Split Backup environment due to huge catalog size

[RaymT___]

Hello All,

Currently we are experencing with HUGE catalog size ( crossed 2.1 TB ), we need better solution to control the growth.

Retention is 15 years ( mostly Filer backup ) - Coustmer no comprise on down the ret level.

We received very often older year restoration, hence cannot go for catalog archival and not recommned by experts.

Catlog compression is not effective method for control catalog.

Cannot go for EV aswell, as mgmt dont consider this option.

Hence considering Split the backup environment. by retire older master and set up new master.

Kindly advise how to implement this new setup on existing environment, we are getting very freq older restoration hence how to setup ?

Please advise if you have any other alternate ways.

[Marianne]

PLEASE contact your local Veritas reseller to talk to your management about ARCHIVING. 
Let them run a free Dark Data Assessment on your fileserver(s). 
The results may be an eye opener. 

Long Term Retention is supported in Netbackup, but is not meant as replacement for Archiving. 

Please see this White Paper:  Your Backup Is Not an Archive

There are other 3rd-party resources as well: 
https://www.solarwindsmsp.com/content/backup-archive
https://searchdatabackup.techtarget.com/tip/What-is-the-difference-between-archives-and-backups
https://www.waterfordtechnologies.com/difference-data-backup-archiving/

Enterprise Vault File System Archiving helps free up space on the file server, reduce overall storage requirements (including backup resources), and keep all content fully searchable and instantly accessible to the end user or the wider organization.
With an option to retain multiple versions of the same file or document, user-driven recovery of specific content can help significantly reduce administration overhead.

About splitting the NBU environment: 

You have 2 choices:

1. NetBackup Catalog Manipulation Services (Paid consulting services).
   Here you need to split clients along media servers.
   Clients to be split off to new environment need to be backed up by media servers that will be moved to new master server.
   You will need to provision a new master server and dedicated backup devices.
   Devices cannot be shared with existing environment. 
   Catman service consultant will duplicate all catalogs to new master with different hostname. 
   Once done, both environments need to be cleaned up.
   Remove media servers and expire all client images that belong to the 'other' master server. 
   
   
2. DIY where you stop doing backups on existing master/media server.
   Leave devices and at least one media server to perform restores. (Master server can also be used). 
   Provision new master server, new devices, etc. and start doing backups of all clients in new environment. 

Your management need to weigh up cost, management and effort of splitting master server with the real need for archiving. 

[Genericus]

I had a similar situation, we were doing 20-30 restores a week, for an application that kept only 90 days of data on the filer, but backups were kept infinitely. Customers were requesting last years data to compare.

Arguably - you are paying a FULL TIME EMPLOYEE to do these restores - 40 hours a week of effort!

Not to mention cost to send and recieve tapes.

We were able to argue for increased retention on the filer.

Application data - on high speed disk

Archive data - what we need to restore - on slower disk

NetBackup NOT used for Archive - only disaster recovery

Pro Tip - define data retention at application and NetBackup level! It will help you with audits, as well as in legal situations. Unless legally required, keeping backup data longer INCREASES risk.