Dell NetWorker 19.9 Administration Guide

Save set requirements for synthetic full backups

All save sets participating in the construction of a synthetic full save set must meet the following requirements:

• Be file system save sets.
• Retain the same client name and save set name during the incremental and full backups that combine to form the synthetic full backup.
• Be browsable in the online index.
• Be created with NetWorker 8.0 or later.

Do not perform synthetic full backups with the following types of save sets:

• NDMP, SCSI, VCB, or snapshot save sets.
• Save sets that contain backups of raw disk file partitions.
• Save sets that contain database systems such as Microsoft Exchange and Oracle.
• Save sets where the backup command with save is not used.

• The Save set attribute for the client resource contains the DISASTER RECOVERY:\ save set or the ALL save set on Windows.

  When you use the ALL save set with synthetic full and virtual synthetic full backups, the noncritical volumes save successfully. However, critical volumes including DISASTER_RECOVERY:\ are not backed up. The nsrconsolidate() command is unable to process the DISASTER_RECOVERY:\ save set. The client then runs a traditional full backup for the DISASTER_RECOVERY:\ save set.

Backups that are performed during a checkpoint restart might be in a synthetic full backup, if the other requirements for synthetic full backups are met.

For UNIX clients, include the forward slash to designate root (/) when specifying a save set name for the client resource. Otherwise, the synthetic full backup fails. For example, specify /tmp instead of tmp.

For Windows clients, include the backslash (\) when specifying a drive letter in a save set name for the client resource. Otherwise, the synthetic full backup fails. For example, specify D:\ instead of D:.