I am currently working on this.
I asked the same question(s) previously and got some good info from this
group. Here is what I have found out so far.
1. Do NOT use a single file device. If you do, this is what happens. When
the file device is full, it will stop the backup, and stage off to tape. If
you have a single large file device this will take a long time, and your
backup job will fail. Not Acceptable.
2. Create 2 or more partitions, and a file device in each. I am setting up
5 - 35 GB devices as I write this. Then you total up the amount of space
that will give you (175GB in my case), figure out the largest backup you
will need to do (78 GB in my case), and set the high water mark of all the
devices to ensure that you always have enough space for your largest backup
( 80GB for me).
3. When you backup to one file device and the file device gets full, it is
marked read only, and the save job continues on the next file device.
4. When one file device is stageing off to tape, a different file device is
accepting data for your backup job.
5. A file device can either Read, or Write, but NOT both at the same time.
Hence the need for multiple devices.
6. When you set up a staging policy in networker, be SURE and include all
the file devices in your pool in the same stageing policy. This insures the
staging policy can transfer the complete save sets from hard drive to tape
without leaving part of a save set on a hard drive that staging can't
control.
One caveat about file devices in Networker (6.1.1).
When you create a file device, Networker sets the size of the device to the
true total size of the partition it is installed on. You CAN NOT change the
size of the file device in Networker. There is a line in the GUI for it,
and you can change it, but Networker will ignore this setting, and use the
remembered size of the partition it found when you created it. That is why
you must create the partitions in the size you want, and then create the
file devices inside of these partitions. Do NOT create two file devices on
a single partition. Each will think it has the total partition to use, when
it doesn't.
Other than these two issues, I have found it to be a fast, simple and
beneficial change. One of the things I have found is that I can increase
the number of sessions (to 32) on the hard drive, and backup all my servers
to it at the same time. This has allowed me to reduce my pools from 9 to 4.
I now have a "Nightly backup with clones" , and "Nightly backup without
clones" pools.
Another advantage is that each save set is a different file on the hard
drive, so there is no multiplexing of data to worry about. When it clones
or stages to tape, each save set is stored sequentially instead of in
parallel.
If anyone cares to add to this info, Please respond to the group.
Calvin E. Thomas
UNIX System Administrator
NACA Logistics
----- Original Message -----
From: "David W. Loveless" <duke AT UWO DOT CA>
To: <NETWORKER AT LISTMAIL.TEMPLE DOT EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, October 30, 2002 10:35 AM
Subject: [Networker] Staging in Networker?
> Are you using the staging features of Legato Networker to push backups
> first to disk and later to tape?
> If you are, we'd like to hear about your experiences. What problems have
> you had? What disks are you using? Have you purchased any add-on software
> from Legato to help the staging process.
>
> We're currently running Networker 6.1.1 on Solaris 8 and are actively
> exploring this feature.
>
>
> Thanks for your help!
>
> --
> Note: To sign off this list, send a "signoff" command via email
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> http://listmail.temple.edu/archives/networker.html where you can
> also view and post messages to the list.
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Note: To sign off this list, send a "signoff" command via email
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