Recovering the primary server when the root partition is lost
The following procedure assumes that the root file system is lost along with everything else on the disk. This recovery reloads the operating system to an alternate boot disk and starts from this disk during recovery. You can then recover the root partition without risking a crash that is caused by overwriting the files that the operating system uses during the restore.
To recover the primary server when the root partition is lost
- Load the operating system on an alternate boot disk, using the same procedure as you would normally use for the server type.
- On the alternate disk create the partition and directory where the components resided on the original disk. These components include NetBackup, its catalogs (if applicable), and the databases. By default, they reside under the /usr/openv directory.
- Verify that the operating system works, that any required patches are installed, and that specific configuration settings are made. Take corrective action as needed.
- Install NetBackup on the alternate disk. Install only the robotic software for the devices that are required to read backups of the NetBackup catalogs and regular backups of the disk being restored. If a non-robotic drive can read these backups, no robot is required.
Note:
For the NetBackup Web Services, you must use the same user account and credentials that were used when you backed up the NetBackup catalog. More information is available:
- Install any NetBackup patches that had been previously installed. See the documentation that was included with the patch software.
- If the catalog directories differ from those in the NetBackup catalog backups, recreate that directory structure on the disk before you recover the catalog. For example, if you used symbolic links as part of the NetBackup catalog directory structure.
- If the recovery scenario involves restoring policy or catalog backups, the appropriate recovery devices must be configured.
Device configuration may include the following tasks:
Install and configure the robotic software for the devices that read backups of the NetBackup catalog and regular backups of the disk being restored. If a non-robotic drive is available that can read these backups, then no robot is required. Although manual intervention is required if multiple pieces of media are required.
See the NetBackup Device Configuration Guide.
Discover and configure the recovery device in NetBackup.
Use the NetBackup tpautoconf command to discover and configure the recovery device in NetBackup.
See the NetBackup Commands Reference Guide.
Update the device mapping files.
- If you must restore from the policy backups or catalog backups that were done to media, the appropriate media may have to be configured in NetBackup.
See the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I.
Configuring the media may require some or all of the following tasks:
Manually load the required media into a standalone recovery device.
Use the NetBackup utilities such as robtest or vendor-specific robotic control software to load media into the required recovery device or devices.
Inventory the media contents of a robotic device.
Use the vendor-specific robotic control software to load the media into the required recovery devices.
- Recover the NetBackup catalogs to the alternate disk.
See Options to recover the NetBackup catalog.
The catalogs can be recovered only to the same directory structure from which they were backed up (alternate path recovery is not allowed).
- Restore other files to the server as desired.
You can use the NetBackup web UI, the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore interface, or the bp command. When the files are restored, you are done.
Restore these files from the backup of the primary server, not from the NetBackup catalog backup. Be sure to specify the disk that you recover as the alternate recovery location.
Warning:
- Stop all NetBackup processes that you started from NetBackup on the alternate disk.
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bp.kill_all
- Maintaining the same directory structure, copy the NetBackup catalogs from the alternate disk to the disk that you recover. These are the catalogs recovered in step 9.
- Make the recovered disk the boot disk again and restart the system.
- Start and test the copy of NetBackup on the disk that you have recovered.
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bp.start_all
Try the NetBackup Administration utilities. Also, try some backups and restores.
- When you are satisfied that the recovery is complete, delete the NetBackup database directories from the alternate disk. Or, unhook that disk, if it is a spare.