Networker

Re: [Networker] To Migrate Networker 32 bits to another 64 bits server

2011-09-15 12:46:52
Subject: Re: [Networker] To Migrate Networker 32 bits to another 64 bits server
From: George Sinclair <George.Sinclair AT NOAA DOT GOV>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Thu, 15 Sep 2011 12:45:51 -0400
On 2011-09-15 08:02, Goslin, Paul wrote:
We did the exact same thing last year, below is what EMC suggested as a
procedure. We used the same hostname for the new NW server once the old
one was disconnected from the network... It was surprisingly easy. Step
9 took a little while to recover all our indexes.

Networker Migration Procedure
1.      Submit a Host Transfer Affidavit to Licensing. Existing Host-ID:
6355bc6c New Host-ID: 3dbe325d (questions: will hostid change if
hostname and/or IP changes ? - answer- yes)

2. Install Networker on new host.
3. Perform a Full Backup of source server to a Default Pool tape.
4. Perform a Full Index/bootstrap backup of all client indexes from
source server to Default Pool (same tape). Make note of bootstrap
save-set ID / file / record for step 7 below.
5. Take the old server off the network&  rename new server with same
name, reset DNS to point old name to new address if IP is different.
6. Load the bootstrap tape from step 4 above into the new tape library
and load the tape into a drive. Easiest way is to use 'nsrjb -nlv -S
slot# -f \\.\tapex'
7. Run 'mmrecov' command to recover server index and media database.
Recovered resources will be placed in /nsr/res.R since they cannot be
recovered into place on a running server.
8. Shutdown Networker services and rename the existing /nsr/res to
res.old and then rename recovered /res.R directory to /res. Restart
Networker services. Re-apply license auth codes from host transfer
above.
9. Run 'nsrck -L 7' to recover remaining client indexes one by one.
Verify the indexes are browsable via a recover session on an existing
client....
10. Run some test backups...

Just out of curiosity, what are the tests that you run? I've never seen any documented list of recommended tests. When we transferred our older NW server from Solaris to Linux (we also upgraded to a new release), I had to think up a number of suitable tests to run. But what would they be? What would make sense to test?

Well, to start:

1. I generated a complete list of all the media in the database before the move
2. all the save sets before the move
3. a more detailed listing of all the save sets before the move
4. I think I also generated a few smaller queries

I then repeated the above steps after the move and compared the output. There were some differences for a few of the queries, and as I recall these made sense, but I can't recall now what they were or why.

Next, I recovered a save set from a tape that had been written before the move. I then compared the recovered data (MD5 checksums) against the data recovered from before the move. I repeated this test using both nwrecover and save set recover. I also performed this same test on a spanning save set to ensure that the new server could work with spanning save sets. I also ran scanner against a tape, comparing before/after.

Of course, I tested labeling a new tape, running some backups of static data to the new tape and then recovered and compared with same data written/recovered from another tape on the older server prior to the move. I also cloned the new backup, recovered from the clone and compared both against the new data and the original data that had been backed up on the old server.

My point here is that it was very frustrating to come up with a set of tests that would reasonably demonstrate that the move/upgrade was successful. I wanted to run both mechanical tests and tests that would assure me that the media database was OK, never mind the indexes. I just picked examples of things that are important to us and that we use every day, e.g. cloning, access/reporting from the media database. But, of course, these are important to everyone.

So, what are the recommended tests so you don't have to kill yourself over taking as much time as I did to know your ship is ready to leave port?

It would really be nice if there was a way to just export the media database from any OS and import to any OS (even if it required a one-time license/code) and run some kind of command against it that would generate the equivalent of a cryptographic checksum comparison so at least you know you have the same database intact. Big endian, little endian ... sheesh! Why can't there just be a routine for this. It would simplify everything.

George



-----Original Message-----
From: EMC NetWorker discussion [mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] On
Behalf Of kurianv
Sent: Thursday, September 15, 2011 2:42 AM
To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Subject: [Networker] To Migrate Networker 32 bits to another 64 bits
server

Hi,
We are required to migrate our existing Networker Server Version 7.4.4
Buld 634 which is under Windows 2000 SP4 to Networker Server Version
7.4.5 Windows 2008 x64 Bits.
Could you kindly suggest the exact procedure for migrating our Networker
Server to Windows 2008 x64 bits . I went through the disaster recovery
guide ?

But it has not said if we are chainging the Hostname whst are steps to
be followed ?

We have installed the  new server wit the new hostname ? Please can you
kindly describe what we should do next ?

Thanks and Regards,
Kurian Varghese

+----------------------------------------------------------------------
|This was sent by kurianji AT gmail DOT com via Backup Central.
|Forward SPAM to abuse AT backupcentral DOT com.
+----------------------------------------------------------------------

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and
type "signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to
networker-request AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this
list. You can access the archives at
http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or
via RSS at http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and type 
"signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to networker-request 
AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this list. You can access the 
archives at http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or
via RSS at http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER



--
George Sinclair
Voice: (301) 713-3284 x210
- The preceding message is personal and does not reflect any official or unofficial position of the United States Department of Commerce -
- Any opinions expressed in this message are NOT those of the US Govt. -

To sign off this list, send email to listserv AT listserv.temple DOT edu and type 
"signoff networker" in the body of the email. Please write to networker-request 
AT listserv.temple DOT edu if you have any problems with this list. You can access the 
archives at http://listserv.temple.edu/archives/networker.html or
via RSS at http://listserv.temple.edu/cgi-bin/wa?RSS&L=NETWORKER