On 28 Apr 2007 03:46:07 -0700, Raju Mahala
wrote:

>We have Veritas Netbackup server with NDMP support. Tape library is
>directly attached to the Netapp box and configuration has done at
>Netbackup server. NetApp box is serving NFS, CIFS, and iSCSI data.We
>want to take backup of these data directly from Netapp to Tape.
>Its ok for NFS and CIFS but not sure, how to do for iSCSI luns.
>My queries are :
>1) Is there any way to take iSCSI raw backup through NDMP directly
>from NetApp
>2) NDMP backed up at file level. does NDMP support block level backup
>also ?
>
>- Raju


NDMP is a command protocol only, not a transport or backup protocol.
Dump is what is used by NetApp to do backups like this and it does not
support block level, file only.

To do this automatically you need Snapdrive on a client to manage the
snapshots for the LUN. WIth it, you can create consistent snapshots
that can then be backed up via dump with NDMP. You can also do it
manually if you can afford the downtime for each backup (you'd have to
quiesce the LUN manually with either offline or halt the app using
it).

~F

> NDMP is a command protocol only, not a transport or backup
protocol.
> Dump is what is used by NetApp to do backups like this and it does not
> support block level, file only.
>
> To do this automatically you need Snapdrive on a client to manage the
> snapshots for the LUN. WIth it, you can create consistent snapshots
> that can then be backed up via dump with NDMP. You can also do it
> manually if you can afford the downtime for each backup (you'd have to
> quiesce the LUN manually with either offline or halt the app using
> it).
>
> ~F

great !!!!
But my goal is that Netbackup server initiates backup through NDMP and
data transfers happens directly from NetApp to Tape library which is
directly attached to the Filer. So can you explain how it is achieved
either by help of Snapdrive or without it. As I feel that at filer end
LUN is a raw device so how data can flow from filer to tape. Is
Snapdrive help in this ? if yes then please explain how ?

Thanks
-Raju

On 30 Apr 2007 09:14:10 -0700, Raju Mahala
wrote:

> > NDMP is a command protocol only, not a transport or backup
>protocol.
>> Dump is what is used by NetApp to do backups like this and it does not
>> support block level, file only.
>>
>> To do this automatically you need Snapdrive on a client to manage the
>> snapshots for the LUN. WIth it, you can create consistent snapshots
>> that can then be backed up via dump with NDMP. You can also do it
>> manually if you can afford the downtime for each backup (you'd have to
>> quiesce the LUN manually with either offline or halt the app using
>> it).
>>
>> ~F
>
>great !!!!
>But my goal is that Netbackup server initiates backup through NDMP and
>data transfers happens directly from NetApp to Tape library which is
>directly attached to the Filer. So can you explain how it is achieved
>either by help of Snapdrive or without it. As I feel that at filer end
>LUN is a raw device so how data can flow from filer to tape. Is
>Snapdrive help in this ? if yes then please explain how ?
>
>Thanks
>-Raju

For detailed explanation you should really be talking to NetApp. They
are, after all, the experts on their products.

The LUN is simply a file to WAFL. So once you have a consistent
snapshot of the LUN it is backed up as a single file to tape.

~F