NDMP Configuration - Avamar

Hello,

Please go through following guide, I hope you will get most of the answers for your questions from this.

https://support.emc.com/docu48234_Avamar-7.0-NDMP-Accelerator-User-Guide.pdf?language=en_US

Regards,

Pawan

Hey Vamsi,

Yes. You can follow Avamar 7.0 NDMP Accelerator User Guide, the link posted as above.

This guide describes how to install and configure the Avamar NDMP Accelerator, and how to back up and restore data on supported EMC VNX and EMC storage systems and NetApp filers.

Hello All,

Thank you very much for your all suggestions. It helped me alot.

Can you please also help in NDMP migration procedure. In our environment NDMP backups were configured in GEN 2 hardware. Now we are planning to migrate to the NDMP backup to a new grid.

Can you please help me how to perform that.

Just giving an hint, We have many more client also in Gen 2 grid, All I have migrated to new grid using client manager from enterprise manager.

This guide doesn't seem to have any instructions for registering the Isilon NDMP node with the avamar. For example, there would be no way to install the RPM onto this node as it's running OneFS 7, not linux. Is there some sort of isi command to register it?

You won't be able to install the Avamar client software on the Isilon NDMP node, as you've discovered.  Basically, all of the NDMP configuration for your environment will occur on the Avamar NDMP accelerator.

First and foremost, have a look at the User Guide mentioned above.  Starting on Page 22, at Step 4, that's where you set the Avamar NDMP accelerator settings need (do Steps 4 through 6).  After setting the privileges needed for the NDMP account on the Isilon cluster, you're done.  You don't install the RHEL package RPMs, you skip to page 25.  If you have not yet registered and configured the Avamar NDMP accelerator (connected it to your Avamar grid, etc.), then  run avsetupndmp. If you already have and just wish to register the Isilon NDMP accelerator, then run avregister and start at Step 9 on Page 26.  Once the Isilon NDMP accelerator is registered, you stop at Step 16, or continue to register other accelerators.

Let us know if that helps!

Karl

So wait, I need an Avamar NDMP accelerator AND  the Isilon NDMP accelerator? How can that be? That seems pretty silly. So am I to understand that I need to either build another box, say a VM or discreet server with an OS (Rhel or whatever), install the NDMP accelerator package on it, register that before; OR i need to buy another appliance for my avamar units called an NDMP accelerator, install them in my datacenters adjacent to my avamar nodes, and register those before I can back up my isilon with avamar?

You were refering to an Isilon NDMP Node in your message, which I took to me an Isilon NDMP accelerator.  When I configured my clusters, we had purchased one, so I was assumed you had as well.

But, no, an Isilon NDMP accelerator is not required.  You can configure the Avamar NDMP accelerator to backup the Isilon cluster without having an Isilon NDMP acceleator.  Just follow the steps as outlined above, using the IP/hostname of the Isilon nodes.  Again, you do not have to install any software on the Isilon nodes themselves - I pointed that out in my steps above.  Let me know if that helps!

I'm not sure about what's required on the Isilon side but backing up supported NDMP devices using Avamar requires an Avamar NDMP accelerator node. There are two configurations available for physical NDMP accelerator nodes (small and large) and virtual accelerators are supported by RPQ. These nodes use the standard Avamar OS image.

The NDMP accelerator node should be adjacent to the data source rather than the Avamar system. Much more data flows from the data source to the accelerator than flows from the accelerator to the Avamar.

Edit: If you plan to use a virtual accelerator node, please contact your account team as they can file the request for product qualification (RPQ) on your behalf.

I reviewed the Isilon documentation. Based on what I found there, if you are planning to back up the Isilon system exclusively with Avamar, you should work with the VAR and / or EMC to replace your Isilon NDMP Accelerator with an Avamar NDMP Accelerator node. The Isilon NDMP accelerator node appears to be specifically intended for tape environments.

An Avamar NDMP accelerator node (either physical or virtual) is required to perform NDMP backups to Avamar.

Yes, I have an Isilon NDMP Node. But I seem to be unable to make it talk to my avamar. We have no Avamar Branded NDMP Accelerator. I've managed to get my Isilon NDMP Node added to my avamar without having the Avamar NDMP Accelerator, and it's "activated". I've created the NDMP account and Browse account as per the document earlier in the thread and added that information to the Avamar configuration for the Isilon "client", yet when I try to do an on-demand backup, avamar tells me "this account is not configured for browsing" even though I've done all the things listed in the document above.

So, do I need the Avamar NDMP accelerator or not? If I do, then that's crazy. Why must I Have 2 additional pieces of equipment to enable 2 EMC devices to talk to each other using a protocol (NDMP) both pieces should do natively?

I'm pulling my hair out here and EMC doesn't particularly seem interested in helping me in a timely fashion. And our VAR is basically passing the buck to EMC.

For the most part, the problem is with this sentence:

" enable 2 EMC devices to talk to each other using a protocol (NDMP) both pieces should do natively "

Unfortunately, the Avamar grid does not do NDMP natively.  It depends on the Avamar NDMP accelerator to handle the communication on TCP port 10000 for NDMP data streams (metadata and data streams).  EMC did not provide any NDMP functionality with Avamar until they added the NDMP accelerator to it.  As a former Celerra/VNX customer, moving workloads to Isilon, we opted for an Isilon NDMP accelerator to connect to an FC tape library relocated to the data center with the Isilon nodes, since the library was already being used with another backup software.  It was easier to get Isilon working with the other product, and we kept the Avamar NDMP accelerator for backing up the Celerra, since we have many more requests for daily restores from the Celerra via Avamar.

The Avamar NDMP accelerator handles the NDMP operations handled within the Avamar GUI and CLI - without it, I'm not convinced you'll make it work effectively.  As Ian states, I think you'll need your VAR and EMC to get an Avamar NDMP accelerator in house to make all the pieces work.

Hello Karl,

Why or What for should we open TCP port 10004 for Avamar NDMP accelerator? I can find TCP port 10000 but 10004 as the requirement. What for is the TCP port 10004? And where did you get the information that to open TCP port 10004 is required?

Best regards,

Hiroki

Sorry - that was an error.  Only TCP 10000 is needed for data communications.  NDMP can allocate dynamic TCP ports, which removes the need to allow ports other than TCP 10000.

Hope that helps!

Karl