Create new backup schedules for your NetWorker clients in the Schedules window.  To open the Schedules window, choose Schedules from the Customize menu.  The Schedules window appears, as shown in Figure 6-1.

Figure 6-1. Schedules Window

The Schedules window contains the following items:

This section illustrates setting up backup schedules with two examples.  Read through the examples before you try to set up any new schedules on your own.

To create a new schedule, name the schedule and select your choices in the Schedules window.  Then apply the schedule to a client in the Clients window.

Example 2—A Monthly Schedule

Use a monthly schedule for clients with files that do not change often.  These clients need a full backup performed only once a month.

In this schedule, a full backup takes place on the first day of the month.  A level 5 backup takes place in the middle of the month, backing up all files that have changed since the full backup.  All other days of the month, an incremental backup protects daily changes. Name this schedule “Monthly Full” to remind you that this schedule does a full backup only once a month.  Skip the level 5 backup with an override on November 16 because it is a company holiday; instead force the backup on November 17.

To set up the “Monthly Full” schedule, follow these steps:

1. Choose Schedules from the Customize menu to open the Schedules window.

2. Click the Create button.

3. Enter “Monthly Full” in the Name field.

4. Click the Month button, if it is not already selected.

Notice the months are already set up to do a full backup on the first day.

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Note: When you set up one month in the Schedules window, that setup applies to all calendar months, and carries over from year to year.  In the same way, if you set up a weekly schedule, it applies for all calendar weeks.  This allows you to plan all the weeks or months in one session, without having to repeat the process every week or month.

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Set the month for a level 5 backup on the sixteenth day:

1. Select the sixteenth day (16/i) of the current month.

2. Select “5” from the backup level popup menu.

Scroll through the months, and notice how the monthly schedule is carried through every month—a full backup on the first day, a level 5 on the sixteenth day, and incremental backups on the other days of the month.

Next, override the scheduled level 5 backup on November 16 with a level “skip,” to skip the backup for that day, and schedule the level 5 backup for November 17:

1. Use the Previous Month or Next Month buttons to display the November calendar.

2. Select the sixteenth day in the November calendar.

3. Pop up the backup level menu, then select Overrides.

4. Slide the cursor to the right to display the Overrides menu.

   Figure 6-3. Schedules Window, Level Override Menu
   
   

5. Select skip* from the Overrides menu.

6. Select the seventeenth day in the November calendar.

7. Select 5* from the Overrides menu.

8. Click Apply to save the schedule.

The date on November 16 displays an s*, indicating you have forced a “skip backup” instruction for that day.  The date on November 17 displays a 5* to indicate a level 5 backup will take place instead of the incremental.  Overrides must be scheduled explicitly each time.  An override does not automatically repeat within a monthly or weekly period.

Use this shortcut section if you are an experienced NetWorker user, or you have reviewed the examples preceding this section.

To create a backup schedule, follow these steps:

You may set up as many NetWorker backup schedules as you like, as long as you give each one a unique name.  To assign a backup schedule to a client, you must use the Clients window.  See Chapter 2, “Configuring and Monitoring Clients” for more information.

NetWorker makes it easy to set up your backup schedules.  However, deciding which backup schedule best fits your requirements requires some planning.

When creating backup schedules, consider the following items.

For example:

Suppose the capacity of an 8 mm tape cartridge is about 5 gigabytes and the maximum transfer rate is around 500 kilobytes per second.  Based on these figures, it would take more than 5 hours to back up 10 gigabytes of data.  To back up a network with a lot of data, you may use more than one schedule to stagger the full backups over several days.

Think about how many backup volumes you want to keep; this number will depend on how often the data changes and how long you want to keep the files available for recovery.

If you run only incremental backups every night, you will need more backup volumes to fully recover from a disk crash.  If a site has 10 gigabytes of data and 5% of all the data is modified each day, that means you need to back up 500 megabytes of data every day.  At 400 kilobytes per second, 500 megabytes takes about 25 minutes to back up and fills about one tenth of an 8 mm tape cartridge.  If you hold on to backups for three months, you will need to maintain twelve 8 mm tapes.

