Using the Policy Configuration Wizard to configure a catalog backup
Catalog backups write only to media in the CatalogBackup volume pool. This procedure assumes that a storage device is configured and media is available in the CatalogBackup volume pool.
Note:
To perform a catalog backup, the master server and the media server must both be at the same NetBackup version.
See the NetBackup Installation Guide for information about mixed version support.
Before you create a new catalog backup policy, you must ensure that a passphrase for the disaster recovery package is set. If the passphrase is not set, catalog backups fail.
To use the Policy Configuration Wizard to configure a catalog backup
- In the NetBackup Administration Console, in the left pane, click NetBackup Management.
- In the right pane, click Create a Policy in the right pane to launch the Policy Configuration Wizard.
Click Help within any wizard panel for more information on the wizard settings.
- Select the Files systems, databases, applications option from the list. Click Next.
- In the Policy Name and Type wizard panel, enter the policy name. Select NBU-Catalog as the policy type.
Click Next.
- On the Backup Types wizard panel, select the backup type. The User Backup does not apply for NBU-Catalog policies. Click Next.
- On the Frequency and Retention wizard panel, select the rotation schedule. By default, a frequency-based schedule is selected. A frequency-based schedule ensures that the catalog backup has an opportunity to run in busy environments where backup jobs are running.
The selection After each backup session refers to a period when no regular backup policy is running.
Catalog backups can be scheduled to run concurrently with other backup types on the master server.
See Concurrently running catalog backups with other backups.
Click Next.
- In the Start Window wizard panel, define a window of time during which the catalog backup can start and click Next. The scheduled windows (Off hours, Working hours, All day, Custom) are preset in the wizard. To change these settings, first complete the wizard. Then, select the policy in the Policies utility and customize the settings.
User Window selections are disabled, as regular users (those who are not NetBackup administrators) cannot start catalog backups.
- On the Catalog Disaster Recovery File wizard panel, browse or enter the path where each disaster recovery image file can be saved on disk. The image file contains the disaster recovery information. Enter the logon and password information, if necessary.
It is recommended that you save the image file to a network share or a removable device. Do not save the disaster recovery information to the local computer. You must also record this location so that NetBackup Catalog can be recovered, if required.
Click Next.
Note:
If the master server is configured to use a non-privileged user (or service user) account, it should have the write access permissions on the disaster recovery (DR) path.
On UNIX, if the master server is configured to use the service user account, specifying the user name and password of another user who has the access to the path does not work. The NetBackup Administrator has to ensure that the service user can write to the network share without switching the context to another user. This requirement is not applicable on Windows if the DR path is a network share.
For more information on the service user account, refer to the NetBackup Security and Encryption Guide.
- It is recommended that you configure the NetBackup environment to send the disaster recovery information to a NetBackup administrator. This backup-specific information is sent after every catalog backup.
To send the information to more than one administrator, separate multiple email addresses using a comma as follows:
email1@domain.com,email2@domain.com
Make sure that email notification is enabled in your environment.
See Disaster recovery emails and the disaster recovery files.
Note:
The disaster recovery email is not sent to the address that is specified in the Global Attributes properties. The Administrator's email Address in the Global Attributes properties specifies the addresses where NetBackup sends notifications of scheduled backups or administrator-directed manual backups.
- Click Finish to complete the wizard.
- You may want to add critical policies to the Critical Policies list. Specify some policies as critical policies after the Policy Configuration Wizard is complete. A policy that is listed on the Critical Policies list is considered crucial to the recovery of a site in the event of a disaster.
See Adding policies to the Critical Policies list of a catalog backup policy.
The NetBackup Disaster Recovery report lists all of the media that is used for backups of critical policies, including the most recent full backup. The report lists the media for only incremental and full backup schedules, so critical policies should use only incremental or full backup schedules.