Can Netbackup merge client data to new name?

[alazanowski]

Hi Everyone,

in my history with working with Netbackup since 3.4 I have never ran into a way to do this, so i want to reach out to the community before i submit an idea for this in the next version.

Every once in awhile, we get different variations of the same client name due to someone previous's work on policies and naming schemes, etc. or even entire domain name changes. Is there a way to merge the client data from two or more different names into one named client's backup history?

For example:

say you have clients:

server1
SERVER1
SERVER1.domain.com
server1.domain.com

To netbackup because of case sensitivity and naming schema, these are 4 different clients. While we can correct them in the policies, all previous backups will fall under those naming schemes. Is there a way to merge the data from say server1, SERVER1, and SERVER1.domain.com to just see it all under server1.domain.com ?

Thanks,
-Austin

[Stumpr2]

This is no problem if your master server is a UNIX box. Simply dump all of the images into a single directory and then create links using all the various client names to the directory that contains the images.

put all your images in /usr/openv/netbackup/db/images/bob
then link server1, SERVER1,  SERVER1.domain.com, server1.domain.com to bob

[quebek · Accepted solution]

Following the Admin guide for NBU vol 2 this can be done, let me quote this doc which is available here:
Core Guides
- System Administrator's Guide for Windows, Volume 1 ( http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/290203.htm )
- System Administrator's Guide for Windows, Volume 2 ( http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/290204.htm )
- System Administrator's Guide for UNIX and Linux, Volume 1 ( http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/290201.htm )
- System Administrator's Guide for UNIX and Linux, Volume 2 ( http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/290202.htm )


"How to update NetBackup after a host name changes
Note: Do not change the host name of a NetBackup server. A name change might require that all previously used media be imported to the server before the host can be used under the new name.
Use the following steps to update the NetBackup configuration if a client’s host name is changed.
1 On the master server:
■ Delete the client’s old name from all policies where it exists and add the client’s new name to those policies. You do not need to reinstall NetBackup software on the client. The client continues to have access to all previous backups.
a Create a file named ALTPATHin the image catalog directory. For example, if the client name is client1, the ALTPATH file is created in the following location:
Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\db\images\client1\
ALTPATH
b Create a directory for the new client2 in the \images directory: Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\db\images\client2
c On the first line of the client1\ALTPATH file, specify the path to the directory for the new client. The path is the only entry in the ALTPATH file.
Install_path\VERITAS\NetBackup\db\images\client2
2 On the client:
■
On PC clients, change the client name setting either through the user interface or in a configuration file. (See the online help in the Backup, Archive, and Restore client interface.)
■
On UNIX clients, change the CLIENT_NAME value in the bp.conf file to the new name.
Note: If users on UNIX clients have a bp.conf file in the $HOME directory, users must change CLIENT_NAME in that file to the new name."

[Stumpr2]

VERITAS. Ain't it the truth?


.

[jbaczynski]

Well,

The documented feature with using the ALTPATH file is nice but does not work as expected.

Imagine we have 2 directories in the images path

install_path\
   images\
      srvoracle01\
      srvoracle01-backup\

As you can see, the same server was used in different policies with two different names, therefore NetBackup created two directories and two independent catalog trees. Now, if we want to be able to browse the files structure from the server from one setup in BAR, the ALTPATH file seems right but will lead you nowhere :(

By creating install_path\images\srvoracle01\ALTPATH and specifying  "install_path\images\srvoracle01-backup\" on the first line, your are now only able to browse the backup images in srvoracle01-backup. All backup images in srvoracle01 are hidden because ALTPATH instructs NetBackup to redirect the search to the new path.

As no database "merge" is happening here, this is not the solution to "rename a client". If I have to rename a client, I want be able to keep the existing backup and view them under the new client name, right? If the documented solution is hiding/ignoring the existing backups, I could also just rename the client in the policy (assuming dns is working right with the new name) and just change the client name via "host properties."

Does anybody have a working and supported clue beside editing the BACKUPID_FULL index text files and replacing the client name (which is working but not supported as far as I know :)