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Integrating VMware with NetWorker

This article provides procedures for backup and restore of virtual machines deployed on a VMware vSAN data store using EMC NetWorker 9.1, 9.2 and 18.1

Resolving NetWorker media database corruption

The scope of this post is to provide a procedure resolving a common issue whereby NetWorker does not recycle tapes due to index corruption.

Resolving NSR peer information errors

You may also see the error after the NetWorker client upgraded with the same host name which created a duplicate NSR peer information for the client.

Upgrading to Solstice Backup 6.1

An action plan showing the steps required to upgrade to Solstice Backup 6.1 from previous versions.

Changes to NetWorker VMware Protection

NetWorker 9.1.x and 9.2 releases feature a vProxy appliance, or NVP, for virtual machine protection.

Changes to NetWorker and Avamar integration

Beginning with NetWorker 9.0, Avamar integration support is deprecated for new clients. However, older integrations continue to be supported.

Troubleshooting NSR tunnel

The NSR tunnel resource enables NetWorker clients and storage nodes to communicate with a NetWorker server over a firewall

NetWorker NSR Log Viewer

Within the NetWorker Config Checker 1.1 there is an additional application called NSR Log Viewer.

Deleting Savesets in NetWorker 7.5x

In versions of NetWorker 7.4.x and below, it was always possible to use nsrmm to delete savesets that exist on disk backup units

Clearing a stuck tape in NetWorker

This tape usually ends up in ready for writing or state. At this point there appears that nothing we do can unmount or free the drive

Client Index and Media Database Integrity

To verify the integrity of the NetWorker client file indexes use the nsrck command and to verify media database use nsrim.

Merging Legato NetWorker Servers

This document provides the necessary steps to allow Backup Administrators to Migrate or Consolidate several Legato NetWorker servers.

NetWorker ASC/ASCQ Error decode utility

Use ascdcode to translate ASC/ASCQ status codes into verbal messages without any documentation.

Solstice Backup Server Recovery (pre 6.x)

A procedure to recovering from the loss or corruption of a Solstice Backup servers critical files including the index, media index, and resource files

NetWorker License Overview

The aim of this document is to shed some light on the types of licenses (enabler codes) available within Legato NetWorker.

Manually pruning NetWorker indexes

nsrim be default is executed by nsrd after a savegrp completes it's cycle.

Removing NIS from a Solaris system

This is a simple article providing a quick procedure to remove NIS completely from a Master Server, Slave Server, and NIS clients.

NetWorker Index Hints

There's a few common questions we get asked from time to time about NetWorker indices. Here are the answers to some FAQs

How to remove an AFTD in NetWorker 8

With NetWorker 8 this process has been simplified; now you just un-mount the AFTD and select delete.

How to download EMC NetWorker cumulative hotfixes

Cumulative hotfixes are periodically issued. They combine various individual hotfixes that might have an impact on customer production environments

NetWorker no matching devices error

No matching devices for save of client NetWorker_Server; check storage nodes, devices or pools.

Removing failed jobs in a DPA report

What this setting does is allow failures to be discounted when there is a successful backup of the same job within a given time frame.

Troubleshooting NetWorker authorisation errors

This article provides a list of possible causes and resolutions for error messages that are related to NetWorker server authorization issues.

NetWorker 9.0 Avamar integration changes

Beginning with NetWorker version 9.0, support for EMC Avamar integration is deprecated for new clients.

NetWorker 9.0 Media database changes

In 9.0, SQLlite replaces WiSS as the media database providing advantages for object caching, parallel and bootstrap compatibility.

NetWorker 9.0 Licensing changes

NetWorker 9.0 introduces the EMC Licensing Solution, which uses a license file on the License server and the NetWorker host

NetWorker 9.0 Server supported platforms

With the release of 9.0, the NetWorker Server and Management Console will now run only on Linux 64-bit and Windows 64-bit systems.

What is the NetWorker hostid?

