Job Options for Catalog Backup

Catalog DPX offers several job options for Catalog backup. All of them are available from both interfaces but the access thereto may differ. See details for each interface below.

Web interface

In the web interface, backup job options are defined in the Advanced Options section. To access them, do the following:

1. Go to Job Manager in the sidebar.

2. Open an already existing backup job. Or create a new Catalog backup job, by clicking the New Backup Job button in the upper right corner and then selecting Backup Type Catalog.

3. Go to the Advanced Options section at the bottom (scroll down if necessary) and expand it. Click any of the following section headers to expand it. Each field and the available choices are explained below.

Source Options

Verify Backup drop-down

Controls the data verification technique for writing data to a media volume. The higher the verification level, the greater the safety and the longer a backup takes. Each verification level builds upon the preceding level. For example, level 3 performs level 1 and level 2 verification as well. Select one of the following options:

• No Verification

  Writes data to the media volume without verification. This is the fastest option and relies on the tape device for data verification.

• Level 1

  Reads the tape to ensure that it is readable.

• Level 2

  Reads the tape and ensures that the SIDF headers are present and contain the correct information.

• Level 3 Ensures that the checksum of each file on the tape matches the one contained in the SIDF header for that file. This verification is only performed if the Checksum Files toggle is set to Enabled in the Job Destination Options section. The tape and SIDF headers are also read and verified (levels 1 and 2).

Data Compression toggle

Compresses data prior to network transmission.

Toggle on to compress data prior to transmission at the node being backed up. This setting is recommended if there is processing power available on the client nodes and network bandwidth is limited. This setting minimizes the impact of data transmission on data lines.

Or, toggle off to disable the data compression.

Skip NFS Volumes toggle

Determines expected behavior when encountering an NFS (network file system) volume during a backup operation. NFS volumes are remotely mounted volumes owned by another node. This option also controls the backup behavior of drives that are mapped to the Microsoft Windows node (CIFS mount point).

Down Node Retries entry field

Controls how DPX behaves when it cannot establish contact with a node during a backup operation. If you enter zero, DPX skips unreachable nodes. If you enter a number, DPX waits until all the reachable nodes have been backed up and then retries the nodes that it could not back up on its first attempt. The number you enter determines how many times DPX tries to reach unreachable nodes.

Task Retry Intervals (Minutes) entry field

Determines how long to wait before retrying failed tasks.

When a task fails (due to permission problems, open files, interim job changes, etc.), it waits the number of minutes specified in this field before attempting that task again. Because the same failure might occur if the task is retried too soon, it is better to allow some time for an error to be corrected before retrying the task. A task is only retried once. Failing tasks appear in error message lists in the Job Log. All tasks are subject to retry.

Catalog Open Files toggle

If you are not using an open file manager, this option tells Catalogic DPX whether to catalog open files encountered on UNIX systems. On UNIX nodes, Catalogic DPX backs up the file and then checks to determine if it has been modified while the backup transpired. If it has, the file is considered open. Cataloging open files is not generally recommended.

Note. Cataloging a file that has been modified during the backup can compromise the integrity of the file when that file is restored.

Script Options

Pre-Job Script

Enter the name of a script to execute prior to the actual job.

Basic usage: <script>@<node_name> <argument_list>

If Pre-Script fails

The action be taken if the Pre-Job Script fails to successfully complete:

• Run Job/Run Post-Job Script

• Skip Job/Run Post-Job Script

• Skip Job/Skip Post-Job Script

If Job fails

The action to be taken if the Job fails to successfully complete:

• Run Post-Job Script

• Skip Post-Job Script

Post-Job Script

Enter the name of a script to execute after the actual job.

Basic usage: <script>@<node_name> <argument_list>

See also. For detailed information about pre- and post-job scripts, including all valid definitions, see Pre-Scripts and Post-Scripts.

Destination Options

Tape Usage

Determines whether or not to accept a tape with data on it.

Unlabeled Tape Usage

Determines expected behavior when an unlabeled tape is found in the tape drive.

Mark Original Offsite

Determines whether a backup tape is stored offsite. DPX adds the Offsite status to the tape.

Append Offsite

Determines if a backup tape with status Offsite can be appended to.

The Offsite status of a tape can be viewed through the Operate Tape Library function, the Configure Media function, or in the media volume report. Note that when you use the Operate Tape Library function to import a tape with status Offsite, the Offsite status is cleared and the tape becomes available for use.

