Full Backups
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Full backups provide the most comprehensive protection of data. From the CommCell Browser, navigate to <Client> | File System | defaultBackupSet.
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Right click the <Subclient> and click Backup.
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Select Full as backup type and Immediate to run the job immediately.
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Click OK.
You can track the progress of the job from the Job Controller or Event Viewer window. When the backup has completed, the Job Controller displays Completed.
Notes:
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When you run backups from multiple nodes on clustered file systems, the content is backed up multiple times. To avoid duplicate content backups, run backups from only one node. If you wish to run backups from other nodes, make sure that the clustered file system mount point is added to the file system exclusion list on the subclient of the physical machine.
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For Veritas Cluster File System, the clustered file system mount point is added automatically to the file system exclusion list when you run a backup for the first time on a virtual node.
Incremental Backups
An incremental backup contains only data that is new or has changed since the last backup, regardless of the type. On average, incremental backups consume less media and use less resources than full backups.
The illustration below clarifies the nature of full and incremental backups. For simplicity, assume there is a file system that contains six files as represented in the figure.
Backup #1 is a full backup and therefore writes all the data, changed and unchanged, to the backup media. Backups #2 through #n-1 are incrementals and only back up those files that have changed since the time of the last backup, regardless of the type. For example, files A, B, and E changed after the full backup and were therefore backed up in Backup #2. Backup #4 backed up files A and D because both files were modified sometime after Backup #3 occurred. File F did not change; hence, it was not backed up in any of the incremental backups, but it was included in both full backups, which, by definition, back up everything.
Follow the steps below to perform an incremental backup:
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From the CommCell Browser, navigate to <Client> | File System | defaultBackupSet.
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Right click the <Subclient> and click Backup.
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Select Incremental as backup type and Immediate to run the job immediately.
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Click OK.
You can track the progress of the job from the Job Controller. When the backup has completed, the Job Controller displays Completed.
Differential Backups
A differential backup contains only the data that is new or has changed since the last full backup. Like incremental backups, differential backups, on average, consume less media and place less of a burden on resources than full backups. Differential backups are cumulative. This means that each differential backup contains all changes accumulated since the last full backup. Each successive differential backup contains all the changes from the previous differential backup.
The illustration below demonstrates the nature of differential backups. For simplicity, assume there is a file system that contains six files as represented in the figure.
Backup #1 is a full backup and therefore writes all the data to the backup media. Backups #2 through #n-1 are differential backups and only back up those files that changed since the time of the last full backup. For example, files A, B, and E changed after the full backup and were therefore backed up in Backup #2 as well as all subsequent differential backups. File C changed sometime after Backup #2 and was consequently backed up in Backup #3 and all subsequent differential backups. File F did not change; hence, it was not backed up in any of the differential backups, but it was included in both full backups, which, by definition, back up everything.
Follow the steps below to perform a differential backup:
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From the CommCell Browser, navigate to <Client> | File System | defaultBackupSet.
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Right click the <Subclient> and click Backup.
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Select Differential as a backup type and Immediate to run the job immediately.
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Click OK.
You can track the progress of the backup job from the Job Controller. When the backup has completed, the Job Controller displays Completed.
Disabling Synthetic Full Backups for IntelliSnap
A synthetic full backup is a synthesized backup, created from the most recent full backup and subsequent incremental or differential backups. The resulting synthetic full backup is identical to a full backup for the subclient.
Synthetic full backups are performed on the backup copy. If you choose to run incremental backups forever, then performing a synthetic full backup eliminates the need to run a full snapshot backup and a backup copy job of that full snapshot backup.
Synthetic full backups are media-based; they read backup data from one media and simultaneously write (restore) the result to the new active media within the same media group. As a result, synthetic full backups require that at least two media drives for the same storage policy be available at the time the job is started. Synthetic full backups cannot be performed on subclients where the storage policy is associated with a stand-alone drive.
Note: To run incremental backups forever, make sure that you use a snapshot copy on the storage policy and specify a data aging rule that includes the Retain Snaps by Number of Jobs option with a number of jobs that matches your backup cycle. This ensures that the previous backup jobs are pruned on a regular basis. For more information, see Data Aging for IntelliSnap Snapshots.
Before You Begin
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This feature applies to new clients on Commvault version 11 software. If you upgrade the client from the previous version, and the client still operates on indexing version 1, then synthetic full backups are not supported.
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Ensure that any incremental or differential backups have been written to the media by performing the task in Configuring a Backup Copy for IntelliSnap Backup.
