bp.conf entries

[Allen_Jasewicz]

I have been a netbackup enterprise server user form many many years (since about 3.1).  I have always ran my media and master servers on the same server.  Today I have split my master server off by its-self and created a new media server.  My questions revolve around the settings in the bp.conf and vm.conf.  If there is a document that can answer some of the questions I have please let me know, my search queries have not returned the results I am looking for:

Questions such as the use of:

SERVER and MEDIA_SERVER, do I include the media server twice as a server and media_server or just a media_server? On the master and in it's own bp.conf?

SCRATCH_POOL and MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS do these entries belong on the master server or media server.  It seems to function on the master server just fine without either entry on the media server

Those are just a few, however I guess I am looking for why an entry would be placed in the master vs the media or the other way around.

This is 6.5.6, I am preparing for 7.x

[Will_Restore]

MEDIA_SERVER bp.conf entry for UNIX servers

This entry is similar to the SERVER entry.

A host that is listed as a MEDIA_SERVER can back up and restore clients. However,

if the host is not specified as a SERVER, the host has limited administrative

capabilities.

Table 3-98 MEDIA_SERVER information

Usage Description

Where to use On a UNIX master server.

Add MEDIA_SERVER to the /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf file in the following

format:

MEDIA_SERVER = media_server_name

[Will_Restore · Accepted solution]

SERVER bp.conf entry for UNIX servers

The first SERVER entry in the bp.conf file must point to the master server where

the bp.conf entry resides. During installation, SERVER is automatically set to the

name of the system where the NetBackup master server software is installed.

Table 3-107 SERVER information

Usage Description

Where to use On a UNIX master server.

Table 3-107 SERVER information (continued)

Usage Description

The SERVER option must be present in the /usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf file

on all NetBackup UNIX servers and clients. It is the only required entry in the bp.conf

file. This option is not used in $HOME/bp.conf files on a client.

Note: This topic discusses the bp.conf entries on the server. However, note that

every SERVER entry in a client bp.conf file must be a NetBackup master or media

server. That is, each system that is listed as a SERVER must have either NetBackup

master or media server software installed. The client service on some clients cannot

be started if the client name is incorrectly listed as a server.

If you configure NetBackup media servers for a master server, the bp.conf file on

the master server must have a SERVER entry or MEDIA_SERVER entry for each. As

previously mentioned, the first SERVER entry in the list designates the master server

itself. The SERVER entry or the MEDIA_SERVER entries should be added after the

first, self-referencing entry.

A NetBackup master server can be backed up as a NetBackup client by the servers

that belong to another cluster. In that case the bp.conf file on the master server

should have SERVER entries for those servers as well.

[Will_Restore]

MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS entry in vm.conf

If this entry is specified in vm.conf, it controls NetBackup media ID generation.

This entry is read and interpreted on the host on which vmcheckxxx and vmupdate

run as part of the robot inventory operation.

MEDIA_ID_BARCODE_CHARS = robot_num barcode_length media_ID_rule

[J_H_Is_gone]

As wr says - when you do an inventory it reads your barcode rules from the server you run the inventory from.

Now if you are doing it from the master then you are fine - but if you ever use the media server to inject tapes (especially NEW tapes) the media server has to have the barcode rules set up on it - otherwise it will not see what you have setup on the master and it will use the defaults.

[Allen_Jasewicz]

your reference "Table 3-107" from which guide?  I have read also that the media server can be listed as a SERVER or MEDIA_SERVER, as long as it is not the first entry.  With regards to the media server, if it is declared with a "MEDIA_SERVER =" then it has more limited capabilities than if it was declared with a "SERVER =" correct?  If so what is the limitation and should it be declared twice? 

I will go back and dig through the book some more. 

Thanks for the help.

[Allen_Jasewicz]

Thank you about the vm.conf entries, I was suspicious of that, I will include the entries on the media server also.  I can not always account for what my other admins will do.

[Will_Restore]

Symantec NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, Volume I

and, yes, we put the media server in both SERVER= and MEDIA_SERVER=

[Mark_Solutions]

Just to add to the other excellent posts ...

I believe that the vm.conf file is redundant largely since V6 due to the intrduction of the EMM Database (Enterprise Media Manager)

You will find that in fact barcodes rules are held in EMM so should be OK where ever you run the inventory from but the MediaID generation rules do not seem to be and this is what causes issue when using remote admin console

Hope this helps

[J_H_Is_gone]

I did miss state that - it is the id generation that has to be on the media server.  

[J_H_Is_gone]

it is the id generation for new tapes that has to be set up - been burned by this more than once in forgetting it set it up on a new console.

[Marianne]

As per Mark's post above, some bp.conf as well as vm.conf entries have been moved to EMM: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH43622

bp.conf entries for Unix servers: http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO33172

A SERVER entry for a media server will give it full Admin rights, similar ro the masters.
A host that is listed as a MEDIA_SERVER can back up and restore clients. However, if the host is not specified as a SERVER, the host has limited administrative capabilities.

I ALWAYS put VERBOSE entry in vm.conf on all media servers. Device actions and errors are logged to syslog (/var/adm/messages on Solaris). This is the easiest way to find the reason for DOWN tape drives.