How to restore specific file from VADP VM Backup?

[Weshall]

 I am taking VADP backup for my VM's via Netbackup 7.6

Understood that I can restore entire VM from vmdk backup.

But if I want to restore specific file from the backup is it possible?

If yes then what is the process?

Thanks

[Marianne]

Yes - see NetBackup for VMware Administrator's Guide
 page 157 onwards.

[sdo]

Yes it is supported for most of popular guest VM OSes, but not all of them.

And it is supported for most of the popular file systems, but not all of them.

The limitations are typically VMware based, and not NetBackup based.  In fact NetBackup enhances the functionality with some great stream handlers.

At this stage we cannot say for sure whether it will be supported with your configuration/environment, because you have not supplied any version details at all.

This doc will help you:

DOCUMENTATION: Support for NetBackup 7.x in virtual environments.

https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.000006177

.

If you are not comfortable with ratifying your interoperability matrices then tell us:

- NetBackup Master Server, exact OS family/version/patch, and exact NetBackup version.

- NetBackup Media Server, exact OS family/version/patch, and exact NetBackup version.

- NetBackup VMware Backup Host, exact OS family/version/patch, and exact NetBackup version.  (FYI this role is typically performed by a NetBackup Media Server, but maybe you have a NetBackup Enterprise Client performing this role?)

- Target storage type?  Tape or disk?  If "disk" then which type of NetBackup "disk storage unit"?

- VM guest, exact OS family/version/patch level, and exact file-system type and version and "bitness" (i.e. 32-bit file system, or 64-bit file system).

- ESXi host vSphere version, major version, update and patch level.   (yes all three pieces of the "version" of ESXi please!).

.

If you can supply the detail above, then one of us should be able to confirm compatibility for you.

.

Only once we have confirmed compatibility can you/we then begin to cover how to do it.

HTH.

[Weshall]

Thanks for the reply Marianna & sdo,

I found that for some VM's backup If i go to BAR GUI & select backup type as normal it shows all files data like traditional backup & also shows Vm's vmdk data if selecet policy type as vmware.

However for some of the Vm's normal backup doesnt shows but shows only vmdk data.

I also noticed that Vm's which shows both normal & vm backup has nbu client installed on it.

But if thats the only reason I dont understand.I am new to the VM backups.

Please help..

[Marianne]

You need to have a look at the backup policy config and the doc that sdo referenced above.

Not every type of backup supports file-level restore.

As per the section of the manual that I have referenced: 

You can actually start reading up 'Restore notes and restrictions' in Chapter 10 (p. 138)

There are quite a number of notes regarding individual file restore in this section - what can an cannot be done. (Too many to copy & paste here).

Important note on p. 157:

Note: Individual file recovery is supported from full backups and from incremental
backups, as long as the Enable file recovery from VM backup policy option is
enabled.

Read through the step-by-step restore procedure starting on p. 158.

[sdo]

@Weshall, I don't mean to be pushy, but I've been caught out on here several times... working on why a file level restore from a VM backup was failing... only to later discover that we weren't given enough detail re "versions", and that the circumstances of support interoperability matrices (in other postings) were unsupported anyway.

What I'm trying to say is... you may end up wasting a whole heap of time trying to work something that will never work.

So, my advice would be... to confirm your version interop support before even attempting a restore/recovery.

[Weshall]

I did gone through those pages from admin guide but could not find the answer..

please find below details.

 1)  NetBackup Master Server, exact OS family/version/patch, and exact NetBackup version.

--> NBU 7.6.1.2 / OS Linux 2.6.32-358.el6.x86_64

2) NetBackup Media Server, exact OS family/version/patch, and exact NetBackup version.

-->NBU 7.6.1.2 / OS Windows2008(6)

3) NetBackup VMware Backup Host, exact OS family/version/patch, and exact NetBackup version.  (FYI this role is typically performed by a NetBackup Media Server, but maybe you have a NetBackup Enterprise Client performing this role?)
-->backup host is the same as media server.VM backup is happening with VM intelligent polciy

4) Target storage type?  Tape or disk?  If "disk" then which type of NetBackup "disk storage unit"?
 --> Storage type is disk on Sepaton

5) VM guest, exact OS family/version/patch level, and exact file-system type and version and "bitness" (i.e. 32-bit file system, or 64-bit file system).
  
