Remote Omniback backups

[Steve Sauve]

Hello all,

Does anyone know how much (if any) network load there is when running Omniback? The setup I have is a local Omni server and a remote Cell/Media install. Since the box has its own DLT I'm not worried about the IO to the tape, but does the Omni data get stored locally or on the server? (filenames, structure, etc). If it's on the server is it a significant network load?

Thanks,
Steve

[Antoanetta Naghiu]

I have the Cel Manager in on box, media in another box and the third one is backed up over the network. The best that I've got is aprox. 20G/hour.
Data is going to pass via memory, I am not aware that temporary files are made in the disk.

[Alex Glennie]

Not exactly but although the data gets stored on the tape there must also be network load to the server, as this contains the actual omniback database.

You can configure omniback in terms of load balacing if backing up multiple systems / backups .Also configurable are network load => low, medium and high and also a scheduler is available to allow automated B/U's to take place when network is least utilized, unless this is a 24x7 concern.

I'll see if i can dig up some exact figures but it may not be until tomorrow.

[Steve Sauve]

My concern is with the data going to the Omni Database not the data going to the tape. I thought (not sure) that the network load (high/medium/low) refered to the IO to the tape rather than to the DB.

[Antoanetta Naghiu]

Steve,
You are right, network load high/medium/low is for the data write to the tape. I did not see any issue with OmniDB. But you may get more details if you posted your question to the OmniBack experts on Network& OpenView Forum (under OV Applications)

[Alex Glennie]

Steve sorry for the delay, I've been waiting to speak to the experts on this : HP's Omniback World Technical Experts :

According to them : The network load to the database on your "omni server" should be neglible/bearable though PC's and laptops tend to suffer more than hp servers and the like.

The network load parameter should affect both the "omni server" & remote system.

How it works (simply) : the info will be stored in shared memory, every once in a while when the buffer fills, it flushes this to the database, I've heard this usually occurs in 32 KB blocks but the frequency will obviously depend upon the size & type of the B/U involved .. a case of how longs a piece of string I guess .

There advise is if netwk load is an issue : schedule this for "out of hours"

Hope this clarifies things more clearly !

[Stefan Farrelly · Accepted solution]

There is considerable network load overhead from Omniback when you have a cell server on one host and you are using it to control backups to many other remote hosts and drives.

For example, HP's Openmail servers all over Europe number over 30, all the same size, all backup to their own local devices, and they used to all be controlled from a central Omniback cell server in Stuttgart. Eventually we received our yearly network bill and we keeled over! so, we replaced it with the newer version of Omniback (3) which allowed us to install cell servers in all our remote European sites, but still have a master cell server in Stuttgart so our 7x24 ops could keep an eye on all the backups. How much did this save on our yearly network bill you ask ?? A US$2 million a year saving! So with only 30 odd servers doing nightly backups (all to local devices) you can get an indiciation as to how much network load Omniback can use.