Veritas NetBackup™

Appliance Upgrade Guide

Release 3.2
Veritas NetBackup™ Appliance Upgrade Guide
Legal Notice
Copyright © 2019 Veritas Technologies LLC. All rights reserved.

Veritas, the Veritas Logo, and NetBackup are trademarks or registered trademarks of Veritas
Technologies LLC or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be
trademarks of their respective owners.

This product may contain third-party software for which Veritas is required to provide attribution
to the third party (“Third-party Programs”). Some of the Third-party Programs are available
under open source or free software licenses. The License Agreement accompanying the
Software does not alter any rights or obligations you may have under those open source or
free software licenses. Refer to the Third-party Legal Notices document accompanying this
Veritas product or available at:

https://www.veritas.com/about/legal/license-agreements

The product described in this document is distributed under licenses restricting its use, copying,
distribution, and decompilation/reverse engineering. No part of this document may be
reproduced in any form by any means without prior written authorization of Veritas Technologies
LLC and its licensors, if any.

THE DOCUMENTATION IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND ALL EXPRESS OR IMPLIED

CONDITIONS, REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR
NON-INFRINGEMENT, ARE DISCLAIMED, EXCEPT TO THE EXTENT THAT SUCH
DISCLAIMERS ARE HELD TO BE LEGALLY INVALID. VERITAS TECHNOLOGIES LLC
SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN
CONNECTION WITH THE FURNISHING, PERFORMANCE, OR USE OF THIS
DOCUMENTATION. THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS DOCUMENTATION IS
SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE.

The Licensed Software and Documentation are deemed to be commercial computer software
as defined in FAR 12.212 and subject to restricted rights as defined in FAR Section 52.227-19
"Commercial Computer Software - Restricted Rights" and DFARS 227.7202, et seq.
"Commercial Computer Software and Commercial Computer Software Documentation," as
applicable, and any successor regulations, whether delivered by Veritas as on premises or
hosted services. Any use, modification, reproduction release, performance, display or disclosure
of the Licensed Software and Documentation by the U.S. Government shall be solely in
accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

Veritas Technologies LLC

2625 Augustine Drive
Santa Clara, CA 95054

http://www.veritas.com
Technical Support
Technical Support maintains support centers globally. All support services will be delivered
in accordance with your support agreement and the then-current enterprise technical support
policies. For information about our support offerings and how to contact Technical Support,
visit our website:

https://www.veritas.com/support

You can manage your Veritas account information at the following URL:

https://my.veritas.com

If you have questions regarding an existing support agreement, please email the support
agreement administration team for your region as follows:

Worldwide (except Japan) [email protected]

Japan [email protected]

Documentation
Make sure that you have the current version of the documentation. Each document displays
the date of the last update on page 2. The latest documentation is available on the Veritas
website:

https://www.veritas.com/content/support/en_US/dpp.Appliances.html

Documentation feedback
Your feedback is important to us. Suggest improvements or report errors or omissions to the
documentation. Include the document title, document version, chapter title, and section title
of the text on which you are reporting. Send feedback to:

[email protected]

You can also see documentation information or ask a question on the Veritas community site:

http://www.veritas.com/community/

Veritas Services and Operations Readiness Tools (SORT)

Veritas Services and Operations Readiness Tools (SORT) is a website that provides information
and tools to automate and simplify certain time-consuming administrative tasks. Depending
on the product, SORT helps you prepare for installations and upgrades, identify risks in your
datacenters, and improve operational efficiency. To see what services and tools SORT provides
for your product, see the data sheet:

https://sort.veritas.com/data/support/SORT_Data_Sheet.pdf
 Contents

Chapter 1 Introduction ........................................................................... 6

About upgrading to NetBackup appliance software version 3.2 ............... 6

Supported upgrade paths .......................................................... 6
About corresponding NetBackup software versions ........................ 7
About the Appliance Install Manager ............................................ 7

Chapter 2 Upgrade planning ................................................................ 9

Requirements and best practices for upgrading NetBackup appliances
............................................................................................. 9
About upgrades for NetBackup Appliance HA setups ..................... 11
Upgrade time estimation .......................................................... 13