You must also determine a policy for recovering files.  For example, if the users expect to recover any version of a lost file for at least three months, maintain all the backup volumes for a three-month period.  On the other hand, if the users expect to recover only the latest version of a lost file, use level 1-9 backups to decrease the quantity of backup volumes you need to maintain.  For more information on policies see, “Creating Index Policies”.

Selecting the Backup Levels

NetWorker supports four kinds of backup levels:

• Full—backs up all files, regardless of whether or not they have changed.

• Level 1-9—backs up files that have changed since the last lower backup level.  Each backup level is represented by numbers 1 through 9, where 1 represents the fullest backup and 9 represents the most minimal backup.

• Incremental—backs up files that have changed since the last backup, regardless of the level.

• Skip—skips the scheduled backup.  You may want to skip a backup on a holiday if you know that no one will be available to change or add more backup volumes.

If you do not need to maintain every version of a backed-up file online, you may use a backup scheme that includes occasional full backups followed by level 1-9 and incremental backups.

Different backup levels allow you to trade off the number of backup volumes and amount of time required to complete a backup with the number of backup volumes and amount of time required to recover from a disk crash.

Figure 6-4 illustrates how backup levels work.

Figure 6-4. Backup Levels, Full and Incremental

Assume you use a new backup volume for each daily backup.  On day 1, a full backup occurs.  On day 2, the incremental backs up everything that has changed since the full backup.  On day 3, the incremental backs up everything that has changed since day 2, and on day 4, everything that has changed since day 3.  At this point, you have 4 backup volumes. To recover from a disk crash, you need all four of them—the one with the full backup (day1), and all the volumes with incremental backups.

On day 5, the level 8 backs up everything that has changed since the full backup.  You no longer need the data on the backup volumes from day 2, 3, or 4.  To do a full recovery from a disk crash, you only need two backup volumes:  the full backup volume and the level 8 backup volume.

On day 9, the level 7 backs up everything that has changed since the full backup.  You still need only two backup volumes to recover a disk:  the full backup and the level 7.

Level 1-9 backups help you maintain control of your pool of backup volumes.  Carefully planning your backup strategy allows you to recover everything on a disk with a minimum number of backup volumes.

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Tip: You also control the size and time it takes to back up your data by using directives, which compress and eliminate unnecessary data from your backups.  See the section “Using Directives” in this chapter.

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Use the Policies window to create new policies for your browse and retention policies.

Choose Policies from the Customize menu to open the Policies window.  The Policies window appears, as shown in Figure 6-5.

Figure 6-5. Policies Window

The Policies window contains the following items:

To create a new policy, follow these steps:

You can enter any name for the policy that you want.  Using the time period for policy names helps you remember the length of the policy.  For example, when you specify Quarter as a browse policy for a client, it is easy to tell that the entries are kept in the online file index for three months.

Follow these steps to delete a policy:

Follow these steps to change a policy:

NetWorker does not allow a client browse policy to exceed its retention policy.  This means that an index entry for a save set must be removed from the file index before it can be marked recyclable or removed from the media index.

Every backup adds entries to the indexes, so the indexes require management in order to control their size and contents.  NetWorker automatically manages the contents of the indexes by using the policies you chose for each client.  You can conserve disk space by using automatic index policies to remove old index entries.

Each client requires two separate policies:  a browse policy and a retention policy.  NetWorker compares the backup date of the entries in the indexes with the time period specified by the policies.  The browse policy determines how long entries for your files remain in the online file index and thus browsable in the NetWorker Recover window.  File index entries older than the browse policy plus one cycle are automatically removed from the online file index, reducing disk space requirements.  The retention policy determines how long entries for your volumes are retained in the media index and are available for recovery.  Media index entries older than the retention policy plus one cycle are marked as recyclable in the media index, making the backup volume available for relabeling and overwriting with new data.  The files on the volumes are deleted when you overwrite the volume with new data.

