About SnapVault for NetBackup

The SnapVault for NetBackup feature provides an optimized disk-based backup repository for heterogeneous primary storage systems using NearStore secondary storage systems. By using NetBackup software with NearStore storage systems, you get a backup and recovery solution that can store a large number of backup images using a minimal amount of secondary storage and can quickly and easily recover data.

Data ONTAP software allows a NetBackup media server to back up data from multiple platforms, or clients, to a NearStore storage system with the nearstore_option enabled that is configured as a secondary storage system.

These clients include: AIX, Solaris, HP-UX, Linux, Novell, Windows Server 2000, or Windows 2003 Server systems. This configuration is shown in the following illustration. For more information, see the NetBackup documentation.

Figure 1. SnapVault for NetBackup

• SnapVault for NetBackup benefits
  The SnapVault for NetBackup feature provides benefits such as GUI administration, optimizing secondary storage, and so on.
• SnapVault for NetBackup terminology
  You should know the following terms that describe the SnapVault for NetBackup feature.
• What the NetBackup catalog is
  The NetBackup catalog is an internal database that resides on the NetBackup master server.
• How NetBackup transfers data to the NearStore system
  The NetBackup master or media server controls the flow of data from the primary storage system (client) to the secondary storage system. Client data on the primary storage system is backed up inside a secondary qtree on the NearStore system.
• How to back up file system data using NetBackup
  You use SnapVault for NetBackup to back up UNIX, Linux, Solaris, and Windows file and directory data generated by the NetBackup client.
• How the NearStore secondary system processes the data
  It is important to understand how the NearStore secondary storage system processes the data.
• Limitations of SnapVault for NetBackup
  The following limitations exist when backing up data to a NearStore secondary storage system using NetBackup software:
• SnapVault for NetBackup usage recommendations
  There are certain recommendations to consider when backing up NetBackup client data to a NearStore secondary system using NetBackup.
• How to configure SnapVault for NetBackup transfers
  To set up SnapVault for NetBackup transfers to a NearStore secondary storage system, the system configuration must meet some requirements:
• Management of data transfers
  Managing data transfers using SnapVault for NetBackup includes scheduling backups, file naming, monitoring qtree status, checking the status of a data transfer, and viewing space savings.
• Data restore from the exported file system
  Starting with Data ONTAP 7.2, you can do drag and drop restores of FSE backups from a SnapVault for NetBackup volume.
• Removing SnapVault for NetBackup volumes
  You might want to destroy a SnapVault for NetBackup volume when you no longer use it as an archive.
• SnapVault for NetBackup with active/active configurations
  Starting with Data ONTAP 7.2.1, it was possible to configure NetBackup storage units for volumes residing on systems that were part of an active/active configuration, but there was no failover support for SnapVault for NetBackup. Starting with Data ONTAP 7.3, failover for SnapVault for NetBackup functionality is supported.
• Disaster recovery using volume SnapMirror on NearStore storage systems
  You can use NetBackup and NetApp volume SnapMirror technology to provide a disaster recovery solution for Disk Storage Units (DSUs).
• How to access backups on the replica of a SnapVault for NetBackup volume
  Volume SnapMirror replication backs up an entire SnapVault for NetBackup volume to another storage system as a read-only volume. You can access this backed-up read-only volume using NetBackup. This capability is useful if you want to restore backups from the read-only volume to a different NetBackup master and media server combination or if you want to transfer the restored backups to NetBackup managed tape media as a long-term archive.
• Troubleshooting for SnapVault for NetBackup
  To troubleshoot, see the error messages displayed on the secondary storage system console. You can also see one of two log files, the /etc/log/nbu_snapvault log file or the /etc/log/snapmirror log file.