Chapter 3 Performing the upgrade ................................................... 14

Methods for downloading appliance software release updates ............... 14
Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using
the NetBackup Appliance Web Console ................................ 14
Downloading software updates directly to a NetBackup appliance
..................................................................................... 15
Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using
a client share ................................................................... 17
Installing a NetBackup appliance software update using the NetBackup
Appliance Shell Menu .............................................................. 20

Chapter 4 Post upgrade tasks ........................................................... 26

Post upgrade tasks ....................................................................... 26

Chapter 5 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate ............... 27

About VxUpdate ........................................................................... 27

VxUpdate repository management ................................................... 28
Deployment policy management ...................................................... 31
Manually initiating upgrades from the master server using VxUpdate
........................................................................................... 35
Manually initiating upgrades from the client using VxUpdate .................. 39
 Contents 5

Deployment job status ................................................................... 40

Chapter 6 Troubleshooting ................................................................. 42

Troubleshooting upgrade issues ...................................................... 42

Index .................................................................................................................... 43
 Chapter 1
Introduction
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About upgrading to NetBackup appliance software version 3.2

About upgrading to NetBackup appliance software

version 3.2
To upgrade to versions 3.1 or later, use the IPMI console to log in to the NetBackup
Appliance Shell Menu or use the Appliance Management Console. To upgrade
the nodes in a high availability (HA) setup, you must use the NetBackup Appliance
Shell Menu. The Appliance Management Console does not support upgrades for
HA nodes.
Before you begin any upgrades, review the following topics:
See “Supported upgrade paths” on page 6.
See “About upgrades for NetBackup Appliance HA setups” on page 11.
See “About corresponding NetBackup software versions ” on page 7.
See “About the Appliance Install Manager” on page 7.

Supported upgrade paths

■ Direct upgrade paths
■ 5230, 5240, or 5330 appliances with versions 2.7.3, 3.0, 3.1, 3.1.1, and 3.1.2
■ 5340 appliances with versions 3.1, 3.1.1, and 3.1.2

■ Two-step upgrade path

 Introduction 7
About upgrading to NetBackup appliance software version 3.2

Appliances with software versions 2.7.2 and earlier must be upgraded twice to
get to version 3.2. It is recommended that these systems first be upgraded to
version 2.7.3, and then upgraded to version 3.2.

Note: Although multi-path upgrades from versions 2.5.x or 2.6.x to version 3.2 are
supported, these upgrades may fail if the preflight check detects insufficient space
on the /boot partition. For example, if the appliance was upgraded from version
2.5.3 to 2.6.1 and then to version 2.7.3 or 3.0, an upgrade to version 3.2 will fail if
insufficient /boot space is detected. This problem occurs because the /boot partition
is completely allocated on appliances that once used the older versions and it cannot
be resized. If you experience this problem, you must reimage the appliance with
the version that existed before the failed upgrade attempt, and then upgrade to
version 3.2. Using the example just described (version 2.6.1 to 3.1 to 3.2), the
appliance must be reimaged with version 3.1 before upgrading it to version 3.2.

About corresponding NetBackup software versions

NetBackup software version 8.2 is included with NetBackup appliance release 3.2.
Table 1-1 lists the corresponding NetBackup versions for the recent NetBackup
appliance software releases.

Table 1-1 Appliance software releases and the corresponding NetBackup

software versions

Appliance software release NetBackup software version

2.7.3 7.7.3

3.0 8.0

3.1 8.1

3.1.1 8.1.1

3.1.2 8.1.2

3.2 8.2

About the Appliance Install Manager

Starting with the 3.1 release, you can switch to the Appliance Install Manger (AIM)
window for viewing the upgrade progress. This window shows the estimated
completion time, the upgrade progress bar, the main upgrade steps, the upgrade
logs, and other useful information.
 Introduction 8
About upgrading to NetBackup appliance software version 3.2

