NetBackup 7.5 Catalog Backups

[I_like_3_14]

I have a quick question.  I've not only done searches in this forum, but have searched all the relevant admin manuals (I've collected them all!!  ;)  ), but can't seem to find an answer.  Maybe I'm just bad at searching?

Anyway, the question involves backing up the NBU Catalog to disk and copying it to tape.  In a remote site, I'm backing up the catalog to disk, then want to copy it to tape.  Since there is only one tape drive (all the backups from the day easily fit on an LTO5 tape, with room to spare), can you put backup images and the catalog backup copy on the same tape?  If you do this, and need to recovery the catalog from tape, does this make it more difficult?

With the manpower limitations at the remove site, getting everything on one tape is going to be key, if possible.

[Nicolai · Accepted solution]

No you can't. The Catalog backup uses it's own tape from tape pool "CatalogBackup".

From Netbackup administrator guide Page 715 - Configuring a catalog backup manually

■ Policy volume pool

NetBackup automatically creates a CatalogBackup volume pool that is

selected by default only for NBU-Catalog policy types.

[Andy_Welburn]

In the normal scheme of things this would not be possible:

- Catalog backups can only go on media from the CatalogBackup volume pool.

- 'Normal' backups cannot be directed to the CatalogBackup volume pool.

However, looking into duplication it *appears* that NB *may* allow you to duplicate your catalog backup to media that is not in the CatalogBackup volume pool - I'm unsure of the potential implications of mixing it all in the same pot (nor of duplicating the catalog backup for that matter), not something I've tried!

***EDIT***

touché

[Nicolai]

But how will you get the duplicated catalogbackup back when the catalog is gone - Catach 22 ??

[mph999]

"But how will you get the duplicated catalogbackup back when the catalog is gone - Catach 22 ??

"

The DR file gets updated ... so it should be able to find the media, in theory ....

Here is my DR file after catalog backup to tape

#DR_MEDIA_REC: ver rtype mtype host c# p# policies# policies kbytes nimg vimg hsize off subtype client_type sched_type run_time id/path frag_id media_desc bcode den

DR_MEDIA_REC 1 0 2 womble 1 1 0 290240 1 1 1024 4539 1 7 0 1352910119 R0TP00 *NULL* -------- 12

DR_MEDIA_REC 1 0 2 womble 1 1 0 290240 1 1 1024 4539 1 35 0 1352910244 R0TP00 *NULL* -------- 12

I duplicated this to disk ...

Here we see the DR file is updated ...

 0 1352910488 1 1 0

#DR_MEDIA_REC: ver rtype mtype host c# p# policies# policies kbytes nimg vimg hsize off subtype client_type sched_type run_time id/path frag_id media_desc bcode den

DR_MEDIA_REC 1 0 2 womble 1 1 0 290240 1 1 1024 4539 1 7 0 1352910119 R0TP00 *NULL* -------- 12

DR_MEDIA_REC 1 0 2 womble 1 1 0 290240 1 1 1024 4539 1 35 0 1352910244 R0TP00 *NULL* -------- 12

DR_MEDIA_REC 1 0 0 womble 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 7 0 1352910119 /netbackup/nbu7503/basic_disk/womble_1352910119_C2_F1_R1 womble *NULL* 0

DR_MEDIA_REC 1 0 0 womble 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 35 0 1352910244 /netbackup/nbu7503/basic_disk/womble_1352910244_C2_TIR_R1 womble *NULL* 0

DR_MEDIA_REC 1 0 0 womble 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 35 0 1352910244 /netbackup/nbu7503/basic_disk/womble_1352910244_C2_F1_R1 womble *NULL* 0

CREATOR root

So it might work .... never tried it myself ...

[I_like_3_14]

That is the question... can you pull the catalog back from a duplicated tape with other images.  In all my years with NetBackup, I've never tried it.  I've always had a separate catalog tape go off-site.  This can still happen, but it requires someone change the tape, which may or may not happen.  If it doesn't happen, either the catalog or the other jobs fail.  I prefer things being nice and neat and pinned to best practices, but sometimes you are forced to branch out and do something a different way than you'd like. 

Looks like this is something that will have to be tested.

Thanks for all the helpful replies!  They are appreciated.  I guess there's no actual solution, but to test and see what happens.  When I have an answer, I'll try to remember to post it here.  Given that you can create a SLP to duplicate the catalog image to any tape pool, I think it's possible, but was hoping someone had been here before and had a definitive answer.  ;)