NBU migration on Linux

[sym_biosis]

We are planning to migrate NBU master (7.6.0.2) as we are doing server replacement.

Old server OS - OEL 5.6 (kernel - 2.6.18-238.19.1.0.1.el5)

New server OS - RHEL 6.6 (kernel - 2.6.32-431.29.2.el6.x86_64)

We are planning to recover the catalog in the new one. Do you think there will be any issue ?

[RiaanBadenhorst · Accepted solution]

Both OSs are supported, just make sure you keep the hostname the same.

[sym_biosis]

Actually we have a very different planning.

We won't do the recovery.

/usr/openv is mounted  on a lun from SAN.

We will shutdown the old master and present the same lun to the new master to mount it as /usr/openv. Not sure if this is supported but wanted to confirm, does the OS and kernel make any difference inside /usr/openv?

The pbx and startups (anything outside /usr/openv) we are planning to take care by doing a false installation of netbackup master then removing  /usr/openv followed by mounting the lun as /usr/openv.

[Jaime_Vazquez]

The OS versioning should not pose any problems at boot time.  The Master Server host name must be preserved from old server to new server. The host name is part of the database information internal to the database files themselves.  Retain the same IP address for the Master.Server as well.

There should be no need to remove the /usr/openv directory and contents installed on the new server as part of the migration.. Simply overmount the LUN device path over the /usr/openv directory.

[sym_biosis]

Thanks !

Can it be upgraded to 7.6.1.1 later ?

[Marianne]

I would be nervous about doing it this way.

There could be differences in actual binaries.
NBU startup may fail if incorrect hardware version is found.

Version files on our appliance:

/usr/openv/netbackup # cat version
HARDWARE LINUX_SUSE_X86
VERSION NetBackup 7.6.1.1
RELEASEDATE Thu Feb 12 10:39:54 CST 2015
BUILDNUMBER 20150212

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin # cat version
NetBackup-SuSE2.6.16 7.6.1.1

I have only ever done a move of database lun, not entire installation.
(A cluster where all dbs live on separate lun/filesystem.)

Upgrade will also look for package info and may give issues if not found.

[Jaime_Vazquez · Accepted solution]

Ahead of any attempt to do a 7.6.1.1 upgrade I would highly suggest an upgrade to 7.6.0.4 release level. As noted by Mariane there may exist some subtle differences in the installed software.  The upgrade to 7.6.0.4 should alleviate that issue. Once the environment is at 7.6.0.4 and is fully operational, the upgrade to 7.6.1.1 should be a more reliable activity.

[sym_biosis]

Working fine after the migration. We are yet to do the upgrades.

Thanks for all your suggestions.