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Windows server exclude list best practices.

StephGusev
Level 2

Hello,

Can you help me to find a best practice exclude list for Ms-Windows servers (starting from 2003 up to 2012R2)?

For example :

C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\bin\*.lock

C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\bin\bprd.d\*.lock

C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\bin\bpsched.d\*.lock

C:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackupDB\data\*

C:\Program Files\Veritas\Volmgr\misc\*

Or

C:\users\doe\john

C:\users\doe\abc\

C:\users\*\test

C:\*\temp

These examples I found in Netbackup Administrator’s Guide Volume I.

Please advise if there is anything else to exclude from the OS side.

Thank you in advance.

10 REPLIES 10

Marianne
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Each environment is unique. 

You need to determine in your own environment what needs to be backed up and what can be excluded.

Look at the status 1 jobs, generate a report of skipped files and go with this list to the server owner to find out if those can be excluded.

It is common practice to exclude database files for SQL, Exchange and other databases and applications as those should be backed up using agents, not file-level backup.

 

Michal_Mikulik1
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Hello,

basic exclusions are given on OS level, regardless backup application.

Refer to FilesNotToBackup registry key.

Michal

On a Windows-NT policy, the natural behavior is to not back up Exchange database files. The is no need to name them in an exclude list. I have run a test this morning to confirm this.\

Excerpt from my bpbkar log:

[EseE14::AddExcludes]  cachedList:F:\RF2DB1\*.log
[EseE14::AddExcludes]  cachedList:F:\RF2DB1\*.chk
[EseE14::AddExcludes]  cachedList:F:\RF2DB1\*.jrs
[EseE14::AddExcludes]  cachedList:F:\RF2DB1\tmp.edb
[EseE14::AddExcludes]  cachedList:E:\RF2DB1\RF2DB1.edb

I think the same is true for SQL Server and SharePoint files, but I have not tested them recently.

Correction and follow-up:

I tested an MS-Windows policy backup on the SQL Server backend server for a SharePoint environment.  The .mdf and .ldf database files were not automatically excluded.

I cannot find documentation where we say that Exchange database files are excluded from an MS-Windows backup, but that is demonstrably true. I will initiate a TechNote to document it.

sdo
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If you exclude  *.[lmn]df   on Windows backup clients which contain MS SQL Server instances, then also be sure to include mssqlsystemresource.[lm]df as per:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ms190940.aspx

sdo
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Steph, my typical basic starting point for excludes on backup clients is... remove the default ones that are present after installing NetBackup Client, because they're not really for clients and more for NetBackup Master Servers... and then I always add these:

*.tmp
*:\Recycle.bin
*:\Temp

...but make sure that you inform your server and application admins of your typical defaults - because one day an admin somewhere might want those files backed-up.

Have often excluded

~* (usually open unsaved office documents, typically occurs on file servers)

Temporary Internet files

Cache files for different applications

Database files as they typically are backed up through either an agent or by dump/backup from the database to file.

The standard questions: Have you checked: 1) What has changed. 2) The manual 3) If there are any tech notes or VOX posts regarding the issue

Thanks a lot to everyone who replied, I listed most part according to your advices.

And there are what I got below: 

user.dat.LOG1
ntuser.dat.LOG2
Syscache.hve
UsrClass.dat
*:\temp
*:\Temp
C:\WINDOWS\Temp
C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files
*.tmp
c:\*\*\Local Settings\Temp
C:\*\*\Local Settings\Temporary Internet Files
*RECYCLER* or *:\Recycle.bin   - please advice how correctly exclude recycle bin

~* (usually open unsaved office documents)

We have mdf,ldf,ndf, excludes in MSQL file system backup.

 

Also for Unix servers:

Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\*.lock"
Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\bprd.d\*.lock"
Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\bin\bpsched.d\*.lock"
Program Files\VERITAS\NetBackup\logs"
Program Files\VERITAS\Volmgr\misc\*"

Please check if I`m right or wrong with this list

Thank you in advance. 

sdo
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Steph

If you have MS SQL database file excludes, e.g.     *.[lmn]df

...then pay particular attention to this Microsoft tech note:

https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-gb/library/ms190940.aspx

sdo
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Steph

you don't need these two together:

*:\Temp

*:\temp

...in terms of "matching" they are the same thing.  Use one of them, no need for both.