Import, Expire, Import again.. Possible?

[pep-e]

Hi there,

I happened to Import one backup image which was actually not complete in the storage. The backup image is the result of a Data Domain replication, and now it is complete, unlike when the first time I tried to import. What happened to me is:

- Imported without the image was complete. IIRC, I got no errors.

- Tried to Restore from that backup image, Got a complain from NBU, telling me there was nothing there.

- Checked Re-importing is impossible, then Expired the image.

- Ran an Image Cleanup (from command line). Actually left one full day pass.

- The backup image is not shown anymore on the Catalog section (I use actions "Verify" and "Duplicate" to do the search).

- I cannot import it again. When I try to do Import like the first time, I am missing the backup image.. But I know it is there!

Does NetBackup know what is the history behind that backup image (Import + Expire) and due to that it is not letting me Import it again?

Thanks to All in advance for your help.

Cheers

[Marianne]

Checked Re-importing is impossible, then Expired the image.

Oops!

Expiring disk image will actually run a nbdelete to pysically delete the image on disk.

I think your image is gone. Deleted. 
(Well, mark for deletion on DD at next mainenance window.)

[StefanosM]

Have you run phase two import or just the initiate import?

If you select import from the catalog menu configure the dates and press start, can you see your backup or not?

EDIT: I thing that Marianne is correct
 

[pep-e]

Hi Marianne,

Many thanks for stepping in.

Luckily, my underlying storage is read-only, since it is the Target for an active Data Domain replication. For sure the maintenance window happened already, but it's impossible NetBackup could actually make DD delete it... In fact, I can list the contents of the DDBoost storage unit, and I can see the files there.

I even have a duplicated DDBoost storage unit which can be reached by this NetBackup, but when trying to Import (yes, after Phase I is done) it also appears as empty.

I suspect NBU is applying some kind of intelligence there, due to which it will not show  me as available for Import one backup image that was Imported+Expired before.

Completely reinstalling (including making sure there's no trace of the current NBU installation after the Uninstall) could be an option, but this is a VM with little resources and will take me hours..

Do I have any chance to do something else than wiping out this server and reinstalling NBU? (What would I do if reinstalling was not an option?)

[pep-e]

(Sorry! This reply should go under Stefano's text. I'll put it there, too.)

Hi Stefanos,

Thanks for your reply. I ran Phase I and Phase II is not showing me anything to Import, thus I cannot start the actual Import.

Cheers

[pep-e]

Hi Stefanos,

Thanks for your reply. I ran Phase I and Phase II is not showing me anything to Import, thus I cannot start the actual Import.

Cheers

[StefanosM]

I do not think that netbackup act like this. It may be a ddboost problem.

check the logs to verify that netbackup has indeed delete the entries in the database.

One question.
Why you use datadomains this way? I think that AIR replication is by far more convenient way to have two master servers in sync.

[pep-e]

Hi Stefanos,

You are right about AIR, but this was an old-but-known solution designed in the past and these kind of things sometimes do not evolve easily.

I thought that, in order to see what NetBackup has on its database, all I had to do is ask using the Catalog section..  :p

From utter ignorance I look at the most recent file in the Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\logs\nbemm folder and could find no reference to the backup image nor to the client in question. The logs in NetBackupDB\log folder seem to belong to the database engine exclusively.

I doubt DDBoost plug-in is responsible for this.. I upgraded it and the behavior is the same. Also, please remember that I can list the contents of the DDBoost storage plug-in on Data Domain itself and the files are there.

Let me insist in my gratitude for your help, people.

Best

[StefanosM]

check the "all log entries" at the GUI and the admin, bptm, bpdm and bpdbm log at the netbackup\logs, if they are open.

I do not have any other idea about your problem. Maybe someone else will come up with a solution. OR open a case to veritas support.

[pep-e]

Hi,

Good one. I think I got confirmation to my thoughts, which are that NBU will not let me import something it has pending deletion:

10/9/2015 11:15:18 AM <Client's FQDN>  Critical 502 Media Device sts_delete_image of image <Client>_1443524678_C2_F2_R1 failed: error 2060046 plugin error
 

It's a pity I *must* do something about this today. Since this NBU server can be wiped out and reinstalled, I'll do that. I say it's a pity I am in a little bit of a hurry because this looked like a nice occasion to learn (Not that I didn't, eh  ;)  ).

Best

[Marianne]

I just thought of something...

nbdelete -allvolumes -force

This should clean-up all NBU references to the image.

Retry the import afterwards and let us know.

[mnolan]

There is also a "purge deletion list" flag in case it gets stuck in the delete state having failed once already.  If it gets to that point you might want to consider a support call for assistance with the syntax for that command.

I was also thinking, Does the image show up in the results tab? If so, it might list why it skipped it.

[pep-e · Accepted solution]

Hi, mnolan and All,

Finally uninstalled both NBU 7.6.0.4 and DDBoost plug-in 2.6.2. Then installed NBU 7.6.1.1 and DDBoost plug-in 3.0.1.0. I think versions are not the most important here, but merely the fact that software was uninstalled and installed again.

Then tried again. Phase I went well: no skipped images. Phase II did not (plug-in error; 228). Googled again and launched good old bpimage -cleanup -allclients. After that, thanks God, I could see my beloved backup image ready for Import, and Import is ongoing now. I am now Full listing output like it was a TV   ;)

Sorry to have finished like this. Digging more into NBU+DD would have been better, but I was running out of time and lucky enough to be able to wipe out this NBU installation and start over.

Thanks and Greetings to all!