Veritas-bu

[Veritas-bu] How to handle "infinite" retention while maintaining a reasonable catalog size?

2002-09-20 13:17:07
Subject: [Veritas-bu] How to handle "infinite" retention while maintaining a reasonable catalog size?
From: curtis.lists AT backupcentral DOT com (W. Curtis Preston)
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 10:17:07 -0700
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No, there is nothing like this in NetBackup, and I wish there was.  Once
a piece of media has been expired, you lose everything about it, and it
will be overwritten. You could build your own database by doing a
bpmedialist before expiring the tape, then expiring it.  You have to
make sure it's out of the library, though, or it will be overwritten.
(You may be able to use bpmedia -freeze to prevent this as well, but I'm
not sure how that will work on an expired tape.)

 

-----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 Chris
Madden
Sent: Wednesday, September 18, 2002 8:29 AM
To: Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Subject: [Veritas-bu] How to handle "infinite" retention while
maintaining a reasonable catalog size?

 

All,

 

We have a business requirement to keep our full monthly backups for an
"infinite" period.  While I can't minimize the additional media
purchases to support this business requirement I am looking for a way to
minimize the catalog growth that will accompany it.  I have more
experience with Legato NetWorker and in that environment there is an
ability to purge the "client file index" for a backup image while
retaining the media database entry.  This allows the bulk of the data
(the list of files) to be blown away but still leaves the backup image
entry itself so we still know what saveset is on what tape(s).  

 

Is there a similar functionality in NetBackup?  I think not but perhaps
there are some other tricks or techniques that can allow me to
accomplish the same thing?  I had thought about archiving the older
client indexes (perhaps after 1 yr) and then come client restore time I
would first need to restore that client's indexes for that point in time
on the backup server itself before trying to restore anything for the
client (and of course I'd keep the indexes for the backup server itself
online for an infinite period).  Don't quite know how this strategy
would play out though come time to upgrade to 4.5 with the binary DB
structure....

 

Any comments from those who have solved this problem or would solve this
problem are appreciated.  

 

Regards,

-Chris

 

P.S. As an aside, today we're running at about 900 GB compressed (after
2 weeks) on our catalogs and are soon going to pass the 1TB mark also
requiring a 2nd filesystem due to Veritas LVM limitations at 1TB on a
single volume and will then have to symmlink some beefy client indexes
onto a 2nd filesystem.  Yuck!

 

 


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<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>No, there is nothing like this in
NetBackup, and I wish there was.&nbsp; Once a piece of media has been =
expired, you
lose everything about it, and it will be overwritten. You could build =
your own
database by doing a bpmedialist before expiring the tape, then expiring =
it.&nbsp;
You have to make sure it&#8217;s out of the library, though, or it will =
be
overwritten.&nbsp; (You may be able to use bpmedia &#8211;freeze to =
prevent this as
well, but I&#8217;m not sure how that will work on an expired =
tape.)</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal><font size=3D2 color=3Dnavy face=3DArial><span =
style=3D'font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DTahoma><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>-----Original =
Message-----<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>From:</span></b>
veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu =
[mailto:veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu]
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Chris =
Madden<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, =
September 18,
2002 8:29 AM<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b>
Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu<br>
<b><span style=3D'font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [Veritas-bu] How =
to
handle &quot;infinite&quot; retention while maintaining a reasonable =
catalog
size?</span></font></p>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>All,</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>We have a =
business&nbsp;requirement
to keep our full monthly&nbsp;backups for an &quot;infinite&quot; =
period.&nbsp;
While I can't minimize&nbsp;the additional media purchases to support =
this
business requirement I am looking for a way to minimize the catalog =
growth that
will accompany it.&nbsp; I have more experience with Legato NetWorker =
and in
that environment there is an ability to purge the &quot;client file =
index&quot;
for a backup image while retaining the media&nbsp;database entry.&nbsp; =
This
allows the bulk of the data (the list of files) to be blown away but =
still
leaves the backup image entry itself so we still know what saveset is on =
what
tape(s).&nbsp; </span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Is there a similar =
functionality in
NetBackup?&nbsp; I think not but perhaps there are some other tricks or
techniques that can allow me to accomplish the same thing?&nbsp; I had =
thought
about archiving the older client indexes (perhaps after 1 yr) and then =
come
client restore time I would first need to restore that client's indexes =
for
that point in time&nbsp;on the backup server itself&nbsp;before trying =
to restore
anything for the client (and of course I'd keep the&nbsp;indexes for the =
backup
server itself online for an infinite period).&nbsp; Don't quite know how =
this
strategy would play out though come time to upgrade to 4.5 with the =
binary DB
structure....</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Any comments from those who =
have
solved this problem or would solve this problem are appreciated.&nbsp; =
</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Regards,</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>-Chris</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D2 =
face=3DArial><span
style=3D'font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>P.S. As an aside, today =
we're
running at about 900 GB compressed (after 2 weeks)&nbsp;on our catalogs =
and are
soon going to pass the 1TB mark also requiring a 2nd filesystem due to =
Veritas
LVM limitations at 1TB on a single volume&nbsp;and will then have to =
symmlink
some beefy client indexes onto a&nbsp;2nd filesystem.&nbsp; =
Yuck!</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

</div>

<div>

<p class=3DMsoNormal style=3D'margin-left:.5in'><font size=3D3 =
face=3D"Times New Roman"><span
style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'>&nbsp;</span></font></p>

</div>

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