Clusters: Backing Up Each Cluster Node as a Separate Entity

This article applies to LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent 3.2 or later

If you are running LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent 3.1.2 or earlier, contact Customer Service.

Note: To verify the version of the LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent running on your server, see Viewing a Computer's Agent Software Version.

The LiveVault Online Backup Service allows you to back up your Microsoft Cluster service (MSCS) cluster nodes as separate entities. This configuration allows you to:

Back up data from disk volumes that are shared as cluster resources.
Back up node-specific resources, such as System private disks.
Manage each cluster node individually in MyLiveVault, using the cluster node names.

This configuration has the following restrictions:

It does not provide backup application failover as part of cluster failover.
You cannot back up the System State/NT registry for the individual cluster nodes.
If you configure multiple cluster nodes to each back up the cluster disk volumes, then you will have multiple independent copies of the data from these volumes backed up under the different cluster node names. See III. Configuring cluster disk backup and IV. Failover for additional information.

Important: This means that you can restore only the data from the shared cluster disks and the private disks. You will not be able to perform a LiveVault Online Backup Service disaster recovery for the individual cluster nodes.

For Microsoft Exchange, you must back up the Active Directory. If this is a Microsoft Exchange cluster, your Windows 2000/2003 domain controller with Active Directory Service (ADS) must be on a non-cluster server and you must be backing up the System State on that server. You cannot back up a System State using this cluster configuration method.

If this configuration does not meet your needs, you may choose to back up your cluster as a single entity.

I. Installing and configuring the LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent software on the cluster nodes

You will install the LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent software on each cluster node, with each assigned its own LiveVault Online Backup Service internal alias name.

Follow these steps to install and configure the LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent on your cluster nodes:

Contact Customer Service, inform them that you are going to be backing up a cluster, and provide the machine names for both the cluster nodes.
Add the cluster nodes in MyLiveVault:
1. On the MyLiveVault Home page is the All Computers form. Click Add Computer.
2. Read the New Computer page, then click Next.
3. On the New Computer form, type the simple machine name for the first cluster node (it does not matter which node you choose to do first) in the Computer name box. Also fill in the other requested information.
4. Repeat these steps for the second cluster node.
Download and install the service software onto the cluster nodes (repeat these steps for each node):
1. The primary technical contact for each node receives an e-mail indicating that the LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent software kit for the node is available. The service software kit contains the Agent software and digital certificates for the specified node.
2. On the MyLiveVault Home page, the All Computers form lists the names of the cluster nodes that you have added. Click Install Software in the Action column for the node on which you want to install the Agent.
3. Read the information on the Download and Install the Service Software page, then click Download Service Software to start the download process over the Internet.
4. On the File Download dialog box, select a download option. You can download the software to any location, and then copy it to the node that you want to back up. However, you must run the Setup program locally on the cluster node.
  - If you are downloading the software directly to the node where you will install the software, and you are logged on to the computer using a Windows account with Administrator rights, you can select the option Run this program from its current location. The self-extracting service software executable runs on your local system. Go to step h to continue the process.
  - Otherwise, select the option Save this program to disk. The self-extracting service software executable is downloaded to your local system.
5. Copy the self-extracting service software executable to the node where it will be installed.
6. Log on to the computer using a Windows account with Administrator rights on the node.
7. Double-click the self-extracting service software executable that you downloaded.
8. The software files will be unpacked in an installation folder. You may be prompted for a path for the installation folder. If you are prompted for a path, accept the provided path or type in a new path, and then click Continue. If the folder does not exist, you will prompted to create it. When prompted, click Yes.
9. The Agent Setup program starts running. During the installation make the following settings:
  - On the Setup Type dialog box:
    - Select the Custom installation type.
    - For Destination Folder, specify a local system disk path for the program files.
  - On the LiveVault Files Root Path dialog box, specify a path on a local disk for the internal files directories (journals and databases). These files cannot reside on a cluster disk.
  - When prompted, do not restart the first cluster node.
10. Make the LiveVault Service (nisvc) dependent on the Cluster Service (ClusSvc). Edit the Windows configuration registry to add the name of the Cluster service to the LiveVault service (called nisvc in the configuration registry):
  1. Using REGEDIT.EXE, open the registry key:
    