--> Red Hat Linux 5/6/7 (64-bit) /CentOS 5/6/7 (64-bit)

6) ESXi host vSphere version, major version, update and patch level.   (yes all three pieces of the "version" of ESXi please!).

--> vSphere Client 5 Build 913577

[sdo]

Based on what you have posted, I would say that you should be ok.

However, we're still not clear on what file system types on are inside the guest VMs.

See page 20 of this doc:

DOCUMENTATION: Support for NetBackup 7.x in virtual environments.​

http://www.veritas.com/docs/000006177

[Weshall]

How to find file system type inside guest VM?

[sdo]

cat /etc/fstab

[Marianne]

Have a look again at Support for NetBackup 7.x in virtual environments -  Table 11 - VMware guest operating systems supported for file-level recovery 

You will see that CentOS does not appear in the list.
Meaning CentOS is NOT supported for file-level recovery.

For some you will see something like this:

Note: File-level recovery is supported for virtual
machines that use the 32-bit version of the ext4 file
system. Support for the XFS and ext4 (64 bit) file systems
is planned for a future release.

[Weshall]

Its ext4 File system.

It installed NBU client on Vm & did restore & its completed successfully.

But dont understand without nbu client how VADP is backing up normal files from VM with the same policy & with query?

Could you please answer this..

[sdo]

The CentOS VMs are not supported for VM file level restore - irrespective of file system.

The RHEL VMs you say have EXT4 file systems.   But are they 32-bit EXT4 or 64-bit EXT4?

.

NetBackup has "V-Ray" technology... it builds a map of the folders and files as it takes a backup.   It is sometimes refered to as a "stream handler", i.e. NetBackup intelligently converts blocks in to a catalog/index of files - and knows which files refer to which blocks.  All very clever, and very useful.

[Marianne]

Have you downloaded the Support for NetBackup 7.x in virtual environments doc as yet?

Please take time and read through the sections that we have referred you to......

[Weshall]

Thanks, Linux team created new VM's & its vmdk file is getting backed up but normal backup is not getting backed up...

Unable to find the cause,did read admin guide but could fine,do you have any clu on it.

[sdo]

Bit difficult to have a clue without seeing any logs.

[Marianne]

Please explain the following:

... but normal backup is not getting backed up....

Are you referring to file-level recovery from VMware backup?

Or backing up the VM with Standard policy type?

If you are asking about file-level recovery from VMware backup then please answer these questions -

1. Have you downloaded Support for NetBackup 7.x in virtual environments doc?

2. Have you gone through Table 11 and Table 12?

3. Which of your OS and/or filesystems do NOT appear in these sections?

3. For Supported OS and Filesystem (the ones appearing in Table 11 and 12) - can you confirm that 'Enable file recovery from VM backup' is selected in the Policy?

[Weshall]

Thanks both of you i got the answer from teble 11 & 12 it seems...the server which is not backing up normal files has xfs as FS on Linux 6 (64 bit) but backing up VM despite of selection of 'Enable file recovery from VM backup' in the policy

[sdo]

Here's a useful tech note:

Restore notes and restrictions​

This topic is about restores from a NetBackup backup of a VMware virtual machine.

http://www.veritas.com/docs/000068025

[sdo · Accepted solution]

Fil level cataloging of a backup of a VM containing an XFS file system is not possible.  Therefore file level restore to the XFS file system is not supported either.

.

Page 20 of:

DOCUMENTATION: Support for NetBackup 7.x in virtual environments.​

http://www.veritas.com/docs/000006177

...says:

RHEL7:  Requires NetBackup 7.6.0.2 or later.  Note: File-level recovery is supported for virtual machines that use the 32-bit version of the ext4 file system. Support for the XFS and ext4 (64 bit) file systems is planned for a future release.