Multiple Network Interfaces, Windows 2003 Server

[Fischer]

Hi All,

I'm trying to setup basic load balancing for 2 nics on a netbackup enterprise 6.5.3 windows 2003 box.  All the documents I find regarding this tell me to go into the server's bp.conf file and put in an entry for both nics.  The problem is that a windows box doesn't have a bp.conf file.

How do I do this on a windows box?

Thanks

[Karthikeyan_Sun]

If you mean to say about teaming

Chck this https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/implementing-highly-available-data-protection-veritas-netbackup?sym=TRUE

or

Use Hosts File Entry or "Use specified network interface" option

Make Hosts File in Windows to Point the Client by using

Use specified network interface
The Use specified network interface property specifies the network interface that NetBackup uses to connect to another NetBackup client or server. A NetBackup client or server can have more than one network interface. To force NetBackup connections to be made on a specific network interface, use this entry to specify the network host name of that interface. By default, the operating system determines the one to use.
Example 1 - client with multiple network interfaces.
Assume a NetBackup client with two network interfaces:
■
One network interface is for the regular network. The host name for the regular interface is fred.
■
One network interface is for the backup network. The host name for the backup interface is fred_nb.
The NetBackup client name setting on both the client and server is fred_nb. When client fred starts a backup, restore, or list operation, the request goes out on the fred_nb interface and over the backup network. The operation assumes that fred and the network are set up to do so. If this configuration is not in place, fred can send out the request on the fred interface and over the regular network. The server receives the request from client fred_nb with host name fred and refuses it because the host and the client names do not match.
Use specified network interface
The Use specified network interface property specifies the network interface that NetBackup uses to connect to another NetBackup client or server. A NetBackup client or server can have more than one network interface. To force NetBackup connections to be made on a specific network interface, use this entry to specify the network host name of that interface. By default, the operating system determines the one to use.
Example 1 - client with multiple network interfaces.
Assume a NetBackup client with two network interfaces:
■
One network interface is for the regular network. The host name for the regular interface is fred.
■
One network interface is for the backup network. The host name for the backup interface is fred_nb.
The NetBackup client name setting on both the client and server is fred_nb. When client fred starts a backup, restore, or list operation, the request goes out on the fred_nb interface and over the backup network. The operation assumes that fred and the network are set up to do so. If this configuration is not in place, fred can send out the request on the fred interface and over the regular network. The server receives the request from client fred_nb with host name fred and refuses it because the host and the client names do not match.

[Fischer]

Hey,

thanks for the reply.   I think i sort of understand, but I get lost somewhere down the line.  What I want to do is make 1 of my clients(Client1) backup via my second nic and have all my other clients user the first nic.  Here's how I think i need to do this, but I'm kind of lost on how to finish it.

Netbackup Windows Server:

Nic1 ip = 192.168.1.3
Nic2 ip = 192.168.1.2

I go to Client1 and make it's host file for netbackup2 point to nic2's ip address.  So it is configured to connect to server "netbackup2" which resolves to the second ip address of the netbackup server.

I set all my other clients to resolve "netbackup" to nic1's ip address.  And make sure all their client settings are to connect to "netbackup".

Here's where I'm lost.  How do I make my netbackup server initiate the backup of Client1 through the second nic?  Does it initiate the command to client1 and then client1 uses it's host reference and then backup on nic2 of the netbackup server?

Do I have to do anything to the netbackup master server to specify that it can receive backups on it's second nic?

[netbackup_rooki]

i hope this helps

http://seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/293038.htm

[Fischer]

Thanks for the info, it explains some things, but it's talking about using the bp.conf on the server to configure servers, and my windows server does not have a bp.conf. 

I have tried what I listed above, but I am getting  "Status = access to the client was not allowed.".  Which makes sense, because the server requested a backup from 192.168.1.3 and the client is trying to backup to 192.168.1.2. 

Can anyone tell me where exactly I would setup my second ip/server on my master server, so I can have specific clients use it?

[netbackup_rooki]

in your client names under the windows nbu client.

[quebek]

Hello
First of all please put Your NICs in two different networks!!!
Right now You have NIC 1 and NIC 2 in the same netwok 192.168.1.X /24. Ask anyone network guy what he is thinking about such configuration!!
secondly I would do this:
NBU Server
NIC1- 192.168.1.3/24 hostname - backup_server           - so called live network
NIC2 - 10.1.1.2/24 hostname - backup_serverbck           - so called backup network

NBU client
NIC1 - 192.168.1.5/24 hostnane - client_live
NIC2 - 10.1.1.5/24 hostname client_bck


On the server in policy put the hostname client_bck - since backup server and this client are on the 10.1.1.x network this, on client side while inststalling NBU client tell that NBU server name is backup_serverbck.

[Seth_Bokelman]

I use multiple NICs on my Windows 2003 x64 backup servers, but I don't understand what you're trying to do.  If you have both NICs going into the same subnet, you should use NIC teaming, as this will give you 2Gbps of bandwidth for all of your backups, and you will only have one IP address to worry about. 

If you have the NICs going into two different subnets, you just want to make sure you only have one default gateway, so that it will always use the correct NIC to talk to the server you're attempting to back up.

Trying to use two different NICs with two IPs in the same subnet won't really work, as there's no effective way to force NetBackup to use only one NIC to talk to a specific server, as both NICs are going to have valid routes to reach that host.  This is a network topology problem, not a software configuration issue.

[Fischer]

Thanks for the reply Seth,

I actually had network teaming setup, and it was "functioning" alright, but it slowed all of my larger backups by quite a few hours.  I tried 4 different configurations on my hp network team and had my network engineer setup the trunk according to hp's recommendations and I couldn't get my large backups to run as fast as they were when I had just 1 single nic card.  Because of that, my only other option is to have my client that takes all weekend to backup, run on the second nic of my Netbackup server.  That would free up my primary nic for some new backups that I need to add to the system.

I've posted my setup on this link  https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/network-teaming-slowing-large-backups


If you have any suggestions, i would  greatly appreciate it. 


But basically you're saying, because both nics are on the same subnet, I can't force netbackup to use 1 particular nic for one particular client?  It's a limitation of networking and not Netbackup itself?

[Seth_Bokelman]

It's strange that you're having that issue, I'm using a Dell 2950 running Windows 2003 x64, and was able to just team the Broadcom NICs in it to our Enterasys switches (with help of the network admin, of course).  I routinely push 1.5Gbps plus through that interface, so it's obviously faster than a single NIC would be.  I know that doesn't really help you though, as your hardware is different, but it "should work", "in theory". :)

However, if you're only hoping to bring one host through that second interface, and you can't get teaming/trunking/aggregation/802.3ad  to work, you could do something cheesy like just using a crossover cable on a (separate) private IP space to create a second network there, assuming that second host is within range and has a second NIC port you can use.  You'll also need to fiddle with the hosts files on the server and client so that the server thinks that client.you.com lives on that other private network and your client thinks that server.you.com lives on the private network as well, but that'll give you plenty of bandwidth between the two.

[alazanowski]

Teaming should NOT slow down your network unless there is something misconfigured on your network side (which includes your switches and routers) along with your configuration on the system. Often times, when people team they set the nics to auto which is also a big no-no when it comes to Netbackup. I often have to make sure people verify that each nic is physically set to 1000 full duplex and then have the teaming software done. Our media servers run 4gb each teamed and they run VERY fast in comparison to seperated nics on different networks.

[Fischer]

I was using Auto on both the ports.  I will change it next week and see if that makes a difference.  Thanks for the input.

[netbackup_rooki]

you can also test a speed by doing a large file transfer bypassing NBU.....