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Nisvc
  2. Select the DependOnService value.
  3. From the Edit menu, select Multi-String.
  4. In the Data field on the Multi-String Editor dialog, type ClusSvc to add the Cluster service to the list of dependencies.
  You must make the LiveVault service dependent on the successful start of the Cluster service, so the LiveVault service will not start until the Cluster service has successfully started. This dependency is necessary to ensure that the LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent default filters are applied. Otherwise, the LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent may back up its journal files and internal database directories.
  Important: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on the computer, back up the registry, and update your Emergency Repair Disk (ERD). For information about using Registry Editor and performing these tasks, refer to the Registry Editor and Windows documentation.
11. Restart the cluster node.

II. Configuring backup for the cluster

This cluster configuration allows you to back up shared cluster resources and node-specific resources, such as System private disks.

To configure your cluster backup do the following for each node:

On the MyLiveVault Home page, you will see the name of the cluster nodes on the All Computers form. Click Configure Backup in the Action column for a cluster node.
The Configure Backup page explains the steps to configure backup. Click Next.
If this is a Microsoft Exchange cluster, on the Microsoft Exchange Backup form specify how you want to back up Exchange on the computer (this step is only applicable for computers running both Agent version 4.0 or later and Microsoft Exchange; otherwise, skip to the next step):
- Select Automatic Exchange Data backup only to have LiveVault Online Backup Service automatically generate and maintain back up for Exchange on this computer.
  Note: We recommend choosing this option to ensure your Exchange data is fully backed up.
- Select Custom Exchange Data backup to define your own custom Exchange backup configuration.
Important: The Exchange options Automatic entire Exchange Server backup and No Exchange Backup are not applicable for Exchange clusters.
Click Next (located below the Microsoft Exchange Backup form) to continue configuring backup for your computer.
Configure the Files and Directories backup configuration for this node:
1. On the Configure your Files and Directories backup page in the Files to Backup tab on the Computer Backup form:
  1. Specify the data that you want to back up as part of this backup configuration. All local volumes, and any shared cluster disk currently owned by this node are automatically selected as part of its Files and Directories backup configuration. You can accept this default, or change the selections. You can either browse and select the files from a tree view of your computer's file structure, or manually define the file selection rules. See III. Configuring cluster disk backup for additional information.
  2. Clear the Backup the Registry/System State check box.
2. In the Schedule tab, create a schedule for the backup configuration.
3. Click Save.
4. Review the information in the Computer Backup form's Properties and Specifications columns. Click Submit to accept the backup configuration.
If this is a Microsoft Exchange cluster, on the Computer Backup form, configure your Exchange backup (this step is only applicable for computers running both Agent version 4.0 or later and Microsoft Exchange; otherwise, skip to the next step):
1. In the Files to Backup tab, review or specify the Exchange files and directories to back up:
  - If you chose Automatic Exchange Data backup only on the Files to Backup tab click View Files to Backup to review the Exchange files and directories that will be backed up.
    
    Note: You cannot edit the Exchange files and directories selections for an automatic Exchange data backup configuration.
  - If you chose Custom Exchange Data backup, on the Files to Backup tab specify the Exchange files and directories to back up. You can either browse and select the files from a tree view of your computer's file structure, or manually define the file selection rules. Follow the guidelines in the appropriate procedure for your Exchange version:
    - Microsoft Exchange 5.5
    - Microsoft Exchange 2000 or 2003
2. In the Schedule tab, create a schedule for the backup configuration.
3. In the Options tab, review and modify (if applicable) the Exchange application options for your Exchange version (for example, circular logging, or mailbox and message retention).
4. Click Save.
5. Review the information in the Computer Backup form's Properties and Specifications columns. Click Submit to accept the backup configuration.
Configure backup for shared resources that you want to back up as part of this backup configuration (see III. Configuring cluster disk backup for additional information):
1. On the Databases Backup form, click New.
2. On the Configure a database backup page in the Computer Backup form, do the following:
  1. Type a name for this backup configuration in the Name of database box. For example, MyClusterResources.
  2. In the Files to Backup tab on the Computer Backup form, select the files/directories on the shared resources that you want to back up as part of this backup configuration. You can either browse and select the files from a tree view of your computer's file structure, or manually define the file selection rules.
    
