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Netbackup environment upgrade

Adie84
Level 3

Hi,

I am currently trying to plan an upgrade of our whole Netbackup environment which consists of the following:

A master server and 2 Netbackup 5220 appliances at one site (site A).

A master server and 2 Netbackup 5220 appliances at another site (site B).

All versions of Netbackup are 7.6.0.1 (or 2.6.0.1 for the appliances).

Both sites conduct their own backups for the clients at that site and then replicate the images to the other site via AIR (site A replicates to site B and vice versa).

I wish to upgrade the whole environment to 7.6.1.1 and was wondering the best way to do it whilst minimising downtime etc.

For example, can I upgrade site A one week and then site B the next week or will the appliances being on different versions for a week affect replications?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Many Thanks,

Ade

10 REPLIES 10

sdo
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1) No OpsCenter server?  If you have one - you should upgrade this server first.

2) I *think* NetBAckup AIR can replicate to some higher versions - but best to check - and... IF - a big IF - NetBackup 7.6.1.1 cannot replicate to 7.6.0.1 then, you MAY have to do both master servers at the same time - however, you may be able to do master servers at different times IF they are not also media servers (i.e. if they are not also MSDP 'storage servers') - i.e. this requirement may exist at the 'trust' or 'backup image format' or 'catalog version' layer - and/or also at the MSDP 'storage server' layer.

3) You should be able to leave the media servers to do after the baove - BUT - IF an MSDP 7.6.1.1 storage server cannot AIR replicate to an MSDP 7.6.0.1 storage server, then you may have to do the media servers in pairs.  HOWEVER, IF you have each of the media server replicating some of their backups to more than one remote media server, then you MAY need to upgrade all media servers at the same time.

.

So, the questions?

Q1) Can NetBackup 7.6.1.1 replicate via AIR to 7.6.0.1?  (someone on here may be able to caterorically, and definitively answer this - but if not - ask Symantec Support for clarification).

Q2) Can NetBackup 7.6.0.1 repicalte via AIR to 7.6.1.1?  (as above).

Q3) Are any of the master servers also media servers?

Q4) Do you have OpsCenter?

Q5) How many OpsCenters?

Q6) Do any of the MSDP media servers replicate to more than one remote MSDP (i.e. more than one storage server?)

Q7) Have you checked NetBackup SORT?  (you really really should do this!)

Adie84
Level 3

Hi, yes I do have a single Opscenter server so thanks for pointing that out!

No, the master servers are not media servers.

No, the appliances are "paired" (A1 replicates to B1 only, A2 replicates to B2 only etc.).

I have checked SORT but without the answer to whether the appliances can be on different versions I can't plan it properly (apologies if the answer to my question is there but I couldn't find it).

Many thanks.

Marianne
Moderator
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I have 'phoned a friend' who has done more Appliance installations and upgrades than anyone I know.

Lets see what he advices.

In case you have not seen this discussion or have not subscribed to Appliance Alerts: 
Failed upgrade to 2.6.1.1 from 2.6.0.3 on 5230

Please bookmark this TN and go through each point before upgrade is done from 2.6.0.x: 
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH229240

Extract:

 

Issue

Certain Engineering Emergency Binaries (EEBs), when installed on a NetBackup Appliance running certain 2.6.0.x versions, may cause issues when attempting to upgrade those Appliances to 2.6.1 or above.

If these EEBs are installed on the Appliance, or if other EEBs are not installed, the following failures may take place:

1. Upgrade will fail.

2. Rollback will fail.

3. The above two failures may leave the system in an inconsistent state, with NetBackup software, Appliance software and NetBackup EMM database all at different versions.

4. Subsequent upgrade attempts will fail.

 

See rest of TN for preparation steps….

sdo
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Ok - looks like it could/should/might be straightforward to plan... but calrity will depend upon asking the right questions... and so, based on the answers to these,,, which I'm hoping someone with expertise can answer:

Q8) Can a v7.6.0.1 master 'trust' a v7.6.1.1 master?