If you create new policies for automatic index management using the Policies window, the policies appear as selections for browse and retention policies in the Clients window.  You determine the amount of time files remain browsable and recoverable for a client.

Figure 6-7 illustrates the interaction between index entries and policies.

Figure 6-7. Automatic Index Management

Use the Directives window to change preconfigured directives or create new ones.  To open the Directives window, choose Directives from the Customize menu.  The Directives window appears, as shown in Figure 6-8.

Figure 6-8. Directives Window

The Directives window contains the following items:

NetWorker backs up your data effectively with the existing preconfigured directives.  However, you can create new directives or change existing ones.

To create a set of directives or modify existing instructions, follow these steps:

For more information about directives, including algorithms and the correct syntax used to apply them, see the nsr(1M) reference page.

Suppose your NetWorker client is a fast machine, but your network is slow or busy.  You may want to compress client files in order to use fewer backup volumes and less network bandwidth backing up its files.  Using the compressasm directive can reduce the space consumed on a backup volume by as much as 50% (actual savings may vary).  If you use compressasm on all files, a full backup of 8 GB may fit on a single backup volume.

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Tip: If your backup hardware compresses data, it is wasteful to use the NetWorker compressasm directive and device compression at the same time.

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Use the skip directive to omit certain files from the backup entirely.  You can use pattern matching to apply the instructions to specific files in the directory tree.  For example, you can have NetWorker skip backing up core files and object (*.o) files.

Before you choose a label template, you must first choose the device that contains media ready for labeling from the Devices display in the NetWorker Administrator window.  Next, choose a label template in the Pools window, then start the labeling process by choosing Label from the Media menu.

For a label template to appear as a choice in the Label window, the associated pool must be enabled in the Pools window (see Figure 6-9).

Figure 6-9. Pools Window

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Tip: Whether you use a preconfigured or custom label template, remember to attach an external label to each volume with the correct label template name.

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This section explains how to create custom label templates using the Label Templates window.

Open the Label Templates window by choosing Label Templates from the Customize menu.  The Label Templates window appears, as shown in Figure 6-10.

Figure 6-10. Label Templates Window

The Label Templates window contains the following items:

Use the examples in this section to help you create a custom label template that identifies your media in a logical and meaningful order.

If your label template matches your backup media storage system, it helps you organize and locate the media in storage.  For example, if you store backup media in bins or racks, include a place for the bin or rack number in the label template.

It is helpful if label template names match the name of the corresponding pool.  Here is an example:

Name        Label           Pool Name
AcctFull    AcctFull.001    Accounting
            AcctFull.002
            AcctFull.003
EngTest     EngTest.001     Engineering Test
            EngTest.002
            EngTest.003

Example 1—A Storage-Oriented Template

In this example, assume you have only one NetWorker server and one autochanger.  Your backup media is magnetic tape, arranged in numerical order, and organized in three racks.  You want to create a scheme that is simple so anyone can easily store and find the backup volumes on the rack shelves.

Figure 6-11 shows three racks, named “1,” “2,” and “3.”  Each rack has five shelves; the top shelf is “1” and the bottom shelf is “5.”  Each shelf holds 100 tapes, left to right.

Figure 6-11. Rack Storage of Backup Volumes

Using this labeling scheme, a tape labeled “2-3-54” will be stored in the second rack, on the third shelf, positioned between the fifty-third and fifty-fifth tapes on the shelf.  NetWorker labels the tapes in the autochanger consecutively according to the label template.

NetWorker starts with the tapes in the first rack, on the first shelf, and numbers the tapes 1-1-001 to 1-1-100.  Then, the tapes on the second shelf of the first rack are labeled, numbered from 1-2-001 to 1-2-100, and so forth, until the last tape in the third rack is labeled “3-5-100.”  If you want to add a fourth rack to your tape storage system, you can easily do so by changing the label template.

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Tip: Your label template should allow for expansion of your backup media storage system.  For example, it is better to create a template for 100 tapes and not use all of them, than to create a template for only 10 tapes and run out of labels.

