Decommission Media Server, but continue to back up as a Client?

[smckelvey]

Netbackup Enterprise server 7.0 in a Windows environment.

We have an old server that serves as a Netbackup Media server that we will be retiring soon. In preparation, I'd like to go ahead a decommission it in Netbackup, but the server will remain in production for other reasons and I still want to back it up (just as we have all along). I was going to use the applicable steps for decommissioning found at http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH62119, but began to wonder if there are any other considerations since we still want to consider it a Client. For example:

• after decommissioning as a Media Server, can I leave the installation on said server, or uninstall and reinstall only the client? Then delete and readd to Netbackup as a Client?
• Should I expect any issues with a restore or backup policies, once it's no longer a Media Server?
• etc.

Thanks in advance.

[Ed_Wilts · Accepted solution]

My personal approach would be to go through the formal decommission process.  Then completely uninstall the software and re-install as a client.

My reasoning is that although it would work running as a client with code installed as a server, you'd be vulnerable to security holes in the server code and waste memory and CPU starting up services you aren't using.  You're also less predictable - if you're simply running client code, it's running the same stuff as every other client on your network.  There won't be anything special about it.
 

[smckelvey]

Ed, that's sound reasoning. My only concern with doing that was if there would be some issue with previous backups of that machine (in the event that I needed them). My thought process was that it might be seen as a new machine once removed as a media server and then readded as a client, and any necessary associations would be gone. But I don't know if that's possible or even a concern.

[Ed_Wilts]

The backups for that client are cataloged by NAME, not by the type of server (media vs client).  As long as the name in the client configuration is the same as it was before, you will not have any issues doing restores.  

Additionally, NetBackup allows you to do alternate client restores so that further alleviates your concerns.  If if you removed this system completely, you could restore the backups to another system.

[smckelvey]

Thanks