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  1. Home
  2. NetBackup™ Backup Planning and Performance Tuning Guide
  3. Tuning the NetBackup data transfer path
  4. NetBackup server performance in the data transfer path
  5. About the communication between NetBackup client and media server
  6. Finding wait and delay counter values
NetBackup™ Backup Planning and Performance Tuning Guide

Finding wait and delay counter values

Wait and delay counter values can be found by creating debug log files on the NetBackup media server.

Note:

The debug log files introduce additional overhead and have a small effect on the overall performance of NetBackup. This effect is more noticeable for a high verbose level setting. Normally, you should not need to run with debug logging enabled on a production system.

To find the wait and delay counter values for a local client backup

  1. Activate debug logging by creating the appropriate log directories on the media server:

    Linux/UNIX

    For example:

    /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bpbkar
    /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bptm

    Windows

    install_path\NetBackup\logs\bpbkar
    install_path\NetBackup\logs\bptm

    The following topic lists log directories for processes that may be used in place of bpbkar, for database extensions:

    See Processes used in NetBackup client-server communication.

  2. Execute your backup.
  3. Consult the log for the data producer process.

    The line should be similar to the following, with a timestamp corresponding to the completion time of the backup:

    Example from the bpbkar log:

    ... waited 224 times for empty buffer, delayed 254 times

    In this example the wait counter value is 224 and the delay counter value is 254.

  4. Look at the log for the data consumer process.

    The line should be similar to the following, with a timestamp corresponding to the completion time of the backup:

    ... waited for full buffer 1 times, delayed 22 times

    In this example, the wait counter value is 1 and the delay counter value is 22.

To find the wait and delay counter values for a remote client backup

  1. Activate debug logging by creating this directory on the media server:

    Linux/UNIX

    /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bptm

    Windows

    install_path\NetBackup\logs\bptm
  2. Execute your backup.
  3. Look at the log for the bptm process in:

    Linux/UNIX

    /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bptm

    Windows

    install_path\NetBackup\logs\bptm

    Delays that are associated with the data producer (bptm child) appear as follows:

    ... waited for empty buffer 22 times, delayed 151 times, ...

    In this example, the wait counter value is 22 and the delay counter value is 151.

    Delays that are associated with the data consumer (bptm parent) appear as:

    ... waited for full buffer 12 times, delayed 69 times

    In this example the wait counter value is 12, and the delay counter value is 69.

To find the wait and delay counter values for a local client restore

  1. Activate logging by creating the two directories on the NetBackup media server:

    Linux/UNIX

    /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bptm
    /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/tar

    Windows

    install_path\NetBackup\logs\bptm
    install_path\NetBackup\logs\tar

    The following topic lists log directories for processes that may be used in place of tar, for database extensions:

    See Processes used in NetBackup client-server communication.

  2. Execute your restore.
  3. Look at the log for the data consumer (tar or tar32) in the tar log directory.

    The line should be similar to the following, with a timestamp corresponding to the completion time of the restore:

     ... waited for full buffer 27 times, delayed 79 times

    In this example, the wait counter value is 27, and the delay counter value is 79.

  4. Look at the log for the data producer (bptm) in the bptm log directory.

    The line should be similar to the following, with a timestamp corresponding to the completion time of the restore:

    ... waited for empty buffer 1 times, delayed 68 times

    In this example, the wait counter value is 1 and the delay counter value is 68.

To find the wait and delay counter values for a remote client restore

  1. Activate debug logging by creating the following directory on the media server:

    Linux/UNIX

    /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/bptm

    Windows

    install_path\NetBackup\logs\bptm
  2. Execute your restore.
  3. Look at the log for bptm in the bptm log directory.

    Delays that are associated with the data consumer (bptm child) appear as follows:

    ... waited for full buffer 36 times, delayed 139 times

    In this example, the wait counter value is 36 and the delay counter value is 139.

    Delays that are associated with the data producer (bptm parent) appear as follows:

    ... waited for empty buffer 95 times, delayed 513 times

    In this example the wait counter value is 95 and the delay counter value is 513.

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