Veritas-bu

Re: [Veritas-bu] NetBackup silently filters MS SQL datafiles w/o any warning

2008-04-21 18:55:12
Subject: Re: [Veritas-bu] NetBackup silently filters MS SQL datafiles w/o any warning
From: "bob944" <bob944 AT attglobal DOT net>
To: <veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu>
Date: Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:36:38 -0400
> We encounter a stange thing with NetBackup as it backs up MS 
> SQL files on some of Windows hosts.
>  
> There are puzzling info messages in bpbkar.log on some 
> NetBackup clients: 
> 6:13:46.708: [7200.3120] <2> tar_base::V_vTarMsgW: INF - 
> Filtered 'Shadow Copy Components' Object: 
> D:\mssql\data\MSSQL\Data\master.mdf

I don't do Windows, but will take a stab at this:  isn't the log entry
clearly saying "this widget is backed up by Shadow Copy?"

You are doing a shadow copy components backup of your w2k3 systems,
correct?

> Even though NetBackup warns that it skips certain files, the 
> backup job finishes sucessfully (with zero status code).

Status 0 is correct.  It's a filesystem backup and it backed up all the
files and directories in the filesystem that it is supposed to.  

> It looks as if NetBackup silently filters certain files 
> without notifying an administrator about that. Till now we 

It handled it exactly the same way NetBackup handles excluded files:
recognizes it isn't _supposed_ to back it up (because Microsoft has
apparently categorized it as requiring Shadow Copy and says a filesystem
backup of it isn't good and/or useful for recovery) and puts a note in
the log so that a sharp admin can see it as you have and fully account
for everything on the system.

> supposed that as soon as Netbackup comes across a MS SQL file 
> it either backs it up if the file is closed or skips it and 
> ussues a warning in job log if the file stays open at the 
> moment of backup. In the latter case backup job finishes with 
> status code 1 (partial backup). 

Rather, it skips an open file if the writing process has acquired an
exclusive write lock (no readers allowed) or if OTM/VSP/VSS couldn't
capture a consistent image of the volume.  But this is neither case.

You might want to look at the FilesNotToBackUp key that Microsoft
populates with files they do not want you to back up.  There are MSKB
articles on this key and probably a lot on Shadow Copy as well.


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