Zmanda Client for Linux Manual

Pre-installation checklist

• Following packages should be installed on the client
  
  • GNU tar (version 1.15.1 or greater, except Redhat/CentOS, which supports verson 1.14 or greater)
  • xinetd
  • ssh server
  • perl (version 5.8.0 or greater)

• Libraries (32bit libraries for 32bit Amanda client packages and 64bit libraries for 64bit packages) that are required are:

  •  
  • curl
  • readline
  • glib2
  • termcap

These packages are installed by default on most Linux distributions. If you need to add them, you can use yum, apt-get, or yast. Packages can be obtained from the distribution media or from a distribution repository (run either as root):

#yum install package_name

or

#apt-get install package_name

or

#yast -i package_name

In the case of yast on SLES, you can also use the YaST Online Update (YOU) to install new package and to keep the SLES distribution updated (which is recommended).

Client installation

• Amanda client installation must be performed as super user (in other words, the root user).

• Download the Amanda Enterprise Edition 3.1 Solaris client package from the Zmanda network downloads page. There are two packages - amanda-enterprise-backup-client and amanda-enterprise-extensions-client. Both packages are required.
• Install the packages (amanda-enterprise-backup-client followed by amanda-enterprise-extensions-client) using rpm or dpkg command.

rpm -ivh <package name>

• Amanda client configuration files are created during Amanda client package installation. The list of files that are modified during installation can be seen in the above installation command output.

• The logs for Amanda client package installation can be found in /var/log/amanda/install.log. If there are installation errors, messages are logged to the /var/log/amanda/install.err file.

• During the install, the amandabackup user is created if it does not already exist. Please assign a password for the amandabackup user.

Post-installation checklist

Note: These tasks must be performed as super user (the root user).

• Check installation log files

The Amanda installation log can be found in /var/log/amanda/install.log and errors (if any) in /var/log/amanda/install.err.
Make sure there are no errors in the log files.

• Perform the post installation steps common to all Amanda clients.

Adding Client file systems in ZMC

You can add the Linux file systems/folders to the backup set using Zmanda Management Console. Use the Backup What page in the Zmanda management console to add folders from the Linux client (Select File systems from the drop down menu). You will need to specify the client name Host Name and the Directory to back up.

You can exclude files, specify encryption and compression to be used for the directory. Special files such as device files, named pipes, sockets, etc. can cause errors from the native backup and restore tools and they should be excluded from the backup.

Solaris file systems can be backed up using different Amanda methods (Amanda Backup Client Application). The default method is using gtar (GNU tar).  Other methods that are available are shown below:

SUN Tar allows the backup of extended attributes but only full backups can be performed. ZFS sendrecv and ZFS snapshot applications are available only for ZFS filesystems.

Amanda application ZFS snapshot can backup ZFS file systems by taking ZFS snapshots and backing data from the ZFS snapshots. After the backup operation is complete, the ZFS snapshot is deleted. Using ZFS snapshots provides two advantages:

1. All files that are open or locked get backed up. No process other than Amanda backup process will be accessing the ZFS snapshot created for backup.
2. Backup is consistent to a point in time. Usually backup process captures files over the backup window and will not consistent to a point in time. ZFS snapshot allows backup to be consistent to time when the snapshot is taken.

Use of ZFS sendrecv application is not recommended for ZFS filesystems because the format of ZFS send is likely to change.

Restoring Solaris files

If you are restoring to Solaris machine which has Amanda Enterprise client installed, Use Zmanda Management Console Restore pages.  You can select and explore files or use express restore in the Restore What page. For ZFS sendrecv application only express restore method is available.

Provide the Solaris machine where backups are being restored to in the Destination Host field in Restore Where page. The Destination User Name is not required.

If you are restoring to a machine that does not Amanda client installed, ssh will be used for restoration.  An user who has write permissions to do restoration is required for this method and must be provided in Destination User Name field in Restore Where page.

Requirements for amsuntar Backup

If amsuntar is used, check the following:

usermod -P "Media Backup" amandabackup

define application-tool "app_amsuntar_user" {
                        property "BLOCK-SIZE" "block_size_integer"
                        property "EXTENDED-ATTRIBUTES" "[YES | NO]"
                        property "EXTENDED-HEADERS" "[YES | NO]"                                             }

define application-tool "app_amsuntar_user" {                        property "BLOCK-SIZE" "64"
                        property "EXTENDED-ATTRIBUTES" "YES"
                        property "EXTENDED-HEADERS" "YES"                                             }

/etc/sysevent/sysevent_door

define dumptype zmc_suntar_userapp {exclude list "/tmp/exclude.list"}