Catalog policy replication question

[SunJustWorks]

I am looking for advice for the following situation.  At our primary site we have a NBU master running 7.6.1.2 on SLES with a NetBackup Appliance 5230 as the media server, we have another NetBackup master and appliance with the same configuration at our disaster recover site, we use AIR to replicate the images from our primary site, works without any issues.  Our Catalog policy backs up to the Advanced Disk on the appliance, currently no SLP’s or replication for this catalog process. 

We have another remote site with just a media server that replicates to tapes, due to bandwidth limitations.  If our primary site goes down, is there a way to get the catalog information for this remote site into NBU at our disaster recovery site?

My initial thoughts are to include the catalog backups into a SLP that will allow for replication to our disaster recovery site.  I would think that would also be able to recover job policies incase the backup server would need to taker over full operations of our backup server in the event of disaster.

Any guidance or thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[nbutech]

When you replicate backup images using A.I.R, you are sending backup data as well as meta data (whicch means the catalog entries required for the backup image) to a remote master server. This way the remote master server can restore data for your production client anytime at the remote location.

So you might plan to replicate Catalog backup however in case of disaster you will need the DR master server to trust the media server at remote site for recovery..

[sdo]

My understanding of your env:

Site A - master - OS: SLES, NBU: 7.6.1.2

Site A - media - OS: N5230 Appliance, NBU: v?.?, no tape

Site B - master - OS: SLES, NBU: 7.6.1.2

Site B - media - OS: N5230 Appliance, NBU: v?.?, no tape

Site C - media:  OS: ?, NBU: v:?.?, has tape

.

AIR - site A to site B (no tape)

Optimize duplication - site A to site C, plus duplication to tape.

.

You say:

"We have another remote site with just a media server that replicates to tapes, due to bandwidth limitations.  If our primary site goes down, is there a way to get the catalog information for this remote site into NBU at our disaster recovery site?"

Because you have distinct masters at site A and site B, then would you ever consider trying to recover a 'master A' at site B - probably not.

...BUT...

...if ever site A or site B is lost, then how would one recover one's master server?   So, yes, it is a good idea to replicate the catalog backup of each master to  the opposing site - just to get it off-site, so that in the event of recovery of an entire site, then you can recover the backup policies at least - but - just as you implied, their wouldn't be any data to restore from - because the media server would have been lost.  So, it's all a moot point really.  Some would say there's no value in replicating a catalog backup.  Some would.  Peronally, I would, just so that I have a backup of the policies, schedules, client attributes and SLPs etc, media list and catalog/index of which backups are on which tapes.

[SunJustWorks]

To fill in the blanks:

Site A - master - OS: SLES, NBU: 7.6.1.2

Site A - media - OS: N5230 Appliance, NBU: 2.6.1.2, no tape

Site B - master - OS: SLES, NBU: 7.6.1.2

Site B - media - OS: N5230 Appliance, NBU: 6.6.1.2, no tape

Site C - media:  OS: SLES, NBU: 7.6.1.2, LTO6 Library

AIR - Site A to Site B, no tape

Site C only replication is to tape

Thank you for helping with the view on what I am attempting to accomplish, represents it much better.

So my immediate concern is, Site A is the master server for Site C which holds all the catalog information for Site C, and Site C is not replicated to Site A or Site B, tapes only at Site C.  Looking for a way to get catalog information for Site C (which is on site A) to Site B. 

You have a good point on the replication for polices, schedules, etc… 

Perhaps the only way to perform a restore on Site C if Site A goes down would be an inventory from the tapes on Site C?

Thanks again!  Sorry for any confusion.

[sdo]

I assume that media server C is an MSDP media server receiving optimized duplications from media server A?

If so, then does media server at C...

a) backup clients at site C?

b) backup clients at site C - AND - backup clients from site A?

c) backup clients at site C  - AND - receive duplications from site A?

d) backup clients at site C - AND - receive duplications from site A - AND - backup clients from site A?

e) only receive duplications from site A to then duplicate to tape?

.

Depending upon the above (and probably a sceanrio f) or g) too) then... there in lies the dilemma.  Should the media server at site C be a member of NetBackup domain A, or NetBackup domain B ?  Which is better for my business?

If all of the backups duplicated to tape at site C are also only those that get replicated to site B, then one could consider making media server C a member of NetBackup domain B.

I think if you were to write a list of scenarios with what is possible with media C attached to master A, and then what is possible with media C attached to master B...

...once you have those two "what is possible" lists...

...you can then use the 'opposidtes' of each list to fill in a 'what is not possible' at the oposing site...

...once you have the what is possible and what is not possible at each site.... then you can begin the finer detail of ask more pertient questions and seeing if either scenario supports the 'scenario action'...

...then if you put a likelihood 'score' against items, based upon what you know of your RPO/RTO/SLA... then you apporiately weigh the infrastructure choices against each other.

And, if after all that, they come the same, then...

.

Maybe after that chuff above, the simple question is... Which site is seen as being of the higher quality?  Or less risky?  And add media server C to that site, as there's more chance (slim as it is) that the other site will go down.  But then if both sites are high quality,then the chances could each be so very slim, then is it worth the man effort in moving a media server from one environment to another?

.

IMO it's the media list, and the list (catalog/index) of what is on each media that is probably fairly important.  Bacuse it's you backup of site A.  Add some questions to yourself to your "what is possible" and "what is not posisble" lists above... to get a feeling for how importanbt not only the list of media is, but also the list of contents... i.e. the "catalog backup".

I can't see your site - and I've made some rather sweeping generalizations above.

I think another killer point might be... if not all backups at site A are replicated to site B, but are duplicated to site C to be duplicated to tape then site C is important.  If backups at site C are important and get put to tape, and not duplicated back to media server B (and not replicated to site A) - then site C is important.

HTH.