Networker

[Networker] Complex nsrserverhost upgrade problem.

2003-07-03 09:39:26
Subject: [Networker] Complex nsrserverhost upgrade problem.
From: Gary Goldberg <og AT DIGIMARK DOT NET>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTMAIL.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Thu, 3 Jul 2003 09:39:16 -0400
Hello. First the background, then the question --

THE SYSTEM DETAIL

I'm currently operating Networker 6.2 for Win NT on an NT 4.0 SP6a host
with 30 mixed Solaris, Linux and Windows clients. I also have an inactive NT
storage node. The tape media is (2) Treefrog 30 tape AIT jukeboxes. The server
is an Intel ISP2100 platform (2U box, (2) 450Mhz P2's (may be P3's), 1 GB RAM,
4 drive RAID 5 array on Mylex Acceleraid 250 card, Adaptec 2940UW card to the
jukeboxes. There is nothing on the system except Networker and Ipswitch's
What's Up Gold (ping monitor attached to modem), and IIS and most services
are turned off and would stay off after the upgrade. It's a minimal OS
install also, all the extraneous games, indexing services, etc. have been
deinstalled to reduce the footprint and overhead of the OS.

It's a peculiarity of my system that I have been unable to backup the
nsrserver host for almost two years now. Every day the system backs up the
clients with no problem (images Sunday, incrementals Mon-Sat), but I get
an "unknown error 0x93" for the indices and all partitions of the
NT machine it is installed on (c:, d:, system state:, etc.) I worked with
Legato tech support for almost a year on the problem before I gave up.

Please note that the internal Windows backup has the same problem, so we
know it's not a problem with Networker, it's a problem in the OS. I am able
to restore files on demand, so it has been more of a potential problem
then an immediate one. Yes, not having a backup of this system makes me
nervous on a daily basis -- it's why I've decided to do something about it
now.

THE PROBLEM

To the point -- I would like to upgrade this NT system to Win 2K Server
(or Win 2K3 Server, assuming that Networker 6.2 is compatible with Win 2K3. )

Since I can't back up the machine itself before the upgrade, and the Legato
system isn't doing it, if something bad happens during the upgrade, I will
have to reinstall the system (not hard), reinstall the Legato software (not
hard), but then I will have 2 jukeboxes full of tapes and no indices.

My goal in the upgrade is to fix the problem preventing the indices from
being backed up. (Plus I'd like to use Win 2K or better anyway. I'm stuck using
Windows because I couldn't afford the Solaris/Linux nsrserverhost licenses.)

WHAT I NEED

Can anyone offer me advice on this -- for instance:

  1. Any way to copy the indices to another machine so that, if the worst
     happens, I can just copy them back?
  2. Best way to apply the upgrade? Should I just stick the disk in,
     let it upgrade and see what happens? Any red flags to be careful about?
  3. If the worst does happen, what is the procedure to rebuild the indices
     from the tapes?

Thank you in advance for any insight or experience you can offer. -Gary

-- "We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." - Anais Nin
Gary Goldberg KA3ZYW <og AT digimark DOT net> V:301/249-6501 F:301/390-1955 
AIM:OgGreeb
Digital Marketing/Bowie MD/Systems & Networks Consult <http://www.digimark.net/>

--
Note: To sign off this list, send a "signoff networker" command via email
to listserv AT listmail.temple DOT edu or visit the list's Web site at
http://listmail.temple.edu/archives/networker.html where you can
also view and post messages to the list.
=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=*=

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>
  • [Networker] Complex nsrserverhost upgrade problem., Gary Goldberg <=