Veritas NetBackup™ Troubleshooting Guide

To recover the master server when the root partition is lost

1. Load the operating system on an alternate boot disk, using the same procedure as you would normally use for the server type.
2. On the alternate disk, create the partition and directory where NetBackup, its catalogs (if applicable), and the databases resided on the original disk. By default, they reside under the /usr/openv directory.
3. Verify that the operating system works, that any required patches are installed, and that specific configuration settings are made. Take corrective action as needed.
4. Install NetBackup on the alternate disk. Install only the robotic software for the devices that are required to read backups of the NetBackup catalogs and regular backups of the disk being restored. If a non-robotic drive can read these backups, no robot is required.

   Note:

   For the NetBackup Web Services, you must use the same user account and credentials that were used when you backed up the NetBackup catalog. More information is available:

   http://www.veritas.com/docs/000081350

5. Install any NetBackup patches that had been previously installed. See the documentation that was included with the patch software.
6. If the catalog directories differ from those in the NetBackup catalog backups, recreate that directory structure on disk before you recover the catalog.

   Examples of those directories are the following:

   • Use of symbolic links as part of the NetBackup catalog directory structure.

   • Use of the NetBackup nbdb_move command to relocate parts of the NetBackup relational database catalog.

7. If the recovery scenario involves restoring policy or catalog backups, the appropriate recovery device(s) must be configured.

   Device configuration may include the following tasks:

   • Install and configure the robotic software for the devices that read backups of the NetBackup catalog and regular backups of the disk being restored. If a non-robotic drive is available that can read these backups, then no robot is required. Although manual intervention is required if multiple pieces of media are required.

     See the NetBackup Device Configuration Guide:

     http://www.veritas.com/docs/DOC5332

   • Use the NetBackup Device Configuration Wizard to discover and configure the recovery device in NetBackup.

     See the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I.

     http://www.veritas.com/docs/DOC5332

   • Use the NetBackup tpautoconf command to discover and configure the recovery device in NetBackup.

     See the NetBackup Commands Reference Guide manual:

     http://www.veritas.com/docs/DOC5332

   • Update the device mapping files.

     See the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I:

     http://www.veritas.com/docs/DOC5332

8. If you must restore from the policy backups or catalog backups that were done to media, the appropriate media may have to be configured in NetBackup.

   See the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I:

   http://www.veritas.com/docs/DOC5332

   Configuring the media may require some or all of the following tasks:

   • Manually load the required media into a standalone recovery device.

   • Use the NetBackup utilities such as robtest or vendor-specific robotic control software to load media into the required recovery device or devices.

   • Use the NetBackup Volume Configuration Wizard to inventory the media contents of a robotic device.

   • Use the vendor-specific robotic control software to load the media into the required recovery device(s).

9. Recover the NetBackup catalogs to the alternate disk.

   See About recovering the NetBackup catalog.

   The catalogs can be recovered only to the same directory structure from which they were backed up (alternate path recovery is not allowed).

10. Start the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore interface (or the bp command). Restore the latest backed up version of all files.

    You restore these files from the backup of the master server, not from the NetBackup catalog backup. Be sure to specify the disk that you recover as the alternate recovery location.

    Warning:

    Do not restore files to the /usr/openv/var, /usr/openv/db/data, or /usr/openv/volmgr/database directories (or relocated locations) or the directories that contain NetBackup database data. This data was recovered to the alternate disk in step 9 and is copied back to the recovery disk in step 12.

11. Stop all NetBackup processes that you started from NetBackup on the alternate disk. Use the Activity Monitor in the NetBackup Administration Console or the following:

    /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bp.kill_all

12. Maintaining the same directory structure, copy the NetBackup catalogs from the alternate disk to the disk that you recover. These are the catalogs recovered in step 9.
13. Make the recovered disk the boot disk again and restart the system.
14. Start and test the copy of NetBackup on the disk that you have recovered.

    /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bp.start_all

    Try the NetBackup Administration utilities. Also, try some backups and restores.

15. When you are satisfied that the recovery is complete, delete the NetBackup files from the alternate disk. Or, unhook that disk, if it is a spare.