NetBackup Interview Tips

Netbackup Tips

Stopping Netbackup

• /etc/init.d/netbackup stop --> graceful shutdown
• /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpps -a --> check for any remaining processes
• /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/goodies/bp.kill_all ---> kills all remaining netbackup processes, not necessarily graceful
• /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bpps -a --> check for any remaining processes
• kill -9 <pid> for any remaining. NOTE: unkillable processes may require a reboot

Starting Netbackup

• /etc/init.d/netbackup start --> after bp.kill_all, to restart

Common Tasks

Starting the Administration GUI

• java from the windows client
• java from the server - /usr/openv/java/jnbSA &

Checking Backup Status

• Activity Monitor or
• /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/bpdbjobs -report

Cleaning a tape manually

• Identify the drive name to be cleaned
• tpclean -L
• Manually clean the drive:
• tpclean -C <drive name>

Determining what tapes were used for a backup

• GUI
• Backup and Restore --> Find the file system --> Preview Media Button
• CLI
• Find the correct backup images
• bpimagelist -U -client <CLIENT> -d <STARTDATE> -e <ENDDATE>
• Find the media used for those images
• bpimagelist -U -client <CLIENT> -d <STARTDATE> -e <ENDDATE> -media

Listing the files in a backup

bpflist --help --> undocumented netbackup command to list files from a binary .f file

Inventory the Robot

• Inventory Robot --> /opt/openv/volmgr/bin/vmcheckxxx -rt tld -rn <robot_number> -list
• Inventory Robot and Update Configuration --> /opt/openv/volmgr/bin/vmupdate -rt tld -rn <robot_number> -list

Listing Properties of the Volume Pools

• vmpool -listall

Scratch Tapes

• Count scratch tapes: /usr/openv/volmgr/bin/vmquery -pn Scratch | grep -c "robot slot"
• Moving tapes to the scratch pool
• If Needed - Expire the tape
• bpexpdate -ev <TAPE ID> -d 0 -force -host <Media Manager>
• Move the tape
• vmchange -p 2 -m <TAPE ID>

Checking Drive Usage

• /usr/openv/volmgr/bin/vmoprcmd -d

Taking a drive down or up

• /usr/openv/volmgr/vmoprcmd -down <drive index>
• /usr/openv/volmgr/vmoprcmd -up <drive index>

Performing a Restore

• From the GUI
• user backup & restore --> configuration --> client
• user backup & restore --> configuration --> client to restore
• directory to search
• directory depth
• date range
• file --> browse backups for restore

Adding New Tapes to the Library

• Using the GUI
• Media Management --> Actions --> New --> Single Volume . . -->
• Media Type (ie DLT)
• Robot Type (ie TLD)
• Media ID (from Inventory)
• Slot Number (from Inventory)
• Robot Number (ie 0)
• Volume Group
• Volume Pool (ie Scratch)
• Using the CLI
• vmadd -m <media id> -mt <tape type> -verbose -rt tld -b <barcode> -rn <robot number> -rc1 <slot> -p <pool number> -mm <max mounts>
• vmpool -listall --> lists all pools, both name and number
• For example: vmadd -m Q100L1 -mt hcart -verbose -rt tld -b ECQ100L1 -rn 0 -rc1 8 -p 2 -mm 0

Re-using Tapes from other systems or older Netbackups

• Expire the media
• bpexpdate -ev MEDIA_ID -d 0 -force -host HOST
• Deassign the media
• vmquery -deassignbyid MEDIA_ID 4 0
• Move to the scratch pool
• vmchange -m MEDIA_ID -p POOL#
• Relabel the media
• bplabel -ev EVA019 -d 8mm -p Scratch

Changing the attributes of media

• Changing the barcode
• vmchange -barcode CYM100D -m CYM100
• Changing the Volume Pool
• vmchange -m MEDIA_ID -p POOL#

To expire media

• bpexpdate -ev <medai id> -d 0 -force -host <media server>

To unfreeze media

• List the frozen media
• /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/goodies/available_media | grep -i FROZEN
• Unfreeze the media
• bpmedia -unfreeze -ev <media id> -h <media server>

To relabel a tape

• bplabel -ev <media id> -d <tape density> -p <pool name>
• bplabel -ev 000687 -d hcart -p TriVrgt_OFFSITE

