Configuring SQL Cluster backups. 2

[Gjanson]

We have a Microsoft cluster with two active servers, each one contains a SQL instance with various databases. When the application fails over, the disk becomes "active" on the other server.
Our Netbackup environment is configured with 1GB Backup Lan , thus we have an access lan and a backup lan.
Currently we configure the SQL backups via the physical server name and not the Virtual server name because the Virtual Server name does not address the Backup Lan due to limitations of storing more than one IP in a cluster group.
As a consequence, when the cluster fails over, the backups also fails because they are not configured via the Virtual Server name.

The question is, How do we configure the backups so that they always find the disk no matter on which server they are currently active, and the data must flow across the Backup Lan, not the Access Lan?

Your feedback will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Frbutler]

Why are you limited to only 1 IP for a cluster group?
I have 2 IP's in mine (1 for production and 1 for Backup lan)
you just need to make sure that all IP's have FQDN in the host file.
For my sql backups I just added a _bdn to the existing server name

So...
SQLDEV.DOMAIN.COM is for production and
SQLDEV_BDN.DOMAIN.COM is for our backup vlan.

I adjusted the client name in NBU to reflect the _bdn
and added the _bdn IP to the host files on master and media servers.

If the server fails over the _BDN ip goes with it
I have had indexing issues and SQL is not very forgiving when it comes to interruptions in the backup process.

Just set your client to 2-3 retries and if it fails out it fill pick it up on attempt #2

Hope this helps.

Thanks,

Frank

 

[RustyMajor]

Yes, what Frank stated is the recommended method from Veritas/Symantec for backing up clusters. Point to the Virtual IP and you'll follow the data. Don't forget to backup the rest of the data on the physical nodes, themselves! If you use All Local Drives, be sure to add an exclusion for the drive letters of the cluster resources otherwise you'll back it up twice on the active node.

 

[Gjanson]

Thanks guys, will test and let you know.

 

[joebvlack]

Hey Frank,

Even I am also facing the same issue. Please let us know how do you configure Second IP on Cluster group which is pointing to Backup Lan IP Address ?

Cheers
JBlack

 

[Frbutler]

From cluster admin you will need to add a Networkname and a SQL IP Address and assign it to the 2 physical boxes as possible owners
Make sure the network name is different from the existing SQL instance name or there will be issues. I just added a _bdn to the end of the existing network interface name.

Once the IP and network name are functioning in cluster admin
you need to add it to the host files on both ends and then change the hostname of your existing client

I also set my cluster resource to "Not affect group" but did set it to restart.

 

[Frbutler]

Did this work for you guys?