Slow backup Issue

Networker slow backup issue

We are facing slow backup issue many times or previously added clients suddenly slow backup issue occurs. This is either because of Network glitch at server end and on client side or configuration issue at both ends.

Scenario 1:

Network End: -

Below points should always be taken care off:

·         You should be always aware about link speed between your backup server and backup clients

·         Any network or data capped is configured as switch end

·         All network cards and switches have the same Duplex, Speed, MTU and other settings

·         Also, check latency between your backup server and backup client

·         Analyze network performance or problems with netstat

Scenario 2:

Client End: -

Below points should always be taken care off:

·         Check data size and number of files in your drives (hundred thousand or millions) of small files.

·         If you have small size huge files, then backup speed will be automatically degrading. (If you have D drive with 100 GB and 400 files but you have other drive E with 50 GB and 5000000…then E will take more time to backup)

·         Defragmented disk drives

·         Make sure that the OS is up-to-date with latest patches

·         Also, check the load on server with Task Manager

•             Networker should be up to date with latest version

·         Reboot the NetWorker server, client, and storage node operating systems.

Scenario 3:

Backup Server End: -

Below points should always be taken care off:

·         Check if any Index is corrupted

·         Check if any defunct or zombie process is related to that client

·         Check if check point enabled, disabled if not require (for file server and huge data backup it should be enable so if save fails, it can be restarted from the point of interruption). This setting is tricky you will decide as per your data type.

·         Monitor and check the device write speeds over time through NetWorker debug mode

•                  Ensure enough hardware resources (that is, tape drives) are available to handle the load.
•                 Networker should be up to date about version
•                Also, check Device configuration in terms of device session max session and target session

·         With help of nsrinfo command check the what kind of data backing up on your environment (Database, any other ongoing application). If you are taking flat file system backup with ALL save set, then you should be alert about any database or SharePoint or ongoing file access application data backup.

·         If you are backing up SQL/DB/MYSQL/SharePoint server backup using ALL save set and without any respective module (means your database backup are take care differently other than Networker) and it will be taking long time to backup up the data. Here you should mention save set of backup if you do not want to backup the any DB/Application servers (with Module)

·         Rebooted the NetWorker server, client, and storage node operating systems

Note : While trouble shooting the slow backup issue you should always coordinate with Network/Server admin and also historical logs should be checked.

NetWorker Client Push

Today we are going through, how to use Networker client push features

Use the software distribution feature, Client Push, to update the NetWorker and module software on NetWorker hosts in the datazone from the NetWorker server. By using this feature, you do not need to log in to each host and manually uninstall the old NetWorker software version and install the new NetWorker software version.

You cannot use Client Push to update a clustered host, an NMM 2.4.x or earlier client, aYou cannot use Client Push to update a clustered host, an NMM 2.4.x or earlier client, aNetWorker server, an EMC License Manager server, a Console server, a PowerSnap client,or an OS-X client.
There are two different scenarios to consider when preparing the software repository toupdate the NetWorker software by using Client Push:

1. The NetWorker server is the same operating system as the target hosts
2. The NetWorker server and target host operating systems differ

The NetWorker server is the same operating system as the target hosts:
When the target hosts are the same operating system as the server, extract each software
packages to the Media Kit Location. The Media Kit Location must reside on a file system
that is local to the NetWorker server.

The NetWorker server and target host operating systems differ:
When the operating system of the target hosts differs from the NetWorker server, for
example, when a Windows NetWorker server updates a UNIX client, you must configure a
proxy host to store the cross-platform packages.

Here I am only go with The NetWorker server is the same operating system as the target hosts.
Procedure:

1. Login to the NMC console with a user that is both an NMC administrator and a member of the Application administrators user group on the NetWorker server.

2. Connect to the NetWorker server in NMC.
3. In the Configuration menu >>>Select Configuration tab as below and, select Software Administration Wizard.

4. On the Welcome to the Software Administration Wizard window, click Next.

5. On the Select Operation window:
a. Select Add or remove products from my software repository.

b. Click Next.
6. On the Software Repository Operations window:
a. Select Add software products to the repository.

b. Click Next.
7. On the Create Software Repository window:

a. Click Yes.
b. Click Next.
8. If this is the first time you are creating the repository, specify the Repository location,
and click Next .
The default location differs on Windows and UNIX:
Windows: NetWorker_install_dir\repository
UNIX: /nsr/repository

9. On the Select platform type window:
a. Select the platform type of the software to add to the repository.

b. Click Next.
10. On the Add software products to repository window:
a. Click Yes .
b. Click Next.
11. On the Media Kit Location window:
a. Specify the path to the Media Kit location.
As per Unix admin I received path “/data/depot/networker/LINUX/x86_64lgto/linux_x86_64.v8113/”

b. Click Next.
12. The Select Products window contains a list of detected software packages in the
repository:
a. Select the products to add to the repository.

b. Click Next.

