Veritas-bu

[Veritas-bu] PC NetBackup OTM problem

2002-04-10 16:34:02
Subject: [Veritas-bu] PC NetBackup OTM problem
From: limelite AT ti DOT com (Young, Ken)
Date: Wed, 10 Apr 2002 15:34:02 -0500
We have almost a thousand client in several Windows classes, we thought it
would be easier to just have create a class for each hardware and OS
platform, such as Win9x laptop, Win9x desktop, NT/Win2k laptop, and NT/Win2K
desktop (to control the backup schedules since most laptops are not
available during the evening) and create a generic file listing to backup
for each class. We did not envision that we would also have to take into
account the number of partitions each PC has too.

While we can simply remove G:\ in this case and that will fix the problem
with this one client, we still have the same problem with PCs that only have
one partition such as:

C:\ - primarly and only partition
D:\ - cd rom drive
E:\ - OTM will create this as its "virtual" drive

Therefore, based on our file listing, if any folder specifying E:\ is in our
file list, then the virtual E:\ folder gets backed up too. Unless Veritas
corrects this (since I think it is still their fault), the only way that I
can see to get around this problem (if you still want to use OTM) is to
create separate classes based on the number of partitions each client has
and only specify those files and folders that exist on those local
partitions. For example, create a class for PCs with only a C:\ partition
and specify something like the following for the backup files list:

c:\Documents and Settings\
c:\WINNT\Profiles\
c:\my_documents\
c:\projects\
c:\Userdata\

And create another class for PCs with C:\ and D:\ partitions and specify
something like the following for the backup files list:

c:\Documents and Settings\
c:\WINNT\Profiles\
c:\my_documents\
c:\projects\
c:\Userdata\
d:\Userdata\
d:\my documents\

And so on ...

So is that what companies are doing? Creating classes based on number of
partitions if you want to use OTM? Sorry, but that's a bit absurd if you ask
me.

-----Original Message-----
From: scott.kendall AT abbott DOT com [mailto:scott.kendall AT abbott DOT com] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 3:10 PM
To: Young, Ken
Cc: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Subject: RE: [Veritas-bu] PC NetBackup OTM problem



In 3.2 this extra logical drive was automatically created and shared (with
everyone-full share permissions).  They got rid of this action with an early
patch and changed the way OTM worked.

3.4 did not have this until recently (3.4.1).  It looks like it changed
again and now again creates the logical drive (and shares it but with more
restricted permissions).

I don't really like the way it works... but why are you backing up clients
that do not have G: drives in a class that has G: in the file list?  You
don't have to use ALL_LOCAL_DRIVES... just don't try to backup drives that
don't exist.


- Scott



 

                    "Young, Ken"

                    <limelite AT ti DOT com>                    To:
"'paulg AT CDCNA DOT COM'" <paulg AT cdcna DOT com>,                            
                    Sent by:
veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu                                        
 
                    veritas-bu-admin AT mailman DOT eng.        cc:

                    auburn.edu                           Subject:     RE:
[Veritas-bu] PC NetBackup OTM problem                    
 

 

                    04/10/2002 01:50 PM

 

 





I thought the same thing you did but here's the bpbkar log file on the PC
with a C:\ and D:\ partitions and E:\ and F:\ as the CD-ROMs:

04/09/02 4:35:15 PM: [1552]: INF - OTM Enable Parameters 04/09/02 4:35:15
PM: [1552]: INF -
----------------------------------------------------------------------
04/09/02 4:35:15 PM: [1552]: INF -            CacheFileName: ''
04/09/02 4:35:15 PM: [1552]: INF -        SizeofCacheFileMB: 990
04/09/02 4:35:15 PM: [1552]: INF -     MaxSizeOfCacheFileMB: 990
04/09/02 4:35:15 PM: [1552]: INF -            QuiescentWait: 5
04/09/02 4:35:15 PM: [1552]: INF -         QuiescentTimeout: 60
04/09/02 4:36:17 PM: [1552]: INF - OTM Mapping:
\\?\Volume{9e1630f6-6e0f-11d4-b6be-806d6172696f}\ --> G: 04/09/02 4:36:17
PM: [1552]: INF - OTM Mapping:
\\?\Volume{9e1630f5-6e0f-11d4-b6be-806d6172696f}\ --> H: 04/09/02 4:36:17
PM: [1552]: INF - OTM Cache File: c:\TEMP\OTM5F.tmp

