(Windows 2003 Standard, NetBackup 5.1 MP4, HP ProLiant ML570 G3, HP
StorageWorks 1/8
LTO3 autoloader)
For the 4 years that I've worked with NetBackup, my experience has been
confined to a single
master/media server with direct or fibre attached barcode-reader-enabled
robotic tape library.
This past week I was tossed a new server and an 8-slot, single-drive,
non-barcode-reader-enabled
autoloader, and was told that I had a week to get it up and running as a
media server for deployment
to a remote site where there will be non-technical people handling the
tape inject/eject.
Thus far I've gotten it installed as a media server as near as I can
tell (with incredible throughput
compared to my existing servers), but I'm on the steep learning curve of
logically separating master
from media server inside my head.
I'm looking for any suggestions as to how best handle this new
configuration:
1. Should media be viewable on the master or media server? (all
currently on master)
2. How can I automate the exchange of media to make it the least painful
for the onsite operators?
On our existing servers, tape is all handled dynamically with expiry
going to the scratch pool. But
our remote sites have only ever dealt with defined Monday tapes, Tuesday
tapes, etc.
3. Onsite operators will not have access to the server. Besides simply
scheduling vmphyinv to run,
I'm stuck on how to ensure that media is properly ejected and injected
via NetBackup. There is no
'media access port' to speak of on this autoloader.
4. What's the best configuration for policies, schedules and pools? I'm
considering defining pools
for each day of the week with pre-assigned media, but I'm concerned that
the media will just be
shuffled off to the scratch pool instead of staying in its own pool.
5. Should I be barcoding the media even if it doesn't have a barcode
reader? I'm thinking of future
usage, but I also don't like the idea of having a media label of AAA123
but a physical label of
Monday Week 1. Initially I have made the description read Monday - 1,
etc. while I try to figure this
out, so I can use that in any reporting. I will have added all the tapes
prior to the deployment.
I'm comfortable doing some very basic Perl scripting on Windows, so I
expect to generate daily reports
for the operators to tell them of backups run, errors, which tapes were
used, etc.
I'd appreciate any quick wins that I can incorporate before the server
is shipped offsite next Monday.
Thanks,
Lee Anne
Lee Anne Pedersen MCP
LAN/Server Analyst
Restructuring & Government Efficiency
DCS Delivery Team E
Ph: 780-427-2504
LeeAnne.Pedersen AT gov.ab DOT ca
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