Netbackup Storage Lifecycle Policy (SLP) Cheat Sheet

Problem

 Cheat sheet for SLP (Storage Lifecycle Policy)

Solution

Common SLP Related Commands

Show EMM Image list of Images that were backed up to an SLP STU [ -I / -U ]

nbstlutil list
nbstlutil list –lifecycle <name>
nbstlutil list –backupid <id_value>
nbstlutil list -image_state <value>
nbstlutil list -copy_state <value>
nbstlutil list -frag_state <value>
nbstlutil list –mediaid <media_id>_–state 3

Activate /Inactivate SLP operations

 

nbstlutil inactive –lifecycle <lifecycle name>
nbstlutil inactive –backupid <backupid>
nbstlutil active –lifecycle <lifecycle name>
nbstlutil active –backupid <backupid>

Cancel pending operations on selected image

nbstlutil cancel -backupid <backupid>
nbstlutil cancel -lifecycle <lifecycle>

Show status on Incomplete copies of Lifecycle Managed images

nbstlutil stlilist –lifecycle <lifecycle name>
nbstlutil stlilist –backupid <backupid>
nbstlutil stlilist –image_state <value>
nbstlutil stlilist –image_incomplete
nbstlutil stlilist –image_inactive

List Storage Units

nbstl –l
nbstu -L

States

State image Copy Frag
1 NOT_STARTED NOT_STARTED ACTIVE
2 IN_PROCESS IN_PROCESS TO_BE_DELETED
3 COMPLETE COMPLETE ELIGIBLE_FOR_EXPIRATION
9 NOT_STARTED & INACTIVE NOT_STARTED & INACTIVE N/A
10 IN_PROCESS & INACTIVE IN_PROCESS & INACTIVE N/A

 

Logging

SLP Unified (VX) Logs

Master Server

vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 111 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (nbemm)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 143 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (mds / Included in 111, no separate log)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 116 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (nbpem)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 117 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (nbjm )
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 118 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (nbrb)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 226 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (nbstserv)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 272 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (expmgr – Included in 226, no separate log)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 219 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (rem – Included in 111, no separate log)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 230 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (rdsm)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 137 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (libraries / no separate log file)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 156 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (nbace / no separate log file)

Media Server

vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 220 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (dps / media – Included in 222, no separate log)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 221 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (mpms / media – Included in 222, no separate log)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 202 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (stssvc /media – included in 222, no separate log)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 222 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (nbrmms / media)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 230 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (rdsm / media + master)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 137 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (libraries / no separate log file)
vxlogcfg -a -p 51216 -o 156 -s DebugLevel=6 -s DiagnosticLevel=6 (nbace / no separate log file)

SLP Legacy Logs

Master Server

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/admin
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bpdbm

Media Server

/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bpbrm
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bptm
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bpdm
/usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bpbkar

DupMgr and ExpMgr

DupMgr runs on a fixed interval and while it is processing it is in a “replication session”:
Session timer is the sleep interval between replication sessions
Manages image copying for SLP only

ExpMgr runs in response to:
Events submitted by REM (oid = 219) in nbemm OR
Bby “diskfull” status in bptm

DupMgr and ExpMgr can and do run in parallel:
While a replication session is in progress, a HWM event will be processed and not wait on the replication session to complete
Only one replication session will be active at any given time
Multiple HWM events can be processed in parallel

Database Tables

EMM_Image / EMM_ImageCopy / EMM_ImageFragment

Additional Information to gather
/usr/openv/var/global/nbstserv
/usr/openv/netbackup/db/ss
/usr/openv/netbackup/db/jobs/trylogs
/usr/openv/netbackup/db/error/log_<ctime>

How to change the duplication session interval

By default, the duplication manager in nbstserv starts a new duplication session 300 seconds after the previous session ends. The session timer can be modified without cycling nbstserv
(1) Edit the parameter DUPLICATION_SESSION_INTERVAL_MINUTES in LIFECYCLE_PARAMETERS file (2) To force a new session to start: nbstlutil new_session

Minimum of x2 duplication sessions to complete processing for an image

The way the code works, it takes at least two dup sessions to complete processing for an image – one to kick off the dup job and one to process the results. There have been several problems reports where people have run into disk full conditions they didn’t expect because their test case filled the disk before any of the copies could be moved to eligible-for-expiration state

SLP definitions not store in /usr/openv/netbackup/db/class

SLP definitions can be found in /usr/openv/netbackup/db/ss

Document ID Title
   
000040271 Best Practices for SLP
000010943 SLP Tape Contention login can spawn multiple duplication jobs
000039508 SLP Tunables
000011301  Duplication not starting for SLP

 

