Best Practices for bpclient database

[TuxanForLife]

I inherited a master backup server that has about 500 unique clients (per the policies) and a bpclient database of about 400 entries, of which some are outdated - client has been retired.  Also relevant is the fact that we don't use DNS, but rely on host files on the master (and clients).

My questions are about best practices for the the bpclient "database".
* Is it important to delete old clients?
* Is it important to create entries for all clients? (I can script this so it's not much work, but is it worth the time?)
* I can format my client entries in one of two ways. Is one way preferable over the other  (using a hostname versus an IP)
  If the clientdb knows the host IP, does it save the server work to look it up in the hosts file? Versus, if my IP on the client changes,
  does it break backups for the client?
-- 
  Format A: 
    Client Name: sneezy
       Current Host:
        Hostname: sneezy
    Dynamic Address:       no
 

    Format  B:

  Client Name: grumpy
     Current Host:
        Hostname: 192.168.0.2 
     Dynamic Address:       no
--
 
 

[Yasuhisa_Ishika · Accepted solution]

Is it important to delete old clients?

I think it is not so important, but less is better.

Is it important to create entries for all clients? (I can script this so it's not much work, but is it worth the time?)

You don't have to add clients by bpclient unless you would like to apply non-default settings.

For the last, you have to add clients with names that exactly same with you specified in policy's client list. Don't use IP address unless you added clients into policy by IP. When backup(or other ops) starts, NetBackup refers this list by client name.

[TuxanForLife]

Ishikawa -
That covers everything. Thank you.  
Since IP is not used,  hostname/IP lookup part of my question doesn't apply.

So, for my notes, the best practices are
 * Do not to use bpclient entries if the client uses the defaults.
 * Delete clients once they are no longer in a policy.
 * Refer to clients by hostname, not IP address.