Veritas NetBackup™ Installation Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): NetBackup (8.2)
  1. Preparing for installation
    1. General installation information
      1.  
        Available NetBackup installation methods
      2.  
        About compatibility between NetBackup versions
      3.  
        About NetBackup software availability
      4. How to install NetBackup
        1.  
          About the NetBackup preinstall checker
        2.  
          About the NetBackup Product Improvement Program
      5.  
        Creating the user account to support the NetBackup web server
      6. About storage device configuration
        1.  
          Locating supported robot types
      7.  
        About security certificates for NetBackup hosts
      8.  
        Restrictions on the NetBackup installation directory
    2. Installation operational notes and limitations
      1.  
        NetBackup servers must use a host name that is compliant with RFC 1123 and RFC 952
      2.  
        Host ID-based certificate is not deployed during installation on 8.1 media server or client host with dual stack configuration
      3.  
        NetBackup 8.2 and RHEL 8 installation issue
      4.  
        NetBackup 8.2 and SUSE 15 installation issue
      5.  
        External certificate authority certificates supported by NetBackup 8.2
      6.  
        SCCM and Chef deployment tools and documentation now available
    3. SORT information
      1.  
        About Veritas Services and Operations Readiness Tools
      2.  
        Recommended SORT procedures for new installations
      3.  
        Recommended SORT procedures for upgrades
    4. Smart Meter information
      1.  
        About Veritas Smart Meter
      2.  
        Best practices for Veritas Smart Meter
  2. NetBackup licenses
    1.  
      About NetBackup license requirements
    2.  
      About license key entry
    3.  
      Frequently asked questions about license keys
  3. Installing server software on UNIX systems
    1. Installation and upgrade requirements for UNIX and Linux
      1.  
        Do not mix non-English versions of Windows and UNIX platforms unless master and media servers are NetBackup appliances
      2.  
        NetBackup installations on environments that run different versions of UNIX-based operating systems
      3.  
        Special installation guidelines for Solaris systems
      4.  
        Special installation guidelines for UNIX clustered environments
    2.  
      How the installation script works
    3. Installing NetBackup master server software on UNIX
      1.  
        Continuing with NetBackup software installation
    4. Installing NetBackup media server software on UNIX
      1.  
        Silently installing NetBackup media server software on UNIX and Linux
    5. About pushing client software from a master server to clients
      1.  
        Installing client type software on a master server
  4. Installing server software on Windows systems
    1.  
      Installation and upgrade requirements for Windows and Windows clusters
    2.  
      Requirements for Windows cluster installations and upgrades
    3.  
      Performing local, remote, or clustered server installation on Windows systems
    4.  
      Post-installation tasks for NetBackup cluster environments
    5.  
      Verifying Windows cluster installations or upgrades
    6.  
      Installing NetBackup servers silently on Windows systems
  5. About the administrative interfaces
    1.  
      About the NetBackup web user interface
    2.  
      About the NetBackup Administration Console
    3.  
      Installing the NetBackup Administration Console
    4.  
      Installing multiple versions of the NetBackup Administration Console on Windows
    5.  
      Removing earlier versions of the NetBackup Administration Console on Windows
    6.  
      About the NetBackup Remote Administration Console
    7.  
      Installing the NetBackup Remote Administration Console
  6. Installing NetBackup client software
    1.  
      About NetBackup client installation
    2. About NetBackup client installation on Windows
      1.  
        About Windows client installation methods and requirements
      2.  
        Installing NetBackup Windows clients locally or remotely
      3.  
        Installing NetBackup Windows clients silently
      4.  
        How to configure NetBackup clients
    3. About NetBackup client installation on UNIX/Linux
      1.  
        About UNIX and Linux client installation methods
      2.  
        Installing UNIX clients locally
      3.  
        Install of the UNIX and Linux client binaries with native installers
      4. About remote installation methods for UNIX/Linux clients
        1.  
          Installing client software with the ssh method
        2.  
          Installing client software with the sftp method
      5.  
        Adding a UNIX/Linux client after initial server installation
      6.  
        Upgrading clients after servers are upgraded
  7. Configuring NetBackup
    1.  
      About NetBackup startup and shutdown scripts
    2. About NetBackup server configuration
      1.  
        Starting the NetBackup Administration Console
      2.  
        About the Device Configuration Wizard
      3.  
        About the Volume Configuration Wizard
      4.  
        About the Catalog Backup Wizard
      5.  
        About the Backup Policy Configuration Wizard
    3.  
      Update cloud configuration file on the master server immediately after install or upgrade to NetBackup 8.2
  8. Upgrading NetBackup software
    1.  
      About upgrading NetBackup
    2.  
      About the NetBackup 8.x Upgrade Portal
  9. Removing NetBackup server and client software
    1.  
      About NetBackup server software removal on UNIX systems
    2.  
      About NetBackup client software removal on UNIX and Linux systems
    3.  
      Removing NetBackup from UNIX and Linux servers and clients
    4.  
      About NetBackup server software removal on Windows systems
    5.  
      Removing NetBackup server and client software from Windows servers, clusters, and clients
    6.  
      Removing NetBackup LiveUpdate from Windows systems
    7.  
      About removal of the Java Console state data from Windows servers and Windows clients
    8.  
      Removing a clustered media server by migrating all data to a new media server
  10. Reference
    1.  
      Generate a certificate on the inactive nodes of a clustered master server
    2.  
      About the NetBackup answer file
    3.  
      About RBAC bootstrapping
    4.  
      NetBackup master server web server user and group creation
    5.  
      About the NetBackup Java Runtime Environment
    6.  
      Using NetApp disk arrays with Replication Director
    7.  
      Security updates to the NetBackup database
    8.  
      Size guidance for Veritas NetBackup master server and domain