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For the storage policy associated with the synthetic full job, IntelliSnap jobs that should not be included in the synthetic full backup should not be picked for backup copy as described in Disabling a Job for Backup Copy.
Procedure
Perform the following steps to disable synthetic full backups for IntelliSnap. (By default, synthetic full backups are enabled.)
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From the CommCell Browser, right-click the CommCell entry (top-level node); then click Properties.
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On the CommCell Properties dialog, click the Additional Settings tab, click Add, and enter the following values:
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Name: Type FSSnapSCSynthFull.
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Category: Select or type CommServDB.GxGlobalParam.
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Type: Select or type INTEGER.
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Value: Select or type 0 to disable the feature.
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Verify that the Enable option is cleared.
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Click OK to save the additional setting entry.
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On the Additional Settings tab, click Add again and enter the following values:
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Name: Type bEnableFSSnapSyntheticFull.
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Category: Select or type CommServDB.Console.
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Type: Select or type BOOLEAN.
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Value: Select or type False to disable the feature.
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Verify that the Enable option is cleared.
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Click OK to save the change to the CommCell properties.
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After enabling or disabling the feature, select Refresh from the View menu in the CommCell Console.
What To Do Next
Perform a synthetic full backup for your subclient. For instructions on performing a synthetic full backup, see Run Synthetic Full Backups.
Backing Up Mount Points
You can back up nested mount points. When you select the Follow Mount Points option, the data inside the nested points is backed up.
Procedure
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From the CommCell Browser, expand Client Computers > client > File System.
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Right-click the appropriate subclient, and then click Backup.
The Backup Options dialog box appears.
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In the Select Backup Type area, select Full.
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In the Job initiation area, click Immediate.
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Click Advanced.
The Advanced Backup Options dialog box appears.
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On the Data tab, verify that the Follow Mount Points check box is selected.
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Click OK.
Backing Up NFS Volumes
You can perform an IntelliSnap backup for Unix when the database is on a NFS Volume. However, you will require a root access in the storage device's NFS configuration to be able to read and write on the accessible Unix files i.e., the host on which the NFS Volume is mounted.
Consider the following while performing an IntelliSnap backup for data or databases that reside on an NFS volume:
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The export name on the storage device should be the same as the storage path on the storage device.
For example, if the storage path of the storage device is /vol/Volume/Qtree, use /vol/Volume/Qtree as the export name and not an alias such as /ExportName.
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You can use the exports both at the root of a NetApp volume and at subdirectory levels below the root of the volume.
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Make sure that the storage device is accessible from the source and proxy machine (even if they exist in different domains) using the storage device's short name while mounting NFS exports from the storage device. Make sure to enter the storage device credentials using its short name. Do not use an IP address or the fully qualified domain name.
For example, use a short name for the server such as server1 or server2.
Performing an On-Demand Backup
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From the CommCell Browser, navigate to <Client> | File System |<On-Demand Backup Set>.
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Right click the <Subclient> and click Backup.
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Click Browse.
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Navigate to the Directive file or Content file that you want to use.
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Click OK.
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Select Immediate to run the job immediately.
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Click OK.
You can track the progress of the backup job from the Job Controller. When the backup has completed, the Job Controller displays Completed.
Scheduling Backups
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From the CommCell Console, navigate to Client Computers | <Client> | File System | defaultBackupSet.
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Right click the default <Subclient> and click Backup.
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Click Schedule.
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Click Configure.
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Select the appropriate scheduling options. For example:
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Click Weekly.
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Check the days you want the run the restore job.
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Change the Start Time to 9:00 PM
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Click OK to close the Schedule Details dialog
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Click OK to close the Backup Options dialog
The backup job will execute as per the schedule.
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See Scheduling for comprehensive information on scheduling jobs.
Managing Jobs
Jobs can be managed in a number of ways. The following sections provide information on the different job management options available.
Restarting Jobs
Jobs that fail to complete successfully are automatically restarted based on the job restartability configuration set in the Control Panel. This configuration can be changed at any time; however, changes to this configuration will affect all jobs run in the entire CommCell.
It is also possible to override the default CommServe configuration for individual jobs by configuring retry settings when initiating the job. This configuration, however, will apply only to the specific job.
Note
Backup jobs for this Agent are resumed from the point-of-failure.
Configure Job Restartability at the CommServe Level
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From the CommCell Console ribbon, click the Home tab, and then click Control Panel.
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In the Data section, click Job Management.
The Job Management dialog box is displayed.
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On the Job Restarts tab, select the job information.
