NetBackup Disaster Recovery best design

[Joe_ab]

Hi, we are planning to re-implement NetBackup on our environment. We are planning to have two servers at the main site and one at the DR site. Currently having SAN in place and block level replicating can be utilized. The master server at the DR will have the same name of the master server at the Main site but it won’t be  joined to the Domain to save time, once failover to DR is required will stop the replication and read or restore the catalog from the disk.

Is there any better way to minimize the RPO and RTO, cluster is not an option as it’s not a stretch sites SAN and no budget for VCS  ? what could be the best approaches for the DR setup ? can I have a media server at the DR and duplicate the images via NetBackup feature ?

Please share your scenarios for the DR setup and best practices

[sdo]

It doesn't make sense to SAN storage array replicate the LUN containing the primary master server NetBackup catalog database - WITHOUT a cluster config because you can never be sure what condition teh LUN is in - and how would you "fence" it ?   It's worse if your SAN LUN replication is asynchronous.

If you cannot afford true stretch clustering and synchronous SAN... then...

...we need to know more about where your backups are stored - in order to be able to comment any further.

(you completely missed any description of disk storage or tape storage).

[Mark_Solutions]

Just a few ideas that work well....

1. Have your Master Server on VMware using the VMware HA so that it is replicated to a datastore on the DR site (if you have you HA VM's at your dr site) .. that way you just boot it up - this gives a RPO that is pretty shory depending on your relication state

2. A Master at the DR Site, same name, IP address, NBU installed to the same location .. all ready for the big day. All you need then is the catalog backup, either on disk or tape and a copy of the DR file (which i am sure you get emailed to you every day) .. you just need to do a catalog recovery to bring things up - this gives you a RPO that is to the point of the last catalog backup

3. VCS cluster as you mentioned

[Joe_ab]

Replication can be changed to sync instead, Backups are stored on physical tapes at this stage

[Joe_ab]

1. No VMs, at this stage we have a virtualization on the main site only

2. ya that what im trying to enhance, is there any way to replicate the images or catalog through NetBackup ?

[Joe_ab]

storage lifecycle policies wont help in replicatoin instead of block level?

[sdo]

Joe - let's start again:

Joe: Hi

sdo: Hi

Joe: we are planning to re-implement NetBackup on our environment.

sdo: cool

Joe: We are planning to have two servers at the main site and one at the DR site.

sdo: tel us what master and/or media roles, and whether physical or virtual:

Joe: Currently having SAN in place and block level replicating can be utilized.

sdo: I doubt you will get this work without $$$

Joe: The master server at the DR will have the same name of the master server at the Main site but it won’t be  joined to the Domain to save time

sdo: I wouldn;t do it this way.  Instead I would keep a server, up, and in domain, with NetBackup kits ready, but not installed, and as a member of domain, so that WSUS and patching can still be applied etc - and only in the event of DR - then rename the server (no need to re-IP it), re-join domain as old master server name, then install NetBackup Master Server, add license key, and recover catalog.

Joe: once failover to DR is required will stop the replication and read or restore the catalog from the disk.

sdo: probably won't be able to do this, at least not in the way that I read this short text.

.

So, we need this filling in:

Site A - server 1 - master only?  or master/media?  physical or virtual?  has storage (for media server role), yes or no?  If yes, which types of storage?

Site A - server 2 - media server assumed.  physical or virtual?  storage, disk or tape?

Site B - server 3 - assumed will sit "semi-warm" on network, uninstalled, waiting for DR "procedures" to be applied - but is it physical or virtual?

.

Fill in the above for us ---   and please do describe "where your backups are stored?"  tape or disk?

Then we can help "scenario-ize" your active day-to-day setup, and your DR plans.

I can't say anything else until we know where your backups are going to, and what you see as the roles?

.

Final question for now:  Do you have a capacity based license (hope so), or traditional server and client and feature set licensing?

[Joe_ab]

Thank you , Master server is running master\media has storage deduplication +SAN

the second server is like HA physical , and the DR physical as well.

[sdo]

Hi Joe,

I think we've had a bit of a disconnect between questions and answers.

We're more than willing to have a look at this again...

..if you could re-state the starting conditions in more detail (i.e. take into consideration our questions above...)

...and then re-state your questions.

Please?

Thanks.