Netbackup / Exchange 2010 DAG backup

[SYMAJ]

I am running a configuraton with 5230 appliances (2603) and Exchange 2010 on W2K8R2 in a DAG environment.

I have mutiple mailbox databases and a number of public folder databases.

I want to secure all of the mailbox databases on a daily/weekly/monthly basis but include the public folder databses on a monthly basis only.  In addition, I want to process the mailbox databases in a multi-streaming fashion to get the best throughput as we have approx 6TB of mailbox databases.

After researching this I see the following as an option:

1. Use the DATABASE AVAILABILITY GROUP directive in the backup selections which will include everything in the DAG

2. Add an exlucude for the public folder databases on the Exchnage clients (do I need this on just both of the DAG members or on the CAS servers also ?).  What is the format of the exlcude ?  Microsoft Exchange Public Folders:\folder-name

3. How do I then ensure the mailbox databases will process concurrently ?  I currently have ALLOW MULTIPLE STREAMS set in the policy attributes, and have NEW STREAM set once ahead of the MICROSOFT EXCHANGE DATABASE AVAILABILITY GROUP directive.  This appears to create one job (snapshot and backup) for each DAG member.  I want to process multiple databases concurrently - do I need to omit the NEW_STREAMS directive altogether and limit the jobs per policy to say 10 ? (as in the HOWTO7302 document - excerpt below)

• When you do not enable multiple backup streams, all of the databases for a snapshot job are backed up in a single backup job.

• When you enable multiple backup streams and do not specify any NEW_STREAM directives, each database is backed up in its own backup job.

• When you enable multiple backup streams and do specify NEW_STREAM directives in your policy, then NetBackup tries to group the database backups into jobs according to the placement of the NEW_STREAM directives in the backup selection list. The result is affected by the grouping of database backups into snapshot jobs. NetBackup separates backup jobs after any database that is followed by a NEW_STREAM directive in the policy.

I am selecting GRT here also - NFS installed, Distributed Application Mapping set etc.

Bottom line, I want to have a policy selection list which is simple and requires no maintenance (ideally just MICROSOFT EXCHANGE DATABASE AVAILABILITY GROUP), be able to exclude the public folder databases and be able to process the mailbox databases concurrently.

Any input much appreciated.

AJ.

[INT_RND]

The easy solution is to make two policies that match your two business requirements.

Then call out the databases exclusively in the backup selection. Use the NEW_STREAM directive to separate the databases by estimated size. Or you can make each one a unique stream. This allows you full control over the order and logical grouping of the databases. Wildcards are not allowed in the data selection.

EXAMPLE:

NEW_STREAM
Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\DB1

NEW_STREAM
Microsoft Exchange Database Availability Groups:\DB2

TECHNOTE:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO60734

[SYMAJ]

INT_RND,

Thanks for your input, but your proposed option doesn't suit my requirements.......

I have the maximum number of 100 mounted DB's within the DAG, and to hard-code all of these (when they do change from time to time) is an administrative nightmare. 

I need to understand if the following approach will work as I expect:

1. Use the DATABASE AVAILABILITY GROUP directive in the backup selections which will include everything in the DAG (do not specify individual databases)

2. Add an exclude in the Windows Exclusion List configured within the NBU client on each DAG node for the public folder databases (2 of).  What is the format of the exlcude ?  Microsoft Exchange Public Folders:\folder-name

3. To ensure the mailbox databases will process concurrently on each DAG node I will have ALLOW MULTIPLE STREAMS set in the policy attributes, and will NOT have a 'NEW STREAM' entry in the backup directives (NEW STREAM gets inserted as the first entry by default when you select DATABASE AVAILABILITY GROUP).  My reading of the documentation (as in the HOWTO7302 document - excerpt below) is that this will create one job per database for each DAG member.  As I don't want to have 50 jobs kicking off on each node I plan to use the MAX JOBS PER POLICY to control this.

From HOWTO7302

• When you do not enable multiple backup streams, all of the databases for a snapshot job are backed up in a single backup job.

• When you enable multiple backup streams and do not specify any NEW_STREAM directives, each database is backed up in its own backup job.

• When you enable multiple backup streams and do specify NEW_STREAM directives in your policy, then NetBackup tries to group the database backups into jobs according to the placement of the NEW_STREAM directives in the backup selection list. The result is affected by the grouping of database backups into snapshot jobs. NetBackup separates backup jobs after any database that is followed by a NEW_STREAM directive in the policy.

I cannot test this approach just yet, and hence my question to you guys as to whether my understanding is correct and will this approach do what I think it will (as detailed above).

Thanks,

AJ

[jim_dalton · Accepted solution]

Thats how I do it symaj (although I have no excludes).  No "new streams" ( it just complicates the issue and as you say , you run the risk of omission) I just let it line up all the dbs jobs and they proceed mpx3 (in my case) per tape drive, with the rest sitting there queued until they can jump in on a free mpx stream.

Jim

[SYMAJ]

Jim,

Just so I am sure of what you are saying......

Do you have a single entry for the DAG specified in the selections list or a list of databases ?  I understand you have NO 'new streams' directive.  I am going to 5230 disk so no issue with MPX.

Thanks,

AJ

[jim_dalton]

Single entry AJ:

MS DAG:\

Jim

[Anuj_Kr]

Dear SYMAG..

single DAG directive will work for all you database backup, you need not to select NEW STREAM directive.

For public folder exclusion, please refer below

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO47318#id-SF930563211

Example public folder entries in an exclude list

This entry ...	excludes ...
Microsoft Exchange Public Folders:\Marketing	The root public folder called "Marketing".
Microsoft Exchange Public Folders:\Marketing\*.xls	All .xls documents under the Public Folder called "Marketing".

[Anuj_Kr]

Also refer below to add exclusion item, and I would suggest to add this exclusion on DAG name, NOT the physical name of machine hosting mail & cache.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO47442#v47302430

[SYMAJ]

Anuj,

Not sure what you mean by add the exclusions to the DAG as opposed to the nodes - if you select the DAG when modifying client it simply selects one of the 2 DAG nodes.

I have currently added the following exclusions to both of the DAG members:

Microsoft Information Store:/public-folder-1

Microsoft Information Store:/public-folder-2

I also removed the NEW STREAM directive which is automatically inserted ahead of the DAG entry in the Backup Selections.  I also set the limit jobs per policy to 20.

The result was that I got 20 jobs running concurrently - great - but the exclusions cause a status 2 on the public folder jobs.  The snapshot still occurred for the public folder databases - which I don't want to happen if possible.

Ideas.......

AJ.