Veritas NetBackup™ Flex Scale Installation and Configuration Guide

Last Published:
Product(s): Appliances (1.3)
Platform: NetBackup Flex Scale OS

Configuring NetBackup Flex Scale using the setup wizard

Before you proceed, ensure that you do the following:

To configure the NetBackup Flex Scale cluster

  1. Open a web browser and connect to the NetBackup Flex Scale node to which you had assigned a public IP address earlier.

    Enter the following URL in the address bar:

    https://nodepublicIP:8443

    If you are using IPv6 addresses, use the following URL syntax:

    https://[nodepublicIP]:8443

    Here, nodepublicIP is the public IP address that you assigned to the node earlier.

    Note:

    You can use this URL to connect to the node and launch the cluster configuration wizard only until the time the node is not part of the cluster. After the cluster is configured, the node is no longer accessible using this URL.

  2. Sign in to the node using the root user account.

    Do the following on the sign in page:

    • Enter the following user credentials:

      User: root

      Password: P@ssw0rd

      Note:

      The root user account is used only during the cluster configuration. This account is blocked after the cluster is configured successfully.

    • Click Sign in.

  3. Review the information displayed on the Welcome screen, then select I agree to the terms and conditions of End User License Agreement, and then click Get started.
  4. On the Cluster Setup panel, you are presented with a set of configuration options. To configure the cluster, you must click through each of these options and provide the required configuration inputs.

    To begin, in the Select nodes box, click Start.

  5. On the Select Nodes panel, review the cluster settings and the names of the nodes that you want to configure in the cluster.

    Cluster settings:

    • Click Edit names and on the Edit name dialog box, specify the required parameters:

      Parameter

      Description

      Cluster name

      Specify a name for the NetBackup Flex Scale cluster.

      The following criteria apply:

      • The cluster name can contain the following characters:

        a-z,, 0-9, -

      • The cluster name must start with a lowercase letter.

      • The cluster name must not contain uppercase letters.

      • The cluster name must include a minimum of 3 characters and can contain a maximum of 63 characters.

      Domain name

      Specify the name of the domain that the nodes will be a part of. The name must be a fully qualified name.

      For example, mycompany.mydomain.com.

      The node names are automatically generated based on the cluster and domain name that you specify. The cluster name serves as a prefix for the node names. You can modify the node names if required. The following conditions are applicable:

      • In the node name, the hostname can contain a maximum of 63 characters.

      • The Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) of the node can contain a maximum of 253 characters, including all the dots used in the name.

        Node name FQDN (253 characters) = hostname (63 characters) + domain name (190 characters, including dots)

      • Ensure that the FQDN corresponding to the node names are unique in the domain. Verify that they do not conflict with the FQDN of any of the management interfaces or any other publicly resolvable FQDNs.

    • Click Confirm.

    Nodes:

    A minimum of 4 healthy nodes are required to form a cluster. The available nodes are discovered automatically. To rediscover the nodes, click Rescan.

    The panel displays the following details about each node:

    Label

    Description

    Node name

    Displays the auto-generated name for the node. The names are numerically sequenced based on the specified cluster name and domain.

    Status

    Displays the current status of the node. A healthy status indicates that the node is ready to be part of the cluster.

    Note:

    You cannot add unhealthy nodes to the cluster.

    Size

    Displays the maximum storage capacity available on the node.

    Serial number

    Displays the unique serial number of the node.

    Primary Data(eth5)

    Displays the MAC address of network interface eth5 on the node. This interface is used for the data network traffic.

    Management(eth1)

    Displays the MAC address of network interface eth1 on the node. This interface is used for the cluster management network traffic.

    Import or Export configuration:

    • Click Generate configuration template if you want to export the current cluster settings as a YML file.

      The wizard prompts you whether you wish to specify an IP range for the required IP addresses.

      • Click Yes if you want NetBackup Flex Scale to automatically assign IP addresses based on the IP range that you specify.

      • Click No if you wish to manually specify all the required IP addresses.

      Based on your response, the YML configuration file that gets generated includes the IP address parameter in the appropriate syntax.

      The YML file can serve as a reference for future use. Alternatively, you can export a blank configuration file, manually edit that file and add the necessary cluster parameter values, and then import that YML file again.

