NB6.0MP4-Fulls succeed, differentials backs up 32 KB only

[CalgaryCR9]

I have 5 backup servers running NB 6.0 MP4.

2 of them have been acting flaky lately. They'll show random differential backups as status 0, but only backup 32 KB of data (the files column in activity monitor is blank). The other 3 are working just fine (knock on wood).

Yet when I execute a full on the same policy it succeeds with the expected KBs and Files.

1. There have been no system changes.
2. Solaris 9 on a Sun Fire v440

I'd like to kick off the appropriate logging file to get data for trouble shooting but am not sure which one it is.

This is what I get in the Activity Monitor Detailed status:
7/11/2008 01:00:01 - requesting resource ims2-02
07/11/2008 01:00:01 - requesting resource pd6bs1no.NBU_CLIENT.MAXJOBS.localhost
07/11/2008 01:00:01 - requesting resource pd6bs1no.NBU_POLICY.MAXJOBS.ims2-02
07/11/2008 01:00:05 - granted resource pd6bs1no.NBU_CLIENT.MAXJOBS.localhost
07/11/2008 01:00:05 - granted resource pd6bs1no.NBU_POLICY.MAXJOBS.ims2-02
07/11/2008 01:00:05 - granted resource ims2-02
07/11/2008 01:00:49 - started process bpdm (pid=20932)
07/11/2008 01:00:46 - started process bpbrm (pid=20874)
07/11/2008 01:00:46 - connecting
07/11/2008 01:00:47 - connected; connect time: 0:00:00
07/11/2008 01:01:03 - begin writing
07/11/2008 01:39:50 - end writing; write time: 0:38:47
the requested operation was successfully completed (0)

Other misc info that may or may not be helpful:
sudo luxadm qlgc
Password:

Found Path to 7 FC100/P, ISP2200, ISP23xx Devices

Opening Device: /devices/pci@1e,600000/SUNW,qlc@3/fp@0,0:devctl
Detected FCode Version: ISP2300 Host Adapter Driver: 1.14.09 03/08/04

Opening Device: /devices/pci@1c,600000/SUNW,qlc@1/fp@0,0:devctl
Detected FCode Version: ISP2312 Host Adapter Driver: 1.14.09 03/08/04

Opening Device: /devices/pci@1c,600000/SUNW,qlc@1,1/fp@0,0:devctl
Detected FCode Version: ISP2312 Host Adapter Driver: 1.14.09 03/08/04

Opening Device: /devices/pci@1d,700000/SUNW,qlc@1/fp@0,0:devctl
Detected FCode Version: ISP2312 Host Adapter Driver: 1.14.09 03/08/04

Opening Device: /devices/pci@1d,700000/SUNW,qlc@1,1/fp@0,0:devctl
Detected FCode Version: ISP2312 Host Adapter Driver: 1.14.09 03/08/04

Opening Device: /devices/pci@1d,700000/SUNW,qlc@2/fp@0,0:devctl
Detected FCode Version: ISP2312 Host Adapter fcode version 1.16 11/15/06

Opening Device: /devices/pci@1d,700000/SUNW,qlc@2,1/fp@0,0:devctl
Detected FCode Version: ISP2312 Host Adapter fcode version 1.16 11/15/06
Complete



Help is greatly appreciated.

 

[AnotherAlan]

Well it looks like you may have answered your own question.

1. There have been no system changes.

A differential backup will only backup files that have changed since the last FULL backup.
If no changes have been made then there will not be any files marked as available for the backup.

It may be a simple as that. Try changing some files on the clietns and running again.

 

[CalgaryCR9]

There were several changes in data, no changes on the system (ie patches). There should be differential backups as over 250,000 email accounts are being backed up.

Unfortunately, I did not answer my own question.

 

[bpACH]

When you look at the restore interface and narrow the window to include just one of the bad backups, do you see any files (if so, can they be restored)?

Are there any exclusions configured on these servers (<install path>/netbackup/exclude_list)?

 

[CalgaryCR9]

Everyone .. it appears that when the NetApp filers being backed up were restarted (had been up for 600+ days), the problem went away.

I don't like these kind of resolutions....but guess there's not much else we can do.

Thanks everyone.