To remove media from the Netbackup database

• Verify that there are no images on the tape
• bpimmedia -mediaid 000687 -L
• Expire the tape
• bpexpdate -ev 000687 -d 0 -host scorpius -force
• Get the status and pool number of the tape
• vmquery -m 000687
• Deassign the tape
• vmquery -deassignbyid <media id> <pool number> <status code from vmquery -m>
• vmquery -deassignbyid 000687 4 0x0
• Delete the tape
• vmdelete -m 000687

Installing the Netbackup Client

• /update_clients -ForceInstall -ClientList /tmp/clients.lst
• requires that TMPDIR and TEMPDIR be set correctly

Excludng files from backup on a client

• Create /usr/openv/netbackup/exclude_list
• Put the file specifications of the files/directories to be excluded
• /mnt/directory/*

Displaying Information about a Tape

• vmquery -m <media id> --> Displays attributes about a particular tape
• bpmedialist -U -mcontents -ev 000687 --> Displays media contents
• bpmedialist -U -mlist --> List of all media
• bpmedialist -U -mlist -ev CYM966 --> Listing of a particular media id
• bpimmedia -mediaid 000687 -L --> Listing of images on a tape

Robtest Commands

• Starting robtest
• robtest
• 1 --> to select TLD 0
• Getting help
• ?
• Looking at contents of the tape drives
• s d
• Looking at the contents of the library
• s s
• Moving a tape from a drive to a library slot
• s d --> to identify drive number that has tape (Contains Cartridge = yes, Barcode=XXXXXX)
• s s --> to identify an empty slot in the tape library (Netbackup will need to be re-inventoried)
• m d# s# --> from from drive # to slot #
• s d --> verify the tape drive is empty
• s s --> verify the library slot has the tape

Configuration Files

/usr/openv/netbackup/bp.conf

• configuration file, sets backup server and backup clients
• force statement must be correct
• client to browse from
• client to restore to

/usr/openv/volmgr/vmconf

Logfiles

To utilize logfiles, create the corresponding directory in /usr/openv/netbackup/logs

Server Logfile directories:

• admin - adminstrative commands
• bpbrm - backup and restore manager
• bpcd - client daemon
• bpdbjobs - database manager program process
• bpdm - disk manager process
• bpjava-msvc - Java application server authentication service
• bpjava-usvc - process that services Java requests
• bprd - request daemon process
• bpsched - scheduler process that runs on master servers
• bptm - tape/optical media management process
• user-ops - required directory for use by Java programs
• xbpadm - X based administration utility
• xbpmon - X based job monitor process

Client Logfile directories:

• bp - client user interface process
• bparchive - archive program
• bpbackup - backup program
• bpbkar - program that generates golden images
• bpcd - client daemon
• bpjava-msvc - Java application server authentication service
• bpjava-usvc - process that services Java requests
• bplist - program that lists backed up and archived files
• bpmount - program that determines local mountpoints and wildcard expansion for multiple streams
• bphdb - Oracle database backup program start process
• db_log - database specific extension log
• tar - tar process log during restores
• user_ops

Media Manager logging automatically goes to the system log using syslogd logging facility

.Logging will only occur if these directories are created. These directories will generate a lot of data and should be deleted when no longer necessary.

To increase the amount of logging information set VERBOSE=2 in /usr/open/netbackup/bp.conf (default is VERBOSE=1)

Processes

ltid
acsd
vmd

Useful Commands

bpcllist - list classes
bpclinfo <class> -L --> displays info about a class
vmpool - volume pools
vmpool -listall
vmpool -listscratch
bplabel -ev <media id> -d hcart
bpbackup db --> backs up the catalog
bpclclients <policy> --> lists the clients for a particular policy (class)

Troubleshooting

bperror -statuscode <-- displays information about the netbackup error.

No Backups are running:

• Check system log file for error messages
• Stop and restart all the netbackup processes
• Look for a downed drive
• /usr/openv/volmgr/bin/vmoprcmd -d
• /usr/openv/volmgr/bin/vmoprcmd -up 0 --> this will bring up drive 0 if it's control shows as down
• Look for pending requests
• /usr/openv/volmgr/bin/vmoprcmd –d or gui --> device management
• If there is a pending request either re-assign it to a drive, or deny the request

Downed drive does not come back up or does not stay up

• Check for a hardware problem by looking for messages on the tape library
• Make sure there is not a tape stuck in the drive
• Use robtest (described above) to look at the drives
• If there is a tape stuck in the drive, try to remove it using robtest
• If robtest fails, then you must manually remove it.

Verify the Client is communicating properly:

• bpclncmd -ip <ip address> --> from both client and server
• bpclntcmd -hn <hostname> --> from both client and server
• bpclntcmd -pn --> from client only