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  1. Home
  2. Veritas NetBackup™ Snapshot Client Administrator's Guide
  3. Policy configuration
  4. Off-host backup configuration options
Veritas NetBackup™ Snapshot Client Administrator's Guide

Off-host backup configuration options

Off-host backup shifts the burden of backup processing to a separate backup agent, which reduces the impact on the client's resources ordinarily caused by a local backup. The client supplies a small amount of information on how data is mapped. The backup agent does the bulk of the work by sending the client's data to the storage device.

Select the off-host backup method when you create a new policy, you can also select off-host backup for an existing policy. Select off-host backup from the Add New Policy dialog box. The following image shows a part of the dialog box.

See Configuring a Snapshot Client policy.

The Use and Machine fields designate the backup agent.

Select the type of off-host backup from the Use field:

  • VMware backup host

    Select this option to designate a VMware backup host as the backup agent, for VMware virtual machine (guest OS) backup. During restore, this host is called the VMware restore host.

    Select the name of the backup host in the Machine pull-down.

    To back up a virtual machine that does not have a NetBackup client installed on it, you must select this option. If a NetBackup client is installed on the virtual machine, you can back up the virtual machine in the same way as an ordinary physical host (a snapshot-based backup is not required).

    The VMware backup host option requires the FlashBackup-Windows or MS-Windows policy type.

    See the NetBackup for VMware Administrator's Guide for further information:

    https://www.veritas.com/docs/DOC5332

    Note:

    The VMware backup host is not displayed when you select the Retain snapshots for Instant Recovery or SLP management check box as VMware backup is not supported for Instant Recovery.

  • Alternate Client

    Select this option to designate another client (alternate client) as the backup agent.

    An alternate client saves computing resources on the original client. The alternate client handles the backup I/O processing on behalf of the original client, so the backup has little effect on the original client.

    Enter the name of the alternate client in the Machine field.

    See About using alternate client backup.

  • Data Mover

    Select this option to designate the backup agent as a NetBackup media server, a third-party copy device that implements the SCSI Extended Copy command, or a NAS filer (Network Attached Storage).

    The Data Mover option requires the Standard, FlashBackup, or MS-Windows policy type.

    Select the type of data mover in the Machine pull-down:

    Network Attached Storage

    An NDMP host (NAS filer) performs the backup processing, by means of the NAS_Snapshot method. NetBackup for NDMP software is required on the NetBackup server. This option is required for NAS snapshots.

    NetBackup Media Server

    A Solaris, HP, AIX media server performs the backup processing (for Solaris, HP, and AIX clients only).

    Third-Party Copy Device

    A third-party copy device handles the backup processing. For Solaris, HP, AIX, and Linux clients only.

    Many types of devices are designed to act as third-party copy devices, such as routers, bridges, robotic libraries, and disk arrays. The backup agent can direct the data to SCSI-attached storage or to storage on the SAN.

    For more information on media server and third-party copy backup, refer to the NetBackup Snapshot Client Configuration document:

    http://www.veritas.com/docs/000081320

The use of Perform off-host backup may require additional configuration, as follows:

  • For the policy storage unit or group of storage units, note:

    Any_available is not supported for the following data mover types: NetBackup Media Server and Third-Party Copy Device. Disk storage units are not supported for Third-Party Copy Device.

    Instead of using a particular storage unit, you can create a storage unit group that designates devices that are configured on the SAN.

    See the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I:

    https://www.veritas.com/docs/DOC5332

  • Also note the following:

    • For the Third-Party Copy Device option, you must create a mover.conf file. Assistance with this file is available, in the NetBackup Snapshot Client Configuration document:

      http://www.veritas.com/docs/000081320

    • If you do not have Veritas CommandCentral Storage and your backup devices do not support identification descriptors (SCSI E4 target descriptors), you may need to edit the 3pc.conf file.

      See http://www.veritas.com/docs/000081320

More Information

Setting up a policy for NAS snapshots

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