ADSM-L

Re: Lotus Notes Installations

1998-01-26 17:00:39
Subject: Re: Lotus Notes Installations
From: Cindy Cannam <CCannam AT GENAM DOT COM>
Date: Mon, 26 Jan 1998 16:00:39 -0600
Kelly:

I've been struggling with a production implementation of the Connect Agent
for Notes on NT since the latter part of December (there was no test
environment to start with, so it was into the fire immediately upon receipt
of the software). I've just recently been able to get the Agent to
recognize the ADSM scheduler (poor installation documentation made this a
very trying problem), but it is now working "automatically". There is a
decided slow-down with the first backup using the Agent, but what I've done
is use it in tandem with the BA client. The dsm.opt file for the BA client
excludes anything Notes-related (which isn't hard to do since the Notes
admin folks bothered to place all Notes components under one directory);
the Agent's dsm.opt file excludes everything BUT what is Notes-related. I
have two seperate schedules which run to backup each "side" of the Notes
environment (running hours apart so they don't step on one another).
Although I haven't had a request to rebuild a complete Notes server to
date, I anticipate using some technique of merge to bring the two
environments back together during a restore.

Right now, this Notes environment encompasses roughly 60GB on native server
disks, another 80GBs on external RAID dasd, and I'm just about ready to put
an additional 360 GBs usable RAID dasd into the Notes world. How much of
this environment will change daily? The Agent will show the most change,
and right now I'm anticipating about 30% (maybe a little higher during
year-end, etc.). The rest will probably be in the range of 15-20% changed
data.  I'm still gathering stats since this implementation is (1) not
complete; (2) hinges on network capacity; and (3) does not take into
consideration Notes clustering (which is another immediate concern for the
additional RAID dasd). I'm fighting network fires continually in a
non-switched 16Mb Token Ring environment, but have been promised a switched
Ethernet ring for ADSM alone --- how far away is the "very near future" in
network years?

Implementation should be phased, no matter how powerful the clients, or how
wide the bandwidth, or how available the server. There is indeed a great
deal of traffic for ADSM's logs and database, and rather than try to figure
which client may be causing a problem during a full-blown installation and
primary backup, taking one or two servers into the ADSM fold at a time is
more sane (unless you like living on the edge and your pager has infinite
battery power).

I doubt that my implementation process is unique, but this may help you
gauge your installation with minimal pain and suffering along the way. Good
luck...

C.L.Cannam
Storage Management
GENAM/St. Louis, MO/USA




"Kelly J. Lipp" <lipp AT STORSOL DOT COM> on 01/26/98 11:28:24 AM

Please respond to "ADSM: Dist Stor Manager" <ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU>

To:   ADSM-L AT VM.MARIST DOT EDU
cc:    (bcc: Cindy Cannam)
Subject:  Lotus Notes Installations




Hey gang,
Who among you is backing up a large Lotus Notes installation?  How big?
 Using the Agent?  Performance?  I'm working with some folks that are
thinking of having a 300 GB Lotus Notes install.  I assume this will be on
many servers and not just one.  What's this going to do to my ADSM backup
solution?
As always, I appreciate everyone's insight.
Thanks,
Kelly
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