Q9) Can a v7.6.1.1 master 'trust' a v7.6.0.1 master?

Q10) Can backup image catalog meta data be AIR replicated from v7.6.0.1 to v7.6.1.1?

Q11) Can backup image catalog meta data be AIR replicated from v7.6.1.1 to v7.6.0.1?

Q12) Can a v7.6.0.1 MSDP storage server AIR replicate to a v7.6.1.1 MSDP storage server?

Q13) Can a v7.6.1.1 MSDP storage server AIR replicate to a v7.6.0.1 MSDP storage server?

.

Additional questions?

Q14) If you are like me, I like to have a quiet, O/S prepared and OpsCenter Server installed and licensed and basic configuration done - sitting ready and waiting, doing nothing at the remote site - ready for an OpsCenter Database restore/recovery - so, make sure you don't have a second quiet instance of OpsCenter which also need to be upgraded?

sdo
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In fact, it would be really good in an expert were able to definitively state the answer for questions Q8) though Q13) not just for v7.6.0.1 with v7.6.1.1 interoperability, but also maybe to comment on any specifics or general capapability/interopability for the v7.6.0.x (i.e. .1, .2, .3, and .4) range with v7.6.1.1 too?  As I'm sure this type of question is going to keep cropping up over the next few weeks/months.

watsons
Level 6

I can comment a bit based on my experience - although not really for a recent and latest versions.

My environment used to be 7.5.0.6 all across:

SiteA: 1 master server + 1 MSDP media server
SiteB: 1 master (also a MSDP media server)

AIR setup from siteA to siteB only. When 7.6.0.1 was released, I upgraded both master servers but I left the siteA MSDP media server to be at 7.5.0.6. Not on purpose, but due to some schedule constraint. In other words, AIR now replicates from a 7.5.0.6 source MSDP to 7.6.0.1 target MSDP. (lower to higher)

The AIR replication & import continued to work fine, no error whatsoever. I even had restores on siteB for image from siteA, no problem as well!

Now.. if you look at page 17~18 of 7.6.1 upgrade guide: http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC7667,   it mentioned about a limitation of lower to higher replication (but only affecting BMR backup). from how it describes, both lower to higher or higher to lower are supposed (or assumed) to be working.

But still.. I would be cautious and test out that both sites can restore the replicated images even if the import works fine between 2 sites with different versions.

As we also heard that the MSDP layouts had been changed from 7.6.0.x to 7.6.1.x , I am not sure if the above still hold - best is to get a test environment to confirm this (sorry.. I don't have one) before you proceed - or wait here for someone who had done 7.6.1.1 to comment.

Adie84
Level 3

Hi Marianne,

 

Thanks for bringing this technote to my attention. If I was planning the upgrade using the checklist method on SORT I presume it would have highlighted this to me (I have saved the upgrade plan but have not chance to scrutinise it fully yet)?

 

Thanks

Adie84
Level 3

Hi everyone,

 

Many thanks for all the replies, they are much appreciated!

Unfortunately, the official line from Symantec (I raised a call) is that AIR is not supported in either direction in the scenario I described.

I suspect it may be possible but they are just being safe, which is fine by me. I will construct an upgrade plan which includes cancelling the replications for the duration of the upgrade.

 

Thanks again,

 

Ade

AliMohammad
Level 3

Hello Experts,

   I was trying to upgrade Appliance to 7.6.1.1 and 1.2 but getting error, Any idea?

Appliance.Software> Install SYMC_NBAPP_update-2.6.1.2-1.x86_64.rpm
- [Info] The installed version meets the minimal requirement for this software upgrade.
- [Info] cat percentage used is 5.
- [Info] The preflight check for the used percentage on /cat passed.
- [Info] The preflight check for free space passed.
- [Info] The checking for system clock passed.
- [Error] Failed to find NetBackup version number.
- [Error] Cannot upgrade the appliance. Could not get NetBackup version on Master krang.
- [Info] The software upgrade has been aborted!

 

sdo
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Hi Ali - please start a new post.