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Follow these steps to create the storage oriented label template:

1. Choose Label Templates from the Customize menu.

2. In the Label Templates window that appears, click the Create button.

3. Enter the name of the new labeling scheme in the Name field; for example: “Engineering backups.”

4. Enter the component of the first field into Fields.  This field indicates the rack number, so enter “1-3” (without the quotes).

5. Click the add button.

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   Note: You must enter the same number of characters for all numbers in the label template. For example, use: “01-20” not “1-20” or “1-9” not “01-9” templates.

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Add the second and third components of the label template:

1. Enter the second component of the label template into Fields.  This component represents the shelf number, so enter “1-5” in the field.

2. Click the add button.

3. Enter the third component of the label template, the tape position numbers.  Enter “001-100” into Fields.

4. Click the add button.

5. Click the dash (-) Separator button to choose the separator between components.

6. Click the Apply button to apply the new template to the NetWorker server.

The Label Templates window now looks similar to Figure 6-12.

Figure 6-12. Label Templates, Storage-Oriented

Your new template appears in the Label Templates scrolling list, template components appear in the Fields scrolling list, and the Next field displays the label of the next tape.

Example 3—A Two-Sided Media Label Template

If you have an optical backup device, you can use the Two Sided preconfigured template or create a custom label template that accommodates two-sided media.  Label templates for two-sided media have a and b fields to designate the two sides of the optical disk.

Follow these steps to create a label template for two-sided media:

1. Choose Label Templates from the Customize menu.

2. In the Label Templates window, click the Create button.

3. Enter a name for this template in the Name field (for example, “TwoSidedLabel”).

4. Add the following components to the Fields list: “server_name,” “001-999,” and “a-b” where “a-b” distinguishes the two sides of the media.

5. Click the period (.) Separator button to choose the separator between components.

The Label Templates window now looks similar to Figure 6-13.

Figure 6-13. Label Templates, Two-Sided

1. Click Apply to save and apply the label template.

Using the example shown, NetWorker labels the first side of the optical disk as moon.001.a and the second side as moon.001.b.

When you create a label template, the order in which you enter each component of the template is important.  NetWorker applies each component in a left-to-right order, starting with the first one you enter.  NetWorker displays the ordered components in the Fields scrolling list, with the first component at the top.

This section explains how to create new groups using the Groups window.

Open the Groups window by choosing Groups from the Customize menu.  The Groups window appears, as shown in Figure 6-14.

Figure 6-14. Groups Window

You may choose to add all of your clients to the Default group.  However, that may not be an efficient way to accomplish backing up client data across the network.

To create a new group and assign a backup start time to the group, follow these steps:

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Tip: When you select start times for the different groups, make sure you schedule them far enough apart so that one group has sufficient time to complete backup before the next group begins.

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After you create a backup group and set the start time, the group appears as a check box in the Clients window.  To assign clients to the backup group, click the check box displayed for the group in the Clients window.  See the section “Configuring Clients” for more information.

NetWorker normally attempts to back up a client in a group once during a scheduled backup.  If NetWorker cannot back up a client in a group (because the client machine is down, for example), it will not try again unless you set a value for Client retries.

Use the Client retries sliding bar (Figure 6-15) in the Clients window to control the number of times NetWorker should keep trying to back up failed clients.

Figure 6-15. Client Retries Slider Bar

To change the start time for a backup group, follow these steps:

NetWorker does not let you delete a backup group while clients still belong to it.  Before you try to delete a group, check the Clients window to make sure the group does not have clients.  The Default group cannot be deleted.

To delete a group, follow these steps:

This section describes the contents of the Notifications window and how to use it for creating new event notifications.

Open the Notifications window by choosing Notifications from the Customize menu.  The Notifications window appears, as shown in Figure 6-17.

Figure 6-17. Notifications Window

The Notifications window contains the following items:

To create a new notification, follow these steps:

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Tip: Choose Details from the View menu if you want to use the expert mode options for creating a more detailed notification.  All event choices are enabled, by default.  Click to disable event choices you do not want.

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