    • Click Export inventory CSV if you want to save the displayed node details as a comma separate values (csv) file for reference.

    • To import a pre-created configuration, click Import configuration file and select the YML file that contains the configuration settings.

      The YML file must contain name-value pairs corresponding to all the parameters that are displayed in the UI.

    Click Save to confirm the cluster and node settings.

    Note:

    You cannot select unhealthy nodes to be a part of the cluster. Ensure that you select at least 4 healthy nodes including the node (driver node) from where you launched the cluster configuration workflow. The UI displays an error if the driver node is not selected. Refer to the following for information on how to identify the driver node:

    See Initial configuration wizard displays a driver node not selected error.

  6. Configure the network settings for the data network, the management network, and the IPMI network for the cluster.

    To begin, in the Configure network box, click Start and then specify the following details:

    Data Network

    Specify the networking details for the data network. All the NetBackup operational data traffic, including communications with external hosts and services, is routed on this network. A data network is required to set up the cluster.

    Note:

    Ensure that the IP addresses and FQDN that you specify are added to the DNS server that you specify here and are resolvable on the network.

    • Routing settings

      Specify the network routing settings for the data network.

      Parameter

      Description

      IPv4 | IPv6

      Click IPv4 or IPv6 depending on the IP addressing that you wish to configure in the cluster.

      Subnet Mask

      If using IPv4 public addresses, specify the subnet mask of the data network.

      Gateway

      If using IPv4 public addresses, specify the IP address of the gateway server in your network.

      Prefix Length

      If using IPv6 public addresses, specify the IPv6 prefix length.

      Router

      If using IPv6 public addresses, specify the router address.

      Note:

      If you switch from IPv4 to IPv6 (or vice versa) after specifying the parameter inputs, then all the inputs entered until that point will be lost and you will have to enter them again.

    • Media servers

      Specify a public IP address and a Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) for the media server service for each node.

      Parameter

      Description

      Automatic | Custom

      Choose how you wish to assign IP addresses to the media server service on each node.

      • Click Automatic if you want NetBackup Flex Scale to automatically assign IP addresses from the IP range that you specify.

      • Click Custom if you want to specify the IP addresses manually.

      IP address

      If using the Automatic option, specify an IP address range. Ensure that the IP range includes a sufficient number of IP addresses to assign, depending on the number of nodes.

      • You can specify the IP address range separated by a dash. For example, 10.xx.xxx.192-10.xx.xxx.208.

      • You can specify the IP address range in the CIDR format. For example, 10.xx.xxx.192/30.

      FQDN

      If using the Custom option, specify the FQDN for the media server service on each node.

      IPv4 address

      If using the Custom option, specify the IP address for the media server service on each node.

      Note:

      If you switch between Automatic and Custom after specifying the parameter inputs, then all the inputs entered until that point will be lost and you will have to enter them again.

    • Storage servers

      Specify a public IP address and a FQDN for the storage server service for each node.

      Parameter

      Description

      Automatic | Custom

      Choose how you wish to assign IP addresses to the storage server service on each node.

      • Click Automatic if you want NetBackup Flex Scale to automatically assign IP addresses from the IP range that you specify.

      • Click Custom if you want to specify the IP addresses manually.

      IP address

      If using the Automatic option, specify an IP address range. Ensure that the IP range includes a sufficient number of IP addresses to assign, depending on the number of nodes.

      • You can specify the IP address range separated by a dash. For example, 10.xx.xxx.192-10.xx.xxx.208.

      • You can specify the IP address range in the CIDR format. For example, 10.xx.xxx.192/30.

      FQDN

      If using the Custom option, specify the FQDN for the storage server service on each node.

      IPv4 address

      If using the Custom option, specify the IP address for the storage server service on each node.

      Note:

      If you switch between Automatic and Custom after specifying the parameter inputs, then all the inputs entered until that point will be lost and you will have to enter them again.

    • Domain Name System (DNS)

      Specify the DNS settings for the data network.

      Parameter

      Description

      Domain name

      Displays the domain name you specified in the cluster settings panel earlier. To modify this parameter, save and close this dialog box and go back to the Select nodes panel to edit the domain name.

      DNS server

      Specify the IP address of the DNS server in your network.

