Clarification on SAN option

[RiezalR]

I just need some clarification on this before i proceed any further.

I have Server A which is running backup for my network. This server has a backup tape drive and is currently backup up all data on its hard drive and as well as all other machines on the network with the Remote Agent option.

Now i have server B which has another backup tape drive. I want to schedule jobs on Server A and split the backup jobs between Server A and B. That is to schedule jobs from a centralized Server A and have some data backed up on Server A and other data backed up on Server B.

Reading the Veritas User Manual, it seems that I need the SAN Shared Storage option. Am i right so far? Do i really need to purchase this extra software in order to do what I want to do?

 

[Qdog]

SSO-Share Storage Option is if you have a central robotic library on a SAN network and your Backup Exec servers are attached via fiber thru SAN to the library.

 

[RiezalR]

So are you telling me that what i want to do is not possible? It is not possible to have Server A schedule the job and do the actual backup with the tape drive on Server B? Does this mean I have to schedule the job on Server B itself?

 

[johnny99]

With SSO you can share tapedrives, eg 5 servers could share 2 (or any number) tape drives but not at the same time.

What I think you want is to have 2 servers each with one tape drive to "share the load". SSO is not for this.

So most of all you want to share one backup catalog.

I think this can be done in BackupExec. I remember reading something about this a year or 2 ago. Never tried it.

Some of this what you want are very basic functions in Netbackup.

If you don't want to share the catalogany BackupExec server can backup any data (given you have the clients for it)
That the data are on a server that has BackupExec installed on it doesn't matter.

 

[Gery]

Hi cod3x
If I understand your question right, I have to answer yes, it is not possible to schedule a job on Server A and execute it on Server B in the given environment and you do not need SSO, because you can not share tapes. Backup Exec must be installed on both nodes. E.g. you can than start a job on Server A to backup data localy and one on Server B to backup data from server A over the network to the devices connected to Server B or vice versa (such config is realy dodgy I think and "Remote Agent" must be installed too). Even in a SAN environment with SSO and shared drives you have to submit the job on the node where the ressources (disks) are online for FC backup (LANless). But there is a way to manage it from one interfaces and this is NSE (you need licenses, which are not very cheep). NSE manages the jobs for each Backup Exec node in the SAN or networked environment, with shared or direct attached drives. When you schedule a job, NSE (has a central SQL Library for BE DB) takes care to execute it on the right server. Even if it is a cluster. But do not forget, for every node with backup device attached (direct or SAN) it is necessary to install full Veritas BE SW if you want to do a backup to the attached device and not over the LAN.
Kind regards
Gery

 

[comtec17]

It is possible to do this if you have a Server B installed and run the BEATTACH utility. Point Server B to use Server A as the catalog server and configure the devices locally.

 

[RiezalR]

OK its been a while since my original post, i've had to divert my attention to other projects and now im back to this one.

So from reading the replies, im still unclear on this. I'll just refresh the current scenario im facing in more detail:

Server A
- has BackupExec installed
- one tape drive (used for all backup jobs)
- schedule jobs on this server, to backup data on other connected servers that have the remote agent

Server B
- no independant backup utility installed, except for NTBackup
- one tape drive (not being used)
- has Veritas Remote Agent installed

I want to make full use of all my resources and that includes the tape drive on Server B. If i did all my backup jobs on server A, it will take quite a while. Im doing daily backups for one main server and weekly backups for another 3 servers. So thats 4 servers to be backup up altogether. I need to divide the backup jobs between these two tape drives.

The simple solution would be to install BackupExec on server B and schedule the jobs from there. But this would require me to purchase another copy of BackupExec and that would be costly. What i am trying to do is make use of the BackupExec software i have installed on Server A to do all this. SSO is already out of the option given my current LAN setup. Gery mentioned NSE, which has the capability to backup on shared drives over a network. And comtec17 mentioned about the BEATTACH utility. Could you elaborate more on these two solutions? Would these solutions be cheaper? Much appreciated.

 

[Gery]

Hi cod3x

If you want to use the drive on server B you have to install full Backup Exec SW even when you want to use NSE (which is quit expensive). All other ways,i.e. "Remote Agent" leads to backup over the LAN.
Kind regards
Gery

 

[RiezalR]

Thanks Gery, that was very helpful. I've looked up on NSE and it seems that the product has been discontinued since the release of BE Version 9.0. Does BE 9.0 have the NSE capability built into it? I have Remote Agent, but by using Remote Agent, I am still unable to use the Tape Drive on Server B. I would have to get the tape drive on Server A to backup the data of Server B, which would be ridiculous seeing that Server B has its own Tape Drive.