About the NetBackup answer file

The NetBackup answer file (/tmp/NBInstallAnswer.conf) is used during UNIX and Linux installs and upgrades to:

  • Override some default values.

  • Avoid answering some questions during interactive installation.

  • Perform unattended or silent UNIX and Linux client installs and upgrades on most supported operating systems.

Templates for media and clients are available at the top level of the NetBackup installation image downloaded from Veritas.

Populate the NetBackup answer file on the target host before you run the installation script. Create the file if it does not exist. The supported entries are shown along with any relevant information.

Table: Template options and required computers

Option

NetBackup role

Required for install?

ACCEPT_REVERSE_CONNECTION

Client

Only if you want to configure NetBackup to support NAT clients.

AUTHORIZATION_TOKEN

Media and client

Review About security configuration considerations for details.

CA_CERTIFICATE_FINGERPRINT

Media and client

Review About security configuration considerations for details.

CLIENT_NAME

Media and client

Yes

ECA_CERT_PATH

Media and client

Review About security configuration considerations for details.

ECA_CRL_CHECK_LEVEL

Media and client

Review About security configuration considerations for details.

ECA_CRL_PATH

Media and client

Only when ECA_CRL_CHECK_LEVEL=USE_PATH is specified.

ECA_KEY_PASSPHRASEFILE

Media and client

No

ECA_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH

Media and client

Review About security configuration considerations for details.

ECA_TRUST_STORE_PATH

Media and client

Review About security configuration considerations for details.

INSTALL_PATH

Media and client

No

LICENSE

Media

Yes

MACHINE_ROLE

Media and client

Yes

MEDIA_SERVER

Client

No

MERGE_SERVERS_LIST

Client

No

RBAC_DOMAIN_NAME

Master

No

RBAC_DOMAIN_TYPE

Master

No

RBAC_PRINCIPAL_NAME

Master

No

RBAC_PRINCIPAL_TYPE

Master

No

SERVER

Media and client

Yes

SERVICES

Client

No

WEBSVC_GROUP

Master

No

WEBSVC_USER

Master

No

About security configuration considerations

If this operation is an initial installation or an upgrade from pre-8.0, at least one set of security configuration parameters must be provided.

To use the NetBackup master server as your Certificate Authority, the CA_CERTIFICATE_FINGERPRINT of the master server must be provided. The AUTHORIZATION_TOKEN option may be required depending on either the security level of the master server or if this computer is already configured on the master server. More information is available: https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.000127129.

To use an external certificate authority, the ECA_CERT_PATH, ECA_CRL_CHECK_LEVEL, ECA_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH, and ECA_TRUST_STORE_PATH values are required. The ECA_CRL_PATH and ECA_KEY_PASSPHRASEFILE values are optional. More information is available: https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100044300.

About skipping the external certificate authority configuration

To continue the installation or upgrade without configuring the certificate authority, specify SKIP for all the required ECA_ options. Be aware the installation or upgrade fails if you don't set all the ECA_ values to SKIP. If you continue the installation or the upgrade without the required certificate authority components, backups and restores fail.

ACCEPT_REVERSE_CONNECTION
  • Description: Use this option to identify how a NAT client connects with a NetBackup host. Accepted values are TRUE and FALSE. Set this option to TRUE if NetBackup needs to support NAT, otherwise set it to FALSE. Set ACCEPT_REVERSE_CONNECTION = FALSE if:

    • You do not want NetBackup to support NAT clients.