      Search Domains

      Specify the search domains for resolving host names and IP addresses. Use commas to separate multiple values.

    • Advanced network options

      Parameter

      Description

      Interface Bonding

      If you wish to use NIC bonding for high availability of the network interfaces, select Interface Bonding and then choose the bonding type from the drop-down list.

      Refer to the NetBackup Flex Scale Administrator's Guide for more details about NIC bonding support.

      VLAN ID

      If you wish to use a pre-configured virtual LAN, specify the VLAN ID. The ID can be any value between 1 and 4095.

    • Click Next.

    Management Network

    Specify the networking details for the management network.

    • Routing settings

      Select Configure a separate management network and then specify the network routing settings for the management network.

      Configuring a separate network for the management traffic is optional. If you skip this step, all the cluster management traffic is automatically routed over the data network.

      Parameter

      Description

      IPv4 | IPv6

      Click IPv4 or IPv6 depending on the IP addressing that you wish to configure in the cluster.

      Subnet Mask

      If using IPv4 public addresses, specify the subnet mask of the management network.

      Gateway

      If using IPv4 public addresses, specify the IP address of the gateway server in your network.

      Prefix length

      If using IPv6 public addresses, specify the IPv6 prefix length.

      Router

      If using IPv6 public addresses, specify the router address.

    • Management Interfaces

      Specify the public IP address to be assigned to the designated management network interface on each node.

      The node names are displayed automatically.

      Parameter

      Description

      Automatic | Custom

      Choose how you wish to assign IP addresses to the management interfaces on each node.

      • Click Automatic if you want NetBackup Flex Scale to automatically assign IP addresses from the IP range that you specify.

      • Click Custom if you want to specify the IP addresses manually.

      IP address

      If using the Automatic option, specify an IP address range. Ensure that the IP range includes a sufficient number of IP addresses to assign, depending on the number of nodes.

      • You can specify the IP address range separated by a dash. For example, 10.xx.xxx.192-10.xx.xxx.208.

      • You can specify the IP address range in the CIDR format. For example, 10.xx.xxx.192/30.

      FQDN

      If using the Custom option, specify the FQDN for the management interface on each node.

      IPv4 address

      If using the Custom option, specify the IP address for the management interface on each node.

    • Domain Names System (DNS)

      Displays the DNS settings that you specified for the data network earlier.

      To change these settings, you have to navigate back to the Data network section and edit the DNS details as required.

    • Advanced network options

      Parameter

      Description

      VLAN ID

      If you wish to use a pre-configured virtual LAN, specify the VLAN ID. The ID can be any value between 1 and 4095.

    • Click Next.

    IPMI Network

    Specify network details for the IPMI network. An IPMI network is used for system monitoring and management by directly connecting to the system hardware. It is independent of the host CPU, firmware, and operating system.

    This is an optional step. You can configure the IPMI network at any time after the cluster configuration.

    Select Configure a separate IPMI network and then specify the following details:

    • IPMI interfaces

      Specify a public IP address to be assigned to the designated IPMI network interface on each node.

      Parameter

      Description

      Automatic | Custom

      Choose how you wish to assign IP addresses to the IPMI interfaces on each node.

      • Click Automatic if you want NetBackup Flex Scale to automatically assign IP addresses from the IP range that you specify.

      • Click Custom if you want to specify the IP addresses manually.

      IP address

      If using the Automatic option, specify an IP address range. Ensure that the IP range includes a sufficient number of IP addresses to assign, depending on the number of nodes.

      • You can specify the IP address range separated by a dash. For example, 10.xx.xxx.192-10.xx.xxx.208.

      • You can specify the IP address range in the CIDR format. For example, 10.xx.xxx.192/30.

      FQDN

      If using the Custom option, specify the FQDN for the IPMI interface on each node.

      IPv4 address

      If using the Custom option, specify the IP address for the IPMI interface on each node.

    • Routing settings

      Specify the network routing settings for the IPMI network.

      Parameter

      Description

      IPv4 | IPv6

      Click IPv4 or IPv6 depending on the IP addressing that you wish to configure for the IPMI network.

      Subnet mask

      If using IPv4 public addresses, specify the subnet mask of the IPMI network.

      Gateway

      If using IPv4 public addresses, specify the IP address of the gateway server in your network.

