Catalog backup query

[Raghuraam]

Can we take catalog backup and restore it in another master server and use that for disaster recovery.

Both servers are with different names. Different geographical location.

[Sriram]

The hostnames should be the same

[Karthikeyan_Sun]

It can be Different but you should contact for Succesfull DR

Check this Document.

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/267137.htm

[Sriram]

Anyone have success on this.  If so let me know, i have a DR test this AUG 09

Thanks for confirming this karthikeyan

[Karthikeyan_Sun]

Its Recommended by Symantec to Contact Support for this kind of DR

[Abesama]

All those comments are right - master server name should remain the same for catalog recovery - well, in 6.x that is really true.

However, if you "have to" do it, then Symantec consulting (on paid service, of course) can do it for you - they have the tool to convert catalog database from one master server name to another.

It was not really a DR, but I had them migrate catalog from one production master to another - 6.5, from Solaris to Linux, different hostname, same DNS domain suffix, different IP, different tape library, different install location (old = /opt/openv linked to /usr/openv, new = /usr/openv without link)

If you do not want to recover 100%, only to a certain degree, then there's a way - it's not supported by Symantec, and you do it on your own risk.

1. Take hot catalog backpu from production master
2. Bring all the tapes (catalog backup tape and and other tapes containing backup images) to DR server
3. On DR master, update robot inventory, move all of them to safe volume pool (so that they do not get over-written by newly-running backups)
4. Run phase 1 import and phase 2 import on catalog backup tape
5. Go to Backup-Archive-Restore GUI, select policy type as Hot-Catalog-Backup, and restore
/usr/openv/netbackup/db
/usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf
/usr/openv/netbackup/var
6. And make changes to some configuration, i.e. bp.conf SERVER entries

If you do this, at least you can initiate restore for the other NetBackup clients, but I have not tested running backups - backups may or may not work.

So if your DR is for the "recovery" purpose for the NetBackup client(s) then this will suffice - but if you really want to recover your functional NetBakcup master server in the DR environment, this is not good - call Symantec consulting.

:-)

Abe

[Raghuraam]

One vote from me Abesama. Any more indepth any one can share...???

[Stumpr2]

bprecover

-dhost destination_host
Specifies the host to which the selected catalog is restored. Normally,
catalogs are restored to the host where the data originated (as displayed
with the -l option). The -d option makes it possible to restore the
catalog to another host.

I don't know if this works with NB 6.x but it was supported in 5.x

[Raghuraam]

Version here is 6.5.2. Will try and update the post.

Raghuraam

[Nicolai]

Symantec has a procedure for creating a empty netbackup catalog. It will save time re-installing Netbackup if a restore goes down the drain.

The procedure does not handle master server name change - Server will need to have the same name.

How to create a blank NetBackup NBDB database for the recovery of the NetBackup NBDB database from a...

When ever you work with catalog restore you really need to know this procedure ....

[jlow]

I do not really know netbackup and some of the people we engage to do this are telling me different things.

Would like to clarify the point on hostname being the same.
Does it mean on both Master and the DR server, when you issue "hostname", both prod and dr server must show the same name ?
How would the DNS be defined then ?

Or is this only at /etc/hosts and seen locally on the server only ?

eg
Master Server A   - in /etc/hosts
10.20.30.192                 prod_svr_a
192.168.30.192            prod_svr_nbu

DR Server B   -  in /etc/hosts
10.60.30.192                dr_svr_b
192.268.30.192            prod_svr_nbu

The backup is on backup LAN 192.x segments, but on master server if you issue "hostname" is will show prod_svr_a;
while on the DR, the hostname command will return dr_svr_b

Can the backup config at the master be defined to use prod_svr_nbu ?

Will this work ?

Thanks
 

[mph999]

The hostname of the master server is embedded in the database.
You cannot recover a database from host a onto host b.

Symantec consulting can do it but it can be difficult.

A true dr is to go from server a to an exact copy of server a

Martin