use of bptestbpcd command

[wannawin]

Hello All, i just want to know the use of bptestbpcd command... according to me its client connect back option.. if connectivity from client to Master/media is fine then only this command gave positive output wen i run on master/media. For eg. i ran this command from media server then it executed perfectly widout any error but there is no connectivity from client to media server. ping and telnet to bpcd is not working from client to media server. then how bptestbpcd worked ftom media server to client..

[Stumpr2]

use the -debug option along with -verbose to get more information when running the command. You may be using the port 1556.

[wannawin]

Hi Stumpr2.. i uaed debug and verbose option.. but my query is not this... i want to know if connectivity from client to media server os not good. . in that case.. bptestbpcd will work from media server tp client or not

[Nicolai]

The client will never connect to the media server, only the master, and its always the media server that connect to the client.

[wannawin]

Thanks Nicloi.. if i select media sever as a storage unit... and ping and telnet to bpcd fron client to media server is not working..... in this case will bptestbpcd from media server to client run or not

[Will_Restore]

It depends on NetBackup version and configuration.  It might work fine without ping and/or bpcd.

See this thread: https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/netbackup-firewall-ports

for description of port usage and link to pertinent Technote

[SymTerry]

Client to master server requires TCP port for vnetd/13724 for client-initiated (user-directed), but like Nicolai said, not server-initiated operations. Also SAN Client to/from master/media servers requires the TCP ports for vnetd/13724 and PBX/1556, bi-directional.  

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

Please ALWAYS mention your NBU version - lots of things change across versions. Like ports numbers used for connectivity.

bptestbpcd issued on master or media server will attempt to connect on the client on the default port used for that NBU version and then wait for connect-back from the client on the same port number.

If you use bptestbpcd with -debug and -verbose you will be able to see these port numbers. 

NBU version 7.0.1 and later will first attempt port 1556 (pbx). If that fails, it will try port 13724 (vnetd). If this connection fails, it will try bpcd - port 13782.

NBU 6.0 - 7.0 will try vnetd first. If that fails, will try bpcd.

bptestbpcd is super handy because it tests port connectivity as well as hostname lookup.

ALWAYS ensure bpcd log folder exist on client and that NBU Client service is running before you try bptestbpcd.
If nothing is logged, you know there is a firewall issue - either local OS firewall on the client or company firewall.
If log file is created or updated, you can follow connectivity process on the client - from the incoming request from media server IP, to the hostname lookup for IP, followed by comparison of resolved hostname to Server entries on the client, and if successful, the final connect-back to the server using the same port that the media server connected on.

[wannawin]

Hello Marianne. U mentined that "bptestbpcd os isaued on master or media server will attempt to connect on client with default port used for the NBU version and then wait for connect back from client on the same port no. But if ping and telnet to bpcd is not woking from client to media server in that case it will not connect back and bptestbpcd will not work which i fired on media server??

[Marianne]

NBU no longer tries to connect to bpcd by default. Only when all other ports have been attempted. (See my post above.)

Yes, if ping is not working, chances are nothing else will.
Unless there is a firewall between media server and client where ping is disabled.

You actually need to test telnet from server to client using pbx or vnetd and same ports from client to server (depending on your NBU version).

[wannawin]

Hi Marianne. telnet to bpcd,pbx is working from media server to client but telnet to bpcd, pbx is not working from client to media server but still bptestbpcd from media server to client completed successfuly. Bptestbpcd from media server to client should not completed successfully b'coz telnet to bpcd and pbx is not working from client to media server

[Marianne]

Seems you forgot about vnetd. If you show me bptestbpcd output from the media server with debug and verbose options and the client's bpcd log file, I will explain to you why bptestbpcd worked.