    • The NetBackup clients are not behind the firewall.

  • Default value: FALSE

  • ACCEPT_REVERSE_CONNECTION=TRUE | FALSE

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

AUTHORIZATION_TOKEN
  • Description: This option specifies that NetBackup should automatically use an authorization or a reissue token when it retrieves the host certificate. The AUTHORIZATION_TOKEN is 16 upper case letters. Some environments require an authorization token for backups and restores to work correctly. If this information is required and is not provided in the answer file, the installation fails. If SKIP is specified, the installer attempts to retrieve a host certificate without including a token. In some environments this choice may result in additional manual steps following the installation.

    Be aware that AUTHORIZATION_TOKEN is ignored on upgrade under either of these conditions:

    • NBCA is already configured on the host.

    • ECA is in use on the master server.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Review About security configuration considerations for details.

  • AUTHORIZATION_TOKEN=ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOP | SKIP

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

CA_CERTIFICATE_FINGERPRINT
  • Description: This option specifies the Certificate Authority (CA) Certificate Fingerprint. The Certificate Fingerprint is retrieved from the CA during installation or upgrade. The fingerprint format is 59 characters and is a combination of the digits 0-9, the letters A-F, and colons. For example, 01:23:45:67:89:AB:CD:EF:01:23:45:67:89:AB:CD:EF:01:23:45:67. The fingerprint value must match the fingerprint for the server value that is specified in the first SERVER=server_name option. To continue the installation or upgrade without configuring security, specify CA_CERTIFICATE_FINGERPRINT=SKIP.

    Be aware that CA_CERTIFICATE_FINGERPRINT is ignored on upgrade under either of these conditions:

    • NBCA is already configured on the host.

    • ECA is in use on the master server.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Review About security configuration considerations for details.

  • CA_CERTIFICATE_FINGERPRINT=fingerprint | SKIP

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

CLIENT_NAME
  • Description: This option specifies the name that NetBackup uses to identify this computer. The XLOCALHOSTX value lets the local host provide the computer name. If this value is used, it may be possible to use the same answer file on all computers within a single master server domain. This value is added to the bp.conf file.

    If CLIENT_NAME is specified on upgrade, a check is made to validate that the name that is provided in the answer file matches the value that is configured in the bp.conf file.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Yes

  • CLIENT_NAME=name | XLOCALHOSTX

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

ECA_CERT_PATH
  • Description: This option specifies the path and the file name of the external certificate file.

    To skip setting up the certificate authority, set all required ECA_ values to SKIP. Be aware that if you continue with the installation without a certificate authority, the backups and restores fail.

    The ECA_CERT_PATH option is ignored on upgrade if ECA is already configured on the host or if NBCA only is in use on the master server.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Review About security configuration considerations for details.

  • ECA_CERT_PATH=path_and_file_name

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

ECA_CRL_CHECK_LEVEL
  • Description: This option specifies the CRL mode. Supported values are:

    • USE_CDP: Use the CRL defined in the certificate.

    • USE_PATH: Use the CRL at the path that is specified in ECA_CRL_PATH.

    • DISABLED: Do not use a CRL.

    • SKIP: Used to skip setting up the certificate authority. To skip the ECA configuration, you must set all required ECA_ values to SKIP. Be aware that if you continue with the installation without a certificate authority, the backups and restores fail.

      The ECA_CERT_PATH option is ignored on upgrade if ECA is already configured on the host or if NBCA only is in use on the master server.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Review About security configuration considerations for details.

  • ECA_CRL_CHECK_LEVEL=value

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

ECA_CRL_PATH
  • Description: This option specifies the path and the file name of the CRL associated with the external CA certificate.

    To skip setting up the certificate authority, set all required ECA_ values to SKIP. Be aware that if you continue with the installation without a certificate authority, the backups and restores fail.

    The ECA_CERT_PATH option is ignored on upgrade if ECA is already configured on the host or if NBCA only is in use on the master server.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Only when ECA_CRL_CHECK_LEVEL=USE_PATH is specified.

  • ECA_CRL_PATH=path

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

ECA_KEY_PASSPHRASEFILE
  • Description: This option specifies the path and the file name of the file that contains the passphrase to access the keystore.

    The ECA_CERT_PATH option is ignored on upgrade if ECA is already configured on the host or if NBCA only is in use on the master server.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: No

  • ECA_KEY_PASSPHRASEFILE=path/filename

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

ECA_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH
  • Description: This option specifies the path and the file name of the file representing the private key.

    To skip setting up the certificate authority, set all required ECA_ values to SKIP. Be aware that if you continue with the installation without a certificate authority, the backups and restores fail.

