NMM backup with remote storage node in a DAG environment

Question

Hi All, We are currently testing possibility to use NMM for backup of our Exchange 2010 databases. So long we are using nsrserverhost as storage node for DAG client definition everything looks fine, test backups are working fine and RDB and GLR restores as well. But a half of DAG nodes are located in another city and Database data from these servers should be written to the data domain located in that location... Here an example overview of our environment with one DAG (in total we will have 2 DAG with 20 servers (10/per DAG)) so two different locations  A  & B --- location A Backup Server: NetWorker 8.2     ----> lgto01 Storage Node  : NW 8.2              ---->  SN-1 DAG1-nodes                               ---->  Server1, Server2. Server3,Server4,Server5 Data Domain                              ----> DD-1 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- --- location B Storage Node NW 8.2                 ----> SN-2 DAG1-nodes:                              ----> Server,5 Server6, Server7, Server8, Server9 Data Domain                               ----> DD-2 As per NMM user guide use of remote storage node is possible, but Exchange servers should be also defined as storage nodes, means we should have additional 20 SN servers and around 40 disk volumes. I am just wondering would it be possible to use only SN-1 and SN-2 for all exchange servers, for example: SN-1 for servers in location A SN-2 for server in location B nsrserverhost for DAG client def. In order to  keep: - database backups written to SN-2 volumes on DD-2 - metadata files (VSS save sets) on nsrserverhost volume  on DD-2 - dummy save sets (replica placeholder) to SN1 –volumes on DD-2 I've tried to run backup with above configuration, but database backups are always being written on DAG client def. storage node volume. VSS files are stored on server’s storage node volumes ??? dummy save sets (replica placeholder) are server’s storage node volumes (OK) I am not sure, but it looks like that I am missing something in my configuration, because if I use SN-2 for DAG client then database backups are saved on SN-2 volumes… Thanks Zeljko

bingo.1 · Answer

I guess this is due to the combination of 'storage nodes' and 'pools' configuration. But we do not know the 'pool' setup yet.

Although it is intended for clusters, you may try 'curphyhost' for the 'storage node' entry. Please read the online help or Admin Guide for details.

mrakM · Answer

I am using two separte pools only for Exchange backup

- pool A for location A -- to store data on DD-1

- pool B for location B -- to store data on DD-2

Each pool has all SN's devices assigned,

Devices in pool A:

NW ---- device
SN-1 -- device
SN-2 -- device

Pool B

NW ---- device

SN-2 -- device

SN-1 -- device

-----------------

Client Direct is enabled for all DAG servers.

Curphyhost variable is not supported for DAG environments.

bingo.1 · Answer

So make sure that the devices/volumes for the appropriate pools are only attached to the correct storage nodes.

mrakM · Answer

It looks like that this feature is not supported yet with NMM 8.2.3 and NW8.8.2. I have tried every possible settings,

but DB backups are always written on DAG client SN:

But with "Client Direct" and proper pool configuration, backups from Location B will be also stored on DD-2 (same location), so data wouldn't be send over WAN, also acceptable solution.

How about with recovering such data, stored on DD-2, because backup server is located in location A.

Is "Client Direct" also used by data recovery, if not that mean with nsrserverhost as SN for all DAG nodes,
backups from B would be read from NW server in A and written again to DAG node in B???

NetWorker

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