NetWorker uses hostid for authorization code. hosted depends on the IP address of the computer used.

What is the pathownerignore file?

This article describes the purpose and function of the pathownerignore file

Troubleshooting NetWorker pool attributes

In order for NetWorker to determine the volume to use, the pool criteria have to match exactly.

Troubleshooting NetWorker Inactivity Timeout errors

NetWorker provides the 'Inactivity Timeout' attribute in the Group resource for the ability to timeout and abort client savesets.

How To Reconfigure Libraries under NMC

This article is to tell you how to Reconfigure Libraries or Jukeboxes in NetWorker using the NMC (NetWorker Management Console) GUI interface.

NetWorker version release changes

Starting with EMC NetWorker 8.2 both NetWorker server/client and all EMC NetWorker modules will have matching version numbers.

How to force NetWorker to clean a tape drive

Best practices suggest that auto-cleaning within NetWorker be turned off and allow the library to perform that task

GLR compatible backups

Only VSS-based full backups are GLR-compatible. No additional configuration is required for GLR-compatible backups.

NetWorker Backup Terminology

To understand the backup process, you need to understand these backup terms associated with the NetWorker product.

Core NetWorker daemons

There are one or more NetWorker daemons to support each of the three NetWorker host functions

NetWorker Control Data

NetWorker control data is the collection of NetWorker configuration information and the backup tracking information stored on the NetWorker server

NetWorker Data Zone and Hosts

Another way to define a data zone is to say it is the set of hosts managed by a single NetWorker server.

Cloud device integration with NetWorker

The NetWorker Cloud Backup Option provides support for backing up to both private (onsite) and public (offsite) cloud configurations.

Managing optical drives with Solaris 9 (LGTpa48374)

With Solaris 9, the volume Management daemon (vold) was changed so that it automatically attempts to manage all removable media devices.

Changes to NetWorker Log Files

A number of changes have been made to log files in NetWorker release 7.4 to better accomodate internationalised message logging.

NetWorker Management Console debug settings

irst set the debug level to display output for analysis. This can be done at the command line level or from within the GUI.

NetWorker probe based backups

The processing of probe based backups occurs through a probe based backup group instead of the regular scheduled backup.

NetWorker License Conformance Report

The license conformance summary is a new feature in NetWorker Management Console that simply reports the current NetWorker licensing inventory.

NetWorker lockbox password management

NetWorker 7.5 provides a lockbox service that allows NetWorker application modules to securely store and retrieve passwords over the network.

When are jobs purged from jobsdb?

A process runs every 12 hours to check for entries to be purged also if a record's lifetime has passed the time limit it will be also be deleted.

Overwriting EDM tapes with NetWorker

Unfortunately, this feature has been implemented in such a away that will prevent you from overwriting EDM media with a NetWorker label in general.

Changing a NetWorker device mode to Service

With the new NetWorker Managemenet Console (NMC) under 7.3 you can only toggle a device as enables or disabled, service mode is no longer available.

Dumping all resources into a single file

It's not uncommon to perform this task. In fact NetWorker does it everytime you run the NetWorker support nsr_support/nsrsup commands.

What is LSSV?

This is an abbreviation for Legato Single Server Version which a special NetWorker version which is delivered with the Oracle database software.

How to rename a pool under NetWorker

Pools define to which set of media the data shall be saved, it is mandatory that each pool must have different data selection criteria assigned to it.

What are NetWorker Parallel Recoveries?

As the term has no exact definition it simply means reading multiple save streams at the same time but other definitions may be misread..

Deleting NetWorker base enablers

Until recently deleting a NetWorker base enabler was possible but it was neither user-friendly nor easy. Here I share a fully supported option.

What is the NetWorker volume expiration date?

A NetWorker volume expiration date is set by default at two years from the date that the volume was most recently labelled.

NetWorker 6.2 for Windows RAP improvement

Beginning with NetWorker 6.2, Legato introduces a new organisation of NetWorker's configuration database from nsr.res into nsr/res/nsrdb.

