Veritas NetBackup™ Appliance Administrator's Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): Appliances (3.2)
Platform: NetBackup Appliance OS
  1. Overview
    1.  
      About NetBackup appliances
    2.  
      About the Master Server role
    3.  
      About the Media Server role
    4. About accessing the NetBackup Appliance Web Console
      1.  
        Web browsers supported by the appliance
      2.  
        Disabling the Untrusted Connection page in Mozilla Firefox
    5. About the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
      1.  
        Logging on to the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
      2.  
        Limitations of the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
      3.  
        Command limitations on appliances that are not configured
    6. About appliance console components
      1.  
        About using the links on the title bar
      2.  
        Accessing and using help
      3.  
        About using Web browser bookmarks
      4.  
        Avoiding CSRF (Cross Site Request Forgery)
    7.  
      About the NetBackup Appliance Web Console login page
    8.  
      NetBackup appliance home page
    9.  
      Common tasks in NetBackup appliance
    10.  
      About the NetBackup appliance documentation
  2. Monitoring the NetBackup appliance
    1.  
      About monitoring the NetBackup appliance
    2. About hardware monitoring and alerts
      1. Monitor > Hardware options
        1.  
          Hardware components that are monitored
      2.  
        About Email notification from a NetBackup appliance
    3. About Symantec Data Center Security on the NetBackup appliance
      1.  
        Monitor > SDCS Events
      2.  
        Viewing SDCS audit log details
      3.  
        Filtering SDCS audit logs
      4.  
        Setting the SDCS audit log retention specification
      5. About Symantec Data Center Security Downloads
        1.  
          Downloading the IPS and IDS policies from the NetBackup appliance
      6.  
        Connecting to the SDCS server
      7.  
        Revert SDCS to unmanaged mode on a NetBackup appliance
  3. Managing a NetBackup appliance from the NetBackup Appliance Web Console
    1.  
      About the Manage views
    2. About storage configuration
      1.  
        Manage > Storage
      2.  
        Manage > Storage > Shares
      3.  
        About Universal Shares
      4. Manage > Storage > Universal Shares
        1.  
          Creating a Protection Point for a NetBackup Appliance Universal Share
      5.  
        Checking partition details
      6.  
        Resizing a partition
      7.  
        Resize dialog
      8.  
        Troubleshooting resize-related issues
      9.  
        Moving a partition
      10.  
        Move dialog
      11.  
        Moving the MSDP partition from a base disk to an expansion disk for optimum performance
      12.  
        Scanning storage devices from the NetBackup Appliance Web Console
      13.  
        Adding the storage space from a newly available disk
      14.  
        Removing an existing storage disk
      15.  
        Monitoring the progress of storage manipulation tasks
      16.  
        Scanning storage devices using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
      17. About Copilot functionality and Share management
        1.  
          About Optimized Shares and the Optimized Share Reserve
        2. Creating a Share
          1.  
            Creating a Protection Point for a NetBackup Appliance Universal Share
        3.  
          Editing a Share
        4.  
          Deleting a Share
        5.  
          Moving a Share
        6.  
          Creating the Optimized Share Reserve
        7.  
          Deleting the Optimized Share Reserve
        8.  
          Viewing Share information from the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
        9.  
          NFS export options
        10.  
          Mounting a Universal Share
      18. About viewing storage space information using the Show command
        1.  
          Viewing all storage information
        2.  
          Viewing disk information
        3.  
          Viewing partition information
        4.  
          Viewing the partition distribution on disks
      19.  
        About storage email alerts
    3. About appliance supported tape devices
      1.  
        Adding external robots to the NetBackup appliance
    4. About configuring Host parameters for your appliance
      1.  
        Manage > Host > Data Buffer options
      2.  
        Configuring data buffer parameters
      3.  
        Manage > Host > Lifecycle options
      4.  
        Configuring lifecycle parameters
      5. About configuring deduplication solutions
        1.  
          Adding the deduplication solution to a 5230 media appliance
        2.  
          Manage > Host > Deduplication
        3.  
          Configuring deduplication parameters
      6. About BMR integration
        1.  
          Manage > Host > Advanced options
        2.  
          Enabling BMR from the NetBackup Appliance Web Console
      7. Manage > Host > IPMI options
        1.  
          Resetting the IPMI
    5. Manage > Appliance Restore
      1. About creating an appliance checkpoint
        1.  
          Creating an appliance checkpoint
        2.  
          Checkpoint creation status
        3.  
          Creating an appliance checkpoint from the appliance shell menu
      2. About rollback to a checkpoint
        1.  
          About appliance rollback
        2.  
          About appliance rollback validation
        3.  
          Rollback to an appliance checkpoint from the NetBackup Appliance Web Console
        4.  
          About checkpoint rollback status
        5.  
          Rollback to an appliance checkpoint from the appliance shell menu
      3. About NetBackup appliance factory reset
        1.  
          Factory reset best practices
        2.  
          Starting a factory reset from the NetBackup Appliance Web Console
        3.  
          About factory reset status
        4.  
          Starting a factory reset from the appliance shell menu
    6. Manage > License
      1.  
        Managing license keys on the NetBackup appliance
      2.  
        Adding a permanent license key if an evaluation license key expires
    7. About the Migration Utility
      1.  
        Manage > Migration Utility > Configure Migration
      2.  
        Manage > Migration Utility > Migration Status
      3.  
        Configuring a new migration task
      4.  
        Viewing the migration task status
      5.  
        Best practices for migration utility
    8. Software release updates for NetBackup Appliances
      1.  
        Manage > Software Updates
      2.  
        Installing a NetBackup appliance software update using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
      3.  
        Appliance servers to upgrade
      4.  
        Software Updates Installation Status
      5.  
        Installing NetBackup PSF add-ons using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
    9. About installing an EEB
      1.  
        Installing an EEB
    10. About installing NetBackup Administration Console and client software
      1.  
        Installing NetBackup client software through an NFS share
      2.  
        Downloading NetBackup client packages to a client from a NetBackup appliance
    11. Manage > Additional Servers
      1.  
        Managing additional servers to the appliance
    12.  
      Manage > Certificates
    13. Manage > High Availability
      1.  
