Asset type wizard screen

Select the type of client component for Snapshot Client to back up. The component is referred to as an asset. An asset can be a file system, raw partition, volume, or database. The component you select helps determine which type of snapshot method is used to create the snapshot (file system snapshot, volume snapshot, and so forth).

You can choose the asset type as follows:

If you want a snapshot of a database, select Database.
If the data is not configured in a database or file system or logical volume, select raw partition (UNIX only). (See the following exceptions.)
Otherwise, select the highest level asset that you want to back up. If the data is in a file system over a logical volume, select file system as the type. If the data is in a logical volume but not in a file system, select Disk volume.

The details on each asset type are as follows:

File system

For a file system snapshot. From the pull-down, select one of the following types:

Veritas File System

For the VxFS file system.

Native file system

For a file system unique to the client's operating system, such as the UFS file system for Solaris.

NAS (Network Attached Storage) file system

For client data that resides on a NAS filer (NDMP host).

Raw partition

For a snapshot of a raw partition. Example situations when a raw partition backup is appropriate are as follows:

The client's disks are used in raw mode with no file system.
The client's data is in a file system that NetBackup does not support, or the file system is unknown.
You do not have the NetBackup add-on database software, such as the Oracle database agent software. The client's data is in a database that NetBackup does not support or in a supported database.
You want to back up a disk partition or entire disk. Since the overhead to back up the file system is bypassed, a raw-partition backup is usually faster when you back up an entire disk.

Note:

A disadvantage to raw partition backup is that you must restore the entire partition to recover files. This requirement is not true of FlashBackup (a feature of Snapshot Client). FlashBackup requires that the raw partition has a file system over it. The next screen of the wizard lets you select FlashBackup.

Disk volume

For a volume snapshot. From the pull-down, select one of the following types:

Veritas Volume Manager volume

For data that is configured in VxVM volumes. Note that VxVM can coordinate snapshot creation with the file system (lock and flush).You can select Volume Manager volume as the asset type even if the data is configured in a VxVM volume and a file system.

Hardware array volume

For data that is configured in the volumes that are unique to particular disk arrays, such as EMC, Hitachi, and HP arrays. A list of supported arrays is available.

See the NetBackup 6.5 Snapshot Client Configuration document, at:

http://entsupport.symantec.com/docs/288300.

Database (choose if a NetBackup database agent protects the asset)

Select one of the following:

Oracle Database

For data in an Oracle database (requires NetBackup for Oracle software).

DB2 Database

For data in a DB2 database (requires NetBackup for DB2 software).

MS SQL Database

For data in a SQL database (requires NetBackup for SQL software).

MS Exchange Database

For data in an Exchange database (requires NetBackup for Exchange software).

To use block-level incremental backup (BLIB), select the following option:

The Oracle database is hundreds of gigabytes or larger and less than 10% of the data changes per day.

If only a small portion of the client's Oracle data changes daily, NetBackup uses VxFS Storage Checkpoint technology to perform backups at the file system block level. Only the changed blocks are backed up (not the changed files), which saves disk space and reduces I/O overhead.

The data to be protected resides on volumes that are replicated with Veritas Volume Replicator

For data that is configured in VxVM volumes that are replicated to another host by means of the Veritas Volume Replicator.