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In the Job Type box, select the job that you want set the restart capability for (for example, for DB2 backup jobs, select DB2 Data Protection).
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Select the Restartable check box.
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Optional: to change the maximum number of times that the Job Manager tries to restart a job, in the Max Restarts box, select the number of times.
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Optional: to change the time interval between attempts for the Job Manager to restart the job, in the Restart Interval (Mins) box, select the number of minutes.
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Click OK.
Configure Job Restartability for an Individual Job
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From the Backup Options dialog box, click Advanced, then select the Job Retry tab and specify the following as desired:
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Total Running Time - The maximum elapsed time, in hours and minutes, from the time that the job is created.
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Number of Retries - The number of times that Job Manager will attempt to restart the job.
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Kill Running Jobs When Total Running Time Expires - Option to kill the job when the specified Total Running Time has elapsed, even if its state is "Running".
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Click OK.
Controlling Jobs
The following controls are available for running jobs in the Job Controller window:
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Suspend |
Temporarily stops a job. A suspended job is not terminated; it can be restarted at a later time. |
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Resume |
Resumes a job and returns the status to Waiting, Pending, Queued, or Running. The status depends on the availability of resources, the state of the Operation Windows, or the Activity Control setting. |
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Kill |
Terminates a job. |
Suspending a Job
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From the Job Controller of the CommCell Console, right-click the job and select Suspend.
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The job status may change to Suspend Pending for a few moments while the operation completes. The job status then changes to Suspended.
Resuming a Job
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From the Job Controller of the CommCell Console, right-click the job and select Resume.
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As the Job Manager attempts to restart the job, the job status changes to Waiting, Pending, or Running.
Killing a Job
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From the Job Controller of the CommCell Console, right-click the job and select Kill.
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Click Yes when the confirmation prompt appears if you are sure you want to kill the job. The job status may change to Kill Pending for a few moments while the operation completes. Once completed, the job status will change to Killed and it will be removed from the Job Controller window after five minutes.
Additional Options
The following table describes the available additional options to further refine your backup operations:
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Option |
Description |
Related Topics |
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Startup Options |
The Startup Options are used by the Job Manager to set priority for resource allocation. This is useful to give higher priority to certain jobs. You can set the priority as follows:
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Alerts |
This option enables users or user groups to get automatic notification on the status of the data protection job. Follow the steps given below to set up the criteria to raise notifications/alerts:
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Refer to Alerts and Notifications. |
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Data Path Options |
Data Protection operations use a default Library, MediaAgent, Drive Pool, and Drive as the Data Path. You can use this option to change the data path if the default data path is not available. Follow the steps given below to change the default data path:
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Refer Change Data Path. |
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Start New Media |
The Start New Media option enables you to start the data protection operation on a new media. This feature provides control over where the data physically resides.Use the following steps to start the data protection operation on a new media:
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Refer to Start New Media. |
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Mark Media Full |
This option marks the media as full, two minutes after the successful completion of the data protection job. This option prevents another job from writing to this media. Follow the steps given below:
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Refer to Export Media. |
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Allow Other Schedules To Use Media Set |
The Allow Other Schedules to use Media Set option allows jobs that are part of the schedule or schedule policy and using the specific storage policy to start a new media. It also prevents other jobs from writing to the same set of media.
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Refer to Creating an Exportable Media Set. |
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Reserve Resources Before Scan |
Media is reserved for a job when the job is ready to write data. You can use this option to reserve the media during the initial phase of the job. Follow the steps given below to reserve media:
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Extended Data Retention |
This option allows you to extend the expiration date of a specific job. This will override the default retention set at the corresponding storage policy copy. Follow the steps given below to extend the expiration date:
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Refer to Extended Retention Rules. |
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Vault Tracker |
This feature provides the facility to manage media that is removed from a library and stored in offsite locations. Depending on your Vault Tracker setup, select the required options. Use the following steps to access and select the Vault Tracker options.
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Refer to Vault Tracker. |
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CommCell Readiness Report |
The CommCell Readiness Report provides you with vital information such as connectivity and readiness of the Client, MediaAgent, and CommServe. It is useful to run this report before performing a backup or a recovery operation. Follow the steps given below to generate the report:
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Refer to CommCell Readiness Report. |
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Backup Job Summary Report |
The Backup Job Summary Report provides you with information about all of the backup jobs that are run in last 24 hours for a specific subclient. You can get information such as status, time, data size, and so on for each backup job. It is useful to run this report after performing the backup. Follow the steps given below to generate the report:
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Refer to Backup Job Summary Report. |