Imported 5.1 images into 6.5 - Question

[Chris_Babcock]

All the images the were imported into 6.5 from 5.1 have their expiration date set calculated from the retention period and the IMPORT DATE.  Is this how NetBackup should operate, being that it is useless?  Do all the images need their date recalculated?

Thanks,Chris

[Stumpr2]

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Chris Babcock wrote:

All the images the were imported into 6.5 from 5.1 have their expiration date set calculated from the retention period and the IMPORT DATE.  Is this how NetBackup should operate, being that it is useless?  Do all the images need their date recalculated?

Thanks,Chris

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That is normal operation. When a tape is imported it assumes the retention level applied to the day that it is imported. You can let them naturally expire or you can change the expiration date to allow them to include their original expiration date.

If you still have the 5.1 master catalog available then you can query it to find the original expiration date.

[Chris_Babcock]

Thank you for the information.

Can you tell me how to convert the timestamp in the backup ID, so that I can use that and the retention period to generate the proper expiration date.

Chris

[Stumpr2]

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Chris Babcock wrote:

Thank you for the information.

Can you tell me how to convert the timestamp in the backup ID, so that I can use that and the retention period to generate the proper expiration date.

Chris

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That is clever!

DOCUMENTATION: How to convert the ctime of directory names and backup IDs to human readable format.

http://support.veritas.com/docs/237363

Details:

Manual:
Veritas NetBackup 6.0 System Administrator's Guide, Volume I for UNIX and Linux, Page: 105
Veritas NetBackup 6.0 System Administrator's Guide, Volume I for Windows, Page: 111

Modification Type: Supplement.

Modification:
Backup image names and directory names in the NetBackup images directory (/usr/openv/netbackup/db/images/<client_name> on UNIX/Linux machines and <install_path>\veritas\netbackup\db\images\<client_name> on Windows machines) are written in ctime.  This time can be converted to a human readable format by using the bpdbm binary on the master server (/usr/openv/netbackup/bin on UNIX/Linux master servers and <install_path>\veritas\netbackup\bin directory on Windows master servers).  

To convert the ctime to a human readable format, run the following command:

bpdbm -ctime <value>

Examples:
Converting the ctime of a directory in the images directory into a human readable format:

C:\Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\db\images\client_01>dir

Volume in drive C has no label.

Volume Serial Number is 14D2-2CF9

Directory of C:\Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\db\images\client_01

12/18/2006  08:36 AM    <DIR>          .

12/18/2006  08:36 AM    <DIR>          ..

12/12/2006  06:11 PM    <DIR>          1165000000

12/19/2006  02:13 PM    <DIR>          1166000000

              0 File(s)              0 bytes

              4 Dir(s)  21,506,062,848 bytes free

C:\Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin>bpdbm -ctime 1165000000

1165000000 = Fri Dec 01 13:06:40 2006

C:\Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin>bpdbm -ctime 1166000000

1166000000 = Wed Dec 13 02:53:20 2006

Converting the ctime in a backup image ID to human readable format:

# cd /usr/openv/netbackup/db/images/client_01/1025000000

# ls

weds_test_1025079521_FULL weds_test_1025079521_FULL.f

# bpdbm -ctime 1025079521

1025079521 = Wed

[Chris_Babcock]

Thank you very much!!!

 After playing around, I think the best idea is working with the original catalog as you mentioned.  I exported the Image List report.  I broke this down to BACKUP_ID, EXP DATE and EXP TIME (currently a CSV file).  We are going to create a script or batch file that automates the BPEXPDATE command with the information in the CSV to update all the import images.  I spent over an hour manually doing it and updated about 50.

Thanks again, Chris

[Vinh_N]

How were you able to import the 5.1 images into 6.5. I am having the hardest time trying to figure out how from following the symantec directions. I keep getting errors when trying to import the 5.1 images.Do the images need to be expired or not?

Thanks.