Source:NetApp Storage Snapshots Backup

Overview

As of version 4.4.3 Grolar, it is possible to use NetApp volume-based snapshots as a backup target.

SEP sesam has the capability to utilize hardware storage snapshots for backup. NetApp snasphots are extremely efficient wih almost no I/O overhead and allow storing up to 255 snapshot copies per WAFL volume. Typically, they are used to maintain low-impact recoverable copies of files, directory hierarchies, LUNs, and/or application data.

A snapshot is a not an actual, but a virtual copy of the data. Typically, multiple snapshots are created at different points in time to present multiple virtual views of the file system at certain time. However, the snapshots are stored at the same location as the original data and therefore completely dependable on the reliability of the source. If anything happens to the volume on which a snapshot resides, the snapshot is no longer useful.

SEP sesam provides backup and restore integration built on NetApp Snapshot copies. You need to configure a NetApp Snap Store to use hardware snapshots as usual backups (and be able to restore the system using the snapshots). By using NetApp snapshots backup, SEP sesam provides low impact backups and enables quick and simple restore of individual files. Note that the snapshots are a backup source and target at the same time, so it is very important that you have an effective backup strategy in place.

Prerequisites

• SEP sesam Server version 4.4.3 Grolar or higher. Check Hardware requirements for SEP sesam Server or RDS.
• SEP sesam data mover for NetApp on Linux. For details, see SEP sesam data mover for NetApp (SDM-NA).
• Make sure that a data mover is able to mount volumes via NFS.

License requirements

This functionality requires SEP sesam NDMP agent for NetApp license.

Configuration steps

1. Create a new data store with type NetApp Snap Store. The data store is created on SEP sesam Server with fixed values and used to save meta data only.
2. Create at least one media pool for this data store.
3. Add a NetApp server as a SEP sesam client with platform NDMP and operating system NetApp.
4. Configure a backup for the NetApp snapshots:
   • In the backup task, use task type NetApp (not NDMP).
   • In the backup event, select the media pool configured for NetApp Snap Store.

Configuring a NetApp Snap Store

SEP sesam NetApp Snap Store is a special data store type optimized for storing backups of hardware snapshots. Note that a special drive is required for every NetApp volume, but you only have to create one NetApp Snap Store for all your NetApp snapshots. Snap store is created on SEP sesam Server with fixed values and only used to save meta data.

1. In the Main selection -> Components, click Data stores to display the data store contents frame.
2. From the Data stores menu, select New data store. A New data store dialog appears.
3. In the Name field, enter a name for your NetApp Snap Store.
4. From the Store type drop-down list, select NetApp Snap Store.


5. Make sure that the option Create Drive is checked under the Drive parameter properties. The predefined value for the drive is automatically added to the Drive number field.
6. Select Create new drive group and enter the name for your NetApp Snap Store dedicated group.
7. The predefined number of channels is already displayed in the Max. channels drop-down list which is not editable. The number of available channels depends on your SEP sesam Server package. (For example, Standard license supports 5 concurrent streams, enabling 5 backup processes to run simultaneously.) For more details, see Licensing.
   
8. Under the Size properties, specify or modify the following:
   • Capacity: Specify the size (in GIB) of the partition for backups.
   • High watermark: Specify the value (in GIB) for the high watermark (HWM). The HWM defines the upper value for used disk space. When this value is reached, a purge process is triggered for all EOL-free (End-of-lifetime) save sets, thus freeing up the capacity of the data store.
   • Low watermark: Specify the value 0. Note that 0 (zero) is the only allowed value for the data store type NetApp Snap Store.

The Disk space usage properties are used by SEP sesam to report the following:

• Used: Total used space on the partition.
• Total: Maximum available space on the partition as reported by the operating system.
• Free: Available disk space for SEP sesam.

After configuring a data store for NetApp, you will be prompted to configure a media pool. Note that you have to create at least one dedicated media pool for NetApp Snap Store which will be used for backing up to disks (disk storage). You can also configure a media pool later from Main Selection -> Media Pools -> New Media Pool.

Configuring a NetApp-related media pool

In the Media Pool window, specify the required fields:

• Name: Specify a name of a media pool, for example, NetApp_day (for daily backups), NetApp_week (for weekly backups), etc.
• Drive Group: From the drop-down list of all available drive groups, select previously created NetApp drive group to which a media pool will be attached. For details on drive groups, see Drives.
• Retention time [Days]: Specify the retention time for a media pool. The retention time period starts with the date a snapshot is written to the media and lasts for the period defined by media pool's EOL (in days). When the protection expires, expired snapshots are removed. For details, see Media pool EOL.
  Click OK.

	Tip
	You can check which media pools are configured with a data store in the data store properties: from Main Selection -> Data Stores -> double-click the NetApp Snap Store -> select the Areas tab. By clicking the media pool in the list, its properties are displayed.

Adding the NetApp server as a SEP sesam client

1. In the Main selection -> Components -> Topology, select the desired location and then click New client. Enter the name of your NetApp server. The name has to be resolvable either by DNS or hosts file.
2. From the Platform drop-down list, select NDMP.
NetApp is selected automatically as the Operating system and PROXY communication method is set by default in the Access mode.


3. Then switch to the NDMP Access and configure the access by setting the user name and password and selecting your SEP sesam Server as data mover.

Configuring NetApp snapshot backup

Once you have configured the NetApp Snap Store and dedicated media pool(s) and your NetApp server is a part of SEP sesam environment, configure NetApp snapshot backup. You must create a backup task (select a volume to be backed up), then set up a backup schedule (specify when you want to back up your data) and link a backup event to it (specify how to back up the data and where to back it up to). For general details on how to configure a backup and its prerequisites, see Standard Backup Procedure. However, configuring a NetApp backup differs slightly from the standard procedure and requires some NetApp-specific steps, which are described below.

	Note
	A backup task can only back up one volume at a time. If you want to back up multiple volumes, you have to create a backup task for each volume separately and then group the tasks using a task group.

1. In the Main Selection -> Tasks -> By clients, select the NetApp client and then click New backup task. The New backup task window appears.
2. Specify the Source. Browse the NetApp system by clicking the Browse button (big arrow) and select a volume to be backed up from the list of volumes. You cannot back up multiple volumes with one backup task, therefore you have to create a backup task for each volume.
   By selecting the source, the backup type NetApp and task name are set automatically.
3. Optionally, click the corresponding tabs in the New backup task window to define additional options. Then click OK to create the task.
   
   
4. Configure a schedule for your backup task, as explained in Creating a schedule. You can also use any already existing schedule (you have configured before) to link it to a backup event.
5. In the Main Selection -> Scheduling select the schedule you want to use for the NetApp backup, then click New Backup Event. Note that COPY is the only supported backup level for backing up to NetApp Snap Store. For more information on configuring a backup event and available options, see Creating a backup event.
6. From the Media pool drop-down list, select the NetApp media pool which you have configured for NetApp Snap Store.
7. Specify the drive number of the drive that will be used to write the data. Note that each NetApp volume requires one configured drive.
8. Under Object, select the NetApp task to which you want to link this event.

	Tip
	You can use the Follow-up Event field to configure additional events, such as migration, to be triggered on the SEP sesam Server once the initial event has completed. For details, see Follow-up events.

You can view the status of your backup jobs by selecting Last backup state in the Main selection window. The backup status overview provides detailed information on the last run of backup jobs, including the task name, start and stop time of the last backup, backup level, data size, throughput, assigned media pool, etc.