DPM–How to Recatalog and Import Expire Data from Tape

Today I’m sharing the method on how you can import the expire data from the tape which was back up using DPM.

The scenario is the following :

What if I want just one file and not the entire 800GB ? I cannot see an
option to import the catalog. There is "Recatalog imported tape", but this is
not available.

The following steps can be carried out :

• Mark Tape as Free (Contain Data)
• Unmark tape as Free
• Import Catalog
• Click on Recovery Tab
• Scroll down to External DPM Tapes and select for restore.  Can select the individual file to restore and not need to restore the entire tape.

Note : The restore to original location was greyed, but could use alternate location and browse to same location.

Thank you and hope the steps above helps you.

Keywords : DPM, Data restore from expire tape, data from expire tapes, recovery from tape that expires, Recatalog DPM , import catalog from tape

DPM–How to Import External Tapes

Today I’m going to share with you a scenario on how to import the tapes for restore. 

Currently the backup to tape is from DPM 2007.  Then there’s a new DPM 2010 that has just been freshly set up.  One of the requirement is to read from the tapes and restore the content from the tapes.

The media is not barcoded however the new tape library that is attached to the new DPM 2010 has the capability to read barcoded tape media.

So, I’ll insert those tapes that is backup from the DPM 2007 into the new tape library.  It’s an IBM Tape Library.

Let’s say I want to read and restore from Tape in Slot 14.  The tape library should have the IP address for Management.  Once I can access through the web, then I perform the following :

• Expand the Manage Library
• Select Move Media
• Select the Source
• Select the Destination (in here I select it as Drive 1)
• Click Move.

Expand the Monitor Library, then select Drive Status to see the status of the tape loaded into the Drive.

Then launch the DPM 2010 Administrator Console.  Select the Management tab and click Libraries in the sub-tab.

Click on Inventory library ….

Click Start in the Inventory Library pop-up.

Once the inventory is completed, click on Recatalog imported tape.

Click Yes to proceed with the recatalog.

The status shown above as Recataloging in progress.

Once that is completed, now click on the View tape contents in the right panel.

Then select the files that is needed to be restore.  In this case, a network share or the local DPM server drive would do. Then press Copy…

Click OK.

Now the data is restored and I can copy it to a development server for testing.

Note : If the tape is encrypted, there’s an extra step to carry out.  Need to import the certificate for the DPM 2007 to the new DPM 2010 before the tape can be read.

Thank you and hope this helps you.

keyword : Tape Library, import tape from different DPM to another, DPM 2007, DPM 2010, Data Protection Manager 2007, Data Protection Manager 2010, Bar code tape, none bar code tape, IBM TS3100 , IBM TS3200, importing data from different DPM Data Protection Manager.

Disk to VHD (for Simulating before Actual Deployment)

Today I would like to share with you one of the great tool for converting the current physical server to Virtual Hard Disk (VHD).  This may be an old tool but it serve the purpose.

I’ve a scenario, that I have to do a testing upgrading the current DPM 2007 to DPM 2010.  I do not have the luxury of another similar physical server for me to do a clone.  Therefore, I get the recommendation to convert it to VHD and add it into the Hyper-V as a VM.

The tool is called Disk2vhd v1.63.  More information on the tool and is downloadable is in this link.

This tool can run online and uses the VSS technology to capture the point-in-time snapshots of the volumes and convert into VHD( s) on the physical machine. 

Once it’s converted, then use the Microsoft Hyper-V and attach the VHD.  Perform the upgrade and find if there’s any issue before doing the actual upgrade in the physical server.

Thank you and hope this helps you as it helps me.

keywords : DPM 2010; DPM 2007, Physical to virtual, P2V,

DPM–Tape Media Issue “suspect”

Sometimes we may hit the issue when we introduce a new tape library or a combination of different tape types to the tape Library.

Therefore you’ll have to key in the line below from command prompt.

