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dKitKat's avatar
dKitKat
Level 3
14 years ago

Upgrading NBU 6.0MP4 to 7.0

Hello there!

We have Netbackup implemented in our environment as follows:

- master server, running Netbackup 6.0 MP4, DLO 6.0 option, and the server also running Microsoft SQL Server 2005 that is used by DLO and Enterprise Vault 7.0

- media servers: 2-node file server cluster, 2-node Exchange 2003 servers, 2x Enterprise Vault 7.0 servers

 

We are adding Windows Server 2008 machines as well as Sharepoint 2007 servers, so now it is time to upgrade to NBU 7.0 since NBU 6 does not support it. I have read a few KB articles about upgrading to NBU 7, but still I am worried because this is live system and I have not done it before.

 

My questions are:

1.  Will NBU 7 affect the SQL?

2. I am going to run NBCC utility to check for the databases integrity. I looked at the SQL but there is no database for Netbackup, so the Netbackup database must be the files called NBDB and EMM-NBDB, right?

3. I have tape media which is 'NBU-Catalog' as well as a folder called Catalog_Backup in the master server's drive. Are these the online hot catalog backup which is needed to perform rollback in case of failed upgrade?

4. As part of support contract, we had received new license keys for NBU 6.5 (which we don't use). Subsequently, when we renew the contract again a year after, we have gotten access to the NBU 7 software but there was no new license key issued for it.  Is this mean that I can use the NBU 6.5 key while upgrading to NBU 7.0?

 

Thanks in advance.

7.1.x and Earlier
Backup and Recovery
NetBackup
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  • AbdulRasheed's avatar
    AbdulRasheed
    14 years ago

    1. NetBackup 7 upgrade will not directly affect your MS SQL Server. However, keep in mind that NetBackup 7 has slightly higher resource requirements so you want to make sure that your system still have enough power to drive NetBackup 7 and SQL Server. Please see the Release Notes for system requirements.

    2. The Sybase ASA database files in use for NetBackup are those files located in Install_Path\Veritas\NetbackupDB\data

    3. NBU-Catalog is the volume pool dedicated for online catalog backup tapes. However this pool is created by default. The presence of this pool does not guarentee that you have tapes in this pool. Moreover you need to make sure that you catalog backup is sent to a tape storage unit.

      Hot catalog backup can also be sent to a BasicDisk storage unit. The BasicDisk storage unit points to a file system folder. From the name 'Catalog_Backup', it appears that your catalog is going to a BasicDisk storage unit pointing to this folder. However it is not safe to make that assumption either.

      The best thing to do is to go through your policies and identify the one that does the online catalog backup. Examine its configuration and identify the backup destination.  

    4. Since this is your production environment, it is better to talk to your sales rep. NetBackup 6.5 keys in general will work for upgrades to 7.0; however it does not hurt to make sure that the keys given to you are still valid for use with 7.0

    Warm regards,

    Rasheed

5 Replies

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  • AbdulRasheed's avatar
    AbdulRasheed
    Level 6
    14 years ago

    1. NetBackup 7 upgrade will not directly affect your MS SQL Server. However, keep in mind that NetBackup 7 has slightly higher resource requirements so you want to make sure that your system still have enough power to drive NetBackup 7 and SQL Server. Please see the Release Notes for system requirements.

    2. The Sybase ASA database files in use for NetBackup are those files located in Install_Path\Veritas\NetbackupDB\data

    3. NBU-Catalog is the volume pool dedicated for online catalog backup tapes. However this pool is created by default. The presence of this pool does not guarentee that you have tapes in this pool. Moreover you need to make sure that you catalog backup is sent to a tape storage unit.

      Hot catalog backup can also be sent to a BasicDisk storage unit. The BasicDisk storage unit points to a file system folder. From the name 'Catalog_Backup', it appears that your catalog is going to a BasicDisk storage unit pointing to this folder. However it is not safe to make that assumption either.

      The best thing to do is to go through your policies and identify the one that does the online catalog backup. Examine its configuration and identify the backup destination.  

    4. Since this is your production environment, it is better to talk to your sales rep. NetBackup 6.5 keys in general will work for upgrades to 7.0; however it does not hurt to make sure that the keys given to you are still valid for use with 7.0

    Warm regards,

    Rasheed

  • dKitKat's avatar
    dKitKat
    Level 3
    14 years ago

    Hi Rasheed,

    Thanks for your reply.

    I noticed that everyday there are two tape medias from the catalog backup pool. One of them contains EMM_DATA database file taken from \"Install_Path"\Veritas\NetbackupDB\data, and the other one I can not see the contents but it says "Catalog Driven Backup".

    The "Catalog_Backup" folders contains many small text files (2 KB each). The folder path is the one set on the Disaster Recovery tab in Catalog Backup policy. So I guess I do have hot online catalog backup as well as disaster recovery information.

    Regarding the license, I contacted Symantec customer care and they sent me the upgrade notification ID to get the new license key.

    So I guess now I have to do some more reading in this forums to learn from other people experience in order to minimize the risk :)

     

    Regards,

     

  • Paramesh's avatar
    Paramesh
    Level 4
    14 years ago

    1.  Will NBU 7 affect the SQL?

    Yes. Rasheed is right. You should make sure that you have high end processor with enough available resorces.Because NBU7 is now integrated with puredisk ,BMR...and also keep in mind that if u r planning for encryption option on master (this is a resource intensive process and can slow down master performance)

    2. I am going to run NBCC utility to check for the databases integrity. I looked at the SQL but there is no database for Netbackup, so the Netbackup database must be the files called NBDB and EMM-NBDB, right?

    It is recommended that you also do a database consistency check of EMM and BMR database. Please look at below technote....

    http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH126758

    3. I have tape media which is 'NBU-Catalog' as well as a folder called Catalog_Backup in the master server's drive. Are these the online hot catalog backup which is needed to perform rollback in case of failed upgrade?

    You better take hot catalog backup to tape as well as to local disk of your master server before upgrade and it is easy to recover catalog after the upgrade. And that 2kb file is just a disaster recovery file which will have info about catalog size and media id,size...

    4. As part of support contract, we had received new license keys for NBU 6.5 (which we don't use). Subsequently, when we renew the contract again a year after, we have gotten access to the NBU 7 software but there was no new license key issued for it.  Is this mean that I can use the NBU 6.5 key while upgrading to NBU 7.0?

    yes. you can use existing 6.5 licence key for this upgrade.

     

    Regards,

    Parmesh.

  • dKitKat's avatar
    dKitKat
    Level 3
    14 years ago

    Hi Parmesh,

     

    Thanks for your reply.

    I looked at the Policy wizard, it seems that there is no option to select Local Disk as the target for catalog backup. In the 'Destination' section, only HCART3 can be selected as the policy storage unit. Any idea?

     

    Regards,

    Deka

  • Rajesh_s1's avatar
    Rajesh_s1
    Level 6
    14 years ago

    Hi ,

    I looked at the Policy wizard, it seems that there is no option to select Local Disk as the target for catalog backup.

    You can't select any drive as a destination . First you need to create a storage unit i.e. create a basic disk storage unit and in that select the disk path . After that in policy use this storage unit to store backup's.

     

    Please post on this for further quires,

    Regards,

    Rajesh