Client Ignores exclude list

[felonious_caper]

So I've got 250 or so clients that we back up. All are windows based with various operating systems.

The backup type is "Standard"

Now on most of these clients, they follow the exclude/include list. However, there are a few that do not.

I've tried manually deleting the registry files on the client and then adding them again from the master server, I see the changes take affect, I reboot the machine just to make sure... but they still completely ignore the exclude list. I don't know what to do, or why it does this. All of the clients are running the latest client software. Is there anything else I can check?

Deleting the registry files work on ONE of the clients, but had no affect on the others.

[J_H_Is_gone]

I had the same issue - and someone told me there was a fix I had to install for it to work.

[Will_Restore]

Why not "Windows" ?   Standard policy type normally for unix clients. 

[Marianne]

Create bpbkar log on the problematic clients and post the log for one of them (as attachment).

I agree with Bill - why Standard policy type?

[Mark_Solutions]

Could you clarify your setup please - as wrobbins says you policy type is Standard and yet you talk about deleting registry entries?

If you clients are Windows based then the policy type should be Windows

Depending on your NetBackup version there is a fix for ignored exclusions:

7.0.1 Clustered Shared Drives : http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH144007
7.0.1 Windows 2008: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH150101

You also need to ensure that you do not have more than one exclude list at play (so one for all policies, all schedule and another for a specific policy) as it will only take the onformation from one of them

Hope this helps

[felonious_caper]

Few questions directed at everyone.

I hardly doubt the policy type has anything to do with the issue. 99% of the other PC's are also using this policy type without issue. Most of which are INCLUDED in the same policy as the PC's that are ignoring the exclude list.

I will however, move them all to a "windows" policy type since this seems to be the best practice.

I am running 7.0.0 so it appears that the above patches do not apply to me. Also, if a patch was required, wouldn't this issue affect all PC's, not just some?

Now, regarding more than one exclusion list in play. Where can I find other exclusions? I only see this client listed once in all of the policies. I've been setting these exclusions/inclusions, via "host properties -> client" double clicking the client and adding the exclusions and exclusions. They are all listed under "All schedules" and "all policies"

I also checked to make sure the IP address wasn't listed twice on NFS with two different aliases

I will post a bpbkar log up tonight as the only ones I have available are from saturday (when no PC backups take place)

[Will_Restore]

another best practice is to apply latest patch updates.  Oddly some machines can be affected and others not.  I have seen this not just with NetBackup but applications as well.

[felonious_caper]

Unfortunately there is never time to do things the right way but there is always time to do it over. We are still waiting on a new machine to move NFS to before applying anymore patches or upgrades to NBU.

[felonious_caper]

how would I create the log for one particular client? would I do it on the PC it self? or from the master server. Is it a matter of just creating the bpbkar folder in logs?

[felonious_caper]

Ok so here are two bpbkar logs

Good client and bad client

[Mark_Solutions]

Interesting - both are 6.5GA so even worse than we thought!

In the "good" one the logs says:

Excluded: C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\mapisvc.inf

12:53:47.670 PM: [124.5000] <2> tar_base::V_vTarMsgW: INF - Reincluded: C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Outlook\mapisvc.inf

Which suggests you have exclude and include lists - so the exclude list is being overridden

The "bad one says:

UpdateExludeListWithVHD begin

4:08:13.452 PM: [5340.3088] <2> tar_base::V_vTarMsgW: TRV - object not found for file system backup: C:\Bid Sols Rec'd

4:08:13.478 PM: [5340.3088] <4> dos_backup::tfs_startdir: INF - Stopping scan for Symbolic Link: C:\Users\All Users

4:08:13.483 PM: [5340.3088] <2> ov_log::V_GlobalLogEx: INF - file_access (constructor): 0 non-NTFS volumes

4:08:19.699 PM: [5340.3088] <4> dos_backup::tfs_startdir: INF - Stopping scan for Directory Junction: C:\Users\Chris Martin\AppData\Local\Application Data

Which suggests the selection list is not correct but suggests no exclusions at all

So!!!...

1. Upgrade when possible

2. Please post the registry key (in text format) for both clients - just HKLM\Software\veritas\netbackup\currentversion\config\

Thanks

[felonious_caper]

Are you saying it thinks the client version is 6.5? I personally have installed 7.0 on each of the affected PC's.

as far as that one directory not being found on "Bad client", that is ok. Some PC's in that policy have that directory, the ones that don't simply skip over it.

The exclusion/inclusion may seem a bit confusing, but I know it's right. Since we don't know what the "usernames" are on each PC this is how we implement our backup selection (since windows doesn't like wildcards for directories in the backup selection)

Backup Selection:

c:\users\* (include all files in users)

Exclude:

c:\users\* (exclude all files in users)

Include:

c:\users\*\pathtofileswewant (but include these specific files)

[Mark_Solutions]

Ah yes! I remember that exclude / include now!

But yes - the first line of both logs says:

BPBKAR NetBackup Backup/Archive 6.5GA [Jan 4 2010] Copyright 1993 - 2007 VERITAS Software Corporation All Rights Reserved.

The exclude list issue exists at all versions back to 6.5 so it could be a factor.

So could you give us a screen shot or extract of the registry for the good and bad client so that we can see exactly what the settings are

Could you also take a look under:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\BackupRestore\FilesNotToBackup

to see what entries are there

Failing spotting anything there we would need the backup running again with the logging level turned right up to see if it tells us a little more

I have just spotted one other difference between the good and the bad - the good one has:

12:53:34.660 PM: [124.5000] <4> dos_backup::V_PreProcessing: INF - backup privileges enabled, previous = 0

but the bad one does not - almost like a rights issue somewhere - do you use an account for the NetBackup Client Service?

Thanks

[felonious_caper]

I still don't understand how the log can say 6.5 when NBU knows its 7.0. 3119 is the good client, 3409 is the bad client.  I just noticed that in the client settings, mis3409 had a client name of another machine we have a policy for. Unfortunately, changing it to mis3409 as well did not help

I will post up the registry files later on tonight. I only have access to the good client right now. Is there a way to enable backup priveledge through the GUI?  Also, the service runs under what ever the default is. It hasn't been changed.

[felonious_caper]

Also, I found this pretty intersting too

Under host properties, instead of going to client, i poked around in master server and checked those client settings. Interestingly enough I found this list... There are only a handful of clients listed here, not sure why or how they ended up here, but some of them in this list are problem clients... but not all such as mis3119. What does this setting do?

[Mark_Solutions]

By default it runs as local system - that is the only place to change any access rights

Are they really Vista? Only Enterprise and Ultimate are supported at V7.

Both report being at 6.5GA from the provided logs so maybe the bpbkar executable has not upgraded or names have changed any the logs / backups actually relate to different clients?

[felonious_caper]

They are not really vista, some are windows 7 but vista is the highest our version of NBU can detect. The logs are definitely from that client computer, As I actually retreived the log from that client and emailed it to my self before posting here.

[Mark_Solutions]

The client attributes section is just used to control restore browse options, connection options and open file backup options - should not affect the exclude lists

If you look in the clients \netbackup\bin\ directory and right click bpbkar32.exe and check out its properties what version does it say it is?

And what does the \netbackup\version.txt say it is?

[felonious_caper]

When right clicking on bpbkar32.exe the file version is 7.0.2010.104 and the product version is 7.0

version.txt:

HARDWARE Windows x64
VERSION NetBackup 7.0
RELEASEDATE Mon Jan  4 19:56:20 CST 2010
BUILDNUMBER 20100104

[Will_Restore]

... of hostname resolution, that we're dealing with the same machines that NetBackup is talking to?