Configuration Checklist for SharePoint Agent for NetBackup

Problem

The NetBackup SharePoint Administration guide contains most of the information here, but is compiled in one location here.

Error Message

If the configuration is not correct, the backup may fail with Status Code 2, or Status Code 1 for GRT-enabled policies.

Solution

1.  NetBackup Client version should be the same as the Master Server, and should be installed on all servers in the SharePoint farm, even SQL backend. (The SQL Server is part of the SharePoint farm)

2.  The NetBackup Client service should be started by a Domain Account

3.  The domain account in Step 2 must have the following privileges and permissions:

a.  "Replace a process level token" and "Debug Programs" (Administrator Tools - Local Security Policy - Local Policies - User Rights Assignment) for all servers in the Sharepoint farm, backend SQL included.

b.  Local Administrator rights on all servers in the SharePoint farm.

c.  Within Sharepoint Central Administrator, the Domain Account is specified as a SharePoint Farm Administrator

d.  The System Administrator role on the SQL Server for the SharePoint databases. 

e.  Site Collection administration rights.

4.  At a minimum, you must have at least .NET Framework 3.5 installed on all members of the Sharepoint Farm. 

5.  Under Host Properties - Clients on the Master server, under the Windows Client - SharePoint section, make sure that the Domain Account from step 2 is specified there, with the syntax as follows:  DOMAIN\Username  (not just the Username).  Do this for every client/server member of the SharePoint farm.

6.  In the first policy (non-granular), the client selection is a Front End Web server for the Sharepoint portal.  The backup selection for your first policy should be: "Microsoft SharePoint Resources:\"

7.  Create a "beds" directory under <install path>\netbackup\logs\ on each of the SharePoint farm servers (SQL included)

8. Under Host Properties - Master Server, there is a Distributed Applications section.  For the first field, put in the name of the Front end server in the Sharepoint policy, and in the 2nd field, the name of the SQL server hosting the Sharepoint databases.

9.  From the Front End web server specified in the policy, open the NetBackup Backup, Archive, and Restore (BAR) GUI.  You should be able to see Microsoft SharePoint Resources objects there. If you do not see objects, check the farm topology and make sure you have not missed any of the steps on that server.

For the first policy (non-GRT), make sure you do not have the "Enable Granular Recovery" box checked.

For setting up GRT backups of SharePoint, the Media server (if it is a Windows box) and the SQL server need to be running Windows 2003 R2 (or greater) with the following hotfix applied: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947186.

In addition, Granular backups also have the following requirements:

- The Media server doing the backup/restore operations and the SQL server in the farm MUST have NFS components installed and running, as outlined in the SharePoint Administration Guide for NetBackup.

-The backups can only be Full backups, and must be taken to a disk storage unit, not tape.  They can be staged off to tape media at a later time, but the initial backup must be to disk.  If you stage the backup image to tape, you must duplicate the image back to disk before a restore can be attempted.