Usage Insights for NetBackup - Getting Started Guide

Which capacity license type usage is converted into NetBackup Platform Base Complete Edition with Flexible Licensing?

The NetBackup Platform Base Complete Edition licensing usage will be converted, if the following conditions are met:

Is nbdeployutil running and creating Base Complete Edition with Flexible Licensing reports?

nbdeployutil does not run or create Base Complete Edition with Flexible Licensing reports or a json file. NetBackup sends the NetBackup Platform Base Complete Edition usage information to Usage Insights.

How does Usage Insights analyze the NetBackup Platform Base Complete Edition usage information?

Usage Insights connects with the Veritas Entitlement Management System (VEMS) portal for the account details.

Usage Insights retrieves information about the primary server version and whether you have purchased NetBackup Platform Base Complete Edition with Flexible Licensing. Based on this information, Usage Insights converts the Complete Edition usage to Base Complete Edition with Flexible Licensing usage.

How does Usage Insights convert usage for NetBackup Platform Base Complete Edition with Flexible Licensing?

For example, you have purchased 500 TB of Complete Edition with Flexible licenses and you are protecting 500 TB data.

In case of Physical data, the ratio of conversion is 1:1.

In case of Virtual data, the ratio of conversion is 1.5:1.

This is how the Flexible licensing benefit works:

If I am not using Usage Insights or not sending data to Usage Insights, can I still get the benefit of flex licensing?

No, there is no benefit.

Which workloads can I use for the virtual conversion in flex licensing?

You can use the following workloads:

I have purchased entitlement pre-8.1.2. What happens to that older entitled capacity?

The older entitled capacity remains with you and Usage Insights displays that and you can use the entitlement with the usage ratio of 1:1. There is no benefit like in flex licensing.

How can I qualify for the 1.5x multiplier in Flex licensing?

If you want to qualify for the 1.5x virtual multiplier within the Base Complete Edition with Flexible Licensing model, you must transmit data, either automatically (port 443) or manually (file upload) on a monthly basis.

How can I qualify for the enhanced support for virtual usage reporting?

If you have the latest EEB installed for 8.1.2 nbdeployutil or EEB for 8.2 or later versions of nbdeployutil, you can get the enhanced support for virtual usage reporting. With the new EEB, if you install a NetBackup client only inside a VMware virtual machine and protect it using any policy type, the client is considered a virtual workload.

For more information about the EEB and the changes to nbdeployutil, refer to the following technote:

https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100046832

How do I set the schedule for when nbdeployutil runs?

You can adjust the frequency for nbdeployutil in number of days. It runs after midnight based on the FREQUENCY_IN_DAYS setting.

By default, data is sent by nbdeployutil to Usage Insights every 7 days. The frequency also depends on the nbdeployutil configuration.

For capacity licensing, the setting is found in the [NBDEPLOYUTIL_INCREMENTAL] section of the nbdeployutilconfig.txt file.

For traditional licensing (8.2 or later, if you do not have the latest 8.1.2 nbdeployutil EEB installed), the setting is found in the [NBDEPLOYUTIL_INCREMENTAL_TRADITIONAL] section of the nbdeployutilconfig.txt file.

For NEVC licensing (8.2 or later, if you do not have the latest 8.1.2 nbdeployutil EEB installed), the setting is found in the [NBDEPLOYUTIL_INCREMENTAL_NEVC] section of the nbdeployutilconfig.txt file.

The nbdeployutilconfig.txt file is located in:

UNIX and Linux: /usr/openv/var/global/

Windows: install_path\Veritas\NetBackup\var\global\

Can I change the frequency at which nbdeployutil runs?

Yes. You can change the frequency at which nbdeployutil runs, using the following command:

Unix

nbdeployutil.exe --capacity --incremental --report --inc-settings "Install_Dir\netbackup\var\global\nbdeployutilconfig.txt" --hoursago <custom-time-interval>

Windows

nbdeployutil.exe --capacity --incremental --report --inc-settings "/usr/openv/var/global/nbdeployutilconfig.txt" --hoursago <custom-time-interval>

How do I know that nbdeployutil ran correctly and transmitted all data as expected?

The NetBackup user interface notifies you if the data was not transmitted. Additionally, you can log into Usage Insights to review the files that were transmitted.

In Usage Insights, select License utilization files and review the information in the Capacity utilization files table. This table shows details about what files were uploaded and when they were uploaded.

You can also examine the upload-nb-usagereporting.json file. This file shows the last upload success, failure, and other information. That file is located in:

UNIX and Linux: /usr/openv/var/global/telemetry/status/

Windows: install_path\Veritas\NetBackup\var\global\telemetry\status\

Can I change the automated frequency of nbdeployutil reporting?

Yes you can.

Create a report for a time interval that is different than the default interval of 90 days. Run the following command:

On Windows:

nbdeployutil.exe --capacity --incremental --report --inc-settings "install_dir\netbackup\var\global\nbdeployutilconfig.txt" --hoursago <custom-time-interval>

On UNIX:

nbdeployutil.exe --capacity --incremental --report --inc-settings "/usr/openv/var/global/nbdeployutilconfig.txt" --hoursago <custom-time-interval>

The number of hours specified in --hoursago must be fewer than the purge-interval that is specified in the nbdeployutilconfig.txt file.

How do I verify if Usage Insights is showing accurate usage information?

You can refer to the topics on the nbdeployutil utility in the NetBackup Administration Guide for any additional questions that you have. We intend to bring more granularity into Usage Insights that improve your product experience.

Data from automated or scheduled runs of the nbdeployutil utility is transmitted to Usage Insights. During these runs, nbdeployutil also generates an excel report on the primary server. You can compare the usage in Usage Insights with the usage in the excel report.

Ensure that you are using the excel reports from ALL the primary servers specified under the account specified in Usage Insights.

The latest excel report is generated by nbdeployutil is available at the following path on the primary server:

Older excel reports are available at the following path:

What if there are usage inaccuracies. What can I do?

You can contact Veritas Technical support and provide the directories within the incremental folders, which contain logs, based on your license type.

The directories are located at the following path:

Why am I not receiving NEVC - socket related information on Usage Insights?

If you are not receiving socket related information, ensure that the backup host is using 8.2 or later version of NetBackup.

Why is there a change in the trend of capacity licensing usage reporting for 8.2 or later?

In nbdeployutil, if you set the flag using NetBackup web UI (10.0 or later) or bpsetconfig (8.2 to 9.x) for NetBackup Enterprise Virtual Client (NEVC) licensing type, in Usage Insights you will see a change in the trend of capacity licensing.

As the NEVC license is selected, usage information for the virtualized environment is excluded from FETB/capacity licensing and is measured based on socket information as applicable under NEVC licensing.

What is changing about Alta Data Protection (ADP) licensing starting with NetBackup 10.4?

If a NetBackup 10.4 or later primary server is deployed in public cloud (AWS, Azure, GCP), all the data protected by that server is considered ADP usage and is processed for those ADP licenses.

If you have perpetual licenses that can be used on NetBackup 10.4 or later primary servers, you do not require an ADP license to deploy the primary servers in the cloud.

How is the usage split for NetBackup 10.4 primary servers?

If the primary server is deployed in public cloud, AWS, AZURE, or GCP (the value is available in the Cloud Service Provider column of the Primary Servers tab) with NetBackup version 10.4 or later:

If NetBackup 10.4 or later primary server is not deployed in public cloud, the usage data is processed for the license type that is configured on the primary server.

How is the usage of cloud policies split for NetBackup 10.3 and earlier primary servers?

The usage is split in the following ways: