Dell NetWorker 19.9 Administration Guide

Server database backup

A server database backup action performs a bootstrap backup and can also include the client file indexes.

A bootstrap backup contains the following NetWorker server components:

• Media database
• Server resource files. For example, the resource (res) database and the Package Manager database (nsrcpd)
• NetWorker Authentication Service database

NetWorker automatically creates a server backup action in the Server Backup workflow of the Server Protection policy. By default, a full backup of the media database, resource files, and the NetWorker Authentication Service database occurs daily. A full backup of the client file indexes occur on the first day of the month. An incremental backup of the client file indexes occur on the remaining days of the month. The default retention policy for the server database backup is one month.

Expiration

The expiration action expires save sets in the media database based on retention time of the save set. When the retention time of the save set has been reached, NetWorker uses the nsrim process to expire the save set. When a save set expires, the nsrim process performs the following actions:

• Removes information about the save set from the client file index.
• If the save set data resides on an AFTD, removes the save set information from the media database and removes the save set data from the AFTD.
• If the save set data resides on a tape device, the nsrim process marks the save set as recyclable in the media database. When all save sets on a tape volume have expired, the volume is eligible for reuse.
• If the disk type (AFTD and DD Boost) volume is marked read-only, nsrim does not reclaim or recover the space by deleting expired save sets.
• The data audit file logs nsrim invocation method by CLI or NMC/NWUI along with deleted ssid/cloneid details.
• If there is a save set record in media database with no corresponding data on disk called as orphaned save set records, the save set record is marked as suspect.
• If there is a save set data on disk with no corresponding record in media database (called as detached save set file), nsrsnmd removes the save set data from the device when recover space operation is run.

An expiration action is created automatically in the Server maintenance workflow of the Server Protection policy. An expiration action only supports Execute and Skip backup levels.

Orphaned save sets

If there is a save set record in media database with no corresponding data on disk (called as orphaned save set records), nsrim marks that save set record as suspect once the recover space operation is run for the corresponding device. Even if the nsrsnmd service runs, it marks the save set only when recover space operation is run for the corresponding device. However, there is no definite time when the space recovery might happen.

Detached save set file

If there is a save set data on disk (AFTD and DD) with no corresponding record in media database (called as detached save set file), nsrsnmd removes the save set data from the device when the recover space operation is run.

Clone

A clone action creates a copy of one or more save sets. Cloning enables secure offsite storage, the transfer of data from one location to another, and the verification of backups.

You can configure a clone action to occur after a backup in a single workflow, or concurrently with a backup action in a single workflow. You can use save set and query groups to define a specific list of save sets to clone, in a separate workflow.