With only 3 platforms and 30 clients, how many clients do you have? :-)

With "keep it simple" in mind, I would want to start completely fresh at
the backup server. A lot has happened to NetBackup since v4.5, so build
your new policies to the strengths of the new NetBackup. For example,
consider (1) minimizing the number of policies you have and (2) enabling
newer technologies such as checkpoint, calendar-based scheduling, etc.

If you don't have to drag old data to the new system, your new
installation code and data will be fresh and clean, and you can spend
time concentrating on features, reliability, automation, and disaster
recovery, instead of migrating data and NetBackup structures 2 versions
apart. Just a thought.

In any event, do the backup server first, then upgrade the clients. I
might be tempted to keep my v4.5 clients in different policies from the
v6.0 clients, but that's just me, not anything I've heard from
Veritas/Symantec. Also, with only 30 clients, I'd uninstall v4.5 client
software and then do an install of the 6.0 client. On the Windows
boxes, stop the client service before upgrade/uninstall may help, but
going from the the v4.5 Windows Open File method to the newer (v5, v5.1
& v6.0 "VSP" method *will* require a reboot anyway.

Finally, when you run anything "NetBackup", never run the "GA" version
installed from the CD, but immediately upgrade to the latest Maintenance
Pack (MPn).

cheers, wayne

jsterck wrote, in part, on 5/15/2006 5:35 PM:
> Hi there. I "inherited" a NB environment and I would like to get things cleaned
> up. My current environment is NB 4.5GA with 28-30 clients (2 linux, 6 windows,
> and 20 solaris), all client versions are 4.5. its a simple envorinment.
> 1 Master server (which is media server as well).
>
> I have built a new w2k3 server with NB 6.0MP1. I ultimately would like to
> migrate all the policies from the old box to the new box. But from what
> I understand, NB 4.5 is not compat with NB 6.
>
> I have access to a copy of NB 5. What would be my best migration path from
> 4.5-> 6.0.. This inlcudes master server and clients. From my guess, it would
> be to upgrade the 4.5 master server to 5, but I am unsure if I am going to
> run into issues with the old clients. Once I get things working on 5, move
> everthing to the 6 server.
>
> Any suggestions? Im by no means an expert at NB.. so details will help!