This chapter discusses setting up data backups and restorations on a SpinServer system. After you set up the SpinServer system, the backups and restorations are initiated and run from a third-party backup system such as VERITAS NetBackup or Legato NetWorker. See your backup system's documentation for information on running backups and restorations.
The Network Data Management Protocol (NDMP) is an open standard for controlling backups and restorations of NDMP-compliant file servers from NDMP-compliant data management applications (DMAs). Each NDMP-compliant file server has its own NDMP service, which is controlled by a DMA running on a backup server system. Because SpinServers are NDMP compliant, you do not need to install any DMA-specific client software on the SpinServer. Each SpinServer has an NDMP daemon that acts on NDMP requests.
There are different modes of NDMP: local, remote, and three-way.
In local mode, the tape device is directly attached to the SpinServer via a Fibre Channel connection. NDMP control information is exchanged by normal TCP/IP conversations between the backup server (running the DMA software) and the SpinServer (running the NDMP server daemon). All data that is backed up is sent directly from the SpinServer to the tape device via its Fibre Channel connection without overloading the network with this potentially large amount of data. Local mode requires that a tape device be attached directly to the specific SpinServer that contains the VFSs that are backed up or restored.
In remote mode, the tape device is directly attached to a third-party backup server. NDMP control information is exchanged between the backup server and the SpinServer, and all data that is backed up and restored travels across the TCP/IP connection between the backup server and the SpinServer. This enables tape devices to be used for all SpinServers and for any other hosts (Windows, UNIX, etc.) that are having data backed up or restored. It does, however, increase network traffic.
In three-way mode, the tape device can be attached locally to a SpinServer via a Fibre Channel connection, and any other SpinServers (in the same cluster or different clusters) can have data backed up to and restored from the tape device on the first SpinServer. NDMP control information is exchanged between the backup server and all involved SpinServers. All data that is backed up and restored travels across the same TCP/IP connections that are used by the backup server's NDMP control information; data travels directly from the source SpinServer to the destination SpinServer, and then through the Fibre Channel connection to the tape device. This method also increases network traffic.
The SpinServer supports the following:
NDMP, Version 2
NDMP, Version 3
NDMP local mode
NDMP remote mode
NDMP three-way mode
For information about tape devices and software for backup and restoration that have been tested for use with the SpinServer, see the Network Appliance web site.
The following considerations must be taken into account when managing backup and restore operations for the SpinServer:
The unit of backup is a virtual file system (VFS). One or more VFSs can be backed up, but individual files and directories cannot be backed up apart from their containing VFS. For information about displaying information about a VFS's backup status, see Section 13.2.4.3.
The unit of restoration is a file, directory, VFS, or multiples of these.
For restoration, the destination VFS must exist prior to starting the restore operation.
For backing up or restoration, the VFS name must be preceded by a slash. For example, a VFS named vfs1 must be referenced as /vfs1, regardless of where it is mounted.
Every VFS to be backed up must be listed separately, even if a VFS is mounted within a VFS that is being backed up. So, if vfs1 is mounted at /home/vfs1 and vfs2 is mounted at /home/vfs1/vfs2, then backing up vfs1 backs up all files and directories within /home/vfs1, but nothing in /home/vfs1/vfs2.
By default, the SpinServer NDMP server is set up with clear-text authentication disabled and MD5 authentication enabled.
Routine management tasks for NDMP services include the following:
Configuring NDMP on a SpinServer
Displaying tape devices on a SpinServer
Configuring the SpinServer with backup and restoration products
To use the NDMP service for the SpinServer, you must first configure it. The NDMP service user name and password that are set during configuration are used by any NDMP-compliant DMA used to control backups and restorations of a SpinServer.
To display information about the NDMP service, use the services ndmp show command. The following information is displayed: SpinServer ID, server enabled status, user name, user's password, clear text password enabled status, and IP address of the SpinServer's cluster interface.
The following example displays information about the NDMP service.
spinserver::> services ndmp show
SpinServ Server Username Password Clear
ID Enabled Text
Passwd
Server1 true root S3cr3t false
Use the services ndmp modify command to modify the following configuration information for the NDMP service: server enabled status, NDMP name, NDMP password, clear text password enabled status, and IP address of the SpinServer's cluster interface. The command has the following syntax:
services ndmp modify -ssid spinserver -enable {true | false} -username user_name -password user_password -cleartext {true | false}
The following example modifies the NDMP service.
spinserver::> services ndmp modify -ssid server1 -enable true -username ndmp -password 0978 -cleartext false
where
server1 is the ID of the SpinServer.
true indicates that the NDMP service is enabled.
ndmp is the NDMP user name. (The NDMP user name is a name you choose.)
0978 is the password for NDMP. (The NDMP password is a password you choose.)
false indicates that the clear text password on the network is disabled.
Use the system hardware tape commandsd to display information about the tape drives and robots used by the SpinServer.
The system hardware tape drives show command displays the NDMP device path of the tape drive, which is needed when configuring your particular backup product. To obtain more detailed information about a specific tape drive, use the -devid parameter with the device ID for that particular tape drive.
The system hardware tape robots show command displays the NDMP device path of the tape robot, which is needed when configuring your particular backup product. To obtain more detailed information about a specific tape robot, use the -devid parameter with the device ID for that particular tape robot.
For information about configuring the SpinServer with your backup and restoration product (for instance, VERITAS or Legato), see the documentation for that product.
For information about tape devices for backups and restorations that have been tested and are recommended for use with the SpinServer, see the Network Appliance web site.
Copyright © 2004 Network Appliance, Inc.; copyright © 2003, 2004 Spinnaker Networks, LLC. All rights reserved. Specifications subject to change without notice.