images folder size is getting increased

[swamykotta]

Hi

E:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\db\images folder size is getting increased, what is the use of these images. How can i fulsh these images, can i delete or these are important ?

Please advise

Thanks - Swamy

[AmolB]

These are the catalogs which are generated by the backup jobs. Without catalogs you will not be 

able to restore any data. The catalogs will be overwritten once the retention period for the backup 

sets end.

[revarooo · Accepted solution]

Swamy

DO NOT DELETE ANYTHING IN HERE MANUALLY!!

db/images contains a list of ALL the files you have backed up. The db/images directory has a list of directories for clients and inside these are image files and headers. When you perform a restore, this is the directory that is interrogated.

If you delete anything in here you will not be able to restore the files that were held in that directory.

The reason it is getting big is because you are backing up more data and you probably have retention levels set to a high period, possibly infinity, so some images may NEVER expire.

You could look at catalog compression or catalog archiving to save space, but ultimately if you are backing up more data than you are expiring, you will eventually get to a point where it fills up again. Check your retentions in your policies.

Catalog Compression

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO34441

Catalog Archiving

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH36433

[Marianne]

Please read up on catalog size in NBU Admin Guide for Windows, Volume I  http://www.symantec.com/docs/DOC3653 : under the topic: Estimating catalog space requirements in Chapter 18 - Protecting the NetBackup catalog.

[Yogesh9881]

"E:\Program Files\Veritas\NetBackup\db\images"  is the image database of netbackup 

DO NOT TOUCH ANY FILE in this location & make sure your catalog backup happening every day without any errors....

[mph999]

These are the most important files on the master server.

You need to get yourself on some NetBackup training.  It is unfair on you, that you are not familiar with the very very basics of NetBackup.

These files contain a list of what you backed up, and where it is.  Without this information NBU cannot restore anything.

When you look at the BAR GUI to restore files, you are looking in this Catalog Data.

Any changes in these files that are made manually could result in lost data, that even Symantec cannot recover.

If you are running out of space in this area, 1. This means the sysem was not correctly designed, and 2. You have a problem.

There are ways around this, but as you are not too famliar with NBU, I would recommend logging a call with Symantec.

Martin