Import NetBackup 6 catalog to NetBackup 7

[savona]

We had a NetBackup v6 server running on RHEL 4 32 bit.  We have a real need to upgrade to RHEL 6 (64bit) ASAP.  I was told by someone at our NB Support center that I can recover a NetBackup 6 catalog to a NetBackup v7 server without any issues.  

I have the new OS installed (RHEL 6) and have installed netBackup v7 without any problems.  But I am having a lot of problems recovering the catalogs.  

The whole recovery seems to go fine until the end, when I see these lines:

16:03:45 ERR - Can't startup databases after recovery

16:03:45 INF - Recovery not successfully completed

16:03:45 ERR - Failed to recover NBDB on NBServ1 (12)

[Marianne]

Sorry, the 'someone at our NB Support center' was wrong....

The EMM database can ONLY be restored to exactly same NBU version.

See this TN for step-by-step instructions on how to migrate NBU to new hardware: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH77448

[savona]

Thanks for the link, here is where my issue gets ugly.

We were running v6 which is not compatible with RHEL 6.  How am I supposed to get to RHEL 6 and keep my catalog?  

[savona]

Also I was just speaking to someone in a different department that stated I can import the catalog WITHOUT the database.  This will still give me access to my old backups but I will have to recreate all my polocies and clients.  Any thoughts on this?

[Marianne]

You can do a partial recovery that will recovery everything under netbackup/db folder - backup images, policies, etc. Device, media, pool, Storage Unit info is stored in EMM database. Devices and Storage Units are easy to recreate.

The problem is with assigned media. If you simply create new pools and inventory robot on new server, the media will be unassigned and available to be overwritten.

Three ways to overcome this:

1. Get a consulting partner to use catalog migration tool to export media records from old server and import on new server.
2. List all 'Assigned' tapes on old master, write protect all of them, then add a new pool on new master that will NEVER be used for backups (something like OLDSERVER or RESTORE) and add all these tapes to the new pool. This will mean that you will need all new media for backups on new master. Tapes in OLDSERVER pool will not automatically be recycled. You will have to keep an eye on bpimmedia and manually move tapes to Scratch when images have expired.
3. Same as previous step, but start doing phase 1 import for all tapes in OLDSERVER pool. This way media records with correct expiration dates will be created. Tapes can still not be appended to, but will expire automatically. (You might have to move them manually to Scratch once expired, as only tapes that originally came from Scratch are returned there once expired).

[savona]

I am trying to accomplish this the easiest way possible since I am not really a backup admin, and I have very little experience with netBackup.

Let's say I create a new server, import the catalog without the database.  Now I have all my policies, clients, and the system knows where all my old backups are (tape numbers, etc..).

I just did a monthly full backup in the beginning of the month, which has been moved offsite.  I also did a Weekly full backup on Monday (2 days ago) which have been moved out the server.

I can in theory just leave it be, allow it to overwrite the tapes as it needs to correct?  If I need to restore something from the old tapes I still have it in the catalog and it will tell me what tapes I need to restore.  I am thinking this correctly?  So in essence all I am missing is one day of backups.

BTW, Thank you so much for your help.

[J_H_Is_gone]

upgrade current master to 7.1  take catalog backup

then recovery the catalog onto your new master

[savona]

I cant because V7 does not run on the old OS (RHEL 4 32 bit)

[savona]

Looking at the OS Software Compat list...

I could in threory take my current setup:

RHEL 4 x86_32 with NetBackup 6.0

and upgrade to 6.5.1

Then upgrade the os to RHEL 5 x86-64 

and upgrade to v7.1

Then install RHEL 6 x86-64

and restore the catalog from previous step

But that seems far from easy.

[mph999]

Following on from Marriannes excellent post ...

4.  Symantec support can run nbcc, thereafter we can use nbccr to recreate the media db entries for the "imported" media.

Martin

[Marianne]

Your own plan with multiple upgrade steps seem the safest.

Else, a combination of my suggestion plus Martin's.

Please be careful with daily tapes which seem to remain in the robot. The image database knows about the images on them, but without media entries, they will simply be overwritten, turning your catalogs into a mess. The image database will know about old and new images but the old images have physically been overwritten.

If you go the 'straight to NBU 7' route, please do what Martin suggested before you start running new backups to prevent valid images from being overwritten.

[savona]

I did a little more searching on the upgrade steps I spoke about earlier. I think I have a problem.

BTW, I REALLY appreciate all the help from everybody on this thread.

If I go back to RHEL 4 32 bit, The I can not go to 6.5, the minimum netbackup level for RHEL 4 is 6.0.

So that would mean I have to go to RHEL 5 in order to get 6.5.

Is it possible to import a catalog from 6.0 to 6.5???

Then I will be able to go to 7.0 on RHEL 5.  But the main question is:

Can I import a catalog from 6.0 to 6.5??

[Andy_Welburn]

the minimum netbackup level for RHEL 4 is 6.0."

Am I misunderstanding or are you mis-reading? "minimum netbackup level for RHEL 4 is 6.0." so 6.5 is fine.

[savona]

Thanks Andy, I am definitely not thinking straight this morning.  A little flustered I guess.

So is it possible to import a catalog from 6.0 to 6.5?  

[Yogesh9881]

please dont make things more comlex ? (it will make trouble yourself only)

1>You can install NBU 6.0 on fresh Linux OS

2>Put old catalog media in robot & inventry

3>Import catalog media in to new NBU 6.0 & let use NBU 6.0 for 1 week to chk stability

4>upgrade NBU 6.0 to 6.5.6

[Yogesh9881]

I just read your above line ...

We were running v6 which is not compatible with RHEL 6.  How am I supposed to get to RHEL 6 and keep my catalog?

[Marianne]

"So is it possible to import a catalog from 6.0 to 6.5?  "

Nope - same version only. Even point patch version has to match. See TECH77448 (link in my 1st post).

If you upgrade the existing server to 6.5 you can migrate to RHEL 5 64-bit using catalog backup and restore. After a week or so (to ensure stability after each step), upgrade to NBU 7. If all stable, do catalog backup, upgrade OS (probably fresh install), then install NBU 7 and recover catalog.

PLEASE contact your local reseller for assistance with the phased migration (even if the assistance comes with a price tag).