[Veritas-bu] daily backups and catalogue backups

Since NetBackup's database consists of hundreds (thousands) of separate 
text files, only the index(es) for the backups that were running at the 
time of the backup would be affected.  I wouldn't use this as the only 
method for backing up most indexes (unless you stop bprd) but it sure can 
help in a jam.

Now that I've said that, I'll say that the (now supported) "split-backup" 
method of backing up the indexes is a really good idea.  It basically goes 
like this:

1. Wait for inactivity
2. Fire off a backup that backs up all indexes except for the server
3. Kill bprd as soon as the above backup starts
4. (My step: Make sure no other backups started in the meantime)
5. Wait for backup to finish
6. Configure include list for bpbackupdb process to be ONLY the media 
database, and the server's index
    (I prefer to do this dynamically.  I also add in the media server's 
indexes.)
7. Setup a specific tape (and pool IMHO) to be the bpbackupdb tape
8. Run bpbackupdb, specifying above tape
8. Wait for it to finish
10. Start everybody up.

This solves two problems:
1. The bpbackupdb backup cannot span tapes.
    Backing up only the server's index and media database SIGNIFICANTLY 
reduces the size of this backup.
2. Indexes don't change during backup
    (Believe it or not, a number of other methods just back up the db while 
backups are running and cross their fingers.)
3. The problem of only having two tapes to back up the db to.
    What happens when you corrupt the index on Friday, and then back it up 
on Saturday and Sunday?
    You just overwrote your only backups.  The above method solves this 
problem.

If anyone's interested, I have a script that automates all of this.  It's 
in my NetBackup tool kit at
http://www.backupcentral.com/mytools.html



At 01:42 PM 6/29/2001 -0500, Collins, Kathy wrote:
>David,
>
>Is this a valid backup?  What if the database is active during the time
>you back it up (I don't know that it ever would be).  Would the files
>that you restore be valid?
>
>Just curious!
>Thanks
>Kathy
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: David A. Chapa [mailto:david AT xbpadm-commands DOT com]
> > Sent: Friday, June 29, 2001 7:56 AM
> > To: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
> > Subject: RE: [Veritas-bu] daily backups and catalogue backups
> >
> >
> > I wouldn't and don't exclude them.
> >
> > What if one of the images gets corrupted or deleted on
> > accident.  You can do
> > a simple restore to recover that (those) files.  That's a
> > whole lot better
> > than doing a db recovery from tape, because you don't have an
> > option as to
> > what image you want to recover, it recovers the entire imageDB.
> >
> > Just my two cents.
> >
> > David
> >
> > <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
> > David A. Chapa
> > Consulting Manager
> > DataStaff, Inc.
> > 847 413 1144
> > http://www.consulting.datastaff.com
> > ---------------------------------------
> > NBU-LSERV AT datastaff DOT com - Adv. Scripting
> > http://www.xbpadm-commands.com
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
> > [mailto:veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu]On Behalf Of
> > Karl.Rossing AT Federated DOT CA
> > Sent: Thursday, June 28, 2001 4:53 PM
> > To: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
> > Subject: [Veritas-bu] daily backups and catalogue backups
> >
> >
> > Hi,
> >
> > I currently have a UNIX backup that runs every night. I did
> > not exclude
> > /usr/openv/netbackup/db,  /usr/openv/volmgr/database and
> > /usr/openv/var.
> >
> > I'm guessing that i can exclude the those files as long as i do a
> > catalogue backup after.
> >
> > Is this a good idea?
> >
> > Karl
> > _______________________________________________
> > Veritas-bu maillist  -  Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
> > http://mailman.eng.auburn.edu/mailman/listinfo/veritas-bu
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Veritas-bu maillist  -  Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
> > http://mailman.eng.auburn.edu/mailman/listinfo/veritas-bu
> >
>_______________________________________________
>Veritas-bu maillist  -  Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
>http://mailman.eng.auburn.edu/mailman/listinfo/veritas-bu

---
W. Curtis Preston
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