Inventorying the target hosts for installed products:
Before you can update the NetWorker software on a host, you must inventory the host to
determine the installed versions of NetWorker software.

After Configure all these things you can go ahead with upgrade:
Procedure:
1. Start the Software Administration Wizard and click Next.
2. Select Upgrade the software on my NetWorker clients, and click Next.

3. Select the option By Client, will upgrade on the clients that you select, and click Next.

4. Select the appropriate hosts, and click Next

5. In Product available for upgrade select the client again and click next

6. The Monitor Activity window appears and provides the status of upgrade job in the
top table and the status of each client upgrade operation in the bottom window, for
the selected upgrade job. When the upgrade job contains many clients, the job might
take awhile to complete.

Upgraded client successfully: - As per above process we are able to upgrade Linux client from server client push features.

Test1

How to configure the Avamar Event notifications

Today we are go through with how to configure Avamar alert Notification :-

A.      Log into the Avamar Server using the Avamar Administrator.

B.      In the toolbar of the Avamar Administrator, select Tools -> Manage Profiles.  A new window "Manage All Profiles" will open.
 

C.      Click the New button in the top left corner of the Manage All Profiles window to bring up the New Profile window.

 Or you can select any preconfigured profile and copy it

D.      Enter a Profile Name.

Example: Avamar Alert Notifications

E.       Ensure the Profile checkboxes for 'Enabled' and 'Email Enabled' are both checked.

F.       Ensure that the option  Send data as events occur  is selected.

G.      Uncheck the enabled check boxes for "Syslog Notification" and "SNMP Trap Notification."

H.      Click Next to go to Event Codes window.

I.         Click the Clear button to remove all default codes.

J.        Select the codes which an notifications should be received for a given event.

K.         Click Next.

L.       Ensure that both the  Attach Server status in email (XML)  and  Attach Server log(s) in mail  check boxes are not checked.

M.    Click Next to go to the Email Notification window.

N.      Update the Email Subject Header to reflect the purpose of the email. eg  Avamar Notifications. 

O.      In the  Enter Recipient:  text box, enter the email address to send the email notifications to (eg. avma.test@test.com) and click the + button.  If required, multiple email addresses may be entered.

P.       Click Finish.

Q.     Select the new Profile and review the settings to ensure they are correct.

R.      Monitor email to ensure receipt of selected events.

Note:- For more info please go through Avamar admin guide as well as EMC website.

http://www.support.emc.com

Avamar Event Notification

All Avamar system activity and operational status is reported as events to the MCS. Examples of Avamar events include client registration and activation, successful and failed backups, and hard disk status, power supply failure, Any kind of activity failed/successful.

When any kind of event occurred, following features will generates: -

Pop-up alerts: -

You can configure individual events to generate a graphical pop-up alert each time the event occurs.

Acknowledgement required list: -

You can specify that when a certain event type occurs, the Avamar system administrator must acknowledge the event.

Email Messages: -

You can specify that when a certain event type occurs, an email message is sent to a selected list of recipients. Email notifications can be sent immediately or in batches at scheduled times.

Syslog Support: -

You can specify that when an event type occurs, Avamar logs information to local or remote syslog files based on filtering rules configured for the syslog daemon that receives the events.

Third-party monitoring tools and utilities capable of examining log entries can access the syslog files and process them to integrate Avamar event information into larger site activity and status reports.

SNMP Support: -

The Avamar SNMP implementation provides two ways to access Avamar server events and activity completion status:

SNMP requests provide a mechanism for SNMP management applications to “pull” information from a remote SNMP-enabled client (in this case, the Avamar server).

SNMP traps provide a mechanism for the Avamar server to “push” information to SNMP management applications whenever designated Avamar events occur. You can

configure an event type to output SNMP traps.

Event Profiles: -

Profiles are a notification management feature that are used to logically group certain

event codes together and specify which notifications to generate when the events occur.

