How can we verify Callpilot backups? 1

[monty1995]

We had a recent crash of our v5.0 callpilot server (700 series) and the 2 most recent backup tapes would not load. How can we verify the backup is valid?
Does the callpilot software have a builtin verification that may not be turned on? I don't see a verification process listed in the backup log.

Since the tape didn't even load, I'm assuming the tape may have been bad, but a verify should have caught that problem.

The tape drive is getting cleaned regularly and there were no errors listed in the logs.

Thanks

 

[Johnthephoneguy]

I don't think I have ever run across someone asking me to verify the backup. If they did, I would schedule a weekend (or non business day) and run a current backup, then restore the previous backup and see if it loads. Then reload the current backup taken that day. There is probably a better way, but I would do that to see. It's not something I would do on a regular basis, but good enough to verify that backup process was working.

JohnThePhoneGuy

"If I can't fix it, it's not broke!

 

[allenmac]

I have noticed this with customers that do not have a very good inventory of backup tapes, and rotate the same couple of tapes in and out of the tape drive constantly.

It is also a good idea to periodically clean the tape heads.

I prefer to eliminate the tape backup altogether, and simply backup to a Network drive. I do a weekly full system backup, and daily user archives for all of my CallPilot servers, and I have never had a problem restoring data from the network.

I regularly get users that have accidentally deleted messages that they want to get back, and as long as they were backed up, I have never had a problem restoring from the user archive.

-just my 2 cents.

 

[strmwalker]

really there is only one way to verify a backup.that is
to try it this means a tape or network does not matter
both can fail,a tape is more likely to fail than a network
backup.

no problems only solutions

strmwalker

 

[curtismo]

Was it some sort of CRC or tape error on the restore, or something else. I don't want to run into the same problems with my 5.0 systems.

 

[strmwalker]

another question i would have is what type of tamberg
tape drive are you using and what type are your tapes
because this will matter.

no problems only solutions

strmwalker

 

[MechDriver]

Did the backup log show that the tape had backed up successfully or had it failed?
I ran into this at a rather large customer. Fortuantely it was caught in P/M and not in failure. I started nightly backups to a server and just back up to tape on Sat.

I'm now looking for a batch or script that will delete the old files on the server as CP doesn't allow me to overwrite the backups to the server.

 

[allenmac]

Here's the batch file we use to delete our old backups.

Note - CallPilot backups are stored on the Y drive in subfolders 'appbuilder_archive', 'full_system_backup', and 'prompt_archive'

:: dfair 2007-05-08
:: Nortel does not overwrite prior backups, so this scheduled routine runs after every backup deletes them after they are backed up.

y:


:: Pruning HQ CallPilot Backups...

cd y:\backup_share\callpilot\hq

forfiles -p appbuilder_archive -d -7 -c "cmd /c del @FILE /q"
forfiles -p full_system_backup -d -7 -c "cmd /c del @FILE /q"
forfiles -p prompt_archive -d -7 -c "cmd /c del @FILE /q"



::exit 0

 

[MechDriver]

Thanks allenmac. I'll alter it to fit my machine and give it a try.

 

[monty1995]

Sorry guys got sidetracked.

Johnthephoneguy: I'll run that past them. I could probably put this in the DR stuff and do it once a year. Though I agree a full restore is the only way to fully verify a backup.

allenmac: The same 4 tapes are used and they have a 10,000 pass rating. It has only been a couple years these have been in rotation so I know they haven't hit close to 10,000.
Tape heads are cleaned once a month.
I was going to do a daily full backup but just the user archive sounds better. Am I right to assume I can restore a single user archive if need be? For instance: I'm thinking of Charlie wanting a message back but I don't want to restore Jane's archive.

curtismo: I know one tape was came back with no data on the tape. From my understanding the other took over 45 minutes before they pulled it. It is possible the tape was good but our contract support believed that 45 minutes was to long to verify the tape and it must be bad.

strmwalker: The tapes are SLR5's. I'm not sure about the drive model. I'll need to contact the remote site.

MechDriver: There was no sign of tape/backup failure in tahe logs. If I can restore a single users vm box from the user archive I think we'll be doing a full backup on Friday (to tape and network) and a daily user archive.

Allenmac: Thanks for script. We'll definitely use that.