Good input, thank you both.
Looks like this is quite a subjective topic, and obviously there is no
definitive way to implement. On one hand, if you have the indexes
automatically generated, there can be quite a lot of unnecessary work,
but you are always covered. On the other hand, if you turn off the
automation, and do manual index saves, it is possible you can leave
yourself exposed if a restore is attempted. Both hands have costs
associated with them that I wish I didn't have to consider.
On a personal note, this problem or scenario should not even exist, and
it is quite frustrating to even have to deal with it. For as important a
topic as this is, there sure is a lot of ambiguity.
Sounds like I am close to having an optimal setup, but not quite there
yet.
I do have a special group that contains all the clients I have. I use
this group to perform a SGO backup immediately after my cloning is
complete. I then eject that tape for DR purposes.
The big question appears to be is if automation is turned off, how often
should a SGO be performed to save the indexes for on-site restore
requests? Maybe it would be best to run the SGO twice in the DR step.
The first time to get the indexes saved onsite, and the second for DR
(on a different tape that can be ejected).
Or, maybe I should just leave things the way they are, since I am not
seeing any direct impact of doing about 300 bootstraps in a 24 hour
period, but it sure seems wrong.
Again, great comments, keep 'em comin, and I appreciate the help.
-----Original Message-----
From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] On
Behalf Of James Pratt
Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 9:27 PM
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Subject: Re: [Networker] Bootstrap and Index Question
> -----Original Message-----
> From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU]
> On Behalf Of Coty, Edward
> Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 9:25 PM
> To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
> Subject: Re: [Networker] Bootstrap and Index Question
>
> Well with a large datazone and media db with many clients the best
would be to set
> all your backup groups to no index save. This will prevent each client
in the group
> from doing the index right after that client completes its backup. Put
the backup
> server in a group schedule standalone and scheduled through networker.
What this
> will do is prevent a bootstrap backup happening after every group
finishes. I even
> have a schedule assigned to that group so the will skip every day but
Sunday. Put
> all your clients in a index group. Create the pool and assign the
group to that pool.
>
Well, wouldn't the time difference between backups and indexes be an
issue in a restore event? (maybe im lost there?)
I just have a very small tape pool named Index, upon which all indexes
are saved . immediately upon backup. As a result, I have about one
virtual tape that has all the bootstrap info for all backups since the
data is so small. I don't recall setting anything special up either, but
calling the pool "Index". (maybe im forgetful here to tho lol - windows
7.4.2)
Thanks,
jamie
> Run savegrp -O -l full groupname in the AM after your backups complete
or close to
> it. This will backup all indexes full and the server bootstrap. You
can even limit
> everything to one tape by using the -N flag with say 10. Have your
drive parallelism
> set to 10. All indexes and bootstrap on one tape most days. You do not
have to do
> the full on the indexes everyday if you so choose.
>
>
> EDWARD COTY
> LEAD STORAGE ENGINEER, LCNA, NACP
> WORK - 973-533-2098
> CELL - 973-296-0918
> EDWARD.COTY AT AIG DOT COM
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU]
> On Behalf Of Bruce Breidall
> Sent: Monday, July 14, 2008 4:06 PM
> To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
> Subject: [Networker] Bootstrap and Index Question
>
> I was wondering what the best practice might be for storing index
entries.
> I think the media pool store index entries dictates if indexes are
saved.
> In our case, the pools have that parameter set, and in the logs I see
that the
> indexes are saved to the tape after the backups for the that group
associated to
> that pool. Finally, I see that the bootstrap is written, which also
includes the media
> DB.
>
> It looks like the media DB is frozen until that job is done. If there
are many groups,
> and many pools, doesn't this cause a lot of delay and overhead in the
overall
> scheme of things?
>
> Is it better to remove the store index entries on the media pool, and
manually
> request a special savegrp -O -G (SGO) once or several times a day? If
you are
> performing DR cloning, then the last thing you would want to do is get
the SGO
> backup, and eject that tape, but that seems like a catch 22 if you are
depending on
> that tape for onsite restores and browsing capability via the indexes.
What are the
> tradeoffs here?
>
> Alternatively, if you do the SGO backup, and take a clone of that,
then you are
> automatically not current again on the clone. Another catch 22.
>
> Is there a best practice with this? I don't see any problems with the
way I am doing
> this, other than the media DB shutting down for the duration of the
bootstrap save,
> which can't be helping other concurrent activity.
>
> Is there any official documents about this? The DR manual is just
about worthless in
> discussing and explaining these finer points. I have been searching
the archives, but
> there is so much there to look at it and try to narrow down.
>
> Thanks.
>
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