Netbackup Doubts

[Sabarna_Deb]

Hi All,

Can some please answer the below doubts.?? 

1. If bymistake "bp.conf" file deleted from master server or media server and/or client. How can we retrieve or restore the original "bp.conf" file?

2. Kindly correct me - "We can read/write LTO4 tapes in LTO5 drive and read only for LTO3 tapes in LTO5 drive".

3. Please explain True image restore? What is the advantage over normal restore?

-Sabarna Deb

[sksujeet]

1> You have to restore it via Catalog recovery

2> You are right

3> https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/true-image-restoration#comment-6614961

[Mark_Solutions]

As per sazz ... and just to clarify ...

For 1. you can browse a catalog backup and just restore the individual file - however, you may need to recreate a basic bp.conf to get the system working again to allow you to do that in the first place

For 2. Spot on - it won't touch earlier tapes at all - but be aware that depending on your library if you have LTO3 tapes using a barcode with an L2 (or L1) on the end that the library itself may not allow the tape to be put into a drive - it is an internal protection system in many libraries

For 3. TIR is what you can think of as taking a map of all the files on a server everytime you run any type of file system backups (full or inc). This give NBU the knowledge of every file on the server and its location - so it also knows if files get moved to a different location.

So in a tradtional backup this happens:

You take a full where files A B and C get backed up

Next an incremental when D gets backed up

The next incremental runs and C has been deleted abd D moved to a new location so D gets backed up

If you now do a restore you restore A, B, C and D in two locations - which is not really what you server looks like

With TIR (with move detection) you would restore A, B and D in its latest location only which is exactly as your server was at the time of its last backup

Hope this helps and makes sense!

[Marianne]

1. bp.conf is NOT backed up with catalog backup.
  Manually recreate it:
SERVER = <master>
SERVER = <mediaserver1>
SERVER = <mediaserver...>
CLIENT_NAME = <local_hostname>

These are the only required entries. Any other customized entries will need to be added as and when needed.
'Accidental' deletion of bp.conf is inexcusable - limit root access to master and media servers.
Create backup policy for master and media servers to backup config files.
You wil still need to manually create basic bp.conf before you can restore from normal backup. 

2. Correct - but NBU densities must match. You cannot use hcart media in hcart2 drive.

3. See previous post as well as NBU Admin Guide I. 
True Image Restore is useful for 'Point in Time' restore.
 

[Marianne]

 Public apology :

Catalog backup in version 7.5 is indeed backing up bp.conf.

I had the time today to browse catalog backup on our in-house lab system - Seems a copy of bp.conf - 'bp.conf.bkp' is created at the beginning of the catalog backup and then backed up along with the rest of the catalog.  This bkp-file is then removed after the backup.

So, when I browsed the Catalog backup, I could see bp.conf.bkp in /usr/openv/netbackup.
(This has not been the case all along... not sure when Symantec has introduced this 'feature'.)

Thanks for the PM, sazz! 

[Sabarna_Deb]

Can you please explain what is HCART? 

How we can individually restore bp.conf file.?

[mph999]

hcart / hcart 2 etc are just labels, they are just a way of matching the tapes that are allowed to  go into the drives, the 'density' as it is known has to match - there is no thechnical meaning, it does not affect the speed of capacity.

This of it as a colour - a red tape is only allowed to go into a red drive.

So, if I had two drives, an LTO5 and a DLT, the drives would be say hcart (LTO5) and DLT (DLT).  The tapes would then be given the correct density so NBU only requsted the library loaded the LTO5 tape into the LTO5 drive, and the DLT into the DLT drive.

To restore the bp.conf file, you select the policy type in the BAR gui as nbu-catalog, and then restore the file as if it was a normal backup.

Persoanlly I wouldn't bother, as my system doumention / nbsu -c -t outputs (run daily and kept) would show me the contents so I would simply recreate it.

There is NO excuse for not having a fully up-to-date and documented system.

Martin

[Sabarna_Deb]

I am preparing for Netbackup L2 and L3 level interviews? Someone please provide the netbackup interview questions?? Thanks!!!

[Sabarna_Deb]

Thanks for your valuable answers...

[revarooo]

Nice try, but no! 

[mph999]

Let me expand on revaroos answer.

The forum is not really here for interview questions, there are too many being asked at the moment, and it is getting a bit out of hand, as the quality of the questions posted is not always realistic, although in fairness, some are good.

If you do a quick search, you will find plenty.

This is my response to a recent query on the same ...

A lot of the interview questions posted up on this forum are complete rubbish, sorry if that upsets anyone, but it is true.

I was going to post some links to other posts, but on looking at the questions, I'm not going to ...

1.  Some questions are so ridiuclous, I hope they would never be asked.

2.  Some I do not even understand

3.  Some canonot be answered if further information is not given

This was also the view if Marianne, who posted on one of the other threads (Marianne, if you do not know is probably the most experienced person for NBU on this forum (along with Mark, Nicolai, wr and anyone else who will feel upset if I don't mention them ...)

I am not a believer in pre-learning questions, much better is to read the admin guides, these should give a reasonable understanding of NBU.

This link is for exam questions, offical, as it is a Symantec link.

http://www.symantec.com/products-solutions/training/certification/path.jsp?pathID=sample_exam_250-37...

Martin

[Sabarna_Deb]

Many Many thanks.....:)

[Sabarna_Deb]

I am having doubts regarding "Maximum data streams" in Admin guide. Please help me to clarify whether my understanding is right or wrong (In italic format)

Specifies the maximum number of jobs that are allowed at one time for each selected client. (This value applies to the number of jobs on the client,even if multistreaming is not used.) = This option is restricting each client of having maximum number of [backup+restore] jobs at a time eventhough client in each job could run user-defined number of streams for each backup.

To change the setting, select Maximum data streams. Then scroll to or

enter a value up to 99.

The Maximum data streams property interacts with Maximum jobs per 

client [Same like maximum data streams] and Limit jobs per policy-> [ This is restricting the policy of having maximum number of jobs. I believe normally policy is creating one parent job and maximum one or two child jobs. It may create more than two or three if we specify number of copies in policy's schedule. Is this restricting from that point of view?. Please correct me]  

as follows:

■ If the Maximumdata streams property is not set, the limit is either the

one indicated by the Maximum jobs per client property or the Limit

jobs per policy property, whichever is lower. [How both is overlapping to each other? ]

■ If the Maximum data streams property is set, NetBackup ignores the

Maximum jobs per client property. NetBackup uses either Maximum

data streams or Limit jobs per policy, whichever is lower. [How both is overlapping to each other? ]

Overall, "Maximum data streams and Maximum jobs per client" means restricting each client's maximum number of jobs in activity moniter and "Limit jobs per policy" means restricting maximum number of jobs in activity moniter by policy. Sorry if i am wrong. 

[Marianne]

I believe the questions in your opening post have been answered.

Please select the answer that has helped you most and Mark as Solution.

I have moved your latest query to a new discussion.

[Sabarna_Deb]

Thanks Marianne......:)