      Prefix length

      If using IPv6 public addresses, specify the IPv6 prefix length.

      Router

      If using IPv6 public addresses, specify the router address.

    • Click Next.

    Custom hosts

    Configure a custom hosts file to map host names and domain to IP addresses so that it helps the system to resolve addresses quickly without querying the DNS.

    This is an optional step. You can create a custom hosts file at any time after the cluster configuration.

    • Select Configure a custom hosts file and then review the list of the host and IP mapping entries that are auto-generated based on the configuration inputs that you have provided so far.

    • You can add any additional host names as required.

      To add an entry, specify the IP address and FQDN in the respective fields and then click the plus icon that appears on the right side of the panel.

      You can specify both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses for the additional host entries.

    • Click Next.

    Summary

    • Review the network configuration settings that you have specified so far. To modify any settings, click the Edit button.

    • Click Save to confirm the network configuration settings.

  7. Specify the network settings for the NetBackup Flex Scale infrastructure management console UI, the NetBackup master server, and the cluster management and API gateway server.

    To begin, in the Configure Cluster box, click Start and then specify the following details:

    Cluster Settings

    • Infrastructure Management

      Parameter

      Description

      Cluster name

      Displays the cluster name you specified in the cluster settings panel earlier. To modify this parameter, save and close this dialog box and go back to the Select nodes panel to edit the cluster name.

      Console IPv4 | Console IPv6

      Specify a public IP address for the NetBackup Flex Scale management console. The type of IP address, whether IPv4 or IPv6, depends on the IP addressing you specified for the management network's routing settings.

      This is also referred to as the cluster IP address and is the IP that you will use to access the infrastructure management console user interface (UI).

      Management Server FQDN

      Specify a resolvable host name or FQDN for the NetBackup Flex Scale management and API server.

      Note:

      This is the internal management server of the NetBackup Flex Scale cluster. Do not specify the name of your public network gateway server here.

      Management Server IPv4 | Management Server IPv6

      Specify a public IP address for the NetBackup Flex Scale management and API server. The type of IP address, whether IPv4 or IPv6, depends on the IP addressing you specified for the management network's routing settings.

      Note:

      This is the internal management gateway of the NetBackup Flex Scale cluster. Do not specify the IP address of your public network gateway server here.

    • NetBackup Master Settings

      Parameter

      Description

      Host Name

      Specify a resolvable host name or FQDN for the NetBackup master server service. The master server service is configured as a highly available failover service and runs on any one of the cluster nodes.

      The FQDN for the master server must belong to the same domain as that of the cluster nodes and the FQDN for the media server and storage server services that you specified earlier.

      IPv4 | IPv6

      Specify a public IP address for the NetBackup master server service. The type of IP address, whether IPv4 or IPv6, depends on the IP addressing you specified for the data network's routing settings.

    • Private IP Settings

      Parameter

      Description

      Private IPv4

      If using IPv4 addresses, specify a private subnet IP to be used for internal communication between the cluster nodes.

      For example, you can specify the IP as 172.16.0.1.

      Subnet Mask

      Specify the subnet mask for the IP address that you specified earlier. You must use a subnet that is equal or larger than 255.252.0.0.

      For example, 252.252.0.0 or 255.248.0.0. is a valid subnet mask, whereas 255.255.0.0 or 255.255.248.0 are invalid values.

      Private IPv6

      If using IPv6 addresses, specify a private subnet IP to be used for internal communication between the cluster nodes.

      Prefix Length

      If using IPv6 addresses, specify the IPv6 prefix length. The prefix length must be greater than or equal to 112.

      Note:

      The private network supports IPv4 and IPv6 addresses. You can specify both IPv4 and IPv6 addresses simultaneously.

    • Click Next.

    Cluster setting

    • Storage server account

      Specify a user account that can be used to access the storage server containers. This account will have the permissions to manage all the storage on the NetBackup Flex Scale cluster nodes. This account is also used to set up NetBackup Auto Image Replication (AIR).

      Parameter

      Description

      Username

      Specify the name for the user account that can be used to access the NetBackup storage server containers.

      Password

      Specify the password for the user account that you specified earlier.

      Confirm password

      Confirm the password for the user account that you specified earlier.

