Data Domain: Data Domain Boost installation and setup for NetBackup/BackExec

This article explains how to install Data Domain Boost for NetBackup or BackupExec on a media server to send data using the Boost protocol.

1. Check the latest Compatibility Matrix.
   Make sure the Backup Application version, Media server OS version, Dell EMC Data Domain Boost Plug-in version, and DDOS version are compatible.
2. Download the appropriate Dell EMC Data Domain Boost plug-in for your operating system and architecture. Access the download drivers page here: Support for Data Domain Boost - Open Storage | Drivers & Downloads | Dell US
   From the left panel, click the + sign on each of the following tabs: Data Domain Software - Data Domain Boost - OST x.x, choose OST_x.x.x.x.
   Then on the right panel, choose the plug-in file for your OS to download.
   For Solaris, there are two kinds of Plug-in file, for Solaris SPARC and Solaris SPARC 64-bit respectively.
   Run #uname on the Solaris box and choose the one for your OS accordingly.
3. Make sure licenses exist and are not expired.
   Customers must have Dell EMC Data Domain Boost licenses from Data Domain, and OpenStorage Disk Option from Symantec provides details for NetBackup (NBU) for where to check the license key on Windows and UNIX server.
4. Make sure DD is pingable, and ports are open to DD.
   On a media server, where the Dell EMC Data Domain Boost plug-in is installed:

#ping DDR shortname/FQDN should work. DD shortname and FQDN should both be resolved to the correct IP address (resolved by host file or DNS)
#telnet DDhostname 111 should work. Same for port 2049 

TCP 2049 (NFS)
TCP 111 (NFS portmapper)
TCP 2051 (Required for Managed File Replication but not needed for Automatic Image Replication)

It is not necessary to have port open (111, 2049) on the Media server side.

5. Make sure Dell EMC Data Domain Boost is enabled on DD and is configured correctly.
6. Stop NBU/BUE services and run installation.
   On Windows: Stop any NetBackup/BackupExec services on Windows.
   Unzip the file, extract it, and run libstspiDataDomainSetup.exe in Windows.
   On UNIX/Linux, stop the Remote Manager and Monitor Service (nbrmms) process.

#nbrmms -terminate
#tar xvf ost.xxx.tar
#./install.sh <-d directorypath>

If the plug-in already exists, you are prompted to enter y to proceed.
The directory path is optional. If you do not specify a directory path, the script uses /usr/openv/lib/ost-plugins, which is where the backup application looks for packages.
The shared library files that the script installs are libstspiDataDomain.so and libstspiDataDomainMT.so.
Restart the backup application nbrmms process by entering:

# nbrmms (this is to start)

7. Verify the plug-in is installed on the media server:
   On media server, use the bpstinfo command:

Windows: $install_pathVeritasNetBackupinadmincmdpstsinfo-pi
UNIX: # /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd/bpstsinfo-pi

There should be one section for the Dell EMC Data Domain Boost plug-in with the updated version information.
If there are no sections for the Data Domain plug-in and its version, the plug-in is not installed or not recognized by NetBackup.

Check if the following files are in the plug-in directory/folder:
libstspiDataDomain.so
libstspiDataDomainMT.so
Windows:

$install_pathVeritasNetBackupinost-plugins

UNIX:

# ls /usr/openv/lib/ost-plugins/

8. On the Primary server or media server, configuration storage server and register the Data Domain system:

#nbdevconfig creatests  storage_server ddrxx.xxx.com stype DataDomain media_server mediaxx.xxx.com

The argument in this command is case-sensitive. Data Domain has two upper-case Ds.

List the current storage servers are configured:

#nbdevquery liststs
#nbdevquery stype Data Domain

Adding credentials:

# tpconfig  add storage_server ddrhostname.xxx.com stype DataDomain sts_user_id ddboostuser password xxxx

9. NBU/BUE configuration 
   Create a disk pool (This can be done using NBU Admin Console) Device-> Disk pool.
   Configure the storage-unit and create a backup policy.