Backup on a budget
Richard S. Stefka
Published: 01 Oct 2002 12:13 BST
Figure A shows a high-level view of the architecture used for the separate backup network. Each server had two network interface cards (NICs), one for the backup network and a second for the front-end network. Figure A shows how the backup server could also access those special servers, like Exchange, that needed to be backed up over the front-end network and also the placement of the Exchange restore server. It also shows the relationship of the backup and front-end networks.
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The hardware and physical aspects of the solution included:
- Dell Servers
- Dell SCSI Disk Arrays
- Dell Tape Library
- Veritas Backup Software
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Servers and Clustering
- Foundry Networks Copper Gigabyte Switch
I wanted to make sure that my company had a master list of all required backups and that reporting would show the success of these backups over time and by application. I assigned a team member the responsibility of making sure performance standards were met. He took backups seriously because I'd put an incentive plan in place.
My team was required to take the information from the backup logs and import it into a Microsoft SQL Server database, to define the correct status codes, assign application codes consistent with other reporting I needed, get my approval on performance standards, then set up Microsoft Excel pivot tables that would let me monitor performance over time.
The hard part was converting the Veritas log files into a format that could be loaded into the database format. I must say this is also a problem with other "enterprise solution vendors." They just don't have built-in options for loading their logs into a database format. The value of the database, of course, is that it looks at information over time and that it also combines with other sources for complete and integrated IT Performance reporting.
Our project included these steps:
- Setting up an automated procedure for copying the backup logs from the backup server to a central location on the front-end network
- Writing programs to read the logs and load pertinent information into the SQL tables
- Establishing success values (Verified, Backed Up, Failed, and Not Started)
- Establishing percent completed (number of files vs. number of files actually backed up)
- Establishing major IT service/application linkage (linking to the IT reporting system and showing backup and restore performance by major services, e.g., file server by location, Sales Intranet, etc.)
- Updating the master reporting database weekly, so the information would be available to me on Monday mornings
- Integrating the information into the master IT reporting system
Basically, the backup reporting system used the following software components:
- Microsoft SQL Server 2000
- Microsoft Access Programming Language
- Microsoft Excel Pivot Tables
- Server scheduling and copying of the Veritas Log Files was needed to move copies of the daily logs from the backup network to the front end network so that the access program could decode and load logs to the database
- Veritas Enterprise Backup Software
So what happened?
I was very pleased with the results. The file server in a Windows 2000 server cluster configuration was rock solid and Active Directory met our administrative needs. The backup network worked better than anticipated, reduced overtime expense, and helped to keep the same staff levels. We implemented the solution for about $25,000 as opposed to over $100,000 for comparable SAN Fiber Channel solutions. We enjoyed about a 40 percent speed increase on backup times, but more importantly, we gained the ability to back up servers any time, eliminating the traditional off-hour backup window.
The master list of required backups was completed. The new reporting system provided the needed information, and problems were quickly identified and taken care of by the person-in-charge.
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