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Veritas NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, Volume II

Last Published: 2021-06-07

Product(s): NetBackup (9.1)

How NetBackup creates and uses action files on UNIX

When a backup operation begins, NetBackup creates a default action file named actions in the busy_files/actions directory. The contents of the actions file are derived from the BUSY_FILE_ACTION options in the bp.conf file.

Normally, NetBackup refers to the default action file for all future busy file processing. To override the default, create an action file to control a specific backup policy and schedule. The following entries show the naming convention for the policy and the schedule action files:

    actions.policy_name.schedule_name
    actions.policy_name

Where policy_name and schedule_name correspond to a predefined backup policy and schedule.

NetBackup performs the following steps when it searches for an action file.

Table: NetBackup steps when it searches for an action file

Step	Example
Checks for a file that names a specific policy and schedule, such as:	actions.policy_name.schedule_name
If a file for a specific policy and schedule is not found, NetBackup searches for a less specific name, such as the following:	actionpolicy_names
If a less specific name does not exist, NetBackup refers to the default action file. The contents of user-created action files are similar to the default. Optional comment lines can be included. The specification is the same as for the BUSY_FILE_ACTION option:	# comment_line filename_template action_template Example 1: The bp.conf file might contain the following: BUSY_FILE_ACTION = /usr/openv mail BUSY_FILE_ACTION = /usr/* repeat 2 BUSY_FILE_ACTION = /usr/local ignore If yes, the default actions file (named actions) contains the following lines: /usr/openv mail /usr/* repeat 2 /usr/local ignore Example 2: An action file name for a backup policy production_servers with a schedule name full follows: actions.production_servers.full The actions file can contain the following line: /bin/* repeat If yes, NetBackup repeats the backup for busy files in the /bin directory.

Step

Example

Checks for a file that names a specific policy and schedule, such as:

actions.policy_name.schedule_name

If a file for a specific policy and schedule is not found, NetBackup searches for a less specific name, such as the following:

actionpolicy_names

If a less specific name does not exist, NetBackup refers to the default action file.

The contents of user-created action files are similar to the default. Optional comment lines can be included. The specification is the same as for the BUSY_FILE_ACTION option:

# comment_line

filename_template action_template

Example 1:

The bp.conf file might contain the following:

BUSY_FILE_ACTION =
  /usr/openv mail
BUSY_FILE_ACTION = /usr/* repeat 2
BUSY_FILE_ACTION = /usr/local ignore

If yes, the default actions file (named actions) contains the following lines:

/usr/openv mail
/usr/* repeat 2
/usr/local ignore

Example 2:

An action file name for a backup policy production_servers with a schedule name full follows:

actions.production_servers.full

The actions file can contain the following line:

/bin/* repeat

If yes, NetBackup repeats the backup for busy files in the /bin directory.