1. NetBackup OST Background and Best Practices
Andrew McCausland
Systems Engineer - Symantec UK Ltd
September 2013
NetBackup OST

2. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices
What is OST? 1
Architecture 2
History and Licensing 3
Implementations 4
Getting Information on OST 5
Best Practice 6
Summary 7
NetBackup OST
V2.0

3. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices What is OST?
OpenStorage refers to three different things…
Partner Program
API
3rd Party Appliance Solutions
NetBackup OST

4. Then backup devices got smarter…
NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices What problem is OpenStorage trying to solve?
History…
Mainframes & mini-computers?
Add a tape drive
Workstations and small servers with critical data?
Backup applications, backup servers and tape libraries
Backup to disk for better SLAs?
Add disks and/or Virtual Tape Libraries
Then backup devices got smarter…
Duplication
Tape-out
Off-site replication
Deduplication
Numbers of systems with critical data explodes…
Amount of data explodes…
NetBackup OST

5. The problem with Smart Devices…
NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices What problem is OpenStorage trying to solve?
The problem with Smart Devices…
No backup Catalog Awareness
Where are my backups?
How accessible are my backups?
Am I meeting my backup SLAs?
Can I meet my restore SLAs
Can I meet my DR SLAs?
What does this mean for my operators?
Multiple management points…
Multiple restore steps…
Higher OPEX Costs!
NetBackup OST

6. The problem with Smart Devices…
NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices What problem is OpenStorage trying to solve?
The problem with Smart Devices…
Tape protocols…
Sequential vs. random I/O…
Sync vs. Async operations…
SCSI based transport…
VTL Space reclamation…
VTL Free space calculation…
Number of OS tape drives
Number of tapes…
Robotic emulation…
NetBackup OST

7. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices What problem is OpenStorage trying to solve?
Enter OST:
Separate “What” from “How”
What NetBackup Policy & Control
How OST Vendor Implementation
Operate on Backup image vs. tape operations
Basic High Level Operations
“Create backup image”
“Copy backup image”
“Retrieve backup image/part image”
“Delete backup image”
Optional support for advanced OST features
Optimized Synthetics, AIR etc.
Status & capability queries, logging, event notification etc.
Let Smart Devices do what they do best…
Maintain catalog awareness
Remove dependence on tape protocols
NetBackup OST

8. How do vendors access OST?
NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices What problem is OpenStorage trying to solve?
How do vendors access OST?
Via Symantec Technology Enabled Program (STEP)
NetBackup OST

9. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Architecture
OpenStorage Options
NetBackup
Secondary Storage
Storage Servers
Cloud
Primary Storage
Replication Director
Backup Exec
Disk Storage Devices
NetBackup OST

10. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Architecture
OST Secondary Storage
Exists on media servers only
Under control of master server
OST Vendor responsible for
OST Plug-in
Target hardware
Connectivity
Protocols
Data formats
Client
Communicates to media server as normal
Client
Master Server
NBU
Media Server(s)
NBU
OpenStorage
Any data format proprietary file system, de-duplication…
Plugin
Any protocol FC, TCP/IP, combination…
Storage Server
Any connectivity direct-attached, NAS, SAN…
NetBackup OST

11. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Architecture
OST Cloud
Public cloud providers
AES-256 Encryption at the Media server
Clients
Bandwidth throttling
OpsCenter usage and chargeback reporting
Support for NetBackup Accelerator, & SLPs
Media Server or
52xx appliance
NetBackup OST

12. NetBackup Master Server
NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Architecture - Replication Director
NetBackup Master Server
8. Mount
Snapshot
9. Duplicate Snapshot
1. Quiesce
OpenStorage API
NetBackup Media Server or 52xx appliance
2. Create
Snapshot
3. Copy Snapshot
5. Copy Snapshot
to other site
7. Export Snapshot
11. Duplicate
Snapshot Vault
Snapshot
Snapshot Vault
Snapshot
Primary Data
Snapshot
Snapshot
Application Server (NB Client)
Snapshot
4. Replicate
6. Replicate
Snapshot
Site A
Site B
Filer/Array
NetBackup OST

13. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Architecture
OST vs. other NetBackup interfaces
NetBackup CLI
Script NetBackup operations
e.g. Biomni Front Office Backup as a Service (BaaS)
NetBackup integration with application ecosystems
E.g. VMware vCenter, VIP, vCloud Director, MS Hyper-V etc.
NDMP
Protocol to move data from network storage devices to backup targets
Used for OST tape copies
Vendor access via STEP program
XBSA
X-Open Group API to move data from applications to NetBackup client
NetBackup OST

14. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices History and Licensing
OpenStorage API Announcement - Nov 2006
NetBackup 6.5 – Aug 2007
License: OpenStorage Disk Option (Later Standard or Enterprise Disk)
Doc: NetBackup Shared Storage Guide
NetBackup 7.0 – Feb 2010
License: Enterprise Disk
NetBackup 7.1 – Mar 2011
License: Enterprise Disk or Platform (Capacity)
NetBackup 7.5 – Mar 2012
License:
Enterprise Disk or Platform (Capacity),
Data Protection Optimization, Replication Director
Doc:
OpenStorage Solutions Guide, Replication Director Solutions Guide
Cloud Admin Guide
NetBackup OST

15. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Implementation
Supported Functionality - NetBackup Secondary Storage
OpenStorage Feature
Abbreviation
Release
Storage Server
n/a
NetBackup 6.5
Optimized Duplication
Opt_Dup
Optimized Synthetic Protection
Opt_synth
NetBackup 6.5.4
Direct Copy to Tape
Direct_Copy
NetBackup 7.0
Direct Copy to Shared Tape
Direct_Copy_Shared
Auto Image Replication
A.I.R
NetBackup 7.1
Granular Recovery
Granular_Recovery
Accelerator
NetBackup 7.5
Encryption Key Management Service (with Direct Copy to Tape)
KMS
NetBackup OST

16. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Implementation
Supported Functionality – NetBackup Cloud
OpenStorage Cloud Feature
Release
Storage Server
NetBackup 6.5.4
Encryption
NetBackup 7.5
Throttling
Metering
Supported Functionality – NetBackup Replication Director
OpenStorage Replication Director Feature
Release
Array-based Restore
NetBackup 7.5
Snapshot Management
Snapshot Replication
NetBackup OST

17. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Implementation
Supported Functionality – Backup Exec
OpenStorage Feature
Release
Storage Server
Backup Exec 2010
Optimized_Duplication
Cloud
NetBackup OST

18. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Implementation
Supported Functionality – Vendor Support
NetBackup OST

19. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Implementation
NetBackup PureDisk, MSDP and Appliance Support
PureDisk Deduplication Option (PDDO)
Storage target remote from Media Server
Uses OST to manage Storage Server, Disk Pool etc.
Also supports Client side deduplication
NOT an OST feature
NetBackup MSDP (Media Server Deduplication Pool)
Storage target block-level presented to Media Server
Uses OST to manage Storage Server, Disk Pool
NetBackup 50x0 Series
Based on PDDO
NetBackup 52x0 Series
Based on MSDP
NetBackup OST

20. NetBackup OST Objects From Admin Console
NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Getting Information on OST
NetBackup OST Objects
From Admin Console
Credentials
Storage Server
Devices
Disk Pool
Storage
Storage Unit/Storage Lifecycle Policy
From CLI
bpstsinfo
Get information on storage servers, LSUs, images, and plugins
nbdevconfig
Preview, import, create, or inventory disk pools
nbdevquery
Get disk media status
# bpstsinfo -lsuinfo -storage_server nb5230dc -stype PureDisk
LSU Info:
Server Name: PureDisk:nb5230dc
LSU Name: PureDiskVolume
Allocation : STS_LSU_AT_STATIC
Storage: STS_LSU_ST_NONE
Description: PureDisk storage unit (/nb5230dc#1/2)
Configuration: …
# nbdevquery –U -listdv -stype PureDisk
-dp dp_disk_nb5230dc
Disk Pool Name : dp_disk_nb5230dc
Disk Type : PureDisk
Disk Volume Name : PureDiskVolume
Disk Media ID
Total Capacity (GB) : 29.75
Free Space (GB) : 28.88
Use% : 2
Status : UP
Flag : ReadOnWrite
Flag : AdminUp
Flag : InternalUp
Flag : ReplicationSource …
# nbdevconfig -changestate -stype PureDisk
-dp dp_disk_nb5230dc -dv PureDiskVolume -state DOWN
successfully changed the state of disk volume #
# bpstsinfo -plugininfo
Plugin Info:
Plugin Name: libstspipdMT.so
Prefix: PureDisk:
Label: OpenStorage PureDisk Plugin
Build Version: 11
Build Version Minor: 2
Operating Version: 11
Vendor Version: :48:34 May
Plugin Name: libstspithrottlingMT.so
Prefix: CS_throttle:
Label: Throttling Plugin
Build Version Minor: 1
Vendor Version: v _
Plugin Name: libstspirackspaceMT.so
Prefix: rackspace
Label: Rackspace Plugin
Build Version Minor: 0
Vendor Version: v _
NetBackup OST

21. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Implementation
NetBackup OST Objects
Vendor Plug-in
Default location
/usr/openv/lib/ost-plugins
e.g. libstspiDataDomain.so, libstspiDataDomainMT.so.
Vendor Target Storage
Storage Server
LSU (Logical Storage Unit)
Multiple units supported
Backup Images
NetBackup OST

22. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Best Practice
OST Vendor Best Practices
Vendor Documentation
LSU Layouts
NetBackup OST

23. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Best Practice
NetBackup Best Practices
Be Informed
Information Sources
OST Documentation, HCL etc.
Know what you are trying to do
SLAs, Optimum Policy types etc.
Solution Sizing
Capacity
Throughput
Avoid concurrent backup and tape-out or backup and restore for optimal backup performance
Analyze Performance
NetBackup Backup Planning and Performance
Includes best practices -
NetBackup Deduplication
Admin Guide and Additional Usage Information -
NetBackup Appliances Support
NetBackup OST

24. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Best Practice
NetBackup Best Practices
Performance Tuning
Measuring performance e.g. GENDATA directives
Data transfer path
Buffer counts and sizes
Test multiple streams etc.
Oracle
See NetBackup 7.5 Oracle Admin Guide
RMAN settings
Be aware any recommended Max Storage Utilization
Consider 85% if not other guidelines
Tape out performance
Note tape out from a deduplication pool is essentially random vs. sequential operation
Consider staging via AdvancedDisk
NetBackup OST

25. NetBackup OST - Background and Best Practices Best Practice
NetBackup Best Practices
Set up OpsCenter reporting and alerting
Can be used for NetBackup SNMP traps
Monitor Replication
Check for SLP backlogs etc.
Can use OpsCenter or “nbstlutil” – see SLP Best Practices white paper
Can stop parent images expiring and cause capacity problems!
Support
Ensure Support Entitlements known
Ensure Support Processes known
Severities, SLAs, escalation process etc.
Subscribe to key support subscriptions
Based on SymAccount Login – free signup
e.g. NetBackup Appliances, NetBackup Enterprise Server, NetBackup PureDisk & OpsCenter Analytics
NetBackup OST

26. Andrew McCausland andrew_mccausland@symantec.com +44 (0)7801 470152
NetBackup OST