NetBackup for VMware orphaned snapshots best practice?

[iwantam]

Hi All, We have the NetBackup for VMware, one of the backup has 170 snapshots because of the NetBackup kept on failing and nobody really take care (because it was just migrated from the agent base netbackup, and it is still running). This causing problem since the VMware (5.5) only support up to 32 snapshots, the only solution to clear up the orphaned snapshot is V2V. We also realise that some other VM backup also has several orphaned snapshots. I have been read this good article https://www.veritas.com/community/blogs/nuts-and-bolts-netbackup-vmware-handling-orphaned-snapshots and I read what the option for the NetBackup if it found the orphaned snapshot (Ignore, Aborr and Remove NBU) I read that the "Remove NBU" is the default. My questions: 1. Why the "Remove NBU" is not always working? 2. What is the best practice to know that the oprhaned snapshots have been built up? Any sugestion? Thank you.

[Marianne]

1. Check permissions of the NBU user credentials. 2. If credentials are correct with sufficient permissions to remove snapshots, then there should be no orphaned snapshots after backup completion.

[watsons · Accepted solution]

What's your Netbackup and vSphere version?

I know of an issue that when you upgraded your Netbackup to 7.6.1.x  from older version in a vSphere 4.1 environment, the snapshot removal stop to work properly. The workaround is simply to upgrade your vSphere version, or downgrade your Netbackup version. There was still a confusion and debate of whether 7.6.1.x  supports vSphere 4.1 or not, but I guess when the backups keep failing, you will need to go either the upgrade or downgrade way.

Also you can check out more discussions from VMware:

https://communities.vmware.com/thread/430928?db=5

Basically snapshot removal is still a task of VMware, backup software is usually doing the backup and merely being the messenger (to notify create or remove snapshot).

[iwantam]

Hi All, 

Thank you for the responses. 

@Marianne: actually the NetBackup for vmware basically already running fine, but this particular policy causing the problem until it is too late causing we need to do the VtoV (because lots of snapshot)

@Watsons: Our NetBackup master is 7.6.1.2 (just 4 weeks ago upgraded from 7.6.0.2) and other media servers is still 7.6.02 ( we are actually in the process to upgrade to 7.7.1)

The VMware is version 5.5. I will look at the link you mentioned. 

Iwan