There are two basic types of event profiles:

System profile — There is only one system event profile. It contains all possible

system event codes.

Custom profiles — You can create as many custom profiles as you need to

organize system events and generate notifications when any of those events occur.

Profile Catalog: -

The Avamar system contains a set of preconfigured event profiles by default.

System Profile: -

There is only one system event profile. It contains all possible system event codes.

Evaluation Profile: -

If this profile enabled, this profile generates an email notification and attaches two weeks’ worth of

Activities - DPN Summary report information to the email message.

High Priority Events Profile:-

This special event profile automatically emails the following information to EMC Customer Support (emailhome@avamar.com) twice daily:

Status of the daily data integrity check

Selected Avamar server warnings and information messages

l Any Avamar server errors

The High Priority Events profile is enabled by default. The only change you can make to the High Priority Events profile is to add email addresses to the Recipient Email List. If you require custom High Priority Events profile settings, copy the profile and then edit the copy. We will see in next article.

Local SNMP Trap Profile: -

The profile enables you to verify that traps are successfully generated and received by the local snmptrapd process, which then writes the trap information to a syslog file. The Local SNMP Trap profile is read-only and is intended to be used for test purposes

only.

Local Syslog Profile: -

The Local Syslog profile reports status by way of the local syslogd process on the Avamar server.

Note: - for more information you should check EMC site and admin documents.

Dell EMC Elect 2017

Dell EMC Elect 2017

Today again I am very delighted to inform you all that this was 3rd time I took part in prestigious Dell EMC ELECT (2017) and I am looking forward to what it will bring. Right now, out of 600 nominations all-round the globe they have shortlisted it to 153. I am proud to be one among the 153.

To see the entire list, you click on the below post.

https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-57425

Thankful to Mark Browne (@DathBrun) and all EMC Elect team.

@MoinMansuri31

VSS System Writer is not found on this system 2

Hi,

The VSS System Writer is not found on this system:

I have already posted above error solution:

http://learnbackupwithmoin.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-vss-system-writer-is-not-found-on.html

Also I observed some error along with this error:-

Also check if you get below error type:-

Error :- No Error

Error:- 61320:save: Cannot bind socket to connection port in configured port range on system "Client Name": The requested address is not valid in its context.

Error:- 98266:save: The VSS System Writer is not found on this system.

Also check below test:-

vssadmin list providers
vssadmin list writers
vssadmin list shadowstorage

We found that in some case vssadmin shadowstorage/writers/Providers are not configure properly.

NDMP FH - File History space and memory requirements

While an NDMP backup, the NDMP Data Server (NAS server) sends the file history CatLog or metadata information to the NetWorker server. FH metadata which is received from the NAS does not verify or modify by NetWorker software.

The NetWorker uses the FH information to maintain proper indexes and media database entries for the NDMP client backups.

Instead of virtual memory, the binaries nsrndmp_2fh and nsrdmpix are interact with the raw database. As a result, memory requirements for this process are nominal.

The NetWorker server stores metadata updates in the \nsr\tmp directory and commits the metadata to the client file index after the NDMP client backup completes.

Use the following formula to determine the required physical space for the default \nsr\tmp directory:

2 * (144 + average file name length) * number of entries in the file system

Please Note below thing: -

This formula must be used for non-multi-streaming only.

For example:

For one million file entries with an average file name length of 128, use this formula to

compute the required temporary swap space:

2 * (144 + 128) * 1,000,000 = 544 MB approximately

NetWorker client file index database Size

For the NetWorker client file index database (nsr/index): The number of files
indexed and in the browse policy. This is normally the largest of the NetWorker
databases. For storage sizing, use this formula:


Index catalog size = {[(F+1)*N] + [(I+1) * (DFCR*N)]} * [(1+G)*C]


where:

F = 4 (Full Browse Period set to 4 weeks)

N = 1,000,000 (one million files for this example)

I = 24 (A four week browse period for incremental backups - minus the full backups)

DFCR = 3% (Daily file change rate for standard user file data)

G = 25% (estimated annual growth rate %)

C = 160 bytes (Constant number of bytes per file)

For example:

{[(4+1)*1,000,000] + [(24+1) * (3%*1,000,000)]} * [(1+.25)*160]

{5,000,000 + [25 * 30,000)} * [1.25 * 160]

5,750,000 * 200 bytes

= 1,150,000,000 bytes

= 1150 MB