Welcome to the Dell Technologies Avamar - How to Series. Introducing the dump_root_hashes script. Reference: Dell Knowledge Article number 19732.
This video was created to provide an introduction to the dump_root_hashes script. It concentrates on comparing the contents of two Avamar systems.
The script can also be run with the "help" flag for a full list of features. Before you begin, you will need: A terminal emulator such as putty. Programs such as WinSCP, WinZip, and Microsoft Excel along with the Avamar login credentials.
Note that this video demonstration assumes that the script has already been downloaded to the Avamar utility node. The download location can be found on screen if required.
Please also be aware this script is not an officially supported component of the Avamar product. Highlighted at the top of the screen are some of the basic script examples for comparing the backups of two Avamar servers in a replication partnership.
Here, we typed ruby dump_root_hashes.rb, along with the desired flags. Remember, the script can be run with the "help" flags to get a full list of the available features.
For simplicity purposes, this example is checking a single domain which contains only one client. Depending on the flag selected, the script may take some time to finish.
When complete, the date and time will be displayed and the output file name provided. Make note of this file name. If you run the script and get the highlighted response, it indicates that the route user passwords differ between servers.
As passwords cannot be entered directly onto the command line, if this does occur, the script will need to be run again in generate password mode.
This is done as shown, by adding --mode=genpasswordfile. As the script runs, you will be prompted to provide a password file name, the route user, and password.
The password will then be encoded to the file name you provided and usage information displayed. You can now repeat the original command, including the required password file.
An example has been provided. Use a program such as WinSCP to copy your script output from the Avamar utility node to a local drive. Navigate to the local drive containing your output.
As the file is compressed, use a program such as WinZip to extract the CSV file and then double-click to open it. In our case, the file will be opened in Microsoft Excel.
To make it easier to read, please autofit the column width. When comparing Avamar server contents, the column that you are most interested in is the key.
B indicates the backup is on both servers. S the backup is on the source server only. And "D" the backup is on the destination server only. The remaining columns contain additional information about each of the backups, including client name, client domain, backup creation dates, backup label numbers, etc.
A full list of the columns available can be found in the Knowledge Article. You can sort and save the results for your criteria as required. Refer to Knowledge Article number 19732 for more information.
Thank you for watching.
