Question on Trigger File

[Bruce_Cranksh1]

Hi All

I have a customer on EV 9.0 sp3.

Every night they stop the EV Services and run SQL Maintenance and Backup EV. They don't put the Services into Backup mode for this window period but actually stop  the EV services.

They also use Tivoli for Backup  and have set the Vault Store for " Remove Backup Copies Immediately ". Tivoli doesn’t remove the Archive Bit so I am understandably seeing the Awaiting Backup in Usage.asp, a reflection of the Journal Archive table,  not decreasing.

I have configured the Trigger File to run during the script that stops the EV services, it creates the IgnoreArchiveBitTrigger.txt  successfully but I still don't see the Awaiting Backup drop.

My questions is would EV recognise the Trigger File if you just stop and restart the Services or do  I have to configure EV to run in Backup Mode. My understanding is that it’s the starting of Storage Service that reads the Trigger file so this method should work. But I may be missing something

Thanks

[GertjanA · Accepted solution]

Hello Bruce,

As far as I know, you will have to set/clear backup mode for the triggerfile to be processed. I would first check the below. Make sure (but I assume you know) that you create a new triggerfile (current date/time) to make sure EV knows anything before that date has been backed up.

Verify that the partitions are set to check for a triggerfile:

Configure Enterprise Vault to look for the trigger file: 

1. Open the Vault Admin Console (VAC)

2. Expand Vault Stores

3. Expand each Vault Store Group

4. Right-click on the appropriate Vault Store Partition and go to Properties

5. Select the Backup tab and check "Check for a trigger file" and choose the appropriate scan interval time

6. Click OK to save the settings.

7. Restart the EV Storage service so that the update is enabled. 

[Bruce_Cranksh1]

Hi Gert

Thanks for the response, yes all  of that is done.

I guess I just need confirmation that starting the Storage service isn't enough to read the Trigger File.The EV services need to be put in/out of Backup Mode as thats the only way the Trigger File would be read. 

[GertjanA]

Hi Bruce,

Perhaps in the bactfile used to start the service, add the powershell to set backup mode, and then clear it.We use sleep.exe to wait 60 secs to peform those actions.

[Bruce_Cranksh1]

Hi Gert

That would work, the issue being this is an oversea's customer that I need to arrange a Webex session for to make any changes. So if the Trigger can be read by just Stop/Start services then at least I know thats not the issue.

I know it sounds like I'm being lazy but I am just trying to reduce work that I don't need to do if there is  an official response :)

[GertjanA]

Hi Bruce,

Enterprise Vault checks partitions for a trigger file when the storage service starts and when backup mode is cleared from a vault store. Additionally, if you set a scan interval for the partition, Enterprise Vault checks the partition at intervals determined by the value you set.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO31901

You might want to reverify if the triggerfile is written new (so the date/time is the current one when the file is created), and that it changes to .old when the storageservice starts.

[MarkBarefoot]

This is the text in the current Parition Properties:

Enterprise Vault checks whether items have been secured when the vault store is taken out of backup mode, and when the storage service starts.

and from the Install & Configure guide:

Enterprise Vault checks partitions for a trigger file when the storage service starts and when backup mode is cleared from a vault store. Additionally, if you set a scan interval for the partition,

I confirmed this in my lab on a VS in/out of backup mode and storage service restart - both events triggered the following process seen in DTRACE of StorageFileWatch

{CWatchFileTimer::CheckTriggerFileExists} (Entry)

might be worth setting DTRACE and see what it is doing?

Historically the StorageService always invoked a check of the Partition and that remains AFAIK.

[FreKac2]

You can set TSM to reset the archive bit if you want, you have to add the following in the dsm.opt file.

RESETARCHIVEATTRIBUTE YES
 

I've used it several times at my customers.

[Bruce_Cranksh1]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the relevant responses. So the Trigger File should be read by the Storage Service restart, I am obviously facing another issue. I'll dtrace it to get further information but I will first tell the customer to do what Fredrik suggested, I like that :)