Can multiple media servers access same DSU (path)?

[schrammd]

Hi,

Due to budget constraints we currently don't use DPO, SLPs, or anything "advanced" like most do these days, and as such only have a single media server doing all basic disk staging to some NFS shares, then using vault to duplicate to tape. I would like to phase in a new media server to take all the heavy duplication and backup jobs off the primary but still utilize the same shares/images. As I understand it, from the vault perspective this is the purpose of the alternate read server, but all documentation seems to reference robots/tape only. Can I have my new media server mount the same paths as the old one and thus use the alternate read server to duplicate those images off the DSUs to tape without using the old media server? Is it OK to just define new DSUs using the same NAS share paths on the new server since it will be able to see those images, or can the basic DSUs not be leveraged this way?

thanks!

[RiaanBadenhorst]

Basic DSU is meant to be contained on a single server. You can't share it with CIFS/NAS. But you could use advanced disk pool this.

[schrammd]

I'm not sharing the DSU I am using NFS AS the DSU, so the NFS export would be accessed by 2 media servers instead of 1. It appears that the Advanced Disk option is what I am looking for but can no longer be added on, it needs to be bought as part of DPO which doesn't make sense to me.

[RiaanBadenhorst]

"accessed by 2 media servers instead of 1"...that's sorta the definition of sharing aint it?

[RiaanBadenhorst]

Instead of having 1 do all the backups and 1 do all the duplications, why not just make another folder on the NAS, then split the load between the 2 media servers (both backing up and both duplicating)?

[AndreaBolongaro]

Hello schrammd, 

in my opinion it's better to

- configure each media server with its own DSU
- configure one storage unit group with both DSUs
- configure properly high and low water mark on each DSU according criteria you prefer for balancing
- configure policies to use this storage unit group
- configure two vault jobs for de-staging

In this way netbackup uses old or new media server according to thresholds you set on DSU and duplication load will be splitted accordingly.

Hope this helps.
 

Andrea