      Note:

      Refer to the following for the character usage and restrictions applicable to the user name and password for this account:

      https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/article.100048511

    • Region Settings

      Parameter

      Description

      Timezone

      From the drop-down list, select a time zone that you want to apply to the cluster nodes.

      NTP server

      Specify an NTP server that you want to use to set and synchronize the system clocks on the cluster nodes.

      You can specify an IP address or an FQDN. The type of IP address depends on the data network routing settings that you specified earlier. If the data network is configured to use IPv4 addresses, the NTP server IP address must be an IPv4 address. Conversely, if the data network uses IPv6 addresses, the NTP server IP must be an IPv6 address.

      For example, time.google.com.

    • Disaster recovery replication

      Parameter

      Description

      Passphrase

      Enter the disaster recovery passphrase for the cluster.

      Confirm passphrase

      Enter the passphrase again to confirm it.

    • Click Next.

    Licenses

    Add the desired storage and NetBackup licenses to the cluster.

    This step is optional. If you do not add a license at this stage, the cluster is automatically configured with a trial license. However, to maintain a working cluster, you must add a valid license using the infrastructure management console UI later.

    Parameter

    Description

    Storage licenses

    Click Add license to add one or more storage licenses to the cluster configuration.

    A valid storage license is required to maintain a working cluster.

    NetBackup licenses

    Click Add a license to add a NetBackup license to the cluster configuration. A valid license is necessary to maintain a working cluster.

    Note:

    You can use the NetBackup Java Console UI to manage the NetBackup licenses that are added to the cluster.

    Summary

    • Review the network, cluster, and licensing settings that you have specified so far. To modify any settings, click the Edit button.

    • Click Save to confirm all the settings.

  8. Add administrative user accounts to the cluster and assign NetBackup Flex Scale cluster management and NetBackup roles.

    To begin, in the Add administrators box, click Start and specify the following details:

    Add users

    You must add at least one administrator account to manage the NetBackup Flex Scale cluster system and one administrator account for NetBackup.

    Do the following:

    • Click Add Appliance and NetBackup Administrator.

    • On the Add default administrator dialog, specify the required parameters:

      Parameter

      Description

      Username

      Specify the name for the admin user account.

      Password

      Specify the password for the admin user account.

      Confirm password

      Confirm the password for the admin user account.

      Appliance Administrator

      Select this option if you want to assign the NetBackup Flex Scale cluster administrator role to this user account.

      The cluster admin user account has the permissions to manage all the infrastructure components in the cluster such as the cluster nodes, cluster settings, and the cluster operations.

      NetBackup Administrator

      Select this option if you want to assign the NetBackup administrator role to this user account.

      This role has the permissions to manage the NetBackup services and operations in the cluster.

    • Click Add to add the specified user account.

      Repeat this process to add additional user accounts as required. You can add up to 10 admin users.

      To edit or remove an existing user account, in the table row, click the action button that appears on the right and then select Edit or Remove.

    • Click Next.

    Summary

    • Review the admin user accounts that you have added so far. To modify any settings, click the Edit button.

    • Click Save to confirm the user accounts.

  9. Configure the Veritas Autosupport service.

    The AutoSupport service allows for proactive monitoring, management, and support of the cluster's health and performance. It identifies the probable risks and issues in the environment and provides alerts to admin users and service engineers. This mechanism allows you to manage such issues before they have an adverse effect on your production environment.

    This step is optional. You can configure the Autosupport service at any time after the cluster configuration.

    To begin, in the Configure Autosupport box, click Start and then provide the following details:

    • Email service configuration

      Configure an SMTP email server to enable email-based alerts and notifications.

      Specify the following parameters:

      Parameter

      Description

      Notification interval

      Specify the notification interval, in minutes, for email-based alerts. Enter a value in multiples of 15 minutes.

      SMTP server

      Enter the FQDN or the IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) of the SMTP server.

      Server port

      Specify the port number to use for communicating with the SMTP server.

      Software administrator email

      Specify the email address of the admin users who will be the recipients of software-related email alerts.

      Use commas to separate multiple entries.

      Hardware administrator email

      Specify the email address of the admin users who will be the recipients of hardware-related email alerts.

      Use commas to separate multiple entries.

      Sender email

      Specify the sender email address. The sender email is used as a source address for sending all email-based communications.

