Storage Life Cycle Policies !!

[nbuno]

Lots of documentation but less Donut .

Can somebody (without the reference of standard NBU Documentation,in which i m already confused :( ) tell me in true sense and in a simplified manner about what this jargon is all about ?What SLP's are and what can they do for me in simplifying my Backup and Restore mechanism ??

I know it must be something simple and helpful but i guess i must agree to disagree on the documentation part that its complex and hep-hazard.

cheers !!

[Ray_Esperanzate]

SLP's basically describe the life of your backup.  The way i look at it is basically, where do you want your backups to live (disk or tape), how long should they live in a particular location. 

For example, let's say you want your backups to be fast and send it to a disk destination.  But since disk is expensive (relative to tape), you don't have an infinite amount and need it moved somewhere else, then you need it sent offsite on tape.  You could create the following SLP:

Step 1: backup -> disk storage unit (set to expire after duplication)

Step 2: duplicate to a tape library (set expiration to 15 days for this copy)

Step 3: duplicate that copy to another tape for offsiting (set expiration to 6 months)

You can get really complicated, but i think that should sum it up simply.

[Vapulaflo]

With your SLP, you can "program" the way you will keep your data. In few words, you can use it to prepare for your DR

It uses storageunit and storageunit groups.

exemple

SLP1 : Data A will be stored on a disk STU or Stugroup for 15 days, and after

             ---> duplicate on tape retention :6 months....

[Andy_Welburn · Accepted solution]

Are there specifics you are unclear about or just the general principle?

Basically, a method of creating multiple backup copies or duplications of images, each having their own storage destination & retention period.

e.g. so for one particular backup you could have the initial copy on disk with a retention of 2 weeks & a second copy or duplication on tape with a longer retention.

To quote from the NetBackup Administrator's Guide Volume 1 (one of those pieces of "standard NBU documentation"?)

"...a list of destinations where copies of the backup images are stored, along with the prescribed retention period for each copy ... the lifecycle process works to create copies of the images on each destination ... can also be set up to provide staging behavior..."

You can apply a specific SLP to each of your backup policies, or have a more general one for several or all policies.

[Marianne]

More documentation!

Have a look at this White Paper: https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/sites/defa...

[Yogesh_Jadhav1]

SLP .. in simple way .. Backup data imagest to disk as fastest option and the backup would not expire until it is duplicated to the tape.

[nbuno]

Thanks to all you Guru's for this excellent info..that brought me to a brave new world of SLP's

P.S : Andy,i was refrerring to NBU documentation available at Sym website.

well,Nicolai that info worth more than that ,i may send ur 0.02$ bill in the mail :)

[Nicolai]

A addition to Ray's comment:

The traditional DSSU stages from disk to tape, that's it (more or less)

The SLP is far more powerful. You have the ability to use different retentions and destinations for each copy of a backup image. Netbackup will keep track and don't delete anything unless the the SLP is fulfilled.

SLP and traditional DSSU are not compatible. Use need to use the AdvancedDisk option.

My 0.02$ :D