03-19-2014 06:04 AM
According to the Windows 6.0 SCL, I can't see any non-Symantec software you can use to backup your data when using SFW and even for Symantec software, there is no "Tested and Supported" solution - only:
Product | Version | SFW 6.0 |
Veritas NetBackup | 6.5.2-6.5.5 | Compatible and Supported, but not tested by Symantec |
Veritas NetBackup | 6.5.6 | Supported with Limitations |
Veritas NetBackup | 7.0, 7.0.1, 7.1 | Supported with Limitations |
Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery | 2010 | Not Supported |
So what backup software do customers use when they are using SFW and is there any offically fully supported backup software
Mike
04-01-2014 03:57 PM
As a NetBackup 'person', you will understand that this is where 99% of my experience comes from...
NetBackup does not care about the Volume Management software - only about the filesystem. Since NTFS is the filesystem on SFW volumes, there are no issues with backups of filesystems.
The only issue that may exist is with BMR (Bare Metal Restore) option.
Bare Metal Restore File System/Volume Manager Support is covered in NBU 7.x SCL: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH76648
Another feature in NBU where SFW and filesystem plays a role is with Snapshot Client Feature.
(Here FlashSnap option is automated via NBU policy to perform diskgroup split, deport, import on backup server, backup, deport, import on source machine, diskgroup join and re-sync.)
Support is listed in NetBackup 7 Snapshot Client (CL): http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH126901
I would guess that most other backup products will have the same basic support for NTFS filesystems - regardless of Volume Manager.
PS:
Apologies for only seeing your post today - I have been on leave...
04-03-2014 02:00 AM
Thanks Marianne,
My view is the same as yours, that unless backups need access to VM, like BMR or database raw volumes, then as they are accessing the NTFS filesystem, then they should work and "be supported" and this applies to ANY application.
The reason I asked is that I have a customer who was using Microsoft DPM and they were told by Microsoft and Symantec that the 2 products are not compatible.
After investgating further is seems VSS is the problem and I am certainly no expert on VSS. On UNIX, backups of snapshots are straightforward as this is scripted with the basic steps being:
As I understand, the problem with windows is that these steps are all bundled up into an API and I THIINK it works something like:
This is how I THINK it works, so then issues would be:
If my analysis is correct above and the issue is 2, then I guess you may be able to write your own script which:
In addition, the SFW admin guide says:
COW snapshots are supported in a VCS environment running only on Windows Server 2008 x86 and Windows Server 2008 x64.
COW snapshots are not supported in a Microsoft Failover Cluster environment
So if I am right in all of the above, then it would seem whether a particular backup software can backup your application depends on if:
I could be completely wrong on some of the above - so any clarification on the above is much appreciated.
Also input from anyone who does NOT use Netbackup to back up their application on SFW as it would seem if you are using SFW, then you need to use Netbackup.
Mike