Netbackup, HP StoreOnce/DataDomain, Multiple Sites, DR

[PCmannen]

I'm looking into a new setup. Is it possible to run backup from VMware servers (on both sides) to HP StoreOnce/DataDomain and then to the tapelibrary. I was thinking about using a Storge Lifecycle Policy.

SITE 1
VMware servers
Netbackup Server
HP StoreOnce Backup System or DataDomain(OST?)

SITE 2
VMware servers
Netbackup Server
HP StoreOnce Backup System or DataDomain (OST?)
TapeLibrary (FC or SAS)

What licences do I need? Enterprise disk licence?

How do I restore a site in a DR scenario? Do I need to catalog the media? Should I look into the Netbackup AIR function?

[Mark_Solutions]

A few things here - and two possible stumbling blocks to your plans - so maybe we can sway you to a system that will work great for you!

No problems having your Master and Media Server virtualised and using the OST plugins as long as they meet the required specifications.

Storage lifecycle policies are great - and yes, you need the Enterprise Disk license to use them, as well as any de-dupe / OST unit.

If your sites have different Master Servers then AIR would be perfect - but not supported on OST devices yet so that is your first stumbling block

The second one is getting a tape library mapped to a Virtualised Media Server - tape drives are fine but it just doesnt like robotics.

As it sounds like a decision has not yet been made about what sort of de-dupe you are going for let me suggest the following:

Option 1:

Each site has a virtualised Master

Each site employs Symantec N5220 Appliance(s) which have direct tape out

Use AIR to replicate cross site

Have a tape library at each site of you wish - AIR cross site - duplicate to tape at the remote site

Option 2:

Similar to the above but using Symantec N5020 Appliances and adding in Real Media Servers to handle the data flow

Option 1 would be best and the new appliance give up to 64TB usable de-dupe now so it really depends on the size of your sites - you can even drop a virtualised NBU Client into VMWare and use Hot-Add over the fibre to a N5220 for very smooth vSphere backups!

Hope this helps and gives you some ideas - if you go down the Symantec route you should get a good deal on the licensing (It would probably be Capacity based) if you have it all as a bundle - wish you were my customer!

[PCmannen]

There hasn't been any decision regarding de-dupe, but some are pushing for different technologies (religion?) I just want the solution D2D2T so I can restore fast in case of DR and store for a long time (because of regulations)

Size is of full backup: <10 TB. Backup schedule running daily,weekly,monthly (tape?), yearly (tape)

Option 1: Could I just run Symantec N5220 as master with tapelibrary. Then use AIR to replicate the backup data cross site and duplicate to tape at remote site? What about DR? Both Netbackup servers will have a complete overview of all tapes used by both servers? So then I can start a restore of a server within minutes after the site has gone down?

Option 3: Replace Symantec N5220 with Physical Backup servers, DataDomain/HP StoreOnce and tape library. Then I'll use OST and Storage Lifecycle Policy. Then I will also have the data on both sites. (but no catalog, since AIR is not supported). And when I site A is down I will have to restore Netbackup Catalog A to Netbackup Server B (merge) or install new netbackup and restore catalog (would take time?). Then I can start to restore site A on site B. I might also have a challenge with the tapes, need to be transported offsite?

Option 4: Same as Option 3, but without the OST plugin. Then I can use AIR and still use Storage Lifecycle Policy? 

As you can see, I want the pros and cons with using DataDomain/HP StoreOnce compared to Symantec Appliances.

[Mark_Solutions]

OK - For immediate restore Option 1 is still best but that is based on restoring from Disk as only the site that duplicates to tape will know about them.

The idea if you have 2 sites is to cross replicate - site 1 to site 2 and site 2 to site 1 and then they write each others backups to disk. The result is a full set of backups on both sites ready for restore and all tapes off site.

They do not know about each others tapes though so on the source site you have a longer retention on disk than for the replica site (but tape can then be kept for a long time and always imported into the site the original data came from)

AIR only works woth De-Dupe so you have to have that in the equation somewhere - 5020, 5220 or MSDP (OST's will come eventually I guess)

To get anything decent out of other devices you really need a single NetBackup domain so that Opt De-Dupe gets used across site.

You could globally cluster the Master across sites so in the event of a failure you can bring up the other one - just bear in mind that all catalog information will be crossing the inter-site link if you have a siingle Master

AIR is so simple it has really changed how people look at things.

I am in the middle of a project using both 5020 and 5220 appliances with 3 NetBackup domains and cross site AIR (5020 to 5020 both ways and 5220 to 5220 one way - note that you can AIR from 5220 to 5020 but not the other way around)

Hope this helps

[PCmannen]

Seems like I would push for the following solution:

SITE 1
VMware Servers
Symantec N5220 Appliance (Master, 24TB)
HP Autoloader LTO-5 FC

SITE 2
VMware Servers
Symantec N5220 Appliance (Master, 24 TB) 
HP Autoloader LTO-5 FC

Backup of VMware servers on Site1 will run to N5220 on Site1, replicate (using AIR) to N5220 on Site2, duplicate to tape on Site2. (Can this duplication be automated?). In case of DR on site1 i can start a restore immediate with N5220 on site2 to the VMware servers on that site?

[Mark_Solutions · Accepted solution]

Sounds good to me - need a reseller?!

And yes no problem duplicating to tape automatically.

To use AIR you have an identically names SLP on each site

The source site has a Backup job to the local appliance plus a duplication job to a "remote master"

The destination site has an SLP with the same name with an Import job (detects the files arriving and imports them into NetBackup) followed by a duplication job (duplicates the imported images to tape)

All very cool and gives control over all the different retention periods every where as well

When happy dont forget to mark a solution to close the thread off and then send me the order - LOL!

[PCmannen]

Thanks for your valuable information. It's going to be interesting to see the what the price quote I get on this compared to solutions with DataDomain or HP.

[Mark_Solutions]

Just bear in mind that if you have 10TB now you are best to get a quote for 12 to 15TB to allow for growth, especially as you will probably never get it as cheap per TB as you do when you buy a package deal!

If you are going for a full package like this you should get a really good package price on Capacity and De-Dupe licensing whilst buying the appliances - and dont forget, as long as you already have NetBackup that is in maintenance, that you should be able to trade all of your existing licenses in against the Capacity one.

I may be a higher price than HP / DD (let me know what you find out) but you get the full functionality of NetBackup and makes annual maintenance etc. really easy as well as not needing to buy high spec Media Servers to do the work with HP / DD appliances.

Good luck and let us know how it goes