Understanding the BP.INI file

The BP.INI file is divided into sections and each section is formatted as follows:

[section name]

parameter name = value

[section name]
Identifies the start of a new configuration file section.
parameter name
Identifies the name of a configuration file parameter.
value
Specifies the value to be set for the associated configuration file parameter.

The following describes each section of the file except [oftb]. Parameters and values for this section are described in Setting Open File Backup Option parameters. An example file follows these descriptions.

[bp] section

ClientName

Specifies the name of the client as specified during installation. This name must match that in the NetBackup master server policy configuration.

List_Files_Timeout

Specifies the number of seconds to wait for a response from the NetBackup server when listing files. If this amount of time is exceeded, the user receives the error “socket read failed” even though the server may still be processing the user's request.

The default value is 300 seconds.

Restore_Retries

Specifies the number of times to retry a restore after a failure.

The default is 0 (no retries).

Time_Overlap

Specifies the number of minutes added to the date range for incremental backups when using date-based backups. This value can be used to compensate for differences in the speed of the clock between the client and server.

The default is 60 minutes.

Buffer_Size

Specifies the size of the TCP/IP buffers that are used to transfer data between the NetBackup server and client. The size is specified in kilobytes. For example, specify 10 for a buffer size of 10 kilobytes.

The minimum allowable value is 2. If you specify a number less than 2, Buffer_Size will be set to 2.

The default is 32.

Use_Archive_Bit

Specifies whether incremental backups are done based on the archive bit. Supported values are as follows:

yes, which specifies that files are backed up using the archive bit

no, which specifies that files are backed up using the datetime stamp

The default is yes.

Clear_Archive_Bit_Incr_Wait

The value indicates how long (in seconds) the client will wait for acknowledgment from the server that the backup was successful before clearing the archive bits. If the server does not reply within this time period, the archive bits are not cleared.

Allow_Server_Write

Specifies whether the system administrator can initiate a restore from the NetBackup server to this client. The supported values are as follows:

yes, which allows the system administrator to initiate a restore

no, which prohibits the system administrator from initiating a restore

The default is yes.

Case_Sensitive_Exclude_List

This parameter is not used in this release of NetBackup.

Perform_Default_Search

Specifies whether a search is automatically performed for restored files and folders when the Restore window is opened. Supported values are as follows:

Yes, which means that a search for restored files and folders is performed automatically when the Restore window is opened. This is default.

No, which means that a search for restore files and folders is not automatically performed when the Restore window is opened. The files and folders are not displayed until a manual search is performed.

Accumulate_Files

This parameter is not used by the NetWare Client.

User_Directed_Timeout

Specifies the amount of time that the client waits for the server to reply back.

The default is 60 seconds.

Keep_Logs_Days=5

Specifies how long progress logs are kept on the NetWare Client.

Announce_DHCP_Interval

This parameter is not used in this release of NetBackup.

Allow_Non_Reserved_Ports

Specifies that NetBackup can use ports 1025 through 5000. This option can be required in order to back up a client that is on the other side of a firewall from the NetBackup server (the firewall must also permit the use of ports 1025 through 5000).

Note: The NetWare Client now supports the use of the VNETD daemon for minimal port usage. However, the NetWare Client still initiates its own connect-back connections to the server, and does not support newer functionality of all connections being initiated by the server. If a server attempts to configure the NetWare Client to initiate all connections at the server, a message will be sent telling the server to revert to original VNETD functionality for the particular client.

In addition to adding Allow_Non_Reserved_Ports to the client, execute the following commands as root on the master server:

UNIX server:

cd /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd 
./bpclient -client client_name -add -connect_nr_port 1 

Windows NT server:

cd install_path/netbackup/bin/admincmd 
bpclient -client client_name -add -connect_nr_port 1 

Where client_name is the name of the client to which you added the Allow_Non_Reserved_Ports option. On Windows NT, install_path is the directory where NetBackup is installed.

NW_Migrated_Files

Specifies whether or not migrated files are migrated back in during a backup. The default is no.

NW_Uncompressed

Specifies whether or not compressed files are decompressed during a backup. The default is no.

Version

Specifies the NetBackup release level that was installed on this computer. Do not modify this value.

Error_Messages_Max

Specifies how many times the same message should be logged in the debug logs during a backup or restore. If the messages occur more times than the parameters set, the messages occurring after the specified value are not logged.

