Using a CIFS share as a basic disk storage unit

[Reagan]

I created a CIFS share on a NAS device and want to use the CIFS share as a basic disk storage unit for a Windows 64-bit 2008 R2 Netbackup Media server.

The OS can see the CIFS share and map the network drive.  However, I keep getting a 83 error code when I either specify the complete URL to the CIFS share, or the mapped drive.  I tried changing permissions on the NetBackup remote services to run with the same username and password for the NAS device, but still getting the same error.

Is a CIFS share suppported as a basic disk storage unit for NetBackup?, or is it just with NetBackup 6.5.5 and Windows 2008 R2.  I'm having no problems configuring a NFS storage device.  

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Reagan

[pdreyer]

BasicDisk is used for locally attached or network attached disks only.

To use a NAS device as a storage unit, you need the OpenStorage Disk Option licensed and your disk type would be NearStore. 

[Reagan]

Isn't a CIFS share a just a filesystem that resides on a networked attached disk?

I don't see why it can't be used as a basic disk storage unit.

[Nicolai]

From the Shared Storage Guide page 27:

Windows CIFS not supported :

On Windows, networked mapped devices are not visible to Windows services, and AdvancedDisk cannot discover Common Internet File System disk volumes. Therefore, AdvancedDisk does not support the Common Internet File System

There is technical reason for CIFS not working.

[Reagan]

So does that also mean CIFS is not supported as a basic disk storage unit as well?

If so, I believe Symantec should note this in their documentation on setting up a basic disk
storage unit.

I understand it not being supported as an advanced disk.

Thank you all for your comments.

Reagan

[Former_Mary_Kay]

OpenStroage won't work the same as a Basic Disk store.  They use completely different protocols.  I have a DataDomain NAS system that I use both OpenStroage and NFS mounts on for advanced disk and basic disk functionality.  Both seem to work just fine.  Sounds like CIFS is somehow different, but for a BasicDisk Storage Unit all you really need is a valid path to the disk space.  At least that's been my experience.

[Nicolai · Accepted solution]

I agree with SJ Hollist. AdvancedDisk won't work with CIFS, but you're question is regarding BasicDisk (I somehow got it as AdvancedDisk)  and that should be supported.

Pls check the tech note, it may resolve the issue:

STATUS CODE 83: When attempting a backup which goes to a NAS server, the backup fails with a NetBack....

[Reagan]

Is it just me, or is anyone out there having issues using CIFS as a basic disk storage unit with NetBackup 6.5.5?  I tried the technote, but after changing the client service permission on the master/media server, I'm unable to login to the master server through the Java Administration Console and still getting the same issues.

I do appreciate everyones response.  If anyone had success in configuring a CIFS share as a basic disk storage unit with NetBackup 6.5.5, please let me know.  For now, I'll just stick with NFS.

Thanks,

Reagan

[Aspid]

I have also problem with disk staging using any kind of network share - Windows or CIFS. I've created storage unit and when I'm trying to backup using it, I'm getting the following message:

Error nbjm(pid=3440) NBU status: 800, EMM status: Disk volume is down   
resource request failed(800)

We have NetBackup 6.5.3 running on Windows 2003. Any ideas what I'm doing wrong?

[Reagan]

Just wondering if the problem is only with 64-bit versions of Windows master/media servers.

My problem might be different in that I get an error 83 when creating a basic disk CIFS storage unit for using
either a Windows shared folder, or a NAS CIFS share.  I specify the UNC, and the mapped drive, disabled the Windows firewall, changed Netbackup permissions, but nothing seems to work.  Others have confirmed that this is a supported feature.  I don't know what I'm doing wrong either.
 

 

[Aspid]

No, it 32-bit version. And the problem appear not during the unit creation but when I'm trying to backup using it. May be it worth to open the ticket with Symantec.

[Richard_Hefner]

Had the same problem..  Tried mapping a network drive and assigning the drive letter for the mapped drive manually with no luck..  Try these settings for your storage unit:

Storage Unit Type: Disk
Disk Type: BasicDisk
Absolute pathname to directory: \\<NAS_SERVER>\<SHARE>

This works for me using NBU 6.5

[RDesai]

I have a new system. NBU 7.0 is installed on Windows 2003 Standard Edition server. I have a Quantum Dxi4510 disk library where I have created three NAS shares. On NBU host, from Windows explorer, I can see all NAS shares and tested that I can write to them from NBU host by putting a small text file and then deleted. The I started defining Storage Unit in NBU at first as mapped drive but when NBU did not see the NAS shares, I started looking up the forum and found this thread. I had then procided exact same spec as Richard Hefner has mentioned above..i.e., I provided absolute path to directory as: \\<NAS_Server>\<SHARE> but NBU still can't see the share. Throws "Volume is down" with satus code 800. Disk logs shows the same.

Just FYI..Our SE had created "nbuadmin" user which belongs to "Administrator" group on NBU host and this user was used for installing NBU. The same user with admin rights also exist on disk library. A test to perform backup and save to local disk as well as tape library is successful but failes to see the NAS shares! I don't quite what is wrong..why Windows can see the shares but not NBU? Any idea? Thanks in advance for help!

[RDesai]

Just in case any one reads my last question: It was solved..there were couple of services which had to be started with the same user (with admin privs) which existed on NAS, instead of local System account. Once done, things had started working.