How to create new catalog database with existing netbackup media

[Sunil_V]

We have lost the catalog backup tapes and don't have replication setup. Can someone please let me know how to create catalog information/inverntory in netbackup7.0 and how much time it would tape to rebuild catalog for 300 tapes.

Regards,

Sunil.V

[revarooo]

It's not possible to tell you how long it would take to import 300 tapes. Quite a long time I would image (weeks). All depends on your disk speeds, tape speeds and server speeds.

How did you lose the catalog backup tapes? Is it just a case you don't know which ones were used?

You should be keeping catalog backup tapes safe and sending the DR info out in an e-mail or storing the DR file on a seperate disk from the master server.

[Marianne]

Is this a REAL or What If issue?

Do you mean you have lost your NBU master server and you have NO catalog backups?

I agree with revaroo - HOW do you manage to lose NBU catalog tapes (multiple)???

[StefanosM]

OK, if you relay need to import tapes, this is the procedure:
Windows GUI
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH43584

UNIX/Linux GUI
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH72429

How Long it will take? As revaroo and Marianne say a long. I wold say two to three months. You have to run backups in the meantime. (you have find empty tapes)

BE AWARE OF THAT:

-  The Phase 1 import procedure assigns the media to the media server in the EMM database, and reads the media to create a HEADER file in the ImageDB for each backup that is found. If the backup image being imported spans media, a Phase 1 import needs to be performed on ALL media before running the Phase 2

That means that if you really do not know what is on the tapes, you have to finish the first phase to ALL media and the start the second.

The expiration of an image during the first phase is one week. You must change it.

[mph999]

If you have ONLY lost the catalog backup tapes, just run a new Full catalog backup ...

Fixed ...

Import 300 tapes - say 4 hrs per tape as a rough estimate ...

So about 1200 hrs

M

[Sunil_V]

Hi,

Thanks you for you kind support.

Yes, it happened with one of our customer, where we don't have the catalog backup. He has only data tapes and requesting us to restore data on those tapes.

Regards,

Sunil.V

[StefanosM]

good lack.

[Dan4]

Sunil,

Agree with revaroo and Marianne. How the catalog tapes were lost and you should have DR file with you?

In addition to mph999's post, again rough figure of 04 hours for each tape import depends on environment resources, amount of data on tapes etc. It may vary. It's gonna take a while to get your environment back in shape. Once it's back, please make sure you track DR files atleast.

+ Dan

[Sunil_V]

hi All,

Thanks for your replies, I have one more query. if we have 4 drives. Can we import 4 tapes in parallel to regenerate the catalogue.

Regards,

Sunil.V

[mph999]

Yes, you can use multiple drives.

Martin

[Marianne]

Use as many drives as you have. Just remember to complete phase 1 for all tapes before you start with phase 2 imports. Thought you would've done this by now? It's about 7 weeks later!

[huanglao2002]

Bad news.