NetBackup 7.x Technical Overview

NetBackup Components and Architecture

NetBackup's 3-tier architecture (Master Server, Media Server, Client servers) gives the power, scalability, and flexibility needed to match the demands of modern enterprise-class workloads.

Master Server Overview

Hosts catalog database, backup policy creation and scheduling, administration console, enterprise Media Manager, Centralized monitoring, reporting, and restore execution. EMM server managed and allocates resources required for NetBackup operations.  Its part of master server and can be installed with master or on separate server.

NetBackup is not a program but rather a collection of process that work together.
Process name prefixes
bp____= legacy process (bp comes from Backup Plus the orginal product)
np____= newer processes.  Multithreaded (6.x) always running.
nbrb= NetBackup resource Brocket.  Allocates and tracks resources.
nbproxy=NetBackup Proxy used to talk to legacy process.  Its intermediate between old bp____ and new nb_____ process.

Master Server Processes

bprd(request daemon) always running on the master server and responsible for taking backup and restore request.

nbpem(schedule/policy execution) is a process for creating a policy and running them at scheduled time.  In case policy is updated, nbpem is informed and all client and objects in that policy are updated too.

bpjobd(job monitor)

nbjm(job manager) takes the job information from nbpem and update the nbpem once the job is completed.

bpdbm(database manager) is responsible for database and catalog.  It is running all the time on NetBackup master server.

EMM server can be running on the master server or it can run separately and provide resources to other master servers too. nbrb and nbemm runs only on emm server.  bpsched(pre 6.x) has been replaced by nbpem, nbjm, nbrb

nbrb(EMM) (resource broker) acquire the resources from nbemm running on emm server.

nbemm(EMM) (media manager)

nbproxy(EMM) process is required for retrieving Storage Lifecycle polciy from the client so that it can give input to Ops Center within NetBackup.

Media Server

Media Server, FT (Fiber Transport)Media Server - transfer data over SAN, control storage interaction, reads/writes data to/from storage, controlled by master server, multiple media servers can be used for load balancing.

Media Server Process

bpbrm(backup/restore manager)

bptm/bpdm(tape/disk manager)

bpcd(communication between master and clients)

nbftsrv/nbfdrv64(FT services)

Client Overview

Software agent installed to client, standard client, SAN client, snapshot client, data movement engine, controlled by Master, encryption, deduplication.

Clients Process

bpcd (communication)

vnetd(firewall communications)

bpbkar(backup/archive client)

tar(restore service)

nbflclnt (SAN client)

Basic disk storage Unit

NetBackup can use simple disk storage as backup and staging location and it does not require license.  It has some limitation when compared to advanced disk.  Disk storage device can be local or available via the network (NAS). Disk storage devices can be exposed to NetBackup as a Basic Disk storage units. Once defined as a storage unit, devices can be used as a backup destination within a policy.

Advanced Disk requires DPO (Data Protection Optimization) feature.  With advanced disk multiple disk volume can be pooled to create logical units (pools).  It supports SLP (Storage Lifecycle Policies).  It is easy to add capacity to Advanced Disk pool.  It supports CIFS/NFS shares and encryption.

Basic MSDP(Media Server Deduplication Pool), deduplication engine is embeded in NBU7.x code base.  Deduplication can be done at client level, media server level or third-party appliances.  Media server hosts deduplicates data on local host.  In Off-host deduplication media server runs deduplication inline. It requires DPO

OpenStorge(OST) requires DPO.  It enables multiple NetBackup media servers to share intelligent disk appliance storage.

 

NetBackup Appliances is purpose built backup appliance gives standard and predictable performance.  NetBackup 5230 and NetBackup 5330 storage shelf have RAID6. Monitored by Veritas support via call home. Operating system is on RAID1

 

Management Options

WebGUI, install NetBackup remote client on 64-bit system, through SSH

IPMI - Manage system remotely, change BIOS settings, power on/off or recycle appliance, reimage appliance.

NetBackup Features

NetBackup Instant recovery for VMware enables to start the VM from the backup and then do the VMotion to move VM from backup storage to regular storage. High speed recovery event boots backup VM images directly from storage safe; backup VM image kept in read-only mode during recovery.

Auto Image Replication (AIR) move image from one domain to another.  Requires DPO. AIR leverages SLP to simplify multi-site disaster recovery.

Accelerator Technology can transform the way you protect your critical IT infrastructure by providing the power of full back up using incremental backup. uses Synthetic backup.

FlashBackup capability is designed specifically to offer a performance solution for server with highly utilized disk file system containing large number of files. NetBackup Client creates raw backup of file system instead of file-by-file backup.  Can increase performance for highly utilized file system with many files. Supports restore of individual file objects. File system backup transferred to NetBackup Media Server as a single, raw image. Backup process change from file stream into a bit stream.

NetBackup helps customers leverage flexibility of public cloud storage by supporting all major cloud storage providers and differentiates from other solutions through proprietary OpenStorge(OST) technology.

