Netbackup 7.6 Master Server Requirements

[andrich]

Hello Everybody

We are starting to migrate our Netbackup 6.5.6 Master Server (running in a Solaris 10 Sparc V490 Sun Server).

My questions are:

For a Netbackup 7.6 Mater Server, which hardware are required ? We have around 100 clients.

Which is the best options for the OS (Linux or Solaris).

If Linux, which distros (SuSE, RH, Oracle Linux) ?

Is better a physical or a virtual machine ?

Any another tips?

Thanks for now.

Alexandre Andrich

[areznik]

Are you going to want to bring your old catalog with you when you upgrade? If yes then Solaris will be easiest migration Path. Otherwise I'd say linux. RHEL in my opinion is a very good ratio of cost to support quality. 

I dont recommend virtual, not because it couldnt handle the load (100 clients is really not much), but because it would introduce a lot more variables and headaches for you.

[andrich]

Thanks Areznik

I really have to bring my Catalog to the new Netbackup 7.6.

What kind of "headaches" you mean for virtual master server ?

Alexandre Andrich

[areznik · Accepted solution]

What I mean is that you will be introducing another layer of complexity to your environment. I dont know your organization and what kind of control and information you have over the virtualization infrastructure, but these are the kind of problems that have happened to me or I've heard from colleagues in the past with virtual NB servers: 

1) Vmware team needs downtime, have to take down NB

2) Other VMs on the host are saturating the network ports, causing packets to drop, NB jobs fail

3) Need to zone tape drive to master to take catalog backup quicker, cant because that would tie it down to a specific esx host/hba and VMware team wants to be able to move it. 
4) VMware team accidentally applies rules to NB server causing it vmotion to a cluster in another datacenter. All kinds of fun ensues. 

I'm not saying all this will happen to you, but there is a certain set of problems that comes with virtualization. They are hard to explain and even harder to quantify but most of the Netbackup admins I know would never willingly run a master on a VM. 

[Nicolai]

There is sizing guides to find in the Symantec NetBackup Backup Planning and Performance Tuning Guide Release 7.5 and Release 7.6

 http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC7449 - Chapter 2