For DPM 2010

osql -E -S localhost\MSDPM2010 -d DPMDB -Q "UPDATE tbl_MM_ArchiveMedia SET IsSuspect = 0"

 

For DPM 2007

osql -E -S localhost\MS$DPM2007$ -d DPMDB -Q "UPDATE tbl_MM_ArchiveMedia SET IsSuspect = 0"

 

Then do a refresh and rescan in the Tape Inventory from the DPM 2010 console.  This should free up the tape and mark it as : “Free Tape”

Thank you and hope it helps you.

keyword : osql, tbl, suspect tape media, free up tape,

DPM–How to view DPM Backup Network Path Sequence

Ever wonder after executing the Add-BackupNetworkAddress command, now you would like to view the sequence ? 

Not to worry.

The following steps will take you there.

• Launch the DPM PowerShell
• key in Get-BackupNetworkAddress and hit <Enter>
• It will display as below of the sequence of the preferred network path for backup.

Hope this information helps you as much as I share.

keywords : Add-BackupNetworkAddress, Get-BackupNetworkAddress, view network path, view backup sequence, DPM backup sequence backup path

DPM–How to force to use alternate Path for Backup (Backup VLAN)

 

FIGURE 1 : Backup Recommendations

In most of the scenario, usually the Servers will have only a single network card.  However in Best Practice, it’s best to have 2 network cards at least.  One for the Production and another one for the BACKUP VLAN.  This way it will definitely improve the performance of the backup and will not interrupt the Production network.

As the above in FIGURE 1 shown, a second network card has been added to all the protected servers and the DPM server.

The vLANS are as follow :

Server	Production NIC	Backup NIC	Subnet
DPM Server (DPMSRV1)	10.242.51.13	192.168.1.13	255.255.255.0
Protected Server 1	10.242.51.101	192.168.1.101	255.255.255.0
Protected Server 2	10.242.51.102	192.168.1.102	255.255.255.0
Protected Server 3	10.242.51.103	192.168.1.103	255.255.255.0

Now I would like to force the backup to go through the Backup vLAN which is the 192.168.1.x

Step 1

• Once the Network cards are configured with IP address, do a nslookup.
• From the DPM Server, ping the Protected Server through the 192.168.1.x IP address. 
• Then ping from the Protected Server to the DPM Server through the 192.168.1.x IP address too.
• Check if the 192.168.1.x IP address have reported to the DNS Server.  By right there should be 2 entries for each server.  1 is the Production VLAN and another is the Backup VLAN.
• The Backup VLAN is best to be isolated and ONLY backup traffic travels through the BACK VLAN
• If there’s no DNS, then you may opt for editing an entry in the host file in the Protected Servers and the DPM Server.

Step 2

• The following information of the DPM Server name:
  Server Name : DPMSRV1
• In the DPM server launch the DPM Management Shell which is the PowerShell command.
• The following information I will key in the PowerShell is as follow to force 1st priority for backup job packets to travel in is :
  Add-BackupNetworkAddress –DpmServername DPMSRV1 –Address 192.168.1.0/24 –SequenceNumber 1
• Note that the PowerShell command line as above, the only thing you need to change is in PINK in colour.  One is the DPM Server Name and another is the Backup VLAN segment.

Step 3

• This step is optional but you can add in as a precaution, just in case the Backup VLAN is removed.
• Same step, in the DPM Server, from the PowerShell key in as follow :
  Add-BackupNetworkAddress –DpmServername DPMSRV1 –Address 10.242.51.0/24 –SequenceNumber 2
• As you can see that priority is Sequence Number is number 2.  This means that the backup will continue even though the Backup VLAN has failed.

Step 4

• Restart the DPM Server Services & the Protected Server Services by the following in command prompt.
  • net stop dpmra
  • net start dpmra
• Trigger the backup task from the DPM server
• Check that the network packets are travelling through the Backup NIC through the Task Manager – Networking.

The information can also be found in MS Technet.

Thank you and hope this helps you as it helps me.

keywords : Using Backup Network Address, alternate network backup path, backup VLAN, DPM backup VLAN, how to backup through a different network path with DPM.