Twin Tapes

Enables the twinning option. The twinning option creates two sets of backups simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate tape duplication for off-site vaulting.

Mark Twin Offsite

Indicates in the Catalog the location of twinned tapes, if twinning is on.

Tape EOJ Usage

Determines what to do with the tape when the backup job is complete.

Attention! In some cases, a backup job may fail if the Export option is used for the first job following a system restart, especially if the initial job is a File backup with the Export setting.

Checksum Files

Generates a checksum value for each file that is backed up. The checksum value is written to the SIDF header.

Performance Options

Indicates the desired performance option. This option helps control the number of tasks running concurrently within a backup job. The appropriateness of each selection depends upon the backup you are running.

Concurrency Per Device

Sets the maximum number of tasks that can have files backed up to a single device. The default is 1.

Note. Increasing concurrency to values >1 during backups slows restore performance and requires more memory on the master server during restore.

Max. Devices

Limits the number of storage devices valid for use with this job. Use this option if you want to stop DPX from using all the drives in the selected device cluster so that some drives will be available for other purposes.

Min. Devices

Holds tasks within a job until the number of drives specified are available for each task to use.

Tape Mount Attempts

The maximum number to check a tape in a standalone tape device.

Mount Interval [Seconds]

The number of seconds to wait between checking the availability of a tape in a standalone tape device.

Early Device Release

Controls tape drive usage.

Encryption Options

Network Encryption

Encrypt data while transmitting it through networks to enhance security. Typically, the encrypted data transfer can lower the data transfer speed.

Notification Options

The Notification Options section controls who receives messages pertaining to the current job when it is run.

Important. The Catalog backup notification is essential. It enables you to quickly locate your latest Catalog backup. The information you need is contained in the backup report generated when you perform a backup.

The easiest way to ensure you have a copy of the Catalog backup report is to have it e-mailed automatically when the Catalog backup completes.

The Notification options consist of a radio button selection with two possible options.

Default e-mail notifications

Custom e-mail notifications

If the Custom e-mail notifications option is selected, Four additional entry fields appear:

Subject

The subject of your message. The subject line usually contains a combination of straight text and variable elements. Variables, which must begin with %, are replaced with actual corresponding values. If you enclose variables in double quotation marks, those variables are treated as literal values. You can embed the following variables:

• %JOBNAME

• %JOBID

• %JOBTYPE

• %RC

Use %RC to include the return code in the message for this run of the job, when applicable.

To

The email address of the primary recipient of your message. Only one “To” address is permitted.

Cc

Carbon Copy. The email address(es) of the secondary recipient(s) of your message. Use a semicolon to delimit multiple email addresses.

Bcc

Blind Carbon Copy. The email address(es) of the secondary recipient(s) not identified to other recipients. Use a semi-colon to delimit multiple email addresses.

Note. Note that the following characters are invalid in all fields: < > ; and '.

Note. DPX emailing must be enabled when you first configure your Enterprise. At that time, you supply general system information, including SMTP Host Name and SMTP Port. See Configuring Enterprise Information.

Desktop interface

Job Source Options

To access the job source options for Catalog backup, do the following:

1. Go to the Catalog tab.

2. In the Catalog Operations section, select Backup.

3. Open an already existing backup job by clicking Open Backup Job in the Job Tasks section. Or go directly to step 4 to set source options for the new job you will be defining directly afterward.

4. Go to the Other Tasks section in the task panel (scroll down if necessary) and select one of the following to open the corresponding options dialog.

The Set Job Source Options dialog allows you to set options related to the backup source. This section provides an explanation of each field in the dialog and the available choices.

The Source tab

Verify Backup

Controls the data verification technique for writing data to a media volume. The higher the verification level, the greater the safety and the longer a backup takes. Each verification level builds upon the preceding level. For example, level 3 performs level 1 and level 2 verification as well. Select one of the following options:

• No Verification

  Writes data to the media volume without verification. This is the fastest option and relies on the tape device for data verification.

• Level 1

  Reads the tape to ensure that it is readable.

• Level 2

  Reads the tape and ensures that the SIDF headers are present and contain the correct information.

• Level 3 Ensures that the checksum of each file on the tape matches the one contained in the SIDF header for that file. This verification is only performed if the Checksum Files feature is set to Yes in Set Job Destination Options. The tape and SIDF headers are also read and verified (levels 1 and 2).