Using RAWASM to backup RAW devices with NetWorker

To handle RAW devices we use the RAWASM, a functionality that has been incorporated in NetWorker since 4.2 in UNIX or 4.4.1 for Windows.

What is the NetWorker Common Device Interface (CDI)

CDI was introduced with NetWorker 7.4SP3 to provide a generic passthrough solution for all operating systems to control tape and status collection.

CloudBoost Disaster Recovery

If the CloudBoost appliance encounters a failure you must deploy a second CloudBoost appliance to restore the metadata from backups in the cloud.

CloudBoost System Requirements

This article lists the system requirements for running CloudBoost, giving details of supported public and private clouds and NetWorker server versions

Configuring a CloudBoost Share

You must configure the shared data store immediately after you have deloyed the CloudBoost virtual appliance.

Debugging NetWorker recovery job failures within NMC

To troubleshoot a recovery issue configure the Recovery resource in NMC to display greater detail in the log file and retry the recovery.

Connecting NetWorker to CloudBoost

Connect NetWorker to CloudBoost to send a NetWorker backup clone to CloudBoost.

Deploying the CloudBoost virtual appliance

After you configure the CloudBoost virtual app via vSphere cli you can login the CloudBoost management console to configure its deployment settings.

Configuring the CloudBoost virtual appliance

After you have installed CloudBoost virtual appliance, you must next configure the IP settings and hostname for CloudBoost from the VM console.

Downloading the CloudBoost encryption keys

Always download your Cloudboost Encryption keys at your earliest possible time as there is no way to retrieve them after a system failure.

nsrwatch now supported on Windows platforms

The main advantage of using nsrwatch over NMC, is that NMC operations are usually delayed, whereas nsrwatch displays operations in near realtime.

Performing SharePoint backups with NetWorker

NMM enables more granular backup and recovery than a standard VSS SHAREPOINT save set which can only be restored in its entirety.

What is the NetWorker rap.log

The RAP option tracks the history of additions, deletions, and modifications to a NetWorker resource or resource attribute.

EMC Backup Advisor Rebranded

EMC Data Protection Advisor will include new features and changes to EMC Backup Advisor.

How to allocate NetWorker licenses to another client

NetWorker allocates licenses to hosts as needed. However they are not removed from clients when decommissioned or removed from an active group.

NetWorker and Avamar Integration Overview

This new storage node is used for dedupe operations and leverages Avamar data de-duplication technology

Troubleshooting CIFS share backup failures

nsrexecd starts as a service under the SYSTEM account which normally does not have the correct security credentials to access the CIFS share.

How to obtain NetWorker license keys

This article generates a simple text file with the current active and previosly installed license keys for completeness.

NetWorker Inactive Files feature

This may prove useful when deciding what data needs to be backed up and how often and which data could be considered for archiving.

Migrating SBU/EBS clients to EMC NetWorker

Once native EMC NetWorker client software has been installed on each client, the Client Push will function normally for all future upgrades.

Restoring data using scanner and uasm

Sometimes we need to recover data from the tapes which are well beyond Browse & Retention Policies

CloudBoost Firewall Port requirements

The following table provides a list of firewall port requirements for CloudBoost for NetWorker.

Introduction to NetWorker with CloudBoost

The CloudBoost virtual appliance presents itself as a NetWorker AFTD. The enabled workflow is a clone operation to the cloud.

CloudBoost Dashboard Overview

You can monitor the health of the systems and obtain basic statistics such as the amount of de-duplicated data, number of users, etc.

Upgrading the CloudBoost virtual appliance

On the Support page, you can see what version of CloudBoost is currently running, and you can upgrade the CloudBoost virtual appliance.

NetWorker 8,0 client direct backups

The ability for client backups to bypass the Storage Node and write directly to Data Domain eliminates a bottleneck during backups.