If you log on to the shell menu from the IPMI console during an upgrade, press Alt
+ F2 from the soft keyboard to open the AIM window.
The following upgrade scenarios describe when the AIM window becomes available:
■ For upgrades from 2.7.x and 3.0, after the third reboot has completed.
■ For upgrades from 3.1, as soon as you start the upgrade to any later release.
The AIM window has the following view modes:
■ Main
This default view shows the main upgrade steps and task results.
■ Verbose
This view shows the detailed upgrade logs.
To change from the Main view to the Verbose view, press the V key.
To change from the Verbose view to the Main view, press the M key.
To pause the upgrade, press the P key.
To close the AIM window and return to the shell menu, press the S key.
To show the AIM window again, enter the following command:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software >UpgradeStatus
 Chapter 2
Upgrade planning
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Requirements and best practices for upgrading NetBackup appliances

Requirements and best practices for upgrading

NetBackup appliances
This topic describes the requirements and best practices that you should follow
anytime you plan to upgrade appliance software.
■ For a complete list of required updates prior to 3.2 upgrades, refer to the following
article:
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100046066
■ Starting with software version 3.1, you can perform upgrades from the Appliance
Management Console. Appliances that use software versions 2.7.3 and 3.0
are also supported for upgrades through the console, if the appropriate EEB is
installed before the upgrade. After you review all upgrade guidelines and perform
the required pre-upgrade tasks, refer to the Veritas Appliance Management
Guide for the upgrade procedure.

Note: The Appliance Management Console does not currently support

upgrading appliances (nodes) in an HA setup. You must use the NetBackup
Appliance Shell Menu to upgrade these appliances.

■ Always perform a full disaster recovery (DR) backup before an upgrade.

■ Master servers
Make sure that you have a recent and complete NetBackup Catalog backup.
■ MSDP and CloudCatalyst configurations
 Upgrade planning 10
Requirements and best practices for upgrading NetBackup appliances

Make sure to configure your deduplication pool catalog backup policy and
perform a successful backup. For details, refer to the following article:
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100046592

■ To make sure that there is enough space for the upgrade, delete all previously
downloaded release updates, client packages, and client add-ons from the
appliance before the upgrade. As a best practice, always remove downloaded
packages after all appliances and clients have been upgraded.
If the appliance that you want to upgrade has ever had appliance version 2.6.0.1
installed, it requires a different method for client package removal.

■ Follow the same upgrade order for appliances as for traditional NetBackup
upgrades. If you use NetBackup OpsCenter, upgrade it first. Then upgrade
appliances starting with the master server appliance, followed by all media server
appliances.
■ If you have multiple media servers to upgrade, you must perform the upgrade
process on each individual media server.
Appliance media servers (nodes) in an HA setup are updated one at a time.
Both nodes must use the same appliance software version. Once you have
upgraded one node, you must upgrade the other node immediately.
See “About upgrades for NetBackup Appliance HA setups” on page 11.
■ If a traditional NetBackup master server is used with a media server appliance,
that master server must have the same NetBackup version or later as the media
server appliance. For example, before you upgrade a media server appliance
with NetBackup appliance version 3.2, first upgrade the NetBackup software on
the master server to version 8.2.
See “About corresponding NetBackup software versions ” on page 7.
■ Make sure that the NetBackup master server is active and running throughout
the duration of an appliance media server upgrade. In addition, make sure that
the NetBackup processes are started or running on both the master server and
the media server.

Note: Only NetBackup services should be active during an upgrade. All jobs
must be stopped, suspended, or prevented from running during an upgrade.

■ If you have enabled the STIG feature on an appliance and you need to upgrade
it or install an EEB on it, do not plan such installations during the 4:00am -
4:30am time frame. By following this best practice, you can avoid interrupting
the automatic update of the AIDE database and any monitored files, which can
cause multiple alert messages from the appliance.
 Upgrade planning 11
Requirements and best practices for upgrading NetBackup appliances

■ NetBackup clients must use the same or an earlier software version as the
appliance. Clients cannot run at a later version than the appliance. For example,
a client with NetBackup version 8.2 can only be used with an appliance server
with version 3.2 or later. Client add-ons must also be the same as the client
version.
See “About corresponding NetBackup software versions ” on page 7.
■ Use a compatible version of the NetBackup Administration Console to manage
the NetBackup services.
The NetBackup Administration Console is backward-compatible. A patch release
(x.x.x.x) console is compatible with a major (x.x) or minor NetBackup release
(x.x.x) that shares the same first and second digits.

