Recommended Catalog Backup Methods

Depending on available storage devices, VERITAS recommends the following methods for backing up catalogs:

1. If you have a robot or a tape stacker, use this automated device to store catalog backups. NetBackup automatically finds the volume devoted to catalog backups if it is in the robot or tape stacker when the backup is started.
2. If no robot or tape stacker is available, use a standalone storage device that you can devote to catalog backups.
3. If you have only one standalone drive and no robot or tape stacker, the most convenient method is to send your catalog backups to a hard drive. The hard drive that you use for your catalog backup must be different than the hard drive where your catalogs reside.

   By default, the catalogs are stored in the following locations, so if you use this method, the destination of your catalog backup must be on a different drive:

   install_path\NetBackup\db

   install_path\Volmgr\database

   install_path\NetBackup\var

   Where the default install_path is C:\Program Files\VERITAS

   You can also back up the catalogs to a share on another host. This share must be available to the service account that the NetBackup Client service logs into at startup. By default, the startup account is set to System. To specify another account, start the Services application in the Control Panel. Then, select the NetBackup Client service, click the Startup button, and specify the desired account.

4. If you have only one standalone drive (no robot or tape stacker) and there is not enough space available on a different hard drive, you must back up your catalogs to the same tape drive as the backups of your business data. This involves swapping tapes in and out of the drive each time the catalogs are backed up.

   Swapping tapes is inconvenient but required because NetBackup will not place catalog backups and the backups of your business data on the same tape.