        Monitoring a high availability configuration from the NetBackup Appliance Web Console
  4. Managing NetBackup appliance using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
    1.  
      Expanding the bandwidth on the NetBackup appliance
    2.  
      About configuring the maximum transmission unit size
    3. About OpenStorage plugin installation
      1.  
        Installing the OpenStorage plugin
      2.  
        Uninstalling the OpenStorage plugin
    4. About mounting a remote NFS
      1.  
        Mounting a remote NFS drive
      2.  
        Unmounting an NFS drive
    5. About running NetBackup commands from the appliance
      1. About NetBackup administrator capabilities
        1.  
          Running NetBackup commands from the NetBackup appliance
        2. Creating a NetBackup touch file from the NetBackup appliance
          1.  
            Loading the NetBackup notify scripts
        3.  
          About NetBackup operating system commands
        4.  
          Best practices for running NetBackup commands from the NetBackup appliance
        5.  
          Known limitations of running NetBackup commands from the NetBackup appliance
      2. Creating NetBackup administrator user accounts
        1.  
          Logging on as a NetBackup administrator
        2.  
          Managing NetBackup administrator user account passwords
        3.  
          Auditing NetBackup administrator accounts
      3.  
        Deleting NetBackup administrator user accounts
      4.  
        Viewing NetBackup administrator user accounts
    6. About Auto Image Replication between appliances
      1. About Auto Image Replication between NetBackup appliances
        1.  
          Adding a trusted master server using a NetBackup CA-signed (host ID-based) certificate
        2.  
          Prerequisites for Auto Image Replication
        3. Configuring a replication target
          1.  
            Determining the appliance deduplication password
      2.  
        About Auto Image Replication between NetBackup appliances and deduplication appliances
    7. About forwarding logs to an external server
      1.  
        Uploading certificates for TLS
      2.  
        Enabling log forwarding
      3.  
        Changing the log forwarding interval
      4.  
        Viewing the log forwarding configuration
      5.  
        Disabling log forwarding
    8. About high availability configuration
      1.  
        Checking the status
      2.  
        Getting the asset tag
      3.  
        Switching the services over
      4.  
        Removing a node
    9. About data erasure
      1.  
        Configuring the data erasure
      2.  
        Viewing the data erasure status
      3.  
        Aborting the data erasure
  5. Understanding the NetBackup appliance settings
    1.  
      About modifying the appliance settings
    2. Settings > Notifications
      1. Settings > Notifications > Alert Configuration
        1.  
          Configuring alert settings
        2. About SNMP
          1.  
            About the Management Information Base (MIB)
        3. About Call Home
          1.  
            Enabling and disabling Call Home from the appliance shell menu
          2.  
            Configuring a Call Home proxy server from the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
          3.  
            Understanding the Call Home workflow
          4.  
            About the Product Improvement Program
      2. Settings > Notifications > Login Banner
        1.  
          Creating the appliance login banner
        2.  
          Removing the appliance login banner
      3. Settings > Notification > Registration
        1.  
          About AutoSupport
    3. Settings > Network
      1.  
        VLAN configuration for NetBackup Appliances
      2. Settings > Network > Network Settings
        1.  
          NetBackup 5330 compute node Ethernet port configurations
        2. About WAN Optimization
          1.  
            How to enable WAN optimization for a network interface port or a network interface port bond
          2.  
            How to disable WAN optimization for a network interface port or a network bond
          3.  
            Viewing the WAN optimization status
        3.  
          Network and VLAN configuration guidelines
        4.  
          Creating a bond
        5.  
          Tagging VLAN
        6.  
          Adding static route
      3. Settings > Network > Fibre Transport
        1.  
          About the HBA port mode configuration table
        2.  
          Configuring Fibre Transport media server settings
        3.  
          Configuring Fibre Transport to other NetBackup appliances
        4.  
          Configuring Fibre Transport on a target appliance for optimized duplication and replication
      4. Settings > Network > Host
        1.  
          Changing DNS and Host Name Resolution (non-DNS) configuration settings
      5.  
        About IPv4-IPv6-based network support
    4.  
      Settings > Date and Time
    5. Settings > Authentication
      1. About configuring user authentication
        1.  
          Generic user authentication guidelines
      2. About authorizing NetBackup appliance users
        1.  
          NetBackup appliance user role privileges
      3.  
        Settings > Authentication
      4. Settings > Authentication > LDAP
        1.  
          Adding an LDAP server configuration
        2.  
          Importing an LDAP server configuration
        3.  
          Setting the SSL certification
        4.  
          Exporting an LDAP configuration
        5.  
          Unconfiguring LDAP user authentication
        6.  
          Enabling the LDAP server configuration
        7.  
          Disabling the LDAP server configuration
        8.  
          Deleting LDAP configuration parameters
        9.  
          Adding LDAP configuration parameters
        10.  
          Adding an LDAP attribute mapping
        11.  
          Deleting an LDAP attribute mapping
      5. Settings > Authentication > Active Directory
        1.  
          Adding an Active Directory server configuration
        2.  
          Unconfiguring the Active Directory user authentication
      6. Settings > Authentication > Kerberos-NIS
        1.  
          Adding a Kerberos-NIS authentication configuration
        2.  
          Unconfiguring the Kerberos-NIS user authentication
      7. Settings > Authentication > User Management
        1.  
          Adding appliance users
        2.  
          Deleting appliance users
        3.  
          Adding appliance user groups
        4.  
          Deleting appliance user groups
        5.  
          Granting roles to users and user groups
        6.  
          Revoking roles from users and user groups
        7.  
          Synchronizing the user groups
    6.  
      Settings > Password Management
  6. Troubleshooting
    1.  
      Viewing log files using the Support command
    2.  
      Where to find NetBackup appliance log files using the Browse command
    3. About disaster recovery
      1.  
        Recovering a NetBackup appliance master server using NetBackup catalog restore
    4.  
      Gathering device logs on a NetBackup appliance
  7. Deduplication pool catalog backup and recovery
    1.  
      Deduplication pool catalog backup policy
    2.  
      Automatic configuration of the deduplication pool catalog backup policy
    3.  
      Manually configuring the deduplication pool catalog backup policy
    4.  
      Manually updating the deduplication pool catalog backup policy
    5.  
      Recovering the deduplication pool catalog
  8.  
    Index

