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Networker 7.6.3 server, NW 8.1 Client, and Client Direct???
Trying to help a client plan for their migration from 7.6.3 to Networker 8.1. I'm reading the document at: https://support.emc.com/docu41390_NetWorker-Technical-Guidance-to-Upgrading-to-NetWorker-8.0-and-Later-Technical-Note.pdf?language=en_US
The document says that 8.0 clients work with 7.6.x servers. What about 8.1 clients? And, with 8.1 clients being driven from a 7.6.3 server, does Client Direct work?
Just a comment on Networker documentation: I find it to be very fragmented, and both my client and I find it terribly difficult to find the authoritative answers to important questions such as these. A "Networker for Dummies (with migration planning included)" volumes out here would be really helpful.
Thanks,
Eric
bbeckers1
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November 26th, 2013 08:00
client direct (as DFA or direct file access is called nowadays in NW8.x terminology) only works when using having a NW8.x server also. and to be able to use a NW8 server, the NMC has to be running NW8 also as it uses the newer nsrauth authentication between nmc and backupserver.
if not done so yet, have a look at the emc networker procedure generator also, which contains a much more condensed setup and recommendations overview as the whole - indeed - fragmented NW manual does.
assuming that you'd want to use client direct in combination with a datadomain system, one thing to keep in mind for client direct is that a client of course needs to be able to directly resolve the datadomain system as specified in the "device access information" part of a created DDboost device of a storagenode (or backup server) as still with client direct at least one system needs to have a ddboost device defined, while other systems use that system as a storagenode but actual data will be send directly by the clients to the DD system. especially in environments with multiple vlans, networks and NICs on systems, you'll have to make sure that the FQDN name of the DD used in the device access information of the ddboost device is resolvable by the clients as that is the only information within NW where a client can find out to which DD to send the data to. as otherwise clients would still send their data fully to the storagenode that has the ddboost device configured, before the storagenode starts deduping data. Not easily to recognise as a backup would still be successful.
ble1
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November 26th, 2013 09:00
You can use DDBoost even with latest NW7 if using modules - I used that for quite some time. If you focus on file systems only, you will need NW8 on client side. I never tested NW7 server vs NW8 client to see if DDBoost works that way so I can't help with that.
bbeckers1
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November 26th, 2013 12:00
On a NMC of a nw8.0.2.5 environment the field help of a client properties window states:
"Client direct
A client direct backup bypasses the storage node and writes directly to the target disk device during a scheduled backup of the client. The target disk device can be a Data Domain or an Advanced File Type (AFTD) device. When enabled, client direct is attempted on the target disk. If a client direct backup is not possible, a storage node backup is attempted. This attribute is supported on 8.0 or later clients. For pre-7.6.1 clients, leave this attribute enabled (default setting). Although client direct is not supported on pre-8.0 clients, disabling this attribute may cause the backup to fail."
As far as I know "client direct" is introduced on nw8.x servers for nw 8.x clients only and has not been back-ported to NW7.x, neither server nor clients (*). Before it was called DFA (direct file access) which was similar but was only made possible for Networker NMM module and NMDA module (from a certain module version onwards).
(*) on a NW7.6.5.7 server of ours there still is no client option called "client direct" so it would still be only NW8.x server and client only
ble1
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November 27th, 2013 02:00
That's why it works with modules because with modules like NMSAP 4.2 and NMDA 1.2 you configure this setting in config file (tested). For file system backups, you can use backup command to pass this argument to save which is NW8 so in theory server which is NW7 will be able to do DDBoost also for file system backup - as I said, I didn't test it, but theory is clear.