NetWorker Startup variables with nsrrc

Starting with NetWorker 8.0, NetWorker uses the /nsr/nsrrc file to define environment variables at NetWorker startup.

NetWorker recover completion query program (nsrrecomp)

The nsrreccomp command is used to query the NetWorker server jobs database and the recover log files in order to display a recover completion report.

NetWorker tape drives in VTL environments

While most virtualisation systems allow configuration of tape drives inside a guest container, such configured tape drivers have limited support.

Disable Idle Device Timeout under NMC

To prevent devices from being unloaded from the drives while scanner is in use, you must temporarily disable the Idle Device Timeout attribute.

Renaming a NetWorker server with nsrclientfix

This post provides a simple procedure that allows you to rename a NetWorker server using the nsrclientfix command.

NetWorker License Usage

All NetWorker licensing is verified at the time of the backup. If you only need to restore, no license is needed.

NetWorker Enabler Code vs Authorization Code

A Legato NetWorker enabler code is a unique code that activates the Legato NetWorker software, also called an license enabler or enabler key.

Using nsr_ize to install Legato NetWorker

The nsr_ize utility installs or removes Legato NetWorker software and files to or from a server.

Listing NetWorker licenses with nsrlic

The nsrlic utility generates reports about all the license information currently active on the Legato NetWorker server.

What is the NSR license resource

The NSR license resource describes each NetWorker software feature that you entered an enabler code for, and authorisation codes once entered

Using nsrcap to install NetWorker license keys

You can use the nsrcap utility to enter the enabler code for a new feature, or to upgrade and downgrade Legato NetWorker software features.

Using nsr_shutdown to stop a NetWorker server

Use nsr_shutdown to stop NetWorker services intelligently. By default nsr_shutdown will stop all NetWorker services running on a host.

NetWorker performance

Several factors into performance calculations, including CPU speed, data storage devices, network limitations, and the volume of network traffic

Resetting default username and password for NMC

The following procedures given details on resetting the NMC Administrator password to the default value on Solaris, Linux and Windows systems.

Resolving NetWorker duplicate volume names

This can occurs when Relabelling existing or new media via the command line or using the GUI where cartridge barcode differ to the internal label

NetWorker checkpoint restart backups

The checkpoint restart feature allows a failed backup operation to restart at a known good point prior to the point-of-failure during the backup.

EMC NetWorker Modules go End-of-Life

Several legacy EMC NetWorker application modules go End-of-Sale on June 30, 2011 and will no longer be available for purchase.

Integrating EMC NetWorker and Data Domain

Performs tasks that are related to FAT and NTFS file systems, such as managing reparse points, managing sparse files, or dismounting a volume

NetWorker 8.1 Snapshot Management Demo

This video covers the prerequisites for configuring Snapshot Management, as well as using the client configuration wizard to create a client.

NetWorker 8.1 VMware Backup and Recovery Demo

This video will show NetWorker integration with VMware vCenter, including backup and recovery using the vSphere Web Client and NMC

A Quick Tour of EMC NetWorker Management Console

This video provides a quick tour of the EMC NetWorker Management Console which highlights options and features for central management.

EMC NetWorker FastStart Demo

NetWorker Fast Start is a solution for backup and recovery, designed to simplify licensing, installation, and configuration.

DB2 backups with EMC NetWorker

Backing up a DB2 client using the EMC NetWorker Module for Databases and Applications (NMDA)

Setting up NetWorker log file rotation size limits

At times it is necessary to limit the size of the NetWorker logs to prevent the daemon and rap log files from growing too large.

Setting up a NetWorker Dedicated Storage Node

With the introduction of Legato NetWorker 7.0 a dedicated storage node can back up only its own local data and a DSN license is required.

Listing files in a NetWorker saveset

At first glance the answer this is not straight forward, but the answer is quite simple; Using two commands mminfo and nsrinfo we get the results.