Create Advanced Diskpool

nbdevconfig -creatests -storage_server <server name> -stype AdvancedDisk -st 5 -media_server <media server>
tpconfig -add -storage_server <server name> -stype AdvancedDisk -sts_user_id ANYTHING -password ANYTHING -st 1
nbdevconfig -previewdv -stype AdvancedDisk -storage_server <server name> -media_server <media server> -dvlist /tmp/dvlist
nbdevconfig -createdp -stype AdvancedDisk -dp Advance_DiskPool -storage_servers <server name> -dvlist /tmp/dvlist

common_server_for_dup Setting (Default, Preferred, Required)

nbemmcmd -changesetting -common_server_for_dup < default |preferred |required> -machinename master server name

default – The default option (default) instructs NetBackup to try to match the destination media server with the source media server
preferred – The preferred option instructs NetBackup to search all matching media server selections for the source
required – The required option instructs NetBackup to search all media server selections for the matching source

LIFECYCLE_PARAMETERS

The LIFECYCLE_PARAMETERS (manual creation) file is located in /usr/openv/netbackup/db/config on UNIX and Linux master servers and <install path>\veritas\netbackup\db\config on Windows master servers.

MIN_GB_SIZE_PER_DUPLICATION_JOB 8 / Default value: 8 GB
Adjusting this value, indicated in gigabytes, affects the number and size of duplication jobs. If the MIN_GB_SIZE_PER_DUPLICATION_JOB setting is small, more duplication jobs are created. If it is large, fewer, larger duplication jobs are created.

MAX_GB_SIZE_PER_DUPLICATION_JOB 25 / Default value: 25 GB
This entry controls the maximum size of a duplication job. (When a single image is larger than the maximum size, that one image will be put into its own duplication job.)

MAX_MINUTES_TIL_FORCE_SMALL_DUPLICATION_JOB 30 / Default value: 30 minutes
This value allows duplication jobs to be submitted that do not meet the minimum size criterion

DUPLICATION_SESSION_INTERVAL_MINUTES 5 / Default 5 minutes
Frequency nbstserv looks to see if enough backups have completed and decides whether or not it is time to submit a duplication job(s)

IMAGE_EXTENDED_RETRY_PERIOD_IN_HOURS 2 / Default 2 hours
After duplication of an image fails 3 times, this is the time interval between subsequent retries

DUPLICATION_GROUP_CRITERIA 0 | 1
0 = Use the SLP name / 1 = Use the duplication job priority. Use 1 to indicate that batches be created based on the duplication job priority from the SLP definition

TRESHOLD_JOB_COUNT 100
Enable/Disable logic / 0 is default (disabled) If > 0 nbstserv will check the number of Active/Queued duplication jobs. If the job count is lower than the number specified the logic will be used

SESSION_RUN_TIME_MIN 60 / Default value: 60
This setting specifies the time in minutes that will elapse before batching logic is suspended and duplication jobs are submitted under a time controlled session.

 

Veritas NetBackup 7.5 Changes

Beginning with NetBackup 7.5, you cannot specify Any_Available in the Storage Unit field of an SLP operation. It does not appear in the pick list in the user interfaces. Existing SLPs continue to execute as before if Any_Available is already used in the SLP as long as the SLP is not changed. If the SLP is edited, the Any_Available selections must be replaced with real storage units or storage unit groups before the changes can be successfully committed.

This release introduces a change in syntax for the parameters in the LIFECYCLE_PARAMETERS file, that affects storage lifecycle policies. The administrator can create a LIFECYCLE_PARAMETERS file to customize how the NetBackup storage lifecycle manager (nbstserv) runs duplication and import jobs. The parameters are described in the NetBackup Administrator’s Guide, Volume I.

Note: With NetBackup 7.5, the syntax of the parameters has changed. An equals (=) sign is now used between the parameter name and the value. For example, IMPORT_SESSION_TIMER = 1.

This release contains new and corrected LIFECYCLE_PARAMETER values. The spelling of TRESHOLD_JOB_COUNT has been corrected to THRESHOLD_JOB_COUNT. And the new MAX_IMAGES_PER_SNAPSHOT_REPLICATION_JOB parameter has been added. That parameter sets the maximum number of images that can be included in a snapshot replication job. The value is used to tune the size of replication jobs to avoid overloading the hardware vendor replication infrastructure.

If you try to expire the image or the image copies manually that are not SLP-complete, the request fails with a 1573 error. To expire the image or images, you can do one of the following:

  • Wait for the image or copy to become SLP-complete.
  • Use the nbstlutil cancel command to terminate the SLP processing.
  • Add the -force_not_complete option to the bpexpdate command to force the expiration even if the image or copy is not SLP-complete.

 

If you use an IP address for your host name and use a Storage lifecycle policy (SLP) for a backup and a duplication, your duplication jobs fail with a status 228 error. The clients with the IP address host names have to be named in a backup policy that sends data to an SLP.

In this release, NetBackup performs additional validations before it allows the creation of storage lifecycle policies. In previous versions, NetBackup allowed the creation of all SLPs with undetected errors. After a NetBackup environment is upgraded to 7.5, when an administrator opens a previously permitted, but invalid SLP, the SLP must be corrected in order for it to be saved and run in 7.5.