Data Compression

Compresses data prior to network transmission.

Select Yes to compress data prior to transmission at the node being backed up. This setting is recommended if there is processing power available on the client nodes and network bandwidth is limited. This setting minimizes the impact of data transmission on data lines.

Or, select No to disable the data compression.

Network Encryption

Encrypt data while transmitting it through networks to enhance security. Typically, the encrypted data transfer can lower the data transfer speed.

Skip NFS Volumes

Determines expected behavior when encountering an NFS (network file system) volume during a backup operation. NFS volumes are remotely mounted volumes owned by another node. This option also controls the backup behavior of drives that are mapped to the Microsoft Windows node (CIFS mount point).

Select No to back up NFS volumes and drives that are mapped to the Microsoft Windows nodes.

Or, select Yes so as not to back up NFS volumes or drives that are mapped to the Microsoft Windows nodes.

Open File Retries

If you are not using an open file manager, this option controls how many times DPX attempts to back up an open file. If you enter zero, DPX skips open files. If you enter a number, DPX waits until all the files on the node have been backed up then tries again to save the open files. DPX attempts this the number of times you enter here.

Down Node Retries

Controls how DPX behaves when it cannot establish contact with a node during a backup operation. If you enter zero, DPX skips unreachable nodes. If you enter a number, DPX waits until all the reachable nodes have been backed up and then retries the nodes that it could not back up on its first attempt. The number you enter determines how many times DPX tries to reach unreachable nodes.

Task Retry Intervals (Minutes)

Determines how long to wait before retrying failed tasks.

When a task fails (due to permission problems, open files, interim job changes, etc.), it waits the number of minutes specified in this field before attempting that task again. Because the same failure might occur if the task is retried too soon, it is better to allow some time for an error to be corrected before retrying the task. A task is only retried once. Failing tasks appear in error message lists in the Job Log. All tasks are subject to retry.

Catalog Open Files

If you are not using an open file manager, this option tells Catalogic DPX whether to catalog open files encountered on UNIX systems. On UNIX nodes, Catalogic DPX backs up the file and then checks to determine if it has been modified while the backup transpired. If it has, the file is considered open. Cataloging open files is not generally recommended.

Select No so as not to save the backed-up file if DPX detects that the file has been modified during the backup process and the number specified in the Open File Retries field has been reached.

Or, select Yes to catalog the backed-up file if it detects that the file has been modified during the backup process and the number specified in the Open File Retries field has been reached. Catalogic DPX catalogs its last attempt to back up an open file if it finds the file is still open. Note that cataloging a file that has been modified during the backup can compromise the integrity of the file when that file is restored.

Note. For Catalog Backup, do not configure this option but keep the default settings.

The Script tab

Pre-Job Script

Enter the name of a script to execute before the actual job.

Basic usage: <script>@<node_name> <argument_list>

If Pre-Script fails

The action be taken if the Pre-Job Script fails to complete:

• Run Job/Run Post-Job Script

• Skip Job/Run Post-Job Script

• Skip Job/Skip Post-Job Script

If Job fails

The action to be taken if the Job fails to complete:

• Run Post-Job Script

• Skip Post-Job Script

Post-Job Script

Enter the name of a script to execute after the actual job.

Basic usage: <script>@<node_name> <argument_list>

See also. For detailed information about pre- and post-job scripts, including all valid definitions, see Pre-Scripts and Post-Scripts.

Job Destination Options

To access the job destination options:

1. Open the Set Job Destination Options dialog box by doing one of the following:

   • Right-click the Enterprise name or icon to display a context menu. Then select Set Destination Options.

   • From the menu bar, select Backup > Set Destination Options [Ctrl + E].

   • Go to the Other Tasks section in the task panel (scroll down if necessary) and select Set Destination Options.

   The Set Job Destination Options dialog box appears.

2. Complete the Set Job Destination Options dialog box as needed (see descriptions below) and click OK.

Backup Type

This drop-down includes only one item, which is Base Backup, as incremental nor differential backups are not possible for Catalog backup.

Tape Usage

Determines whether or not to accept a tape with data on it.

Unlabeled Tape Usage

Determines expected behavior when an unlabeled tape is found in the tape drive.

Mark Original Offsite

Determines whether a backup tape is stored offsite. DPX adds the Offsite status to the tape.

Append Offsite

Determines if a backup tape with status Offsite can be appended to.

