Networker

Re: [Networker] Chronic NDMP backup problems -- BACKUP CHECKPOINT?

2004-01-06 13:46:39
Subject: Re: [Networker] Chronic NDMP backup problems -- BACKUP CHECKPOINT?
From: Matt Temple <mht AT RESEARCH.DFCI.HARVARD DOT EDU>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTMAIL.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 13:46:35 -0500
Matthew Huff wrote:
We are having a chronic problem with reliable backups of our NetApp NAS
filers using Legato. Since NDMP uses the integrated dump within the
NetApp, if there are any unrecoverable errors on the NAS attached tape
drives, the entire dump is aborted. Since we have close to a Terrabyte
on each of our Netapps, we seem to be having continual problems getting
a level 0 (full) backup. Many times it will get 90% through and then
fail randomly on a SCSI tape write error.


Matthew,

       Even if you didn't have this "shoe-shining" issue, you'd still
have the same problem we and others face -- what happens when a really
big saveset aborts 2/3 of the way through?   What do you do with the old
tapes, etc.    As far as I know, no backup system reliable checkpoints
so it can resume where it left off.   If anyone reading this list knows
better, it would be useful to know.   The issues are obviously large,
since the checkpoint may well be dealing with a file system that has
changed in some way.   How do you resume?   (Of course, Networker
backs up file systems that are changing all the time.)

       Has anyone out there heard of such a thing?   This will get more and
more critical as we move towards the terabyte as the unit of storage
currency.


                                               Matt Temple

--
=============================================================
Matthew Temple                Tel:    617/632-2597
Director, Research Computing  Fax:    617/582-7820
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute  mht AT research.dfci.harvard DOT edu
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Boston, MA 02115              Choice is the Choice!

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