SAN MEDIA SERVER

[nike_new]

Hi,

In my Environment,How I can check what all are my SAN media servers?

Diff between SAN media servers and SAN client?

[Deepak_G · Accepted solution]

The information you requested is available in the below technote.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH135896

In general, it refers using SAN (FC Transport) instead of LAN for a faster backup/restores.

Extract From it :

SAN Media Server

Designed for customers who would prefer to utilize their storage area network (SAN) for backup operations instead of their local area network (LAN). This feature enables LANfree data protection with high-performance access to shared resources.

A SAN Media Server is directly connected to the SAN, and is used to backup data directly to disk or tape. A SAN Media Server is unable to backup or manage clients. It only able to backup what is directly attached or mounted to it.

SAN Client

Offloads backup traffic from the LAN and allows for fast backups over the SAN at approximately 150 MB/sec. The SAN client can send data to a variety of NetBackup disk options and allows you to back up and restore to disk over the SAN. Data is sent to media servers via SCSI commands over the SAN rather than TCP/IP over the LAN to optimize performance.

SAN Client's send their data to a Fibre Transport (FT) Media Server.
 

[nike_new]

SAN client can send their data only to SAN MEDIA SERVER?

[nike_new]

I just wanna know How Can I know whether my client is a SAN client or a SAN Media Server?

[Kiran_Bandi]

SAN clients would need to send their data to FT Media servers for writing to storage, but not to SAN Media servers. Because SAN Media Servers can backup only themselves. 

From Admin console, you can see SAN Media Servers under Media Servers and SAN Clients under SAN Clients.

Coming to Licenses, Enterprise Client license does include SAN Client and SAN Media Server. The packages that are installed on a server defines whether it can be used as a SAN Client/Media Server.

[nike_new]

1. FT media servers are different from SAN media servers?
2. We need to create a FT media server?

[Kiran_Bandi]

1. Yes. Have a look at this TN: http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO66244

2. Yes. NBU 7.1 San Client and Fibre Transport Admin Guide: http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC3658

Have a look at SCL/HCL for more details about OS & FC HBA cards that are supported to use with FT.

SCL: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH76648

HCL: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH76495

When there is a requirement of backingup so many clients over SAN, 1) it is difficult to configure storage devices with that many servers 2) People do not want to install Media Server package on crucial servers where resource utilization is already high. Which is why customers tend to go for SAN Clients instead of SAN Media Servers.

If the number of clients that needs to be backedup Over SAN is very less in number and the above mentioned points are not a problem in your environment then you can choose SAN Media Servers instead of SAN Clients if you have Enterprise Client licenses. 

[nike_new]

From Admin console, you can see SAN Media Servers under Media Servers and SAN Clients under SAN Clients.

Under media servers tab,I am not able to see SAN media server

[nike_new]

- To list the SAN clients configured run the following command.

# /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/nbftconfig -listclients

- To list FT / SAN media servers run the following command.

# /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/nbftconfig -listservers
- To list the SAN clients configured run the following command.
 

Is above correct?

[Marianne]

You have found the documentation. If you want to know, run the commands.
As you can see - all they do is to LIST...