    The ECA_CERT_PATH option is ignored on upgrade if ECA is already configured on the host or if NBCA only is in use on the master server.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Review About security configuration considerations for details.

  • ECA_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH=path/filename

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

ECA_TRUST_STORE_PATH
  • Description: This option specifies the path and the file name of the file representing the trust store location.

    To skip setting up the certificate authority, set all required ECA_ values to SKIP. Be aware that if you continue with the installation without a certificate authority, the backups and restores fail.

    The ECA_CERT_PATH option is ignored on upgrade if ECA is already configured on the host or if NBCA only is in use on the master server.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Review About security configuration considerations for details.

  • ECA_TRUST_STORE_PATH=path/filename

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

INSTALL_PATH
  • Description: This option specifies the location to install the NetBackup binaries. Only the absolute path to a base directory is required for this option. The installer automatically appends /openv. This option cannot be used to change the location of NetBackup during an upgrade.

    Be aware that the INSTALL_PATH option is ignored on upgrade.

  • Default value: /usr

  • Required: No

  • INSTALL_PATH = path

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

LICENSE
  • Description: This option specifies the license key string to apply to the server. Additional LICENSE = key_string lines may be added if more licenses are to be applied. This option only adds additional keys - no existing keys are removed.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Yes.

  • LICENSE = key_string

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

MACHINE_ROLE
  • Description: This option specifies the NetBackup role to install and configure on this computer. For upgrades, this value must match the configured role on the computer.

  • Default value: None. Supported values are MASTER, MEDIA, and CLIENT.

  • Required: Yes.

  • MACHINE_ROLE = MASTER | MEDIA | CLIENT

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

MEDIA_SERVER
  • Description: This option specifies that NetBackup may use the named host to tunnel secure web requests for this client. A tunnel is required when communication between the client and the NetBackup Web Service on the master server is blocked. This communication is required to obtain a host certificate during the NetBackup installation or upgrade. Multiple MEDIA_SERVER entries may exist in the answer file. Each one is used as a candidate to tunnel https requests. These entries are added to the bp.conf file.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: No.

  • MEDIA_SERVER=media_server_name

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

MERGE_SERVERS_LIST
  • Description: Merge the servers present in bp.conf on the master with the server list contained in this client's bp.conf.

  • Default value: NO

  • Required: No.

  • MERGE_SERVERS_LIST = yes | no

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

RBAC_DOMAIN_NAME
  • Description: This option specifies the domain name of the principal that is configured to have the role-based access control (RBAC) permissions for the security administrator and backup administrator roles.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: No

  • RBAC_DOMAIN_NAME = domain_name

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

RBAC_DOMAIN_TYPE
  • Description: This option specifies the domain type of the principal that is configured to have the role-based access control (RBAC) permissions for the security administrator and backup administrator roles.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: No

  • RBAC_DOMAIN_TYPE = domain_type

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

RBAC_PRINCIPAL_NAME
  • Description: This option specifies the name of the principal that is configured to have the role-based access control (RBAC) permissions for the security administrator and backup administrator roles. This user or the user group must already exist on the system.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: No

  • RBAC_PRINCIPAL_NAME = principal_name

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

RBAC_PRINCIPAL_TYPE
  • Description: This option specifies the type of the principal that is configured to have the role-based access control (RBAC) permissions for the security administrator and backup administrator roles.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: No

  • RBAC_PRINCIPAL_TYPE = USER | USERGROUP

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

SERVER
  • Description: This option specifies the server name this computer recognizes as the current NetBackup master server. Additional SERVER= lines may be added if there are other servers that should be recognized. In the case where multiple SERVER= lines are present, the first occurrence is the master server. These entries are added to the bp.conf file.

  • Default value: None.

  • Required: Yes.

  • SERVER=master_server_name

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

SERVICES
  • Description: This option specifies whether NetBackup services should be started upon completion of the client installation or upgrade. If no is specified, the NetBackup services are not started. Additional manual configuration steps may be performed after the install or upgrade but before the NetBackup services are started.

  • Default value: YES

  • Required: No.

  • SERVICES=no

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

WEBSVC_GROUP
  • Description: This option specifies the group name of the account that the NetBackup web server uses. This group must already exist on the system.

  • Default value: nbwebgrp

  • Required: No.

  • WEBSVC_GROUP=custom_group_account_name

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.

WEBSVC_USER
  • Description: This option specifies the user name of the account that the NetBackup web server uses. This user must already exist on the system.

  • Default value: nbwebsvc

  • Required: No.

  • WEBSVC_USER=custom_user_account_name

  • Return to Table: Template options and required computers.