      SMTP account

      Enter the SMTP server user account.

      Password

      Enter the password of the SMTP server user account specified earlier.

      Encryption Enabled

      Select this option to enable encrypted communication.

    • SNMP service configuration

      Configure the SNMP service if you want to remotely monitor the cluster nodes using the SNMP protocol.

      • Click to expand the SNMP service configuration section and then click Enable SNMP to enable it.

      • Specify the following parameters:

        Parameter

        Description

        SNMP server

        Enter the FQDN or IP address (IPv4 or IPv6) of the SNMP server in your network.

        SNMP port

        Specify the SNMP port. For example, 161.

        Community

        Enter the community string to be used to authenticate the SNMP requests.

    • Call home and proxy settings

      Configure the Call Home and proxy settings to enable communication with the Veritas Call Home server for uploading system software and hardware diagnostics information.

      • Click Enable Call Home transmission to enable the option.

        Note:

        Call Home configuration is not supported in an IPv6 cluster network configuration.

      • Click Enable proxy server to enable proxy server communication option and then specify the following parameters:

        Parameter

        Description

        Proxy server

        Enter the IP address of the proxy server in your network.

        Proxy Port

        Specify the port number to use for communicating with the proxy server.

      • Click Enable proxy tunneling to enable a secure communication channel with the Veritas Call Home server.

      • Select Authenticate proxy server and then specify the following parameters:

        Parameter

        Description

        Proxy username

        Specify the user account to use for authenticating communication requests to the proxy server.

        Proxy password

        Enter the password of the user account specified earlier.

    • Click Save to confirm the specified settings.

  10. After specifying all the cluster configuration options, you are taken back to the Cluster Setup panel. A green tick mark in the configuration options box indicates that all the required parameters have been specified.

    To proceed, do the following:

    • Click Download Configuration if you want to save all the specified cluster configuration settings locally in a YML file. The YML file serves as a reference and can be used to import the settings if you want to reconfigure the cluster.

    • Click Install Configuration to start the NetBackup Flex Scale cluster configuration process.

      The Configuration Status page displays the progress of the cluster configuration.

      The setup wizard performs the following tasks:

      • Prepares all the cluster nodes and configures the cluster services

      • Configures the data, management, and IPMI networks and sets up the infrastructure management console

      • Configures all the components and services including the NetBackup master server, media server, and storage server services

      • Configures Autosupport services and performs basic validation tests

      • Starts all the cluster and NetBackup services

    Click View Details if you want to see the detailed list of tasks performed and their status.

    Note:

    If the NTP server was not set before the initial configuration then the timestamp of the tasks may not be consistent.

  11. Wait for the Configuration Status page to confirm that the cluster is configured successfully. A confirmation message indicates that the cluster configuration process is complete.

    You can now proceed to the NetBackup Web UI to configure protection plans and start protecting workloads.

  12. On the Configuration Status page, click Continue to login to launch the NetBackup Web UI in a new browser window.

    On the sign in page, specify the NetBackup administrator user account and password that you created during the cluster configuration (refer to step 8 earlier) and then click Sign in.

    Note that the IP address of the NetBackup Web UI is the public IP address that you specified for the NetBackup Flex Scale management gateway and API server during the cluster configuration (refer to step 7 earlier).

    For more information on NetBackup and how to use the NetBackup Web UI to protect your workloads, refer to the Veritas NetBackup Web UI Administrator's Guide.

  13. At this stage, you can also sign in to the NetBackup Flex Scale infrastructure management console to view all the details about the cluster, nodes, storage, and services.

    Open a web browser and type the following URL in the address bar:

    https://ManagementServerIPorFQDN:14161

    If you are using IPv6 addresses, use the following URL syntax:

    https://[ManagementServerIP]:14161

    Here, ManagementServerIPorFQDN is the public IP address or FQDN that you specified for the NetBackup Flex Scale management server and API gateway during the cluster configuration.

    On the sign in page, specify the NetBackup Flex Scale administrator user account and password that you created during the cluster configuration (refer to step 8 earlier) and then click Sign in.

    For more information on the NetBackup Flex Scale UI and how to use it to manage your NetBackup Flex Scale cluster, refer to the Veritas NetBackup Flex Scale Administrator's Guide .