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Veritas NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, Volume I

Last Published: 2019-07-01

Product(s): NetBackup (8.2)

Logging properties

The Logging properties apply to the master servers, media servers, and the clients that are currently selected. The available properties differ between master servers, media servers, and clients. The Logging properties contain the processes that continue to use Legacy logging as well as processes that use Unified logging.

Legacy logging

For those processes that use legacy logging, administrators must first create a log directory for each process to be logged. A logging level selection on the Logging properties page does not create the log directory.

Note:

If you have used the Logging Assistant tool earlier, you do not need to manually create log directories. The Logging Assistant tool automatically creates log directories.

Create the NetBackup legacy log directories in the following locations:

On Windows: install_path\NetBackup\logs\process_name
On UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/process_name

Note:

Do not save logs to a remote file system such as NFS or CIFS. Logs that are stored remotely and then grow large can cause critical performance issues.

To create all of the NetBackup debug log directories at one time, run the following files:

On Windows, run mklogdir.bat: install_path\NetBackup\logs\mklogdir.bat
On UNIX, run the mklogdir shell script: /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/mklogdir

Create the Media Manager legacy log directories in the following locations:

On Windows: install_path\Volmgr\debug
On UNIX: /usr/openv/volmgr/debug

In the case of legacy logging, NetBackup uses the configuration file (the Windows registry or the bp.conf file on UNIX) to set the maximum size of a log file. Use the bpsetconfig command-line interface to configure the following parameters:

The MAX_LOGFILE_SIZE parameter indicates the maximum size of a log file. When the log file size in NetBackup matches the MAX_LOGFILE_SIZE setting, the next logs are stored in a new log file.
See MAX_LOGFILE_SIZE option for NetBackup servers and clients for legacy logging.
The MAX_NUM_LOGFILES parameter indicates the maximum number of log files that can be created in NetBackup. When the number of log files matches the MAX_NUM_LOGFILES setting, the older log files are purged.
See MAX_NUM_LOGFILES option for NetBackup servers and clients for legacy logging.

Note:

Do not edit the configuration file manually because incorrect syntax or characters in the file may adversely affect NetBackup operations.

See the NetBackup Commands Reference Guide for information about the bpsetconfig command.

Unified logging

Unified logging creates log file names and messages in a format that is standardized across Veritas products. Some NetBackup processes on the server use unified logging.

Unified logging writes the logs into subdirectories in the following locations:

On Windows: install_path\NetBackup\logs
On UNIX: /usr/openv/logs

Unlike legacy logging, subdirectories for the processes that use unified logging are created automatically.

Note:

Do not save logs to a remote file system such as NFS or CIFS. Logs that are stored remotely and then grow large can cause critical performance issues.

In the case of unified logging, NetBackup uses the nblog.conf configuration file to set the maximum size of a log file. Use the vxlogcfg command to configure the following log settings in the nblog.conf file:

Configure the MaxLogFileSizeKB parameter to set the maximum size of a log file. When the log file size in NetBackup matches the MaxLogFileSizeKB setting, the next logs are stored in a new log file.
Configure the NumberOfLogFiles parameter to set the maximum number of log files that you want to create in NetBackup. When the number of log files in NetBackup matches the NumberOfLogFiles setting, the older log files are purged.
See the NetBackup Logging Reference Guide for more information about controlling the log file size.

Note:

Do not edit the nblog.conf file manually. Incorrect syntax or characters in the file may adversely affect NetBackup operations.

See the NetBackup Commands Reference Guide for information about the vxlogcfg command and the nblog.conf file.

The Logging dialog box contains the following properties:

