Trying to restore NDMP backup file to alternate location...get errors...

[PGerard]

Good Day.  I think this will be a simple one for somebody...

I have a Celerra I am backing up with NDMP (in Test mode at the moment) and the backups are working just fine.  If I try a restore and select the same datamover to restore to, it works OK as well....so that's almost all I need...  If I want to restore a particular file for the client but I do not want to restore it back to the Datamover but rather to the Master Server, can I do that?  I have tried and it fails on "attribute lookup failed". 

I did the SET_NDMP_ATTR for the datamover and as I said the backup works just fine.  Do I have to do something else to be able to restore to the Master Server?

Please let me know.

Thanks

[zippy]

P,

I just tried it on my celerra and it worked fine, I restored the data to /tmp on the master.

No probems.

[PGerard]

Thank-you...I'm glad that it works....now as far as what I need to do to make it work, do you have any idea?  Did you do the SET_NDMP_ATTR command only to the data mover, or also for the master?  I'm not sure where I am going wrong here...

Pat.

[zippy]

the "destination client" tab (backup archive restore) should be set to the server you want to dump it too, change the path and start the restore.

I have heard of this issue in Omniback or data protector.

[PGerard]

Hi James.

I did do all that stuff and I get that error.  Seems like an access thing but I figure if I could do the backup OK the restore should have worked also.

I'll keep looking around and maybe open a case with Symantec.  In the meantime if you think of anything I might check on, please let me know.

Pat.

[zippy]

whats your bp.conf file look like on the master?

[ScotK]

I was told that this would not and never will work.  Here's exactly what I was told:

When using NDMP the data mover is actually writing the tape.  The data mover is just telling Netbackup what it's doing.  Netbackup cannot read and interpret the tape itself, nor restore from it.  The data mover is the only thing that can read and understand the contents of the tape.

I'd be happy if someone proves me wrong.  I'm in the same boat.

[PGerard]

Hi Scott.  Actually Scott says he has done it and I believe that to be true.  In trying to do what we are trying to do, the Data Mover IS in fact reading from the tape but we are simply asking that it write the restore back to the Master rather than to itself.  It's not like we are asking a non-ndmp storage unit to read the NDMP image...that, I would agree, would be a problem.

I am going to continue to work on this and if I get to the bottom of it I shall post it to this forum so you, too, can benefit from the solution.

Rgds,

Pat.

[ScotK]

Hi Pat,

I believe him when he says he's done it but I don't understand how it succeeded.

How does the data mover write the file back to the master in that case?  The data mover can't write to the master server using NDMP because it's not an NDMP device.  If it was it would just read the tape directly.   Is the data mover smart enough to go over the network to dump it to the master then?  Doesn't seem likely to me, which is why I'm having trouble understanding how that would be possible. 

I've tried several times with no luck.  I can restore via NDMP to the data mover just fine so I've never pursued it with support.  Hope you have better luck, and can tell us how you did it.

Message Edited by ScotK on 04-09-2008 11:55 AM

[Nathan_Kippen]

A true NDMP backup can only be restored via NDMP.  You cannot restore an NDMP backup to a regular server.

Please see page 57 in the Netbackup for NDMP System Admin Guide.

--paste--

The administrator can use the Backup, Archive, and Restore interface on a NetBackup server (master or media server) to restore files to the NDMP host from which they were backed up, or to a different NDMP host. For help with the basic restore procedure, see the NetBackup online help in the Administration Console, or the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore Getting Started Guid

..

..

..

Note The destination host must be an NDMP host compatible with the data format of the source (the source and destination must be of the same NAS vendor type).

[PGerard]

Hi All.

I guess this all makes pretty good sense.  I'm going to proceed with this under the assumption that it can't really be done and that to restore to a different folder is OK as long as that folder resides on the NDMP host...I guess when you thing about it, that serves the same purpose anyway.

Rgds,

Pat.

[zippy]

I ran another restore and it worked again.

JD

master hpux

Celerra = NAS

[PGerard]

Oh I believe you....I'm going to continue my migration based on the premise that I cannot, and behind the scenes I will continue to search for what it is I am missing.  Please see the private message I sent you regarding the Master Server's Servers list.

Thanks.

[ScotK]

James,

Are you doing true NDMP?  Are your tape drives hooked directly to the NAS?  Or are you backing up the NAS across the network to your media servers and tape?

Message Edited by ScotK on 04-09-2008 12:35 PM

[zippy]

Scot it is as you say a true NDMP class backup.

I said I can resore it, but I never said I do restores this way, its slow and a waste of time, better to resore it to the NAS, its faster and its supported.

You can also load the tape and untar your file in a pinch.

Got to go

JD

[PGerard]

OK I think we've beat the snot out of this one.  I am happy enough now.  Yesterday for some reason I wasn't even able to restore back to the DM so at least now I can do that.

Thank-you all for your input.  I am quite impressed with the response.

Rgds,

Pat.

[ScotK]

James,

Are you using the NetBackup SAN Client Fibre Transport Service by any chance?  Still trying to figure out how that's working for you.  We don't have any NDMP devices at disaster recovery site to restore to, so if I could restore NDMP to the master server even if it's slow it would still be better than nothing. 

Also, are you using a Unix media server?

Message Edited by ScotK on 04-09-2008 01:07 PM

[zippy]

What kind of NAS do you have at you primary site and at you DR site scott?