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Restoring to a Different Server

brian_s
Level 3
Hi. We are trying to put together a disaster recovery plan using Veritas 5.1 NBU.
We cannot go live with our veritas implementation, until this plan is on paper.
I would like to know if the following plan is possible:
In an emergency, we would like to restore the catalog and backups from our main server (SERVER1) to a standby server (SERVER2). SERVER2 would NOT be renamed to SERVER1 in the emergency. It would need to stay as SERVER2, and the network would be changed to route requests to SERVER1 to SERVER2.
SERVER1 is both the master server and the only client.
Here is what I think would be the procedure - I need confirmation and/or guidance about these procedures.
1) Install NBU 5.1 on SERVER2 as both a master server and client. Assume that SERVER1 is dead.
2) on SERVER2 use bprecover to import the catalog. We have a separate directory for the images (/usr/openv/netbackup/db/images is a link to another directory). We would ONLY restore that image directory onto SERVER2
3) on SERVER2, the /usr/openv/netbackup/db/images directory (which is actually a link) now contains a directory called server1. I would create a directory link called server2 and link to the server1 directory. Now, server2 contains (through these links): /usr/openv/netbackup/db/images/server2 and that directory contains the images, originally from server1.
4) on SERVER2, manually add the file backup tape to the media manager.
5) on SERVER2, manually create a policy that mimicks the original policy on SERVER1, except the client would be SERVER2
6) on SERVER2, change the global settings, check MEDIA HOST OVERIDE FOR RESTORES. This adds the entry in bp.conf: FORCE_RESTORE_MEDIA_SERVER = SERVER1 SERVER2
7) Restart the Deamons
8) I should then be able to restore files from the tape.

I have read the admin guide section on "Independant Server Restores", as well as some posts on this forum. I see that there are some other ways of doing it. However, I need to assume that SERVER1 is dead, and SERVER2 is a complete fresh install of NBU.

Would this work?
I appreciate your help and advice, as I am not allowed to go live with veritas until this plan is in place.
THANK YOU!
5 REPLIES 5

Jeffrey_Redingt
Level 5
There is a change needed in your DR plan. Since you will not be renaming Server2 to Server1 in the recovery you will not be able to use bprecover to recover the catalogs. You will instead have to import any media for any restores that you would want to do. If you did that then you would also not create the link in the directories. After the import you would simply add the media host override entry as you stated and then you could perform the restores.

TempoVisitor
Level 4
Hya

Hum, importing would be soooo long it should not be considered as a DR plan, but as the last chance process.

You can bprecover the catalog of SERVER 1 onto SERVER2, but all the catalogs would point to SERVER1.

What you could do if you really don't want to rename SERVER1 to SERVER 2 is manualy (means by script) modify the images catalog files.
An image generate 2 files in /usr/openv/netbackuo/db/images/xxxx000000 directory : 1 is metadata, ascii file. the other is files_file binary list.
Edit ALL the metadata files Ascii file to have them point onto SERVER2 instead of SERVER1.

Of course, the recover of a volDB from SERVER1 to SERVER2 is a problem too !
Forget it : if your under a DR PLAN, all the tapes must be inventoried in SERVER2 who would consider them as new unassigned tapes.
- put them in a pool
- manually protect them with assignation :
vmquery -assignbyid |
(chose 1234567890 for assigntime, 0 for status)

Thanks to the mediaDB, and to your modifications in the images DB, you can make any restore you want !!!

BUT, THIS IS A DR PLAN not supposed to be used that way if you want SERVER2 to definitively work in replacement of SERVER1 !!!!

To be proper and clean, I would still suggest to rename SERVER2 to SERVER1 ... it's the only supported way by VERITAS. And even if you consider this as a temporary replacement. When SERVER1 is back ... make a bpbackupdb of old SERVER2 (now known as SERVER1) and restore back to your SERVER1.

This modification of your image catalog is just something to go much faster than the importatio!n.

Kerk the noob

Jeffrey_Redingt
Level 5
While it is true that you could make those modifications to the image files. Most likely they will work but I would very definitely test the procedure and make sure you understand the changes that you are making because Veritas will not support you if you change them. That is why I advised you would need to import. There are several "faster" methods that you could use like changing the images file but do you really want to be in the middle of a disaster and have something go wrong and not be able to get support? Just something to think about. Personally, I would bring up Server2 with Server1's name. It is the fastest way to recover.

brian_s
Level 3
Thank you to all for your helpful replies!

Stumpr2
Level 6
"Personally, I would bring up Server2 with Server1's name. It is the fastest way to recover."

.....and the safest!!Message was edited by:
Bob Stump