Change Journaling -- Who uses it???

[Fred2010]

Hi all,

I'm running on Netbackup 6.0 with MP7 on all servers (Full Windows Shop)

Our Incremental backups are taking quite some time and I was wondering if anybody is using the CHANGE JOURNAL option in Netbackup.

Apparently, if used, Windows servers keep track of which files are changed during the day, so Netbackup knows what to backup without browsing through the directory structure.

This is from the HELP page:

NetBackup offers support for the Microsoft change journal in order to enhance performance of incremental backups on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 systems. By enabling the Use Change Journal in Incrementals check box, NetBackup can provide faster incremental backups for NTFS 5 (and later) volumes storing large numbers-possibly millions-of files. Use Change Journal in Incrementals is available only when a valid tracker database exists on the applicable volumes. Default: Not enabled.

Enabling Use Change Journal automatically enables Incrementals are based on timestamp.

The Microsoft change journal is a disk file that records and retains the most recent changes to an NTFS volume. By monitoring the change journal, NetBackup can determine which file system objects have changed and when. This information is used to shorten the discovery process performed by NetBackup during an incremental backup by making a file system scan unnecessary.

This property appears for Windows clients only.

My questions:

1) Does anybody use this option?

2) How can one create the 'valid tracker database' mentioned in the HELP?

3) Is it a stable option to use?

4) Where are the changes kept?

Hope some of you might know the answers to my questions :)

Thanks in advance!

Fred

[Fred2010]

I guess it isn't a good option then ???

[Francois_]

I would like test this feature on Netbackup 6.5.5 and a Windows 2003 client and I hoped find some informations

Nobody use this functionnality ?
I've same questions as Fred.

Thanks.

[quebek]

All you need to do is to create change journal on all NTFS volumes on the client where you do plan to use it.
Command to create is: fsutil, ask you windows admin how to use it. Here is some example:
C:\>fsutil usn createjournal
Usage : fsutil usn createjournal m=<max-value> a=<alloc-delta> <volume pathname>

   Eg : fsutil usn createjournal m=1000 a=100 C:

Once you will create this journals (for all NTFS volumes) You have to edit this client properties on NBU server to use change journal. Than restart NBU client service on this particular client. Take full backup and from now on you will be using journal to perform incrementals backups. Really useful while backing up volumes with huge amount of files!

To see if journal is enabled on a volume run this:
C:\>fsutil usn queryjournal c:
Usn Journal ID   : 0x01ca822814437b70
First Usn        : 0x000000002f300000
Next Usn         : 0x000000002fb06058
Lowest Valid Usn : 0x0000000000000000
Max Usn          : 0x00000fffffff0000
Maximum Size     : 0x0000000000800000
Allocation Delta : 0x0000000000100000

Example if journal is not enabled:
C:\>fsutil usn queryjournal C:
Error:  The volume change journal is not active.

[quebek]

can be found at http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa363798%28VS.85%29.aspx