SLP duplication

[ram619]

Hi all,

Am not able to duplicate a image it's giving the error as "Skipping backup id <backup id>,it is a life cycle image that cannot be manually duplicated".I have checked with my vendor he saying as It's a Storage life cycle policy and we can't start the duplication manually or by Netbackup support.We need third party software to do this. Kindly suggest on this.

[Marianne]

"It's a Storage life cycle policy ... cannot be manually duplicated "

It's a choice only you can make. Either SLP or bpduplicate (called by 3rd party software).

[ram619]

Marianne am not clear about the statement "It's a choice only you can make. Either SLP or bpduplicate ". If we have choice to do via SLP or duplicate kindly explain the steps.

[Marianne]

You currently have one (or more) Storage Life Cycle policy to create duplications. Please check this in the 'Storage' section of the GUI.

Once you have setup SLP's to perform duplications, you cannot perform manual duplications. (Why would you want to do that if duplications already set up via SLP?)
 

You will have to delete the SLP if you want to do it manually (or via 3rd party app).  Images already under control of SLP cannot be selected - only new images created after SLP is removed.

[mph999]

Adding to Mariannes excellent post ...

... this is what Marianne means by 'delete'

You can remove the image from SLP control:

nbstlutil cancel <backupid>

WARNING:  If the image is 'capacity managed' and, the time it should have expired is past

If the backup is for expiration of (eg) 1 week, before it is duplicated, SLP makes it infinity, and will set it to it 1 week expire when it is duplicated.  As this hasn't happened it is still infinity.  If this image was taken say 2 weeks ago, if it was to duplicate, or you manually remove it from SLP control with the above command, it will expire 'instantly'.   There is no way round this that I know of.

Anyhow ...

Once you habe removed the image from SLP, you can manually use bpduplicate to copy it.

Your vendor is sort of correct, SLP images cannot be forced to run using standard NBU commands, but they can be copied as above.

The bigger issue, is why is the image in this state, it should not happen.

The db (where the image state is stored) can get messed up, for example if the server crashes, so it may be that things need sorting out.  Not sure what version you are on, but you may wish to check if you have any available SLP patch.

WIth SLP issues, don't leave them (I'm not saying you have ...) get onto Symantec support quickly.  If left, the issues can build up and up and be virtually impossible to sort within the expectations of the customer, as many people run their system at 100%, that is backups and dups 24/7 .  Therefore if the system gets behind, there is no available time to catch up, and suddenly the most simple  small issue is a major problem.

Martin

[Nicolai]

I will try to explain what Martin and Marianne have said in some other words:

If you use tape or the "basic disk storage unit" (including the Disk Staging Storage unit):       

• You can duplicate the images with bpduplicate.

If you use the advanced disk storage unit AND the images are under SLP control:  

• bpduplicate can't duplicate them. If bpduplicate was allowed to duplicate a image under SLP control it would mess up the logic defined in the SLP. If you need a extra copy of each image, you need to edit the SLP so additional copy's are created.