About Universal Shares

Introduced with NetBackup Appliance release 3.1, the Universal Share feature was limited to a generic disk target for using MSDP with no direct integration with NetBackup. Starting with appliance release 3.2, the Universal Share offers direct integration with NetBackup through a new feature call the Protection Point.

The Universal Share feature provides data ingest into a NetBackup appliance using an NFS or a CIFS (SMB) share. Space efficiency is achieved by storing this data directly into an existing NetBackup-based deduplication pool.

Advantages of Universal Shares

The following information provides a brief description of the advantages for using Universal Shares:

  • As a NAS-based storage target

    Unlike traditional NAS-based storage targets, Universal Shares offer all of the data protection and management capabilities that are provided by NetBackup.

  • As a DB dump location

    Universal Shares offer a space saving (deduplicated) dump location, along with direct integration with NetBackup technologies including data retention, replication, and direct integration with cloud technologies.

  • Financial and time savings

    Universal Shares eliminate the need to purchase and maintain third-party intermediary storage, which typically doubles the required I/O throughput since the data must be moved twice. Universal Shares also cut in half the time it takes to protect valuable application or DB data.

  • Protection Points

    The Universal Share Protection Point offers a fast point in time copy of all data that exists in the share. This copy of the data can be retained like any other data that is protected within NetBackup. All advanced NetBackup data management facilities such as Auto Image Replication, Storage Lifecycle Policies, Optimized Duplication, cloud, and tape are all available with any data in the Universal Share.

  • Copy Data Management (CDM)

    The Universal Share Protection Point also offers powerful CDM tools. A read/write copy of any Protection Point can be "provisioned" or made available through a NAS (CIFS/NFS) based share. A provisioned copy of any Protection Point can be used for common CPD activities, including instant recovery or access of data in the provisioned Protection Point. For example, a DB that has been previously dumped to the Universal Share can be run directly from the provisioned Protection Point.

