Failed backups

[AlGon]

Netbackup 7.0 Enterprise
Windows 2003 server

Failed backups basic question

Please can someone help clear this up for me.

If a differential incremental backup fails half way through the job, do all the archive bits that are unchecked during the backup get put back to the way they were before the backup started?

My understanding is that no restore is available in the catalog when a backup fails (even if it fails just before the end).  In which case, if the backup is run again after the failed job (and if the archive bit was left reset) the backup would only backup the files with the archive bit checked.  Would I have the complete differential incremental available for restore?

I hope my question makes some kind of sense.
 
Cheers
 

[Marianne]

Archive bit is only cleared if backup is successful.

Extract from Admin Guide I:
Wait time before clearing archive bit
Specifies how long the client waits before the archive bits for a differential incremental backup are cleared. The minimum allowable value is 300 (default).
The client waits for acknowledgment from the server that the backup was successful. If the server does not reply within this time period, the archive bits are not cleared.

[Andy_Welburn]

I'll just add a little bit extra:

The Admin Guide also states the following in relation to checkpoint restarts:

"...
When an incremental backup resumes and completes successfully, the archive bits are cleared for the files that were backed up after the job resumed. However, the archive bits are not cleared for the files that were backed up before the resume. Since the archive bits remain, the files that were backed up before the resume are backed up again during the next incremental backup.
..."

[AlGon]

Thanks Marianne

Yup, I read this too.  Does this mean then that the archive bit on a file is not cleared until the entire backup finishes successfully and not cleared as each file is backed up?

[Andy_Welburn]

I must admit the Admin Guide does not appear to state this specifically , but rather intimates that that is the case. (***EDIT*** certainly in some cases it appeared to me to be stating that it was cleared after the file itself was backed up)

Per my other post below - the archive bit for those files backed up prior to the resume are not cleared, only those after. So it's almost a case of after a successful "session" for want of a better word!

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

The way I read the manual is that the Archive Bit is cleared after the backup has completed successfully.

Clearing of archive bit should be logged in bpbkar log on client.

Else create test folder and test policy and run some tests...

[Jan_ErikA]

I have a problem with my backup. The backup starts normally, when ca. 800 GB is backup it stops and i et th message :

Policy-Weekly Backup -- The job failed with the following error: Physical Volume Library Drive or Robot paused, offline, or disabled.

If take a inventory and quick erase on all 8 tapes and move them to the right media set the backup, the job status is Successful

What seems to be the problem ?
 

 

[Andy_Welburn]

in the Backup Exec forum?

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/backup-and-archiving/forums/backup-exec

& then  "start a new discussion" button at top of page

[Marianne]

Just done a small test:

Diff Incr backup completed successfully. Archive bit only cleared after status 0.
bpbkar log:

02:57:21.206 PM: [8220.9908] <2> tar_base::backup_finish: TAR - backup:                     5 files
02:57:21.206 PM: [8220.9908] <2> tar_base::backup_finish: TAR - backup:          file data:       3070 bytes
02:57:21.206 PM: [8220.9908] <2> tar_base::backup_finish: TAR - backup:         image data:      17408 bytes
02:57:21.206 PM: [8220.9908] <2> tar_base::backup_finish: TAR - backup:       elapsed time:          2 secs         8704 bps
02:57:21.208 PM: [8220.9908] <2> tar_base::V_vTarMsgW: INF - Total Size:3070

02:57:21.208 PM: [8220.9908] <2> tar_base::V_vTarMsgW: INF - EXIT STATUS 0: the requested operation was successfully completed

================================================================================
02:57:24.210 PM: [8220.9908] <4> dos_backup::V_PostCleanup: INF - clear archive bits: start
02:57:24.291 PM: [8220.9908] <4> dos_backup::V_PostCleanup: INF - clear archive bits: stop
02:57:24.291 PM: [8220.9908] <4> dos_backup::V_PostCleanup: INF - ================================================================================

[AlGon]

Thanks for the extra info Andy.  Most helpful.

[AlGon]

Thanks Marianne and Andy.