> I have a problem that we have a policy for a filesystem which 
> contains a
> large number of files with a differential backup and it fails
> with status 41 (network connection timed out) I tried first
> to increase the CLIENT_READ_TIMEOUT to 1800 and it worked for
> some time then failed again with the same error.
> I got a list of directories (which contain the largest number 
> of files) to exclude from the backup with exclude lists. I
> created the file exclude_list.POLICY-NAME in the path
> /usr/openv/netbackup including these directories like:
> /dir1/*
> /dir2/*
> and I got the same error again. [...] 

Try /dir1 and /dir2 (without the asterisk).  

Now that Symantec has screwed up the search site, I can't find the
technote, nor can I find this in SAG I, but I believe that

A.  /dir/*  will generate the list of dir's contents, then exclude them
B.  /dir    will exclude that directory without enumerating its contents

In A, you cause the situation you're trying to avoid.  In B, I don't
believe anything below dir will be examined.  (As a minor point, the dir
node itself would be backed up in A but not in B.)

If anyone can point to the technote or doc page, I'd appreciate it.