multiple media servers to one library

[Scott_Thornberr]

Just looking for information if it’s a good idea to have maybe 2 or more media servers pointing to the same library to split some of the networking load for backups.

If so I believe its as simple as re-zoning some drives to each media server and moving things about depending on the environment.

Any thoughts?

thanks

[Stumpr2]

This is one time where distributing the wealth is a good thing to do. This can be done with or without SSO but the addition of the SSo license will give you a more diverse sharing scheme. Have the master server control the library functions and then distribute the drives as determined by your throughput needs.

[Scott_Thornberr]

HI Stumpr

We do have SSO license..currently our master is on its own server, I been thinking of adding 2 meida servers to the 1 library and splitting the drives attached to them, and re-directing jobs between them.

it will add some complexitiy at my end for the amout of jobs we run and off site items, but I am hoping to lessen the burden on all the traffic flowing to one media.

[sdo]

You say you have SSO already.  Do you have additional media server(s) already too?
If so, then yes it can be worth adding another media server, and then just leaving the master to function as a master with no media server responsibilities - other than having it just do the catalog backup.

[Scott_Thornberr]

That is what the master is doing along with 2 other media servers, however I typically like to keep things simple if possible, and had thought of taking one of the libraries which have a lot of drives in
it, and splitting it across 2 media servers instead of just one, and really the biggest challenge would be for me to figure out what clients to go where, as if i split this off, instead of having a choice
of the full 9 drives, if i direct them to 1 media server with 4 they may expirence wait times, unless i just have it use any media server.
I was curious what if anyone else does for this...

[sdo]

I would SSO the entire environment for greater HA.  If you loose one media server for maintenance you effectively now have a pool of media servers that share the load based on...
Adjust the "max concurrent drives" for each storage unit on each media server such that the more powerful media servers can write to more drives at once, and lower the count of "max concurrent drives" on the weaker media servers.  Then create storage unit groups containing one or more storage units (i.e. multiple paths via media servers to the same tape drives), and then reference the required storage unit group in your policy/schedules or SLPs.

[Dion]

Just to clarify what sdw303's comments (which is the right way to go).

The idea is that you zone all tape drives in the library to every media server + the master server.  This way each server has access to every tape drive in the library and you can use your master server to orchestrate the library (manage it on behalf of the media servers).  Set up correctly, Netbackup will manage the distribution of jobs to each of the media servers and each of the tape drives.  If you loose a media server, NetBackup will still have access to all the tape drives via the other media servers.

In this configuration, you will not have to 'direct' backups to specific media servers and tape drives.  E.g, you could have one policy with 500 clients configured (and one Storage Unit to which all the media servers connect) and NetBackup will distribute the load between all media servers and all drives for you - this is what NetBackup is about.

Hope this helps.

[sdo]

...with 500 clients configured (and one Storage Unit "Group" to which...

It's all about "groups of" Storage Units (i.e. each media server's view of the libraries).