    Note: You may want to create separate backup configurations for the various shared resources. For example, you may want to create one for SQL and another for general data on a shared disk.
  3. In the Schedule tab, create a schedule for the backup configuration.
  4. Click Save.
  5. Review the information in the Computer Backup form's Properties and Specifications columns. Click Submit to accept the backup configuration.
3. On the Databases Backup page, the new backup configuration is listed. If you want to create another backup configuration, click New. Otherwise, click Done.

III. Configuring cluster disk backup

Each cluster disk is owned by only one node of the cluster. When the disk resource fails over to the other node, the ownership of the cluster disk moves to the other node.

The LiveVault Online Backup Service associates a particular cluster disk with its current owner. If NODE1 owns the disk with drive G:, then drive G: is associated with NODE1. If ownership of the cluster disk moves to NODE2, then the LiveVault Online Backup Service sees that drive G: on NODE1 has become unavailable, but that NODE2 now has a drive G: available. The LiveVault Online Backup Service views these as two completely different drives, each associated with a different computer. In MyLiveVault, the cluster disk drives can be viewed for the current owning node only.

For example, if NODE1 owns the disk with drive G:, then MyLiveVault displays drive G: on the Files to Backup tab. Also, if you configure backup for NODE1 while that node owns the disk, then drive G: appears in NODE1's tree view in MyLiveVault and is included by default in its Files and Directories backup configuration. If you configure backup for NODE2 while NODE1 owns the disk, then the configuration for NODE2 does not include drive G:. If you want drive G: to continue to be backed up regardless of ownership, you can manually add file selection rules to the backup configuration for the other node.

If a cluster disk is offline, MyLiveVault does not see any of its drives. However, you can manually add file selection rules to backup configurations while the disk is offline.

IV. Failover

In MSCS, failover is the process of having cluster resources migrate from an unavailable node to an available node. This includes the capability for a cluster disk to fail over when the node that owns the disk becomes unavailable, or for MSCS to automatically restart an application on the other cluster node in the event of an application or server failure.

A. Backup application failover is not supported

This LiveVault Online Backup Service cluster configuration does not provide backup application failover on an MSCS cluster, as the LiveVault Online Backup Service files cannot reside on cluster disks. If LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent or its computer fails, then the LiveVault Online Backup Service is not available. MSCS cannot automatically restart the application on the other cluster node.

B. Cluster resource failover issues

In this LiveVault Online Backup Service configuration, the cluster nodes are recognized as separate entities. Thus during failover, the failover node is seen as a different computer.

If an LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent is running on a cluster node that becomes unavailable, then all backup of that node's data stops. This includes data stored on both local disks and on cluster disks.

The LiveVault Online Backup Service can backup data from cluster disks. As cluster disks come online, backup jobs that are backing up data from these disks are automatically restarted. If the cluster disk goes offline, the jobs backing up data from these disks restart and continue backing up the disks that remain online.

All files backed up from a cluster disk retain the identity of the LiveVault Online Backup Service Agent computer. If the computer fails over to another node, these files appear as new files on a different computer. Unless a backup configuration exists to back up these files from the fail-over node, these files are not backed up during the failover. If backup is configured for these files on the fail-over node, then these files are backed up during the failover. However, the copies backed up from the original node and the fail-over node are independent copies. When the fail-over occurs and the backup jobs on the fail-over node restart, the shared data must be synchronized from the last time the data was backed up from the fail-over node. If this has been awhile, this may result in a significant backup synchronization time. See III. Configuring cluster disk backup for more information.

Related Information

MSCS Clusters