Setting up a Disaster Recovery Backup Site...

[SIE_PaulDK]

We have currently got 1 Master Server and 7 Media Servers. Backups are being done on a Production Data Domain. All of this is in one location.

We run duplications of the backups to a Replication Data domain that is located at a second site. (DR Site)

I now need to get a backup server in place at my DR site to be able to do restores of our Replication Data Domain. Would I need a 2nd Master Server or would a Media Server be sufficient? Would this media server be able to function / do restores if the master server is not available?

How would the catalog be kept up to date at our DR site so we can be able to do restores sufficiently and quickly when needed?

What would be best practise to setup a DR site with the above mentioned senario?

Current environment = Windows Server 2003 x86, NB 7.0.1

Thank you in advance!

[Stanleyj]

I have a similar setup and i used the second master approach so that i basically have two seperate netbackup domains.  I use AIR to duplicate our primary data and cataloge to our DR site that has a single master and media server. 

By doing this i am able to do restores from the DR site down to my primary or in a full DR situation do the restores as i bring servers on line. 

Once everything is back up I then would rebuild my original master and restore the cataloge from my dr replicated cataloge.

I know this may not directly work for your situation but i though i would share my setup just to give you some ideas.

Netbackup 7.5.0.1

Master server 2008 R2 

[RonCaplinger]

I agree, with Stanleyj.  There's at least one caveat, though. 

You mention Data Domain, but not whether you are using the NetBackup OST plugin.  If you ARE using OST, be aware that the Data Domain OST plug-in does not currently support Auto Image Replication (AIR), so replication of the backup images would require the Data Domain to rehydrate images to replicate them to your DR site, increasing your site-to-site bandwidth requirements and time to replicate, and negating the usefulness of OST. (Last I heard, support for AIR was expected this year.)

If you are not currently using OST, then you likely wouldn't notice any increase in replication length over your current times.

[SIE_PaulDK]

Hi Ron,

We are using OST plugins.

NetBackup is running version 7.0.1.

Master server = 2003R2 (32Bit)

For DR purpose - would it be fine if I have a 2nd Master server based at my DR site that is linked to my current Master server? Would I be able to import the catalog at this site and do restores from there when neneeded?

[Marianne]

Second master that is 'linked' to current? Please explain?

'Linked' as in replicating using NBU AIR feature?

Last we heard was that DataDomain was working on support for AIR and would release new software and plugin to support AIR in the 'second half' of this year. You may want to log a call with local EMC/DD suppliers to request new due date? Please also bear in mind that AIR is only available as from NBU 7.1.

AIR faq: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH154323

I will see if I can find more DR-related TNs, especially wrt DD that is replicated/duplicated to a remote site.

[Marianne]

DR-related TN's :

Herewith a list of TN's shared by Alex Davies at Vision in 2010:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH50942  – conditions for support for catalog replication
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH66060  – guide to site recovery operations
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH125520 – replicating catalogs with non-clustered master servers
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH125519  – replicating catalogs with clustered master servers
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH125518  – recovery procedures for dual domain catalog replication
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH28722  – partial catalog recovery/recovery without import
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH72198  – recovering catalog backups from advanced disk storage
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH125784 – recovering catalog backups from duplicate copies

I also found some newer TNs:

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO75161 - About catalog recovery from disk devices in NetBackup 7.0 and 7.1
http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO32925 - Recovering the entire NetBackup 7.0 or 7.1 catalog using bprecover -wizard
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH157454 - Catalog recovery from copy 2 on an OST device
http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH127922 - More information about usage of the "nbcatsync"
 

So, there is no 'one-size-fits-all' DR solution.... You need go through all the available documentation and decide on a solution that will work for YOUR environment.

Then, do regular DR tests to perfect your own step-by-step process.

[PhaniKumar82]

Hi 

even we have the same environment and one master server 7.1.0.3 which is connected to DD and other master servers also same version which has connected to another DD 

both DD has replicattion vice versa configured 

Now can any one help me to do the following 

1) there are 4 servers backup configured on first master server 

and  catalog is already replicated to second site using DD replication 

2) we want to restore above mentioned 4 servers using secondary master server 

is the above option 2 is possible ?

if yes please explain the procedure 

we dont have any AIR since data is there in DD which is not supported yet.

Regards,

Kumar