Netbackup 5.0 - Starting from Scratch

[Jayson_kramer]

Ok guy's.

So I was very impressed with all of your input into my last post. So, I have decided to start over from scratch. I have an Exabyte X80 Backup drive that holds 40 tapes.

I am having a hard time with understanding how I am going to do this. I know I can blow my current install away and reinstall it. However, the question lay with the tapes. I have no new tapes to use. They are old tapes. I saw that I just need to put them into the tape drive and run an inventory. One of you replied to create a Scratch Volume. I don't fully understand this other than it is a Volume pool that all new tapes will be placed. As a Volume pool needs additional media, it will pull from there. Shall I set this up then before even worrying about the tapes? Is it pretty simple? (I will read more). Then I know I need to run bplabel against each. Will I then need to Erase each tape? Am I missing any steps?

Thanks a million!

[AKopel]

If you are truly starting from scratch (as in New master with new catalog) Netbackup will not know about these old tapes anyways. When you inventory, it will automatically move them to the scratch pool (assuming you have created it) and it will overwrite them.

[zippy]

Jayson,

Are you just practicing the installation and configuration in a test world?

The tapes your using do they have data on them, do you care about them, can you afford to loose the data on them.

You could take the tapes out and use them in your Sony Video recorder! This sounds like a better idea, then starting from scratch. :)

jdMessage was edited by:
James Dunn

[Jayson_kramer]

Well, since I really don't have any solid backups (except Exchange) since December and because it is all convoluted with 2 volume groups,12 volume pools and 20 backup jobs (4 of which are still needed), I thought it might be a good time to just start over. This way I can Setup a Scratch Pool and have 1 or 2 Volume Pools.

So do you reccomend going through the list I derived from running available_media.cmd and throwing out the ones that are frozen? Since I want to create a whole new environment, Netbackup wont see any of the Expiration dates or data and after relabling the tapes. As well it will overwrite the data. I won't need to do an Erase?

Thanks again Gentleman

[Jayson_kramer]

That is so funny, your comment about the Video Reocrder. I actually do have one that takes 8mm tapes.

[Chia_Tan_Beng]

> So do you reccomend going through the list I derived
> from running available_media.cmd and throwing out the
> ones that are frozen? Since I want to create a whole
> new environment, Netbackup wont see any of the
> Expiration dates or data and after relabling the
> tapes. As well it will overwrite the data. I won't
> need to do an Erase?

If you're setting up from scratch (new installation & catalog), Netbackup won't "remember" anything (i.e. expiration date, frozen status, media, backup images, etc). Therefore its crucial to collect any information you want prior your setting up (e.g. run available_media, etc). You won't need to explicitly erase the tape. Do a backup of your master server if you're going to delete the original and starts from scratch.

[zippy]

Jayson,


20 volume pools, man why do folks do that? What are they thinking when they run the system this way? So much work and so little time to Fish.

You have a small tape library, so I'm thinking you don't have allot of systems to backup, with that said, lets get down to business.

You have one robot one library and on master backup server.

You will only need
1: 1 volume pool
2: 2 possibly 3 Volume Pools (Spare_tapes, NetBackup and maybe one Called Oracle)


Lets say you have UNIX servers and NT servers, applications and databases....

For each O.S You will need one Policy just to backup flat Files

1: One Policy lets call it "UNIX" for the all the "flat" files you want to backup, put ALL the UNIX Clients into this Policy and set the Sched's for it.
2: Another Policy lets call it "Winders2000" stick those clients in here
3: Another Policy called "Winders2003" stick those clients in here
4: Another Policy called "NT_SERVERS" (NT4.0) stick em here
5: Another Policy called "Exchange"" stick them in here
6: Another Policy called "NAS" (ndmp) Stick dem here
7: Another Policy called "Lotus Notes" goes here

All the Policy's above get to use the NetBackup Volume Pool


Now for the Database Policy's, make one for each

1: Make one for each Database - hostname system: like
SERVERNAME_ARCHIVES
SERVERNAME_ORA_HOT
SERVERNAME_EXPORTS
SERVERNAME_SNAPS

ALL the Policy's above get to use the "Oracle" Volume Pool

Just keep in mind, Netbackup keeps track of everything that backed up, including what tapes are used, so you don't need all the Fing pools!

JD

[Jayson_kramer]

OK then, I have sent my proposal to my boss and await his OK. I will then begin the Reinstall Thanks for all your help. I am sure I will have more questions while doing it this week :?)

[Jayson_kramer]

Hey All, So.....While awaiting approval to rebuild, I was able to get a few backups to work after changing them to a different Volume pool. So for now I have removed any physical tapes that did not belong to this "good" Volume pool. I have added 23 tapes (AVAILABLE) that do belong to this volume pool, but were not in the drive. In past expeiriences, when adding an old tape back in, it wants to relabel it. Because this backup drive has a label scanner, I would like it to recognize the tape as an Available tape that already belongs, with its original name.

Help!!!!!!! :?)

[Chia_Tan_Beng]

Not sure how does a Exabyte X80 works. Is it a auto-loader? Did you do a robot inventory after loading the tapes?

[DavidParker]

The X80 definitely looks like an auto-loader.
Seems kind of strange that it would be trying to label the tapes when they get put in; I've never seen a library behave like that.

Jayson, can you please describe your exact steps when inserting tapes?

[Jayson_kramer]

OK, so I was wrong. With my ADIC Fastore 7000, It does not read the header and keep the same label (no barcode acanner). It seems to make me relabel everytime I put in a new tape. Hence I was really nervous about trying this on the x80. I went ahead and did it anyways on Friday and the X80 read the tapes as it should. Now I have to move some of my current jobs to that Volume pool and try the backups. :?)

[Dennis_Strom]

Setting up a scratch pool is fairly simple. first under media and volume pools create a pool named scratch. When setting this up there will be a radio button that says scratch pool select this.
second you have to setup a barcode rule for your tape label which probably looks something like A00000. Netbackup prior to 6 only looks at the first 5 starting from the left. So click
Media and Device Management - Media - Robots then right click robot # and select Inventory Robot...
Select Preview volume configuration then click Advanced Options...
Select the Barcode Rules Tab then select new setup your barcode rule so that the media is automatically put into the scratch pool you created. Make sure the Media Type is the same that your drives are set to or all your backups will fail making you life missurable.