[HOWTO] Backup of NetApp SAN storage Luns using NDMP/Snapshot/Snapmirror

[alimirza]

Hello,

We have a NetApp storage box which we are using as SAN storage (not a NAS storage). It presents Fibre channel LUNS to hosts. I am looking to see if these LUNS can be backed up using NDMP, SNAPshot, SNAPdiff, SNAPmirror to tape technologies with NetAPP and integrated with TSM.

It seems that these options are only available to NetApp NAS. Have somebody used it with NetApp SAN storage and if yes, kindly provide me some details about how this can be done. Any documentation will be high appreciated.

Thanks

 

[moon-buddy]

If the disks on the Netapp arrays are used as JBOD or plain SAN in other words, backup the data from the host that the disk are mounted to using normal BA client routines.

My company is a Netapp shop and this is the way to backup NAS disks used as JBOD unless you want to backup the Netapp array via and another Netapp through replication (Snapmirror).

 

[Harry_Redl]

Hi,

NDMP can be used (with or without pre-created snapshot - like one from SnapManager applications) as well as SnapMirror-to-Tape. SnapDiff is for NAS only.
Check this document
http://www.redbooks.ibm.com/abstracts/sg247243.html?Open
(nSeries is the same thing as NetApp)

Harry

 

[Rigido]

I'm sorry if this is not the right thread, but I'm looking for some BASIC info on NetApp backup.
I need everything , from the hardware connections (does the NAS need to be SAN attached to library? Or can I use an ethernet connection between NAS and TSM server?), to WHAT I can backup (I think customer will use just NFS and CIFS).
A little glossary for NDMP terms (snapdiff, snapmirror, etc.) would be great!

I found and reading some redbooks/manuals but according to them I could backup a NAS just if it has FC connected drives.

Thanks.

 

[Harry_Redl]

Hi,

most of the info is in the redbook above - not all, but pretty much of it.
Ad 1) Does the NAS need to be SAN attached to library? NO. TSM server can be the only one who sees the library. Setup is the same, just the datamover has no paths to the library and you use NATIVE stgpools (not NetAppDump).
Ad 2) you backup a volume (OK, it is not exact - but for the first approach true - see below) - regardless of protocol it uses to provide the data - CIF/NFS/FC/iSCSI ....
LUNs are (from the NetApp point of view) just special "files"
You can specify "virtualfsmapping" to backup subset of the volume - ideal for backing up a snapshot (hidden ~snapshot or .snapshot folders)


Ad 3) NDMP is NOT a block level backup - it scans the filesystem, runs in phases taking directories first and files later. It can do a FULL or DIFFerential backup (change from the last FULL). Can do single file restore (IF TableOfContent (TOC) is generated/stored)

SnapMirror is NetApp's proprietary replication technology - it is used for replicating volumes/qtrees (kind of directories) from single NetApp to another - block level.
It has a flavor - SnapMirror-to-Tape (SMT), which uses the same engine but replicates data to tape. This is encapsulated into NDMP protocol - so you have NDMP/SMT version (type=snapmirror)
FULL image only (so far - incremental on the way ... already supported by NetApp, not by TSM - yet), no single file restore

SnapDiff - not related to NDMP at all. It is kind of "journal replacement" for NetApp/nSeries and NFS/CIFS protocol. Used with standard TSM "incremental" backup it returns changed files since last backup (so it does not need to scan the filesystem).



Hope it helps

Harry

 

[Rigido]

Hope it helps

Harry

It didn't help...it saved my day!

Chapter 10 on the new "Admin Guide" helped someway too...

Thanks.