Configuring a preferred server list for a Database Availability Group (DAG)
You can create preferred server configurations for an Exchange Database Availability Groups (DAG). The preferred server list is a collection of one or more servers in the DAG that you select as preferred backup sources. Preferred server configurations take priority as backup sources in instances where database copies are replicated between multiple servers. The preferred server list is required for , unless the database only has an active copy. The list is ignored for and is optional for .
You can let NetBackup choose the best server from which to back up the replicated database copies or you can designate a preferred server list. Designating a preferred server list gives you more control over your backup jobs. For example, you can configure a list of preferred servers that are local to avoid having to back up replicated data over your WAN. You can arrange the servers in order of preference. Or you may have one node of a DAG that contains passive copies for all or most of your databases and that is also a fast media server. Add only this server to your preferred list to make the backup more efficient.
For each replicated database you select for backup, NetBackup picks a server as follows:
The server is the one from which NetBackup most recently attempted to back up the database.
The backup attempt on the server was successful.
NetBackup tracks the success or failure of backup attempts to determine which Exchange node to perform a passive copy database backup from.
The server is included in the preferred server list.
If this algorithm does not choose a server, the database is not backed up. A message appears in the progress log that identifies each database that is skipped for this reason.
To configure a preferred server list
- Open the NetBackup web UI.
- Click the Attributes tab.
- In the Microsoft Exchange Server DAG group, from the Exchange database backup source list select Passive copy only.
- Click Edit preferred server list.
- For the Server name, type the fully qualified domain name (FQDN) of the DAG node you want to add to the list.
- Click Add.
- Add any other DAG nodes.
- Use the Actions menu to indicate the order in which you want NetBackup to select the servers.
- Click Save.