Best practice how to implement LAN-free backup for physcial servers using NBU 5220

[infopiotr]

Hello,

I'd like to obtain some information on what best practices are for implementation of LAN-Free backup and restore for physical servers using only appliances NBU5220. Moreover what licenses are required?

[Nicolai]

A good spot to start is the NetBackup 7.5 SAN Client and Fibre Transport Guide

http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC5189

[infopiotr]

Thanks, I'm going to go through this document

[infopiotr]

So coming back to this topic, I'd like to be sure if I want to use LAN-free backup for physcial server I need to install SAN client on such a host to have communication with NBU appliance. In case of using tapes I assume that it could be done like this: NBU appliance -> PTL via SLP or directly from backed up host which needs to "see" tape drives

[Marianne]

There is no special software to install on the client - normal NBU Client software is all that is required (as stated in the manual that Nicolai referred you to...).

You need to have a 'D'-model appliance to configure FC backups:

6 ea 8 Gb FC LC Optical

   4 ea FC ports for backup

   2 ea FC ports for tape out

Use this section in the 52xx Appliance Administrator's Guide: DOC6736   to see how to config FC ports on the Appliance for Target Mode:

Changing the Fibre Transport settings

[Mark_Solutions]

I think you are confusing two things here ...

1. Enterprise Client (used to be called a SAN Media Server) would be your client having tape drives mapped directly to it so that it runs its own backups straight to tape - the appliance does not get involved in this at all

2. SAN FT Client - this type of client send its data directly over fibre to the special fibre ports of the appliance - the appliance then writes that data to its storage unit (tape, de-dupe or advanced disk)

So the two are quite different - if you use option 1. above you dont use Fibre Transport in the NetBackup meaning of the term.

Hope this helps - all of the terms can get confusing

[Marianne]

In support of Mark's post, please see this TN:

What is the difference between the SAN Media Server and SAN Client features?
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH135896

[infopiotr]

Thanks for answers,

so sumarising "SAN FT Client" is used when I want to send backup data from host to the appliance (in this case 5220) over FC. Later on I can make copy of image from appliance to tape library connected to this appliance. Question: do I need to atach TL directly to the appliance or can I use SAN - in this case I could use the same FC ports like for backup?

If I want to transfer data directly to TL from the host not involving storage of NBU5220 I need to install Enterprise Client

[Marianne]

The 2 FT ports for tape out can be used to connect tape library directly or to connect to it via a SAN switch.

The advantage of SAN connection is that the tape drives can be shared with other media servers.
More devices can also be connected via SAN that via direct connection.

As per my post above - you need the 'D' model with 6 FC ports in order to config FT backups.

[infopiotr]

Thanks once again for your answer, now it becomes definitely much clearer.

I need remember about model 'D' of appliance, because currently I have 'C' with 2 FC ports.

So it would mean that I cannot use exisitng NBU5220 model 'C'  to implement FT backup together with backups for VMware?

[Marianne]

No - only the 'D' model can be used for FT with the additional FC ports that need to be configured in Target Mode. (PLEASE go through the Appliance manual as well as the San Client/FT manual.)

The 2 tape-out ports can be used for tape and for VMware backups - one port can be zoned to tape devices and the other one to VM datastores.

[Mark_Solutions]

Yes - a C only has 2 fibre ports so i dont think FT is an option

Even if it was (or you got an upgrade kit for the appliance) you should never have tape and disk on the same port - and once a port is set for use as a FT port it cannot be used for VMware or Tape out anyway

So it sounds like if you need direct file transfer it would be best as an Enterprise Client (install as a media server but use the enterprise client license key when you do it) - having said that if you use client side de-dupe and accelerator then that can be a very fast backup solution for large clients

Hope this helps

[infopiotr]

Mark,

so if port is set as a FT it cannot be used for VMware anymore. Therefore in my case I cannot apply NBU5220 C for LAN-free backups of physical machines while I use it for VMware. I mean when I want to use storage of NBU5220 for these backups

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

Please see my post above:

The 2 tape-out ports of the C-model can be used for tape and for VMware backups - one port can be zoned to tape devices and the other one to VM datastores.

You need the D-model for FT mode for LAN-free backups of physical clients.

With Client-side dedupe and Accelerator, you may not need FT backups.

[infopiotr]

OK, now everything is clear, thanks a lot

[infopiotr]

Hello everybody,

I'd like to reopen this post.

Last time another doubt came to my mind regarding host side.

As a one option I can use regular NBU client (enterprise client) already installed on host to make LAN-free backup under one condition that as a target I have my apliance with HBA set up as FT <- clear

Another option is if I want to make LAN-free backup from my host directly to PTL/VTL I need to install Media Server software ("smaller" version than regular media) <- clear

and what I heard I cannot mix these two method on the same host. It would mean that I would not be able to make some backups directly to PTL/VTL and some to appliance - everything over SAN?

Can someone confirm this or sth I mixed up? 

[Marianne]

Only saw this new post now....

You have a C-model appliance. This means that you can configure the Appliance as FT Media server.
So, SAN backup using SAN client is not possible in your environment.

If you have Enterprise Client license for the servers that you want SAN backups for plus Library based tape drive and SSO license, you can zone tape drives in PTL to these servers, install Media Server software, configure shared tape drives and Storage Units and policies for each server to backup to own Storage Unit.
If you have VTL, you can assign dedicated tape drives to each server.

BUT.... Since you have an Appliance, why not implement Client-side dedupe with Accelerator? 
Only the first full backup will go across the LAN. From there on, only changed blocks will be sent by the client.

Backups go to the Storage Unit selected in the Policy. So, yes, two backup methods cannot be mixed.