About troubleshooting automatic import jobs

The automatic import jobs that the storage lifecycle policy (SLP) components manage are different from legacy import jobs. Automatic import jobs asynchronously notify NetBackup that an image needs to be imported. Also, Auto Image Replication jobs provide catalog entries to the storage device so that the job does not have to read the entire image. An automatic import job reads the catalog record off the storage device and adds it into its own catalog. This process is so fast that NetBackup batches images for import for efficiency. A pending import is the state where NetBackup has been notified, but the import has not yet occurred.

More information is available about the import operation in an SLP and how to tune the batch interval of the import manager process.

See the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I.

The notify event from the storage server provides the following: the image name, the storage server location to read the catalog for this image, and the name of the SLP that processes the image. Images for automatic import jobs are batched by storage lifecycle policy name and disk volume. The import job consumes an input-output stream on the disk volume.

To view the images that are pending import, run the following command:

# nbstlutil pendimplist -U
Image:
 Master Server            : bayside.example.com
 Backup ID                : gdwinlin04_1280299412
 Client                   : gdwinlin04
 Backup Time              : 1280299412 (Wed Jul 28 01:43:32 2010)
 Policy                   : (none specified)
 Client Type              : 0
 Schedule Type            : 0
 Storage Lifecycle Policy : (none specified)
 Storage Lifecycle State  : 1 (NOT_STARTED) 
 Time In Process          : 0 (Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 1969)
 Data Classification ID   : (none specified)
 Version Number           : 0
 OriginMasterServer       : master_tlk
 OriginMasterServerID     : 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
 Import From Replica Time : 0 (Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 1969)
 Required Expiration Date : 0 (Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 1969)
 Created Date Time        : 1287678771 (Thu Oct 21 11:32:51 2010)

 Copy:
   Master Server       : bayside.example.com
   Backup ID           : gdwinlin04_1280299412
   Copy Number         : 1
   Copy Type           : 4
   Expire Time         : 0 (Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 1969)
   Expire LC Time      : 0 (Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 1969)
   Try To Keep Time    : 0 (Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 1969)
   Residence           : (none specified)
   Copy State          : 1 (NOT_STARTED) 
   Job ID              : 0
   Retention Type      : 0 (FIXED) 
   MPX State           : 0 (FALSE)
   Source              : 0
   Destination ID      : 
   Last Retry Time     : 0

   Fragment:
     Master Server     : bayside.example.com
     Backup ID         : gdwinlin04_1280299412
     Copy Number       : 1
     Fragment Number   : -2147482648
     Resume Count      : 0
     Media ID          : @aaaab
     Media Server      : bayside.example.com
     Storage Server    : bayside.example.com
     Media Type        : 0 (DISK) 
     Media Sub-Type    : 0 (DEFAULT) 
     Fragment State    : 1 (ACTIVE) 
     Fragment Size     : 0
     Delete Header     : 1
     Fragment ID       : gdwinlin04_1280299412_C1_IM

The action to take on the automatic import job and the automatic import event depends on several conditions as shown in the following table.

Look at the Problems Report or the bperror list for these cases.

To troubleshoot the job flow for automatic import jobs, use the same commands as you would for other storage lifecycle policy managed jobs. To list images for which NetBackup has received notification from storage but not yet initiated import (either pending or failed): use the commands that were previously noted or run the following command:

# nbstlutil list -copy_type import -U -copy_incomplete

To list the images that have been automatically imported, run the following command:

# nbstlutil list -copy_type import -U -copy_state 3 -U
Master Server             : bayside.example.com
 Backup ID                : woodridge_1287610477
 Client                   : woodridge
 Backup Time              : 1287610477 (Wed Oct 20 16:34:37 2010)
 Policy                   : two-hop-with-dup
 Client Type              : 0
 Schedule Type            : 0
 Storage Lifecycle Policy : woodridge2bayside2pearl_withdup
 Storage Lifecycle State  : 3 (COMPLETE) 
 Time In Process          : 1287610714 (Wed Oct 20 16:38:34 2010)
 Data Classification ID   : (none specified)
 Version Number           : 0
 OriginMasterServer       : woodridge.example.com
 OriginMasterServerID     : f5cec09a-da74-11df-8000-f5b3612d8988
 Import From Replica Time : 1287610672 (Wed Oct 20 16:37:52 2010)
 Required Expiration Date : 1290288877 (Sat Nov 20 15:34:37 2010)
 Created Date Time        : 1287610652 (Wed Oct 20 16:37:32 2010)

The OriginMasterServer, OriginMasterServerID, Import From Replica Time, and Required Expiration Date are not known until after the image is imported so a pending record may look like the following:

Image:
 Master Server            : bayside.example.com
 Backup ID                : gdwinlin04_1280299412
 Client                   : gdwinlin04
 Backup Time              : 1280299412 (Wed Jul 28 01:43:32 2010)
 Policy                   : (none specified)
 Client Type              : 0
 Schedule Type            : 0
 Storage Lifecycle Policy : (none specified)
 Storage Lifecycle State  : 1 (NOT_STARTED) 
 Time In Process          : 0 (Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 1969)
 Data Classification ID   : (none specified)
 Version Number           : 0
 OriginMasterServer       : master_tlk
 OriginMasterServerID     : 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000
 Import From Replica Time : 0 (Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 1969)
 Required Expiration Date : 0 (Wed Dec 31 18:00:00 1969)
 Created Date Time        : 1287680533 (Thu Oct 21 12:02:13 2010)

The OriginMasterServer here is not empty, although it may be in some cases. In cascading Auto Image Replication, the master server sends the notification.