Apparently, the virtual drives are used to create the cache file. On your
Windows NB restore gui, if you encountered this problem, you will see more
partitions being backed up than there physically are on the Windows client.

I've already spoken to Veritas Support about this. I think this "feature"
really needs to be fixed by Veritas and am surprised that no one's mentioned
this before or is our setup just really that unique?

-----Original Message-----
From: paulg AT CDCNA DOT COM [mailto:paulg AT CDCNA DOT COM]
Sent: Wednesday, April 10, 2002 12:21 PM
To: Young, Ken; veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Subject: Re: [Veritas-bu] PC NetBackup OTM problem


Ken,

           I do not really understand your point about a virtual drive.  I
don't think OTM creates any drives, it just uses existing drives for
caching.  As far as I know OTM does not back up it's own cache files, but I
could be wrong there.

paulg

On Apr 10, 11:26am, Young, Ken wrote:
> Subject: [Veritas-bu] PC NetBackup OTM problem
> I'm having a problem with OTM and the way we have our backup file list 
> configured.
>
> Here's the situation:
>
> Using NB 3.2 and greater, our PC clients have OTM enabled and the 
> backup file list on the Solaris server specifies something like this:
>
> c:\Documents and Settings\
> c:\WINNT\Profiles\
> c:\my_documents\
> c:\projects\
> c:\Userdata\
> c:\my documents\
> d:\Userdata\
> d:\my documents\
> e:\Userdata\
> e:\my documents\
> f:\Userdata\
> f:\my documents\
> g:\Userdata\
> g:\my documents\
>
> However, if your PC is configured like this:
>
> C:\ - fixed partition
> D:\ - fixed partition
> E:\ - cd rom
> F:\ - cd burner
>
> OTM creates a virtual drive G:\ for its cached files and since G:\ is 
> listed on our backup file list, the virtual drive gets backed up too! 
> The virtual drive does get deleted once the backup is complete.
>
> How to fix it? This gets a bit interesting ...
>
> 1) Disable OTM - no a really good option since open files will not get 
> backed up.
>
> 2) Create separate class lists based on the number of partitions on 
> each of our clients. Therefore, if a PC only has a C:\, then only 
> create a class specifying only C:\ folders in the backup file list and 
> if a PC has a C:\ and D:\, only specify C:\ and D:\ folders in the 
> backup file list - an admin nightmare but might be the best solution.
>
> 3) Instead of listing all the files for backup on the master server, 
> only list "all_local_drives" parameter and create custom exclude and 
> include lists on each client. - more admin work than #2 and we will 
> lose control of the file list unless we can lock down the exclude and 
> include tab on each client.
>
> Therefore, we are using more tapes than needed and backing up 
> duplicate info ... Not sure if this happens with all OTM enabled 
> clients but I've seen enough of this to know that our tape usage would 
> be reduced if this is fixed. This problem is Windows independent as 
> I've seen it happen on Win9x, NT4, and Win2K.
>
> Therefore, I would like to know how other companies configure their 
> backup policies in relation to the file list?
>
>
> Thanks,
> Ken Young
> Texas Instruments Inc.
> (214) 567-5016  _______________________________________________
> Veritas-bu maillist  -  Veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu  
>http://mailman.eng.auburn.edu/mailman/listinfo/veritas-bu
>-- End of excerpt from Young, Ken

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