Generate_English_Logs

This value is not used by the NetWare Client.

[exclude] section

This section is not used by the NetWare Client.

[include] section

This section is not used by the NetWare Client.

[servers] section

Specifies the hosts that can be a NetBackup server for this client. The master server must be first in the list.

[clients] section

Specifies the names of the clients whose backup images you can browse for files to restore. The NetBackup master server administrator must provide you permission to browse and restore from any client other than the one from which you are running NetBackup.

[tcpip] section

bpcd

Specifies the port number that the NetBackup client NLM on the NetWare file server uses to receive communications from the NetBackup server. Always use the default value unless the system administrator on the master server has told you to change it.

The default is 13782.

bprd

Specifies the port number used by the NetBackup request daemon, bprd, which executes on the master server. Client requests go to bprd on the master server. Always use the default value unless the system administrator on the master server has told you to change it.

The default is 13720.

port_minimum

Specifies the minimum value that a nonreserved port can have.

port_maximum

Specifies the maximum value that a nonreserved port can have.

port_minimum_reserved

Specifies the minimum value that a reserved port can have.

port_maximum_reserved

Specifies the maximum value that a reserved port can have.

Required_Interface

This parameter is not used by the NetWare Client.

[user] section

Archive_Class

This parameter is not used by the NetWare Client.

Archive_Sched

This parameter is not used by the NetWare Client.

Backup_Class

Specifies the policy name to use for user-directed backups. This parameter is used only on the client. The default is to use the first policy found that contains the client and a user-directed backup schedule.

Backup_Sched

Specifies the schedule name to use for user-directed backups. This parameter is used only on the client. The default is to use the first user-directed backup schedule in the first policy found that contains the client and a user-directed backup schedule.

Resource

Shows the resource that can be selected for scheduled backups. This information is added through the Allow Scheduled Access option on the NetWare NonTarget Browser (see Configuring resources).

Namespace

Shows the namespace for the listed resource. The possible values are as follows: No Namespaces, Directory Namespace, DOS Namespace, FTAM Namespace, NFS Namespace, MAC Namespace, OS2 (Long) Namespace. This information is added through the Allow Scheduled Access option on the NetWare NonTarget Browser (see Configuring resources).

UserName

Shows the user name that the server will use to back up the resource. This information is added through the Allow Scheduled Access option on the NetWare NonTarget Browser (see Configuring resources).

Password

Maintains an encrypted record of the password the server will use to back up the resource. This information is added through the Allow Scheduled Access option on the NetWare NonTarget Browser (see Configuring resources).

Note: For each resource that the NetBackup master has been given access to perform scheduled backups, a Resource, Namespace, UserName, and Password parameter appears in the bp.ini file.
[debug] section

The parameters in this section control the amount of information that NetBackup writes to its BP and BPCD debug logs created during the install and stored in SYS:\VERITAS\NBUCLT\NETBACK\LOGS. These parameters should only be changed if asked to do so by technical support.

BP logs have information about user operations, such as backups and restores.

BPCD logs have information about the NetBackup client NLM (Netware Loadable Module).

See Using log files or refer to the NetBackup Administrator's Guide, Volume I for more information on using debug logs.

Note: Debug logs can consume a lot of disk space. Delete them when they are no longer needed.
flush
Controls the level at which the log files are flushed, or committed from memory to disk. The higher the flush level the more often the log file is flushed. Supported values are 0, 1, or 2. The default is 0.
heap
This parameter is not used in this release of NetBackup.
level
Sets the debug level. Supported values are 0, 1, or 2. The higher the level, the more information that is written to the log files. The default is 0.
Note: Setting level to 1 or 2 can cause the log files to be very large.
tcp
This is used for debug purposes and enables tcp debugging. Supported values are as follows:
0 - No extra logging.
1 - Log basic tcp/ip functions.
2 - Log all tcp/ip functions including all read and write requests.
3 - Log contents of each read/write buffer.
Note: Setting tcp to 2 or 3 can cause the log files to be very large.
[encryption] section

This section is not used by the NetWare Client.

[compress] section

Use

If set to 1 the client will compress data during backup even though compression may not be set in the policy.

Buffer_Size

Controls the size of the internal buffers that are used for compression. This field should not be changed by the user.

Minimum_Size

Controls the minimum size that a file must be in order for it to be compressed.


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