Making copies of Backups for offsite

[bc1410]

What is the best way to do this. Making copies of backups on separate tapes to be sent off site for storage for the JUST IN CASE Scenario?  We are using NBU Enterprise Server 7.5.0.3 version.  We have a Solaris 10 server that is the MASTER and MEDIA server.  Our clients which also has been upgraded to 7.5.0.3  consists of a few Solaris 10 servers and a few windows 2008 servers (Exchange & SQL Server).  We have a SL500 Tape Library Robot consisting of 2 LTO-4 tape drives.   I appreciate any ideas in regard to this.  I know that Symantec NBU has the Vault Option but we dont have the separate license for this option.    Thanks Again - BC

[MilesVScott]

Create a Storage LifeCycle policy and add a second duplication of the immage to tape that you can offisite. Without the vault option managing the will be on you but its still doable in a reasonable sized enviroment. For more on SLP configuration I'd check out the Admin Guide.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=DOC5138

[mph999]

SLP is good, but you need a license, which you may not have.

Easiest I think, to just configure multiple copies (set in the schedule), this will write to both tape drives at the same time - job done.

Martin

[bc1410]

Sorry to say but Im a newbie with all of this NBU software. 

Martin - I looked at one of the policy's we have and went under the schedule tab then highlighted the FULL Backup name (we do full and differential) and selected CHANGE.  Then on the Attribute section I see under 'Destination' the multiple copies check box.  But it is greyed out.  Not active??  Can yopu help me out a little bit with more details. 

Do I need to create a new policy and see if its still greyed out.? 

Thanks

[bc1410]

Martin - the policy I was looking at was an NDMP policy.  Now I noticed for instance that our windows policy backup for our Windows 2008 server -  under schedules and under the full backup that the multiple copies check box is NOT greyed out.  So I cant do multiple copies for a NDMP backup policy??  Most of out backup policys are NDMP types...

Thanks

[mph999]

It would appear not - that's unfortunate, just checked on my system and it's the same.

So look like you may have to use SLPs, or duplicate manually.

Martin

[bc1410]

So SLP doesnt come with the NBU Enterprise server 7.5 version.?

I cant believe there is no way to duplicate or make a COPY of a NDMP backup without having to run it again manually or purchaqsing something else.  Maybe we should just purchase the VAULT OPTION.  Does the VAULT option work with NDMP?  Do you know?

Thanks again for your input and help.

BC

[bc1410]

So if  I was to just kick off my backup policies (NDMP ones) a second time for my copy version to be sent offsite.  Within that particular NDMP backup policy how do i tell it what TAPE I want it to use.  Is there sometihng in the GUI interface to say hey I want this manual backup to go to this particualr tape or do I have to write a script or ??

Thanks

[mph999]

SLP is a licenseable option - sorry, out of my control.

Running the backup a second time is quite neat, believe it or not I didn't think of that.

Simply, you create a new volume pool and call it 'offsite ' or similar.

You then create a new scedule in the policy, and inside the schedule bit, you 'override' the volume pool so that it uses the new one.

Don't forget to send a copy of the catalog offsite.  You would need to run this last, so that it is upto date with the seconds copy of the backups you made.

Martin

[EricStone]

Hi there, just to check regarding this SLP, instead of another policy created.

Did any dependency rule can apply to the primary backup policy.

exp: once the the client backup is initial and data is backup into primary pool, once backup completed, dependency rule inplace to copy data directly from primary to secondary pool without disturbing client resources?

[Mark_Solutions · Accepted solution]

The trouble with running a backup twice is that it won't work for incremental backups as the archive bit (or the equivalent in NDMP) will have been reset after the first backup so the second one will not be the same.

I have to be honest i didn't think that SLPs were licensed - they can only be used with Enterprise disk when working with disk (which is licensed) but i thought if just using tape they were fine.

Depending on the amount of data involved and your network you could use remote NDMP (where the data passes from your filer over the network via a Media Server and is then written to tape) and use an SLP so that once complete it gets duplicated to yoru off site pool.

The reason that you cannot do multiple copies with direct NDMP is that its protocol cannot understand / cope with doing it.

Hope this helps and gives more ideas

[Marianne]

I am late to this this party.... 

Mark is correct. SLP is not a licensed options.

Supported storage for SLP is Media Manager (tape) and Advanced/Enterprise disk (which is a licensed option).

So, SLP can be configured to backup to tape and duplicate to tape.

Please go ahead and configure SLP, then mark first suggestion for SLP as solution.

[bc1410]

thanks marianne... Let me try to figure the SLP out..

[MilesVScott]

The Admin Guide(Link in first post) explains the SLP's pretty well.