Update ARCServer DR machine specific floppy

[jojo76]

To be able to recover a server from the most actual backup tape, do I need to update the machine specific floppy for that server after every full backup?

I noticed in a test with DR that I can only use the tape to which I made the full backup of that machine. So to be able to use the most recent backup tape I should update the machine specific floppy after every backup. Because we make a full backup every day, I am not glad to have to make a copy of the DR info to a floppy for each server.


Can someone help me with this issue?

 

[chuber]

Yes, you always need the floppy of the date of that you wish to restore. But why would you create the floppy every day? Just create it, when you actually want to recover a specific machine.
To be able to restore to any date, I (for example) backup the disaster recovery directory to tape and whenever I need to restore a server, I restore the specific server's disaster recovery folder to the original place and only then create the floppy.
Or am I missing your point?
Conny

 

[jojo76]

Thanks for the answer!!

But what my point is, I do not understand which backup tape is used by the Disaster Recovery procedure. As far as I understand now, the tape which is used in case of Disaster Recovery is determined by the date the boot floppies were made, I cannot not use another tape.

What or when is determined which time will be used when performing a Disaster Recovery?

 

[jojo76]

Sorry, made a typo in the last sentence. Should be:

What or when is determined which backup tape will be used when performing a Disaster Recovery?

 

[chuber]

The tape(s) to be used are determined by the timestamp of the floppy disk. If you check the DR-directory in the ARCserve homedirectory you will see a folder for each server with files that have the timestamp of the last full backup.
The DR will always use those tapes that "belong" to the timestamp of the dr-files.

As an example, let's say you have two full backups Friday 1 and Friday 2 (2 is the newest). When you want to restore the status of Friday 2, then you will need to create the floppy with the files that were in that directory at the time of the backup. (Since we said, Friday 2 is the newest backup, the floppy created will always point to the last backup which is Friday 2.)
When you want to restore Friday 1, you will have to rename (or move) the specific server's DR-directory and restore that directory that from the backup of Friday 1. After the restore you can create the floppy and then will use Friday 1 tapes for the disaster recovery process.

Hope this is helps ...
Conny

 

[jojo76]

Thanx again, we're getting closer.

Problem now is in the directory I find three different time stamps: below is the file listing:

15-05-2001 netflx3.sys
15-05-2001 oem7.inf
27-05-2003 ARCBKUP.W2K
27-05-2003 ARCREPACK
27-05-2003 macaddr.str
27-05-2003 nonpnp_drf
27-05-2003 partinfo.ppp
27-05-2003 w2ktcpip_drf
17-07-2003 LASTDR.INF
17-07-2003 SRV_PC034.DRF
17-07-2003 SRV_PC034_CHEY
17-07-2003 SRV_PC034_DLST
17-07-2003 SRV_PC034_DTBL
17-07-2003 SRV_PC034_PCIN
17-07-2003 SRV_PC034_PRDS

The last full backup finished today. I also created fresh boot disk and machine specific disk today. When I tried to restore, it asked for the tape of 23-05-2003 (which was the last full backup before 27-5-2003).

Time stamps of which file(s) is/are used?
What exactly should I do to have DR used the backup tape of today (the last full backup)?

 

[jojo76]

I also check the machine specific floppy and all files there do have a time stamp of 17-07-2003.

 

[chuber]

I just checked the timestamps for my servers, all files are dated to the time when the disaster recovery session was backup ... strange ... I need more info ...

Just to make sure I understand: you had a full backup yesterday that you wanted to restore today? But instead of asking for the yesterday tapes, it asked for May 23rd tapes?
What was the status of your backup? Finished or Incomplete? If incomplete, why or better what was not backed up?
And more questions:
How do you perform the "full backup"? I assume it's a rotation job with full backups on Fridays.
Are the archive bits being cleared after full backup?
How do you select the server? By checking the entire server or by checking single drives, registry and system state?
For DR you should select the entire machine. In yesterdays job log, do you see an extra session for backing up the disaster recovery information (something like &quot;Source C:\Program Files\CA\Brightstore\DR\<servname> ...)?


Conny

 

[chuber]

Maybe something simpler:
Do a restore by session and select yesterdays disaster recovery session (usually found after everything else of the server is backup up). Restore to original location, recreate the machine specific disk (you do not have to do all disks) and then it should use yesterdays tapes.

Conny

 

[jojo76]

I'll stop for now. I checked the server with ArcServe 2000 and it contains a DR subfolder with information per server which I have used. But is is not clear whether or not the Disaster recovery Option was installed or not.
I (re)installed the DR Option with SP4. I'll wait until Monday (I have a day off tomorrow) and gonna use the proper DR info.

I'll describe you now what I exactly wants
I want now to create DR floppies and only want to update them when ever certain things changes to the server. In case of a disaster, I would take the floppies and restore the machine with the tape that contains the last full backup.
But I understand from you that DR will use the tape which contains the last full backup on the moment of making the DR floppies. Is this correct? If so, it is unfortunately not what I want (or maybe I want the wrong thing!?)

May be the situation is acceptable for those servers nto containg the tape streamer and ARCServe, but what about the server which contains the tape streamer and ARCServe? Or should one therefor use the &quot;Alternate Location for DR information&quot;?

Thank you so far for your help. I learned already a lot!!

 

[xenotec]

In

http://support.ca.com/Download/patches/asitnt/QO20404.html

there is a utility called DRScanSession please review the DRScanSession.doc file as this should help you recover from a Full backup in which disks have not been created for

 

[chuber]

Ok ... I missed the point that you were talking about your backup server itself. In that case you are right, you should look a the alternate location for DR information option and on top - to be able to choose the sessions - look at the utility called DRScanSession. It can be used to modify the machine specific disk before perfoming DR. The tool is on the CD (folder Bootdisk), documentation is also on cd (\DOC\BABWDROption.pdf).

Have a nice weekend,
Conny

 

[TheRedRobbo]

Boy,
Reading through this thread I seem to missed the point of the DR service completely.
My understanding was that I could recover a machine quickly and with the minimum of fuss armed with (in my case) a WIN2K boot CD, Server specific DRIF disk, SCSI driver floppy (in my case Compaq) and the latest backup tape.

I have encountered your problem (machine asks for a specific tape, not necessarily the one you want to use to restore the server)and I am thinking that it is related to the contents of the LASTDR.INF file containd on the DRIF disk (looks like some tape information is contained in here?).

CA seem to say that you only need to update the DRIF disk if you change some hardware in your machine.
I am still looking at this so will post back if I come up with an answer but I hope this might point you in the right direction.