NDMP / MS-Exchange / NetApp

[djzhh]

Hi!

Using TSM 5, MS-Exchange 2003 and NetApp with SnapManager for Exchange I do have the following question:

How am I able to automate the NDMP-backup process?

Scenario:

1. TSM-Server
2. NetApp-Filer
3. Windows-2003 Box with Exchange 2003 and NetApp's SnapManager for Exchange

At a given time SnapManager for Exchange initiates a backup on the NetApp Filer, so I have a consistent view of the Exchange databases and TX-log files. When this is done (and perhaps verification of the db-consistency has been successful) the TSM-client==Windows-box tries to call the TSM-server using "DSMC BACKUP NAS" that it could start the NDMP-backup of the according volumes.

This works fine, except that I have to give an administrative user-id and its password to the TSM-server. Do you know of any mean to let the TSM-server know, that it is O.K. to let node "MS-Exchange server" start a NDMP-backup? Or do you have any other idea?

Using a TSM-server script calling the SnapManager routine brings me into trouble to start the needed processes with the right permissions/roles it needs to fumble around with exchange :-(

Any ideas ( even in the next year ;-) ) appreciated.

Best regards,
Dirk

 

[nbs03]

Dirk,
Consider this a timing issue and not a password/security issue. The snapshot is created at a specific time and only takes a few minutes to create.
Is there a need to immediately dump the snapshot to tape? If not, have the snapshot run at 1am and then run a ndmp backup of that snapshot at 1:30am from a TSM script on the TSM server. This gives you plenty of time to complete the snapshot and builds in a buffer to allow for clock mismatches between the Exchange server and TSM server.

Cheers,
Neil

 

[shran]

Have you considered using DP for Exchange? http://publib.boulder.ibm.com/infocenter/tivihelp/v1r1/topic/com.ibm.itsmfm.doc/dpexc.pdf

Using the DP with NetApp will help avoid the password and synchronization issues. There are other benefits, like ability to offload backups to another machine.

 

[djzhh]

Thank you for your input !
Cheers,
Dirk.

 

[djzhh]

Well, I've chosen nbs03's solution and backup works fine this way. What helped is, that my snapshot software now is able to start a verification process seperated from taking a snapshot. This way taking the snapshot takes (nearly) always only a constant period of time (~2min), releiving me from worrying about the finish of the MS-JetDB verification result.

 

[dms19]

Whats wrong with supplying the credentials in a cmd file that kicks off a dsmadmc and a backup nas command, controlled and called by the snapmanager process?