Mike -

I tried to use Veritas Volume Replicator in the past, but I found problems 
trying to get it working correctly at our Hot Site with the configuration we 
had at the time.  (This email is going to be too long as it is to go into those 
issues...)

I have since changed to using RSYNC.  I have multiple master servers at each 
site, but only 1 Hot Site Master Server.  This DR server needs to become two or 
three master servers for recovery.  I use rsync to copy the catalogs from each 
master server to a separate filesystem at the Hot Site.  My script uses the 
following command :
       $SRC_RSYNC -axz \
           --rsync-path=$DST_RSYNC \
           -e ssh   \
           --delete \
           --stats  \
           /usr/openv/netbackup/db/ $HOT_SITE:/"$HOST"_db >> $LOG 

I have another script that I run to prepare the DR site for recovery.  That 
script will mount a new empty filesystem as /usr/openv.  Then it will untar a 
Gold NBU image.  Then another empty filesystem is mounted as 
/usr/openv/netbackup/db.  Then the script copies the images directories from 
each Master Server for a particular site into /usr/openv/netbackup/db/images.

After the tapes are loaded into the Hot Site library and the inventory updated, 
restores are ready to run.

I have a cron job setup to run my rsync script 4 times per day.  If backups are 
running while the rsync job runs, then there will be some errors.  I 
occasionally see rsync error 23 (Some files could not be transferred) due to 
active backups, or rsync error 24 (Some files vanished before they could be 
transferred) due to images expired, or active backups failed.  My DR team is ok 
with not having a synchronous replication, though, so these errors are logged, 
but ignored.

The first time rsync is run, it takes a long time.  I have my script scheduled 
for 3pm and 4pm, before my nightly backups have started and (hopefully) after 
all else is done.  I do not run it during my backup window, so I run it again 
at 3am, after the window is closed and before duplications start.  The fourth 
time it runs is at 10am, which is after my vaults are finished.  Each time, my 
script runs for 15-30 minutes.

Hope this helps!

Rob Thelen
Tech Lead, Storage Management
Chase Card Services.

-----Original Message-----
From: veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
[mailto:veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu]On Behalf Of Mike Haslam
Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2006 9:56 AM
To: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Subject: [Veritas-bu] Rsync'ing the Netbackup Catalog?



Has anyone had any experience using rsync to replicate their NetBackup
catalog to a recovery site?  I am investigating this option at the moment.
I would be grateful for some help on how best to go about this, whether
anything has to be taken offline within netbackup whilst rsync is running
for the catalog, what command line options should be used for best results,
the files backed up and if any exlcludes should be used?

Has anyone succesfully, or otherwise, used an rsync'ed NetBackup catalog?


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