  • Backup and restore without client software

    Client software is not required for Universal Share backups or restores. Universal Shares work with any POSIX-compliant operating system that supports NFS or CIFS.

How it works

The Universal Share feature provides a network-attached storage (NAS) option for NetBackup appliances. Traditional NAS offerings store data in conventional, non-deduplicated disk locations. Data in a Universal Share is placed on highly redundant storage in a space efficient, deduplicated state. The deduplication technology that is used for this repository is the same MSDP location used by standard client-based backups.

Any data that is stored in a Universal Share is automatically placed in the MSDP, where it is deduplicated automatically. This data is then deduplicated against all other data that was previously ingested into the media server's MSDP location. Since a typical MSDP location stores data across a broad scope of data types, the Universal Share offers significant deduplication efficiency. Starting with appliance release 3.2, the Protection Point feature lets you create a point in time copy of the data that exists in the specified Universal Share. Once a Protection Point is created, NetBackup automatically catalogs the data in that point and manages it like any other data that is ingested into NetBackup. Since the Protection Point only catalogs the Universal Share data that already resides in the MSDP, no data movement occurs. Therefore, the process of creating a Protection Point can be extremely fast.

See Protection Point - cataloging and protecting Universal Share data.

Client support

The Universal Share feature supports a wide array of clients and data types. NetBackup software is not required on the client where the share is mounted. Any operating system that uses a POSIX compliant file system and can mount a CIFS or an NFS network share can write data to a Universal Share. As the data comes in to the appliance, it is written directly into the Media Server Deduplication Pool (MSDP). No additional step or process of writing the data to a standard disk partition and then moving it to the deduplication pool is necessary.

Best practices

The following describes the best practices you should observe for creating and managing a Universal Share:

  • Data

    The Universal Share can ingest standard file system-based data of any type. An example of a typical use case is a NAS-based dump location for a database or for application data. A Universal Share can also be used as a storage location for any standard file data type.

  • Data retention

    Data is placed in and removed from a Universal Share from the client that mounts the share. NetBackup cannot remove the data in this share. Data management in a share must be performed manually by either moving or deleting the files in that share, or by deleting the configured share. A common practice is to use the same user-created scripts that generated the database dump to manage the retention of that data. If data retention is desired, you can create a Protection Point.

  • Data classification

    Classification of the data in a share is typically accomplished by creating a folder structure within the share. The folder names describe the data type that resides in those folders. For example, data from different time periods can be placed in separate folders that are named after specific days, months, or any selected time period.

  • Capacity

    Data that resides in a Universal Share is ingested into the same deduplication pool used by other NetBackup activities. As with other deduplicated backups, the actual amount of occupied space by the data in a Universal Share is dependent on how well that data deduplicates. Therefore, it is recommended that the combined number of ingested files in Universal Shares that are hosted on each individual media server should not exceed 1,000,000.

Protection Point - cataloging and protecting Universal Share data

Any data that is initially ingested into a Universal Share resides in the MSDP located on the appliance-based media server that hosts the Universal Share. This data is not referenced in the NetBackup Catalog and no retention enforcement is enabled. Therefore, the data that resides in the Universal Share is not searchable and cannot be restored using NetBackup. Control of the data in the share is managed only by the host where that share is mounted.

Starting with appliance release 3.2, the Protection Point feature supports direct integration with NetBackup. A Protection Point is a point in time copy of the data that exists in a Universal Share. Creation and management of a Protection Point is accomplished through a NetBackup policy, which defines all scheduling and retention of the Protection Point. The Protection Point uses the same "Standard" policy type that is used for UNIX/Linux systems. Once a Protection Point for the data in the Universal Share is created, that point in time copy of the Universal Share data can be managed like any other protected data in NetBackup. Protection Point data can be replicated to other NetBackup Domains or migrated to other storage types like tape or cloud, using Storage Lifecycle Policies. Each Protection Point copy is referenced to the name of the associated Universal Share.

See Creating a Protection Point for a NetBackup Appliance Universal Share.

Protection Point restores

Restoring data from a Protection Point is exactly the same as restoring data from a standard client backup. The standard Backup Archive and Restore interface is used. The client name that is referenced for the restore is the Universal Share name that was used when creating the Standard policy type. Alternate client restores are fully supported. However, to restore to the system where the Universal Share was originally mounted, NetBackup Client software must be installed on that system. This is necessary since a NetBackup Client is not required to initially place data into the Universal Share.

NetBackup also supports a wide variety of APIs, including an API that can be used to provision or create an NFS share that is based on any Protection Point point in time copy. This point in time copy can be mounted on the originating system where the Universal Share was previously mounted. It can be provisioned on any other system that supports the mounting of network share. NetBackup Client software is not required on the system where the provisioned share is mounted.