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Master Server
Acts Enterprise Media Manager server (contains info about robots,
drives , Storage Units etc.,).
Control unit or Centralized management server of Netbackup
architecture.
Controls all the backup scheduling for each media server.
Each of the media server performs the actual backup operations under
direction from the master and backup data stays local to the media severs or
to their corresponding storage units (like Tape) .
Also tracks the media being used.
Stores the catalog information (what are the backups taken)
information.
Master server should be the dedicated server, in some cases both
master and media server resides in same server.
Media Server or why media server is required ?
Assistance for master server.
Data mover in the netbackup architecture.
To increase performance by providing additional processing ability and
better distribution of workload (load balancing).
Master server communicates client through Media, all the clients are
connected to the media server only.
Media is divided into 2 , disk storage and tape. Backup has been
written to tape through media server instead of writing directly to the Tape.
It is due to whenever we need to restore recent backup it take much time to
restore it from tape instead directly from the server.
All the tape libraries should be connected to Media server
only.
Backup Client
During the backup or archive the client system generates the backup
as a data stream and sends it across the network to the media server
(tape).
No license required for client servers.
Archive bit
The archive bit is a binary bit. As such, it is either 1 or 0.
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Set 1 and clear or reset 0. It represents whether the file has (1) or has
(0), since the last full backup.
Difference between backup and archive
When a backup is made, a copy of the file is written to media. When an
archive is made, a copy of the file is written to the media and then original
file is deleted.

Difference between backup and True image
A regular backup can backup and restore individual files.
A TI backup is a snapshot of files done at the directory level at a certain
point in time. Additionally, when a True Image backup is restored, the
directory restored will be brought to the same state as when it was backed
up.
Any files or sub-directories that did not exist at the time of backup will be
deleted when the restore occurs if it is restored to the same location.

Types of Backup in Netbackup
a)Full Backup
Is the starting point of all the backups, contains all the data in the folders
and files that are selected to be backed up.
Advantages: Restore is fast
Disadvantages: Backup is slow and Consume more space.
b)Differential Incremental (VPS)
Takes the backup of the changes since the latest backup. Archive bit is
reset. Backup had taken based on the timestamp.
Advantages:
Less space occupancy in the tape, since only the changes had been
taken as backup.
Backup window is shorter
Disadvantages:
Slow restore, (Backup window is longer) since the images are stored in
scattered manner, while restoring, organizing the data will take time and
restore.
In case of retention, to restore all files requires last full backup and all
the differential backups since last full backup, so all the differentials must be
kept until the next full backup occurs.
c) Cumulative Incremental
A cumulative incremental backup is the backup of all files that have
changed since the last full backup
Advantages:
Fast restore, since the last cumulative incremental is required for a
complete restore ( in addition to full)
Disadvantages:
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More space occupancy in Tape/media
Backup window is longer
d) Synthetic Backup
A Synthetic full or cumulative incremental backup is a backup assembled
from previous backups.
Can be written to tape or disk storage units, or a combination of both.
e) User initiated Backup
Its also called manual backup, initiated by the user.
f) Archive Backup
After taking the backup the original file is deleted.

Difference between Differential and Cumulative incremental

Differential Incremental Backup


If the disk fails after sometimes on Jan 4 (after backup) the full backup and
3 diff incremental backups requires to restore data

Cumulative Incremental Backup



If the disk fails on Jan4, only Jan4th cumulative incremental backup is
required to restore the data.

Define Catalog Backup

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Netbackup have special kind of backup called Catalog Backup.
It is an internal database that contains backup information of the files
that have been backed up and media where it stored and NB configuration.
The catalogs also contain the information about the media and storage
devices.
Netbackup requires the catalog information in order to restore
backups , so it is extremely important to configure a catalog backup before
using netbackup for regular client backups.
Also used to search for a backup image in order to verify the contents
of media with what is recorded in the NB catalog. To duplicate a backup
image, to promote a backup image from a copy to the primary copy. To
import expired backup images or images from another NB server.
Hence loosing the catalog means loosing the backups.
In General Catalog Backup is configured as FULL backup.
Parts of Catalog
There are 3 parts of catalog
image database
NB relational database
NB configuration files
i)Image database
Biggest part of the catalog image database.
root@MasterServer # cd /usr/openv/netbackup/db/images/
root@MasterServer # ls
Appserver Webserver dbserver
This images folder contains subfolders for each server and its
corresponding image.
root@MasterServer #cd Appserver/
root@MasterServer #ls -lrth
drwxr-xr-x 4 root other 7 Apr 29 06:34 1332000000
drwxr-xr-x 4 root other 7 Jun 2 06:36 1335000000
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 49 Jul 1 18:41 1340000000
root@MasterServer # cd 1332000000
root@MasterServer # ls -lrth
total 30
-rw------- 1 root other 35 Mar 27 06:32
Appserver_Policy_1332665618_FULL.f.Z
-rw-r--r-- 1 root other 1.3K Mar 27 06:32
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Appserver_Policy_1332665618_FULL
drwxr-xr-x 3 root other 4 Mar 29 01:04 tmp
drwx------ 2 root other 11 Apr 18 06:33 catstore
ii) Relational DB files
root@MasterServer # cd /usr/openv/db/data/
root@MasterServer # ls
DARS_DATA.db DBM_DATA.db EMM_DATA.db
NBAZDB.db NBAZDB.log NBDB.log DARS_INDEX.db

iii) NB Configuration Files
The configuration files include flat files concerning policy, schedule
information, licensing information etc ., in the folder /usr/openv/var

How to recover the catalog in case of accidental removal or
Master server got crashed?
There are 2 way of procedures for catalog recovery
i) Actually, the catalogs are stored in "Stroage LUN" hence if the
master server got crashed, then we need the NB master server in some
other server and map the LUN to the server and process catalog restore
activity.
ii) If primary (tape) catalog backup files the secondary backup is
converted into Primary if the secondary is in expired state, first we want to
unexpire and update.