The Offsite status of a tape can be viewed through the Operate Tape Library function, the Configure Media function, or in the media volume report. Note that when you use the Operate Tape Library function to import a tape with status Offsite, the Offsite status is cleared and the tape becomes available for use.

Twin Tapes

Enables the twinning option. The twinning option creates two sets of backups simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate tape duplication for off-site vaulting.

Mark Twin Offsite

Indicates in the Catalog the location of twinned tapes, if twinning is on.

Tape EOJ Usage

Determines what to do with the tape when the backup job is complete.

Attention! In some cases, a backup job may fail if the Export option is used for the first job following a system restart, especially if the initial job is a File backup with the Export setting.

Checksum Files

Generates a checksum value for each file that is backed up. The checksum value is written to the SIDF header.

Performance Options

Indicates the desired performance option. This option helps control the number of tasks running concurrently within a backup job. The appropriateness of each selection depends upon the backup you are running.

Split Size (MB)

Sets a threshold for file splitting. File splitting is the ability to split a file into smaller pieces and back up those pieces simultaneously. File splitting is designed for large files or raw partitions. If Split Large Files/Partitions is selected in Performance Options and the file exceeds the size entered here, the file splits automatically. If the file does not exceed the size entered here, the file does not split. Keep the threshold large enough (2 GB) so that file splitting is reserved for truly large files.

Note. This option applies only to UNIX systems. It is not available for Windows.

Concurrency Per Device (Nodes)

Sets the maximum number of tasks that can have files backed up to a single device. The default is 1.

Note. Increasing concurrency to values >1 during backups slows restore performance and requires more memory on the master server during restore.

Max Devices (Devices)

Limits the number of storage devices valid for use with this job. Use this option if you want to stop DPX from using all the drives in the selected device cluster so that some drives will be available for other purposes.

Min Devices (Devices)

Holds tasks within a job until the number of drives specified are available for each task to use.

Tape Mount Attempts

The maximum number to check a tape in a standalone tape device.

Mount Interval (Seconds)

The number of seconds to wait between checking the availability of a tape in a standalone tape device.

Early Device Release

Controls tape drive usage.

Job Encryption Options

The Set Job Encryption Options dialog controls the encryption of the backup data.

To change the encryption setting:

1. Open the Set Job Encryption Options dialog box by doing one of the following:

   • Right-click the Enterprise name or icon to display a context menu. Then select Set Encryption Options.

   • From the menu bar, select Backup > Set Encryption Options [Ctrl + Y].

   • On the task panel, click Set Encryption Options.

   The Set Job Encryption Options dialog box appears.

2. Complete the Set Job Encryption Options dialog box as needed and click OK.

Network Encryption

Encrypt data while transmitting it through networks to enhance security. Typically, the encrypted data transfer can lower the data transfer speed.

Job Notification Options

The Set Job Notification Options dialog controls who receives messages pertaining to the current job when it is run.

To set backup job notification options:

1. Open the Set Job Notification Options dialog box by doing one of the following:

   • Right-click the Enterprise name or icon to display a context menu. Then select Set Notification Options.

   • From the menu bar, select Backup > Set Notification Options [Ctrl + T].

   • On the task panel, click Set Notification Options.

   The Set Job Notification Options dialog box appears.

2. Complete the Set Job Notification Options dialog box as needed and click OK.

Mail information

Two sets of mail information can be specified:

To

The email address of the primary recipient of your message. Only one “To” address is permitted.

Cc

Carbon Copy. The email address(es) of the secondary recipient(s) of your message. Use a semicolon to delimit multiple email addresses.

Bcc

Blind Carbon Copy. The email address(es) of the secondary recipient(s) not identified to other recipients. Use a semi-colon to delimit multiple email addresses.

Subject

The subject of your message. The subject line usually contains a combination of straight text and variable elements. Variables, which must begin with %, are replaced with actual corresponding values. If you enclose variables in double quotation marks, those variables are treated as literal values. You can embed the following variables:

• %JOBNAME

• %JOBID

• %JOBTYPE

• %RC

Use %RC to include the return code in the message for this run of the job, when applicable.

No Notification

Selecting this check box option temporarily disables notifications for the job without deleting the currently defined job notification data.

Note. Note that the following characters are invalid in all fields: < > ; and '.

Note. DPX emailing must be enabled when you first configure your Enterprise. At that time, you supply general system information, including SMTP Host Name and SMTP Port. See Editing an Enterprise Configuration.