About upgrades for NetBackup Appliance HA setups

The following describes the upgrade requirements for nodes in a high availability
(HA) setup:
■ NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
Use this interface to upgrade the nodes.

Note: The Appliance Management Console does not support upgrades for
HA nodes.

■ One or two nodes in the HA setup

HA nodes must be upgraded from within the HA setup. If you remove a node
from the HA setup, you can still upgrade the node that remains.
■ One node at a time
Only one node can be upgraded at a time so that the workload can continue on
the other node.
■ One software version
Both nodes must use the same appliance software version. Once you have
upgraded one node, you must upgrade the other node immediately.
■ Node upgrade order
Either node can be upgraded first. However, the node that runs the MSDP
services cannot be upgraded while those services are in progress.
The first node that is configured and then used to create the HA setup runs the
MSDP services by default. To upgrade this node, you must first perform a
switchover to transfer the MSDP services and workload to the partner node.
After the upgrade on the first node has completed, perform the following tasks
on that node to prepare for the partner node upgrade:
 Upgrade planning 12
Requirements and best practices for upgrading NetBackup appliances

■ On the upgraded node, run the Manage > High Availability >
Switchover command to switch the MSDP services from the partner node
over to the upgraded node.
■ On the upgraded node, run the Support > Test Software command to
verify the status of various appliance software components. If the test passes,
log in to the partner node and upgrade it.

■ MSDP configuration
To upgrade the nodes in an HA setup, MSDP configuration is required on both
nodes. Upgrades on appliance HA nodes are not supported if MSDP is not
configured.
■ Downloading packages from the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
You only need to download rpm packages to one node. After you run the Manage
> Software > List Downloaded command on the HA node with the downloaded
package, run the command on the other node to make the package available
on that node.
■ Approve host name mappings
Before you upgrade from software versions 3.1.1 and earlier, you must first
approve the host name mappings for HA appliances in the NetBackup
Administration Console on the associated master server. Otherwise, the preflight
check does not allow the upgrade to start.
To approve the host name mappings, do the following:
■ On the associated master server, log in to the NetBackup Administration
Console.
■ In the left pane, click Security Management to expand its properties, then
click Host Management.
■ In the lower-left of the right pane, click Mappings for Approval
■ At the top of the right pane, click on any host mapping that is pending
approval. When the Approve Mappings dialog box appears that prompts
for approval, click Yes. Repeat this task for each host mapping that is pending
approval.
 Upgrade planning 13
Requirements and best practices for upgrading NetBackup appliances

■ Perform a switchover for appliances in an HA setup

Appliances (nodes) in an HA setup are updated one at a time. Both nodes
must use the same appliance software version. Once you have upgraded
one node, you must upgrade the other node immediately.
Either node can be upgraded first. However, upgrades cannot be performed
on the node where MSDP services and jobs are in progress. Before you
begin an upgrade on the node that is running MSDP, you must first perform
a switchover to transfer the MSDP workload to the partner node. Use the
following command to perform a switchover:
Main_Menu > Manage > HighAvailability > Switchover hostname
Where hostname is the physical host name or IP address of the partner
node.
When the upgrade on this node has completed, perform another switchover
to transfer the MSDP workload from the partner node to the upgraded node.
Immediately upgrade the partner node.

Upgrade time estimation

Appliance upgrades can take from 2 - 3.5 hours, depending on the hardware
configuration and the current software version.
 Chapter 3
Performing the upgrade
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Methods for downloading appliance software release updates

■ Installing a NetBackup appliance software update using the NetBackup Appliance

Shell Menu

Methods for downloading appliance software

release updates
Starting with NetBackup Appliance release 3.1, release updates are available from
the SORT website. Appliance software and client packages can be downloaded
through the NetBackup Appliance Web Console, NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu,
or manually through a share. Updates must first be downloaded onto the appliance
before you can initiate an upgrade.
The following describes the methods you can use to download appliance software
release updates:
■ Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using the NetBackup
Appliance Web Console
■ Downloading software updates directly to a NetBackup appliance
■ Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using a client share

Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using the

NetBackup Appliance Web Console
Use the following procedure to download a software release update to an appliance
using the NetBackup Appliance Web Console.
 Performing the upgrade 15
Methods for downloading appliance software release updates

Note: This method is not supported for downloading software release updates 3.1.1
or later to appliances that use versions 2.7.1 or 2.7.2. To download 3.1.1 or later
release updates to appliances with these versions, you must download the updates
manually. For instructions, refer to the following topic:
See “Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using a client share”
on page 17.