NetBackup OpsCenter is reporting and monitoring tools. It can manage multiple domains centrally. NetBackup OpsCenter is free and NetBackup OpsCenter analytics is licensed and can forecast and generate custom reports.

NetBackup should always be updated from the top down. OpsCenter, Master Server, Media Server, Client. They do not all need to be done at the same time. A master can work with mixed media server versions and mixed client versions with some limitations and exceptions.  OpsCenter must always  be the highest level or at least match the master server.

/user/openv/netbackup/bp.conf

BPRD_VERBOSE = 5

#/user/openv/netbackup/bin/bprdreq - rereadconfig

vxlogging can be configured by the command line or GUI. Some process such as NBEMM, NBPROXY and PBX have to be configured through the command line using vxlogcfg.

Use vxlogview to retrieve the logs

Cleaning up

/usr/openv/netbackup/vxlogmgr -F  purge all vxlogs.

NetBackup Support Utility - NBSU - collects logs for support analysis.

/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/support

Troubleshooting -

Documentation and preparation are key. The catalog backup e-mail contains most of the information you need to perform the recovery.  Annual DR tests should be performed to keep documentation current. For DR tests bring extra backup tapes for each application (including multiple catalog tapes).  Do not user "overwrite files" on system restores unless your system admins tell you to.

Network communication between master/media or media/client

../admincmd/bptestbpcd - host -hostname -debug -verbose

/usr/openv/bpclntcmd -pn - checks connectivity to master server from a media server or client.

../netbackup/bin/vxlogview -p 51216 -t 00:05:00 - To print log output of the last 5 minutes run

to restrart PBX process when NBU is stopped.

/opt/VRTSpbx/bin/vxpbx_exchanged (stop|start)

DataCollect is a utility included with NetBackup appliances to collect logs for support analysis.

Catalog Backup configuration

/usr/openv/netbackup/db

/usr/openv/var

/user/open/netbackup/vault/sessions

/usr/openv/db/staging

Given important files are missing from catalog backup

/usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf

/usr/openv/volmgr/vm.conf

/usr/openv/netbackup(include/exclude lists)

HKLM\software\Veritas\CurrentVersion\Config

Daily full catalog backup and differential increment backup - every 6 hours and retention 1-2 week

User Storage Lifecycle Policies (SLPs) to make multiple copies when possible for automation.

NetBackup Auto Image Replication introduced in NetBackup 7.1, allows a NetBackup domain to replicate its backup storage and catalog to one or more NetBackup domains. 

OpenStorage allows storage vendors to become part of STEP (Symantec Technology enabled program) and get access to OST API.  Storage vendors can write plugin using OST APIs that can be installed on the NetBackup Media server.  This enables tight integration between the storage and NetBackup. OpenStorage supports any connectivity, any protocol(FC, TCP/IP, combination) and any format.  Without OST if storage device like DataDomain performs deduplication, replication, creating copies and writing directly to tape then NetBackup will never come to know about this.  That is OST is required for the tight integration of storage with NetBackup.

 

Deploying OST plug-in for AltaVault 4.2  and NetBackup Media service 7.6/7.7 with OS updated. Download OST-plug for Windows/Redhat from NetApp AltaVault.

• In AltaVault,  create OST share on AltaVault and select OST user
• In NetBackup Disk Storage Server, select OST (OpenStorage) - OST sharename Underscore AltaVault name and OST user and disk pool will be created by same wizard and then create storage unit. Create policy to use  just created storage unit and initiate backup.
•  NetBackup restore using the client.  Images manually expired will be removed from OST share on AltaVault.

admin/admin
config t
ost enable
no ost enable
show ost server
ost user ?
ost share ?
ost ssl enable - require NetBackup stop and NetBackup start to take effect
no ost ssl enable - require NetBackup stop and NetBackup start to take effect

on Linux to see if plug-in is installed correctly use
/usr/openv/NetBackup/bin/admincmd/bpstsinfo -pi | grep NetApp




NetBackup Starts with bprd process on master server and ltid on media and master server.  All process starts including nbpem, nbjm, nbrb, nbemm as required and install it on Media Server.

Backup flow at the process

NBPEM(policy execution manager) -> NBJM -> BPJOBD(make entry in jobDB) -> NBJM -> NBRB -> NBEMM -> NBJM -> BPJOBD -> NBJM -> BPDBM (catalog entry) -> NBJM -> BPBRM (media server) -> BPBKAR(client) -> LTID -> BPTM(spawn of BPTM and BPBKAR sends data to BPTM child which puts it into buffers) -> BPTM (BPTM parent puts the data in the storage) once complete then above processes runs in reverse to give completion acknowledgement.

Reference - Symantec Veritas website

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBYg8naRf1M

for NetBackup pre 6.x version refer

https://vox.veritas.com/t5/Backup-Recovery-Community-Blog/Netbackup-processes-and-commands/ba-p/778784

https://annurkarthik.wordpress.com/category/data-protection/symantec-netbackup/full-system-level-restore-symantec-netbackup/

Bye...