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Configuring windows cluster clients for backups

NBU_Provisioner
Level 2

Hello.

I'm wanting to confirm and make sure we're configuring windows clustered clients in Netbackup correctly for LAN and SAN clients.

Today, we're creating two policies. One policy for the two physical servers and one policy for the VIP. I have others saying that we should be using nbemmcmd to create an app cluster and to populate /usr/openv/netbackup/db/altnames so, that any member of the cluster can see the backups for restore purposes?

Is it neccesary to use nbemmcmd? If so, for what and why? Thanks!

Example cluster:

Physical server A - C:\, D:\ and System State

Physical server B - C:\, D:\ and System State

VIP  - E:\, F:\ and G:\

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

RiaanBadenhorst
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

Hi,

You're talking about two topics that don't really relate directly to each other.

1. The EMM and SAN Clients

Since you're running FT and your cluster nodes are SAN Clients you want to create the app_cluster entry in the EMM and then add the nodes to it. This ensures that FT works correctly when you target the VIP name (E:\, F:\ and G:\) instead of the nodes names (C:\, D:\ and System State). We do this when running SAN Clients and also when running SAN media servers.

2. Restores and altnames.

Altnames allows the redirected restoration (alternate client) of data. Say you've backed up something from Client A and need to restore it to Client B. Or in your case, VIP name, to potentially node 1, or 2 or what ever. By default NetBackup doesn't allows this so you can create the altnames to say, Client B can access Client A's data, or just open it all up by adding the No.Restrictions touch file. http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO89603

 

Hope that helps.

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9 REPLIES 9

sdo
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Certified

Hi - personally I've never had a problem doing it using your two policy + altnames method for plain and/or database agent clients which are members of a cluster - and I've not yet had a need to investigate the EMM app_cluster route.

I can find no reference to app_cluster in the Admin I or Admin II guides, nor in the clustered master guide.  I haven't checked all of the manuals, but app_cluster does appear in the high availability guide - where it appears to be referenced only in the sections relating to clustered media servers, and clustered SAN clients.

At the bottom of page 20 of the high availability guide (for v7.6) it implies that clustered LAN clients can be protected using your two policy (one using the application cluster VIP address) + altnames method.

IMO - if the clustered clients are LAN clients, then I'd stick with the two policy + altnames approach.

But, having said that, some questions:

1) Are your clustered clients SAN FT clients?

2) Are your clustered client SAN media server client - i.e. do your clustered client have any of their own (or shared) disk or tape storage units?

HTH.

NBU_Provisioner
Level 2

Thanks for the response.

1) Are your clustered clients SAN FT clients? In this scenario, we have both. LAN and SAN FT clients.

2) Are your clustered client SAN media server client - i.e. do your clustered client have any of their own (or shared) disk or tape storage units? They do have shared SAN disk which is presented as a resource by the VIP. In the example E:\,, F:\ and G:\.

So, let me ask this. If you don't populate the client names in the altnames directory does this cause a problem for restores?

Our team doesnt perform restores but, I was under the impression with the cluster example I provided, that if i needed to restore data from a VIP backup using the "VIP  - E:\, F:\ and G:\" I would logon to which ever physical server that had the resource drives and specify the VIP client name in "Source client for restores" and the VIP name in "Destination client for restores". And, that would show E:\, F:\ and G:\ backup data in which to restore? Thanks.

RiaanBadenhorst
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

Hi,

You're talking about two topics that don't really relate directly to each other.

1. The EMM and SAN Clients

Since you're running FT and your cluster nodes are SAN Clients you want to create the app_cluster entry in the EMM and then add the nodes to it. This ensures that FT works correctly when you target the VIP name (E:\, F:\ and G:\) instead of the nodes names (C:\, D:\ and System State). We do this when running SAN Clients and also when running SAN media servers.

2. Restores and altnames.

Altnames allows the redirected restoration (alternate client) of data. Say you've backed up something from Client A and need to restore it to Client B. Or in your case, VIP name, to potentially node 1, or 2 or what ever. By default NetBackup doesn't allows this so you can create the altnames to say, Client B can access Client A's data, or just open it all up by adding the No.Restrictions touch file. http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO89603

 

Hope that helps.

sdo
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Certified

Thanks Riaan - for clarifying that SAN FT clients require the configuration of app_cluster entries in EMM.

@NBU_Provisioner - I think Riaan's post deserves to be marked as the solution.

@Riaan - Apologies, if I'm speaking out of turn here, but I'm always wary about the advice of applying a No.Restrictions file.  Simply because this allows all clients to browse and restore all other client's backups.  IMO there are very few use cases for this.  HTH.

RiaanBadenhorst
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

Hi sdo,

 

No drama, I recall you saying this before and understand its a security concern. In the end you're responsible for your environment so you can choose the method that suits you best.

sdo
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Certified

1) Personally, for the purposes of "dual policy + altnames" versus "emm + app_cluster", I would view the clustered SAN FT clients in the same way as if they were clustered LAN clients - i.e. the 'naming' functionality of using a cluster resource group VIP name to access cluster resource group SAN resources is the same whether you're using LAN transport of SAN FT transport - so I still see no reason to go the EMM + app_cluster route.

    Update;  this is incorrect (see Riaan's post below).

2) Sounds to me like the backup clients are not what we term "SAN media" servers, i.e. whilst thay have SAN based resources in the cluster resource groups - they do not have private or shared NetBackup 'storage units'.

3) Yes, you will need to populate altnames files to allow the cluster member nodes (backup/restore clients) to be able to browse and restore from backups which were saved via the policy that used the clustered VIP client name, i.e. to be able to restore from backups which effectively appear to belong to a different client name (the cluster VIP name for the cluster based 'appliaction' resource group).

    Update:  Again, contextually incorrect (see Riaan's post below).

sdo
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Certified

No probs.

Can I ask whether NBU_Provisioner will still need to create altnames files, when using app_cluster definitions for SAN FT clients?  Or will the EMM app_cluster definition allow each NetBackup client (which is an EMM defined member of the app_cluster) to browse and restore backups for the backups secured using the app_cluster 'application/cluster resource group name'?

Also curious to know whether an EMM app_cluster definition also allows each member node to browse each other member node's backups for restore?

RiaanBadenhorst
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited Certified

The configuration of the app_cluster only pertains to the EMM. NBU_Provisioner would possible still need to create the altnames, but that would be determined by whether or not the "Required network interface" setting is used on the client.

 

If its set the server he is performing the restore from should communicate via the clustered IP, thereby letting the master reverse lookup its IP address to the hostname it would be browsing for. But then again that would cause an issue if you're not looking at clustered drives.

 

So I think I answered our question by running through the logic in my head :p

 

Add altnames.

NBU_Provisioner
Level 2

Thanks guys. That clears it up for me. I appreciate the feedback and support.