To download a software release update onto the appliance using the

NetBackup Appliance Web Console
1 Open a web browser and log on to the appliance through the NetBackup
Appliance Web Console.
2 Select Manage > Software Updates.
3 On the Software Updates page, in the Downloaded Software Updates table,
check to make sure that the software update has not already been downloaded.
■ If the table contains the software update that you want to install, proceed
to software installation as follows.

■ If the table does not contain a software update that you want to install,
proceed to the next step.

4 In the Online Software Updates table on the page, select a software update
and click Download.
The Download Progress column shows the download status. After the
download has completed successfully, the software update appears in the
Available Software Updates column of the Downloaded Software Updates
table.

Note: Starting with appliance software version 3.1, the web console no longer
supports the installation of upgrade or EEB packages. After you have downloaded
these packages from the web console, you must perform the installation from the
NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu.

Downloading software updates directly to a NetBackup appliance

Use the following procedure to download a software release update to an appliance
using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu.
 Performing the upgrade 16
Methods for downloading appliance software release updates

Note: This method is not supported for downloading software release updates 3.1.1
or later to appliances that use versions 2.7.1 or 2.7.2. To download 3.1.1 or later
release updates to appliances with these versions, you must download the updates
manually. For instructions, refer to the following topic:
See “Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using a client share”
on page 17.

For high availability (HA) setups, you only need to download the package to one
node. After you complete the package download on the first node, see step 4 for
details to make the package available on the other node.
To download software release updates directly onto the appliance
1 Open an SSH session and log on to the appliance as an administrator using
the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu.
2 To determine if a software update is available from the Veritas Support website,
enter the following command:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software > List AvailablePatch

3 To download an available software update or a client package, enter the

appropriate command as follows:
■ For appliance server updates:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software > Download
SYMC_NBAPP_update-<release-version>.x86_64.rpm
Where release is the software release number and version is the version
number of the software release. For example:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software > Download
SYMC_NBAPP_update-3.1.x86_64.rpm

■ For a UNIX client package:

Main_Menu > Manage > Software > Download
SYMC_NBAPP_addon_nbclient_<platform>-<release>-<date>.x86_64.rpm
Where <platform> is the client platform operating system, <release> is the
software release number, and <date> is the NetBackup client package date.
For example:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software > Download
SYMC_NBAPP_addon_nbclient_Solaris-7.7.1-20150910.x86_64.rpm

■ For a Windows client package:

 Performing the upgrade 17
Methods for downloading appliance software release updates

Main_Menu > Manage > Software > Download

SYMC_NBAPP_addon_nbwin-<release>-<date>.x86_64.rpm

4 To verify that the rpm has downloaded successfully, enter the following
command:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software > List Downloaded

After you run this command on the HA node with the downloaded package,
run the command on the other node to make it available on that node.
See “Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using the NetBackup
Appliance Web Console” on page 14.

Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using a

client share
Use this procedure to download the software release updates or client packages
to an appliance using a CIFS or an NFS client share.
For high availability (HA) setups, you only need to download the package to one
node. After you complete the package download on the first node, see step 10 for
details to make the package available on the other node.

Note: If downloading the software updates directly to the appliance fails, use this
method to download the appliance software release update or client package onto
the appliance.

