Exclude list doesn't work

[Konstantin_Koro]

Hello Everybody,

Perhaps somebody can help me with the following problem:

I created a policy that suppose to back up completely a single local drive R: on a client (iSCSI storage), except a specific folder on it (containing database files).

My setup looks like this:

Policy -> Backup Selections -> R:\

Windows Client -> Exclude Lists -> R:\ExcludeFolder\ (for all policies/schedules)

Still, NetBackup attempts to backup R:\ExcludeFolder\, which leads to an error, because the database files are in use.

I'm aware of the solution with VSS, it works, but I don't want to increase my backup size with unnecessary files.

I'm using NetBackup 7.0, Master/Media Server is on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server 10 SP3 x64, Client is on Windows Server 2003 x32.

Why Exclude Lists are not working? I've already tried various syntax, e.g. "R:\ExcludeFolder\*", "/R/ExcludeFolder/" as well as creating policy-specific excludes - nothing helps. What am I doing wrong?

Thanks,

Konstantin

[creany]

Konstantin

you seem to be on the right track with "R:\ExcludeFolder\*". it does backup the folder but not the contents underneath. if you know you have the syntax right it might be a simple case of restarting the netbackup client service on the netbackup client and see if it works after that.

Michael

[RiaanBadenhorst]

Is your client maybe in a cluster? If so, the value's (exclude list) might only be applied to one node.

Just a thought...

[Konstantin_Koro]

Hi Michael,

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, files under the excluded folder backed up as well, which causes an error. I've tried both "R:\ExcludeFolder\" and "R:\ExcludeFolder\*"

Restarting the client also didn't help, and I assume it is not really necessary, as my changes to the Exclude List are visible right away on both client and server, no matter if I make changes on the client or on the server. They only have no effect during backup.

Can it be, that the exclude list is only in effect on scheduled backup, and not on the manual backup started from the server?

BR,

Konstantin

[Konstantin_Koro]

Hi Riaan,

You've guessed right, indeed it is a cluster, but I'm experimenting with a single node of the cluster, and the exclude list is set on this node. The Master Server sees my exclude list in the client properties as well.

BR,

Konstantin

[stu52]

What if you set up the exclude list for the cluster name insead of the node name?  Is the client name for the policy set to the node name or the cluster name?

I would think that if you are backing up a cluster, you would use the cluster name in the backup policy & that would need an exclude list for the cluster & not an individual node.

[Konstantin_Koro]

Thanks. I'm aware that the exclude/include lists are only working when the client name in the policy matches the name actually configured in the NB client. So, in my case I tried both node name in the client and in the policy as well as cluster name in both. Behaviour is the same.

In further experiments I found the following:

- Exclude "R:\*" works and excludes everything.

- Exclude "R:\E*" works too and excludes my "R:\ExcludeFolder" (I don't have any other folders on R: drive that begin with "E").

- Exclude "R:\Ex*" doesn't work

- Tried also "R:\EX*" (thought, maybe NB looks for the short 8.3 name) - doesn't work.

- To see if it's case sensitive at all, tried "R:\e*" and "R:\ex*" - 1st works and 2nd doesn't: so it is not case sensitive.

Any further ideas?

[RiaanBadenhorst]

Might want to check with support..

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/are-cluster-exclusions-broken-you-too-nb-656-70-701

[RonCaplinger]

Copy/pasting froma post by maryann:

Hotfix

Hotfix available:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH144007
Windows client exclude list not honored when backing up a shared drive in Microsoft Windows Cluster environments following upgrade to NetBackup 6.5.6 / 7.0 / 7.0.1

..........

If this issue is experienced while running NetBackup 7.0.1, a hotfix is available for download here:  http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH150081

If this issue is experienced while running NetBackup 6.5.6, a hotfix is available for download here:  http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH152708

[J_H_Is_gone]

Make sure you don't have any spaces at the end of your entry