Avamar: Manage Checkpoint Backups to Data Domain
Summary: This article shows how to manage checkpoint backups (CP-Backup) with Avamar and Data Domain.
Instructions
A checkpoint backup of an Avamar can be used for checkpoint restores in a disaster recovery event for Avamar.
The checkpoint backup is a special backup of the Avamar checkpoint stored on the Data Domain.
Checkpoint backups are only available for single-node Avamar and Avamar Virtual Edition (AVE).
With an attached Data Domain, you can go to the Avamar User Interface (AUI) -> System -> Data Domain -> Edit -> Use as target for Avamar Checkpoint Backups.

From the Avamar, list the available checkpoint backups with the following command:
ddrmaint cp-backup-list --ddr-server=<dd hostname/ip> --ddr-user-name=<ddboost username> --ddr-password=<ddboost user password>
Example:
ddrmaint cp-backup-list --ddr-server=ddve-v713 --ddr-user-name=ddboost --ddr-password=DellPassword cp.20241105150114 2024-11-05 12:20:23 ------- --- --- partitions 3 avamar-1709325232 ave-v1910 cp.20241105150405 2024-11-05 12:22:21 ------- --- --- partitions 3 avamar-1709325232 ave-v1910
Identify the Avamar hfscreate time from the Avamar command line.
avmaint hfscreate
To check the checkpoint backup contents on Data Domain, enter bash mode on Data Domain and mount the file system with the hfscreate value from above.
mount localhost:/data/col1/avamar-<hfscreate> /data
List the checkpoint backup directories.
ls -ltr /data/GSAN/
The following is an example of a checkpoint backup directory.
!!!! ddve-v713 YOUR DATA IS IN DANGER !!!! # ls -ltr /data/GSAN/cp.20241105150405 total 1339 -rw-rw-rw- 1 ddboost admin 520 Nov 5 10:22 gsanbackup.xml -rw-rw-rw- 1 ddboost admin 3003 Nov 5 10:22 ddr_info drwxrwxrwx 2 ddboost admin 15970 Nov 5 10:22 data03 drwxrwxrwx 2 ddboost admin 15625 Nov 5 10:22 data02 drwxrwxrwx 2 ddboost admin 23402 Nov 5 10:22 data01 -rw-rw-rw- 1 ddboost admin 1310720 Nov 5 10:22 backupupgradefiles.tar
Remember to unmount the file system.
umount /data
The following command is used to take a manual checkpoint backup.
cpbackup --cptag <checkpoint>
The checkpoint value can be found by listing all checkpoints on the Avamar.
cplist
Example:
cpbackup --cptag cp.20241105150405