Troubleshooting NetWorker VSS errors

When VSS fails it can sometimes mean that you are unable to create a disk image or backup open files with EMC NetWorker

Setting the NOTSCAN flag on a volume in NetWorker

nsrim is unable to remove expired savesets which prevents data domain from performing housekeeping and prevents removing any data from the volumes

NetWorker Integration

NetWorker Integration

NetWorker Overview

NetWorker is a product that integrates with a large number of backup storage systems and clients, with plugins for a large number of applications.

NetWorker in a Firewalled environment

Default service ports for NetWorker are TCP 7937-9936. hey are randomly chosen by the configured port range by EMC portmapper.

NetWorker Module Information

There are NetWorker modules for databases, email servers, enterprise applications and snapshot management.

NetWorker Module for Microsoft Applications (NMM)

NMM is the application module for all Microsoft applications and databases, including Exchange, MSSQL, Sharepoint, Active Directory DPM and HyperV

NetWorker Licensing overview

The traditional model is to have an enabler for every feature and module, which is beneficial in that you only need to purchase what you us

NetWorker Environment Tuning

To obtain maximum efficiency and system utilisation, there are parameters that can be adjusted to tune the NetWorker environmen

Sizing a NetWorker Server and Storage Nodes

Several factors affect a NetWorker server performance, including CPU, memory, paths and IO bandwidth and network bandwidth

NetWorker Application Integration

NetWorker Application integration includes VMware, ndmp, oracle, rman and other applications

VADP Recovery using command line

Prereqs to a successful VADP restore are that the virtual machine be removed from the Inventory in VCenter.

NSRJB Quick Reference Guide

The nsrjb program manages resources in two broad classes of jukeboxes. Remotely managed jukeboxes and locally managed jukeboxes.

NetWorker Client Index Management

This article will illustrate the tools, concepts and techniques that you can use to develop your own custom NetWorker index management procedure.

Common nsr_getdate formats

In this article we will take a look at some of the more common nsr_getdate date and time formats that you can use.

MMRECOV Quick Reference Guide

mmrecov is used in recovering from the loss of a NetWorker servers critical files. mmrecov restores the media index and the resource files

MMINFO Quick Reference Guide

The mminfo command reports information about NetWorker media and save sets and can produce several different reports depending on the flags specified.

Backing up the NetWorker GST database

This post provides the basic steps needed to perform a backup of the GST Database for the NetWorker Management Console (NMC) server.

How to completely remove a NetWorker client

A word of caution: before you begin removing a client, make sure you have a recent bootstrap backup; If we make any mistakes we can easily recover

Maximising NetWorker data throughput

Maximising data throughput under NetWorker using paralleliusm and target session settings

Stopping and starting NetWorker from CLI

I find it faster on the command line than using any gui when it comes to stop and start of the NetWorker daemons or services.

Rendering NetWorker logs in realtime

To setup realtime log rendering, you need to run nsradmin against the client daemon (either on the NetWorker server or another machine).

NetWorker Media database scavenging

Media database scavenging is simply a way to force Legato NetWorker to rebuild the media database header files.

Changing OLDAUTH setting on a NetWorker client

Use this procedure to switch from nsrauth to oldauth authentication on the backup server for the client exhibiting the problem.

What are the NetWorker backup levels?

Different backup levels are a trade off, size or amount of time required to complete a backup with that required to recover from a recovery.

Potential causes for NetWorker client alias problems

Use nwadmin or nsradmin to edit the client resource for clients with this problem. Add all network names for this host to the Aliases attribute.

Resolving NetWorker Archive and Retrieve issues

This post simply provides a method on how to troubleshoot various problems you may encounter with Legato NetWorker archive and retrieve.

Legato NetWorker diagnostic tools

Legato NetWorker includes a script called nsr_support that generates an exhaustive diagnostic report.

Which volumes are required for a NetWorker restore?

This post provides a method of listing which volumes are required to perform a NetWorker restore/recovery via command-line and via the recovery GUI.