Basic Disk clone and replication

[sledgehammer]

Hello,

    I'm working with Storage and I'm new with NetBackup.

    I have two storages that are allowed to perform replication of LUNS. I don´t have qlogic HBAs to perform the Fibre Transport Configuration.

    In my environment, one media_server is remote and doesn´t exists a tape library in the remote location ( less than 100 GB of Backup Daily are generated). the other MediaServer has a tape Library.

    I´m thinking with abouth the Basic Disk Format:

    When a backup is performed on a Basic Disk format, it generates a file with the backup content or are created several scattered files that represent the backup that was done?

    Later I can migrate this Basic Disk to Tape?

    If this Basic Disk is coupled to a Media Server, rather than being linked to the Master Server in any case the Master Server database will be updated in order to allow to perform data restoration, right?

But:

1 - If a backup is performed on a MediaServer_A to the Basic Disk;
2 - So, This Basic Disk is detached from the Media Server (MediaServer_A);
3 - Cloned and Replicated using the Storage;
4 - Going mounted to another Media Server (MediaServer_B);

    The MediaServer_B would be able to recognize the Basic Disk?

    Could from MediaServer_B  copy the data to a tape ?

    Once the MediaServer_B could recognize the basic disk generated by MediaServer_A, the MasterServer NetBackup could recognize that he changed his backup media server?

To return to MediaServer_A:

    1 - Remove the MediaServer_B disk;
    2 - Restore the mount point Media_server_A;
    3 - Remove the clone / previous snap up next window for new clone or pointer.

    Have you ever seen this kind of situation before ?

Best Regards,

SledgeHammer

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

From a Storage point of view, your thoughts make a lot of sense.

From NBU point of view, your ideas will introduce a lot of complexities that will require manual intervention at so many layers that processes cannot be automated.

Problems I see with the proposed method:

• NBU catalogs on master server will have no knowledge of duplication/replication.
• MediaServer_B can import the clone images, but this will be manual and time consuming effort. The clone snapshot and mount on media server must be done when data is fully syncronized after backups on MediaServer_A have completed.
• Duplication from disk to tape on MediaServer_B will be a manual process.

NetBackup has various ways to cater for requirements like yours.
My suggestions:

• Add dedupe storage to MediaServer_A and MediaServer_B.
• Use SLPs to control backup and optimized duplication between media servers and subsequent duplication to tape.

All of the above will be fully automated.

[RonCaplinger]

How are you planning to perform this:

3 - Cloned and Replicated using the Storage

Are you planning to use a 3rd party storage process, like NetApp's SnapMirror, to replicate across data centers?  I worked on a project like this about 5 years ago, but we decided that detaching the storage from one media server and attaching it to another was going to cause problems with the OS and NetBackup that would likely require a reboot of the media server, wich then would caus some problems with our tape drive connectivity that would require manual intervention to reconfigure them within NetBackup every time we rebooted the server.

I agree with Marianne above: look into the NetBackup Media Server Deduplication Pools (MSDP) for your systems and use Storage LifeCycle Policies to backup at the remote site, duplicate data to the other location, then duplicate from the duplicated copy to tape.

[AndreaBolongaro]

An easy way to do image relocation from basic disk is following

Enable temporary staging area storage unit setting

You may have some info here

About basic disk staging

Hope this helps.

[Marianne]

I think you have missed the first part of the requirement - how to duplicate/replicate between sites.