Table: Logging dialog box properties

Property	Description
Global logging level	This property controls the logging level for all processes in the Logging dialog box that are set to Same as global. The logging levels control the amount of information that the NetBackup server writes to the logs. No logging No log is created for any process that is set to Same as global. Minimum logging (default) A small amount of information is logged for each process that is set to Same as global. Use this setting unless advised otherwise by Veritas Technical Support. Other settings can cause the logs to accumulate large amounts of information. Levels 1 through 4 Progressively more information is logged at each level for each process that is set to Same as global. 5 (Maximum) The maximum amount of information is logged for each process that is set to Same as global. Some NetBackup processes allow individual control over the amount of information the process writes to logs. For those processes you can specify a different logging level other than Same as global.
Process specific overrides	The processes that are listed under Process specific overrides use Legacy logging. These services require that you first create a log directory in the following location: On Windows: **install_path\NetBackup\logs\process_name** On UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/process_name The following settings are available for each process: Same as global Make this selection to use the same logging level as the Global logging level property. If the Global logging level is set to No logging, no log is created for the individual process. No logging No log is created for the specific process. Minimum logging A small amount of information is logged for the specific process. Levels 1 through 4 Progressively more information is logged at each level for the specific process. 5 (Maximum) The maximum amount of information is logged for the specific process. Table: Process-specific overrides lists and describes the processes that use legacy logging.
Debug logging levels for NetBackup services	These services use unified logging. Each service creates a log automatically in the following directories: On Windows: install_path\NetBackup\logs On UNIX: /usr/openv/logs The following settings are available for each process: Same as global Make this selection to use the same logging level as the Global logging level property. If the Global logging level is set to No logging, no log is created for the individual process. No logging No log is created for the specific process. Minimum logging A small amount of information is logged for the specific process. Levels 1 through 4 Progressively more information is logged at each level for the specific process. 5 (Maximum) The maximum amount of information is logged for the specific process. You can also use the vxlogcfg command to change debug levels. Table: Debug logging levels for NetBackup services lists and describes the services that use unified logging.
	Click Enable to create logs for critical NetBackup processes. In previous NetBackup versions, logging starts once you have created the log directories for the required processes. After you click Enable, the log directories are automatically created for the critical NetBackup processes and logging begins. You can enable Logging for critical processes for master servers, media servers, and clients. Note: Enabling Logging for critical processes is a one-time activity that you can do using the NetBackup Administration Console. After the logging is enabled, you cannot disable it using the Logging dialog box. To manually disable the logging for a process, disable the logging level of the process. See Disabling the logging of NetBackup processes. If you have enabled Logging for critical processes, clicking Defaults does not modify Logging for critical processes and Keep logs up to GB options. While changing the logging properties for multiple hosts, if the Logging for critical processes option on one of the hosts is enabled, clicking Defaults does not modify the Logging for critical processes and Keep logs up to GB options of any host. After the Logging for critical processes is enabled, NetBackup sets the log retention to the default log size in GB. You can modify it by reconfiguring the Keep logs up to GB option. Note: Clearing the Keep logs up to GB option may adversely affect NetBackup operations. Veritas recommends that you specify the log retention in GB when Logging for critical processes is enabled. The following critical NetBackup processes are logged when you select the Enable option: Master server processes: bprd and bpdbm. Media server processes: bpbrm, bptm, and bpdm. Client process: bpfis.
Keep logs for days	Specifies how many days to keep the logs in case you need the logs to evaluate failures. For example, if you check the backups every day, you can delete the logs sooner than if you check the backups once a month. However, the logs can consume a large amount of disk space, so do not keep the logs any longer than necessary. The default is 28 days. Specifies the length of time, in days, that the master server keeps its error catalog, job catalog, and debug log information. NetBackup derives the Backup Status, Problems, All Log Entries, and Media Log reports from the error catalog. Also limits the time period that these reports can cover. When this time expires, NetBackup also deletes these logs (that exist) on media servers and clients.
Keep logs up to GB	Specifies the size of the NetBackup logs that you want to retain. When the NetBackup log size grows to this value, the older logs are deleted. To set the log size in GB, select the check box and specify the value in GB. This option is available for the master servers, media servers, and clients. For master and media servers, the recommended value is 25 GB or greater. For clients, the recommended value is 5 GB or greater. When configuring this option, consider the NetBackup log pruning behavior. All logs are retained until the log size reaches the high water mark, that is, 95% of the Keep logs up to GB value. NetBackup checks for the log size every 10 minutes. Once the log size reaches the high water mark, the deletion of older logs is started. The deletion continues until the log size reaches the low water mark, that is, 85% of the Keep logs up to GB value. Consider the following example: The Keep logs up to GB option is set to 100 GB. NetBackup logs are created and retained until the log size reaches the high water mark, that is, 95 GB. NetBackup checks the log size every 10 minutes and determines that the log size is 95 GB. Log pruning is started and older logs are deleted until the log size reaches the low water mark, that is, 85 GB. Log pruning stops when the log size reaches 85 GB and all existing logs are retained until the log size again reaches the high water mark. If you do not select the Keep logs up to GB option, the default value is unlimited. The log retention or log pruning does not happen based on the log size. If both Keep logs up to GB and Keep logs for days are selected, the logs are pruned depending on the condition that occurs first. If no log retention options are selected, the increasing log size may eventually lead to a situation of low disk space, as all logs are retained. Note: You can verify the log pruning behavior in NetBackup using the logs at the following location: On Windows: install_path\NetBackup\logs\nbutil On UNIX: /usr/openv/netbackup/logs/nbutil
Keep Vault logs for	If NetBackup Vault is installed, the Keep Vault logs for property is enabled. Select the number of days to keep the Vault session directories, or select Forever. Session directories are found in the following location: **install_path\NetBackup\vault\sessions\vaultname\ session_x** Where session_x is the session number. This directory contains vault log files, temporary working files, and report files.

Note:

While collecting NetBackup logs using Logging Assistant, the total NetBackup log size may increase. If you have enabled the new Keep logs up to GB option and the total NetBackup log size reaches its high water mark, logs are deleted. Logs that you want to retain may also be deleted. To avoid the deletion of logs that you want to retain, disable the Keep logs up to GB option while you collect logs using Logging Assistant. Alternatively, you can set the Keep logs up to GB option to a value higher than the current value, so that the important logs are not deleted before the log collection is complete.

See About the Logging Assistant.

Table: Process-specific overrides

Service	Description
BPBRM logging level	The NetBackup backup and restore manager.
BPTM logging level	The NetBackup tape manager.
BPDM logging level	The NetBackup disk manager.
BPJOBD logging level	The NetBackup Jobs Database Management daemon.
BPDBM logging level	The NetBackup database manager.
BPRD logging level	The NetBackup request daemon or manager.

Table: Debug logging levels for NetBackup services

Service	Description
Policy Execution Manager	This property appears for master servers. NBPEM creates Policy/Client tasks and determines when jobs are due to run. If a policy is modified or if an image expires, NBPEM is notified and the appropriate Policy/Client tasks are updated.
Job Manager	This property appears for master servers. NBJM accepts the jobs that the Policy Execution Manager submits and acquires the necessary resources.
Resource Broker	NBRB makes the allocations for storage units, tape drives, client reservations.

NetBackup Administration Console logging

Legacy logging and unified logging write information about the NetBackup processes that backup, restore, duplicate, and so on. You can also configure NetBackup so that it writes log information about the NetBackup Administration Console. The log information may be helpful to troubleshoot problems.

The NetBackup Logging Reference Guide describes how to troubleshoot the NetBackup Administration Console:

http://www.veritas.com/docs/DOC5332