Re: [Veritas-bu] Master Server Preference

I'd have to agree that the UNIX command line is much more flexible than the Windows (unless you download a truck load of add ons) and that many more UNIX gurus are familiar with their command lines than Windows are familiar with theirs. That said, I have yet to find a script I couldn't write in windows to find a solution to a problem. Perl and VB are your friends. :)

-J

From: veritas-bu-bounces AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu [mailto:veritas-bu-bounces AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu] On Behalf Of Jeff Lightner
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 9:35 AM
To: Ed Wilts; Dibonge, Rudy; veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Subject: Re: [Veritas-bu] Master Server Preference

I’ll echo Ed’s thoughts. With the UNIX master you’ll have far more control over the solution from the command line than you do with Windows. I’ve written many a script to deal with multiple media servers and was stymied in incorporating our one Windows media server into those scripts except by using the command line utilities on UNIX that will talk to the daemons on Windows. With the others I could write scripts that directly ran utilities on the media servers using ssh.

From: veritas-bu-bounces AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu [mailto:veritas-bu-bounces AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu] On Behalf Of Ed Wilts
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 9:21 AM
To: 'Dibonge, Rudy'; veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Subject: Re: [Veritas-bu] Master Server Preference

Hi Rudy,

There are several issues here. First, you cannot upgrade from Unix to Windows (or Windows to Unix) for a master server. No form of migration is supported – you would have to build a brand new environment and import your tapes to get them cataloged.

We used to run a Windows master server back in 3.4 days and migrated to Solaris (yes, it was unsupported and really, really ugly to do but we pulled it off). We don’t regret the migration at all – the management tools on Solaris are *much* more complete than they are on Windows and adding things on (e.g. mrtg monitoring of tape drives, queues, tapes, etc.) is much easier to do.

Earlier this week we rebooted our Windows media server and it took another couple of reboots to bring the tape drives back. This is unfortunately typical. In several years, I only remember 1 or 2 reboots required on our Solaris media servers due to tape drive issues.

If you’re a 100% Windows shop, then a Windows master server might make sense (although something like Commvault might make even more sense since end users can do their own restores). Otherwise, leave the master on a Unix platform of some sort – HPUX, Solaris, or Linux. I don’t have any AIX experience.

That’s my 2 bits worth.

…/Ed

Ed Wilts, Mounds View, MN, USA

mailto:ewilts AT ewilts DOT org

I GoodSearch for Bundles Of Love: http://www.goodsearch.com/?charityid=821118

From: veritas-bu-bounces AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu [mailto:veritas-bu-bounces AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu] On Behalf Of Dibonge, Rudy
Sent: Wednesday, July 11, 2007 8:09 AM
To: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Subject: [Veritas-bu] Master Server Preference

We are planning an upgrade from version 5.0 MP1 to version 6.0 MP4. Currently we use an HPUX master server and we are thinking of migrating to a windows 2003 master server. I am not sure how stable a windows master server is. Do anyone have experience with a windows master server. From most of the posting, it seems most folks are using Unix master server.

Thanks,

Rudy

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