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Make media server back itself up

SteveLaw
Level 5

Hi,

 

Is there a way to force a media server to always back itself up, and not let another media server do it?

We've got a Netbackup 7.5 environment in development using Data Domain boxes. On servers with 50gb+ of data we install the media server rather than the clientalong with the DD Boost De-dupe at source plugin, so they write drastically reduced amounts of data directly to the Data Domain box.

So in practice we have two sorts of media server:

1) active media servers that will backup any client (according to storage lifecycle policies etc)

2) servers with large amounts of data that need to be media servers to use the DD boost de-dupe plugin and write directly to the DD box without having to go across the network to another media server first. 

 

But we've seen in some of our test runs that media servers are sometimes being backed up by other media servers?! This really surprises me as one expect that if the server IS a media server then it would strongly or exclusively favour itself as its own media server. Also, if it is being backed up by another media server does that mean the DD Boost plugin is still de-duping at source or not? Even if it is still de-duping at source (and I can't see how it can be) using another media server means an extra journey across the network that is not required. 

So I'm thinking, is there a way of forcing a media server to always back itself up? It has been suggested that we could do this with dedicated storage units, but we're expecting there to be 40+ of these type 2 large storage media servers, and that seems like a lot of unnecesary storage units.   

Thanks!

Steve Law

 

 

 

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

Nicolai
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP   

Revaroo suggestion will work. But I am not so sure my suggestion will surprise

There is a EMM setting called MUST_USE_LOCAL drives, it work on media servers  with tape drives attached, but I have never tested it with Data Domain and BOOST. But since it very easy to test it may be worth a try.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO33222

Just one note. The link mentioned UNIX but the command is valid on Windows as well. The tech note is wrong when it say the command must be run on master servers (well it can). But in you're scenario It must be run on the media server.

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3 REPLIES 3

revarooo
Level 6
Employee

Yes specifiy the storage unit in the "Policy storage" section of the Policy Attribues to be a storage unit configured on that media server. Do not use Any Available.

You said you don't want a storage unit for every media server to back itself up, but that's the only way I know of.

 

Nicolai
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP   

Revaroo suggestion will work. But I am not so sure my suggestion will surprise

There is a EMM setting called MUST_USE_LOCAL drives, it work on media servers  with tape drives attached, but I have never tested it with Data Domain and BOOST. But since it very easy to test it may be worth a try.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO33222

Just one note. The link mentioned UNIX but the command is valid on Windows as well. The tech note is wrong when it say the command must be run on master servers (well it can). But in you're scenario It must be run on the media server.

SteveLaw
Level 5

Hi Nicolai,

On the Admin Console for Netbackup 7.5 on Windows the master server has the MUST_USE_LOCAL_DRIVES option under General Server, but the option doesn't appear under any of the media servers properties. But it may work for us an umbrella setting - it seems obvious that if a server is a media server then it should back itself up.

Thanks