts.

Different options are available in the different NBU versions with new functionality and additional features in each new version.

As from NBU 7.1,  VMware Intelligent Policies can be implemented.

Abdul Rasheed has published a series of 'VMware Nuts and Bolts' blogs:
https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/blogs/nuts-and-bolts-netbackup-vmware-discovery-job-vmware-i...

Dave High's blog about VMware Intelligent Policies:
https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/blogs/netbackup-71-features-vmware-intelligent-policy-vip

As well as the NBU for VMware Admin Guides:

7.1: http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC3663
7.5.0.x:  http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC5605

[Ayes]

My NBU version is 7.5.0.6

I have both physical and virtual environment

[Marianne]

It helps when you provide all relevant info in your opening post....

ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES can be used for physical and virtual clients.

For database servers, dba's will have to create backup scripts that will guarantee inclusion of all databases.
You will then have to manually add exclude lists for the database servers to prevent online db files from being backed up with ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES. Wild cards can be used in exclude lists.

As far as physical servers are concerned, run 'bpcoverage' from time to time to ensure all client data is covered..

[Stumpr2]

Hi Marianne,

What is correct link for Dave's blog. It looks like you were the victim of a cut/paste that didn't take as Abdul's link is pasted twice.

[Marianne]

Thanks for noticing Bob! 

I have fixed the link.

[Jim-90]

See my method in https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/command-list-all-vm-machines-all-vcenters 

I gave up on automated VM machine selection as it was more trouble that it was worth. The down-side of VIP backups (selecting machines by rules) are

• If you using them for selecting new machines automatically there may be machines added that are better to have regular agent backups due to size, a database or application that should be on an agent, they could be real-time apps that get upset with VM snapshots ( seen this with voice and video apps)

• Some people (like me) thought it was good idea to manage VMware resources at backup time.  After a lot tuning etc found it to be a waste of time because the VM environment that was never resource starved.

• Rerunning failed backups required an additional policy because you cannot select individual machines for a rerun where the policy as selecting many machine by a rule/query.  Suspect this could cause problems at sites where failed backups are rerun by operators with limited access and NBU knowledge.

• Detecting which clients did not receive a successful backup because the policy failed can get get interesting.  A failed policy caused by the media management layer only registers a single failure, it doesn't tell you that all the machines that would have been select by the query would have failed.

• Coverage of  which machines are going to be backed is usually based on historical data.  The only way to verify coverage is running the nbdiscover command with the query used for selecting the machines. 

Been using NBU 7.5.0.4 - things may have improved

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You mentioned that the enviroment was "dynamic"  they could be moving machines between vCenter domains.  If NBU has authorisation on the all the VCenters when machines are moved you don't have to do anything.  NBU figures out the new vCenter of the box by automagic and backs it up.  This will always  happen in a regular VMware backup where the client list contains machines. If it contains a query then the results are depenant upon the rules in the query.  

[Anonymous]

Some thoughts from some experience also..

I can throw another scenario into the mix. Something to test and consider than might happen if you're not fortunate to be the backup admin, storage admin and vm admin role in one.

You considered creating new volumes - assuming this relates to virtual hard disks in the virtual machine.

So with ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES as the selection criteria the new virtual hard disk should be included.

What if someone removed a virtual hard disk, and this disk happens to be classed as Virtual Hard disk 2 of 3 virtual hard disks in the VM. Previously the VM had 3 hard disks, now it has 2. But you will notice in the Virtual Machine hardware, Hard disk 3 now assumes Hard disk 2. How does NetBackup handle this.?

Regards VIP it is very subjective down to the person creating the VM and a naming format is probably best to be followed. In vSphere at least I could recommend to use the VM & Templates view and create folders and maybe use them as a pigeon hole for VM's to be backed up, and create a VIP on Folders. As during VM deployment you are queried where it should be deployed, similary also if you use Resource Pools you could back up by that criteria. If you name the Pools or Folders effectively you are handing that initial part over to the vm admin.

You can have subfolders too, so you can get creative.