Perform this method from a computer that is connected to the appliance and that
also has Internet access. Internet access is needed to download the files or
packages from the Veritas SORT website.
To download software release updates or client packages to the appliance
using a CIFS or an NFS client share:
1 Open an SSH session and log on to the appliance as an administrator using
the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu.
2 To open an NFS or a CIFS share, enter the following command:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software > Share Open

3 Map or mount the appliance share directory as follows:

■ Windows CIFS share
\\<appliance-name>\incoming_patches

■ UNIX NFS share

mkdir -p /mount/<appliance-name>
 Performing the upgrade 18
Methods for downloading appliance software release updates

mount
<appliance-name>:/inst/patch/incoming/mount/<appliance-name>

4 Go to https://sort.veritas.com/patch_dp and download the following items:

■ Release update .rpm package files
■ Client and add-on packages
■ MD5/SHA1 checksum text file

5 Use the following commands to join (and extract) the release update .rpm files:
■ For Windows:
copy /b NB_Appliance_N_<release-version>.x86_64-tar-split.1of3+
NB_Appliance_N_<release-version>.x86_64-tar-split.2of3+
NB_Appliance_N_<release-version>.x86_64-tar-split.3of3+
NB_Appliance_N_<release-version>.tar

Note: This command must be entered as one string. Make sure that the
only space in the name is after .3of3. In addition, <release> is the software
release number and <version> is the posted version number.

Use Windows WinRAR utilities to uncompress the

NB_Appliance_N_<release-version>.tar file. The resulting files are as
follows:
■ SYMC_NBAPP_update-<release-version>.x86_64.rpm

■ update.rpm.md5_checksum

■ update.rpm.sha1_checksum

■ For UNIX:
cat
NB_Appliance_N_<release-version>.x86_64-tar-split.1of3<space>
NB_Appliance_N_<release-version>.x86_64-tar-split.2of3<space>
NB_Appliance_N_<release-version>.x86_64-tar-split.3of3 | tar
xvf -
Where <release-version> is the software release number, such as 3.1, and
the version number of the software release, such as -1.

Note: This command is one string. In this example, there is one space
between each split package that is identified with a "<space>".

The resulting files are as follows:

 Performing the upgrade 19
Methods for downloading appliance software release updates

■ SYMC_NBAPP_update-<release-version>.x86_64.rpm

■ update.rpm.md5_checksum

■ update.rpm.sha1_checksum

Note: To extract packages on UNIX systems, Veritas recommends that you

use GNU tar version 1.16 or higher instead of tar. See the following Technote
for more information about extracting images:
https://www.veritas.com/docs/TECH154080

6 For UNIX systems, run one of the following commands to compute the
checksum value for the .rpm file:
md5sum SYMC_NBAPP_update-<release-version>.x86_64.rpm or sha1sum
SYMC_NBAPP_update-<release-version>.x86_64.rpm.

Verify that the checksum value matches the content of the

update.rpm.md5_checksum file or the update.rpm.sha1_checksum file.

7 Copy this release update or client package .rpm to the mounted share.

Note: During the copy process, do not run any commands on the appliance.
Doing so can cause the copy operation to fail.

8 After you have successfully copied the release update or client package .rpm
into the mounted share, unmap or unmount the shared directory.
9 On the appliance, enter the following command to close the NFS and the CIFS
shares:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software > Share Close

If you run any of the following commands before you close the share, the
downloaded release update or client package is moved from the share directory
location to its proper location. However, you must still run the Share Close
command to ensure that the NFS and the CIFS shares are closed.
■ List Version

■ List Details All

■ List Details Base

■ Share Open
 Performing the upgrade 20
Installing a NetBackup appliance software update using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu

■ Share Close

10 To list the available release updates or client packages on the appliance, enter
the following command and note the name of the downloaded files:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software > List Downloaded

Running this command validates and moves the release update or the client
package from the share directory to its proper location. You are not notified
that this move has occurred.
After you run this command on the HA node with the downloaded package,
run the command on the other node to make it available on that node.
See “Downloading software updates to a NetBackup appliance using the NetBackup
Appliance Web Console” on page 14.

Installing a NetBackup appliance software update

using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
Use the following procedure to start the appliance upgrade.

Note: If you have enabled the STIG feature on an appliance and you need to
upgrade it or install an EEB on it, do not plan such installations during the 4:00am
- 4:30am time frame. By following this best practice, you can avoid interrupting the
automatic update of the AIDE database and any monitored files, which can cause
multiple alert messages from the appliance.

To install a downloaded release update using the NetBackup Appliance Shell

Menu
1 Check to make sure that the following required updates and pre-upgrade tasks
have already been performed:
■ All required pre-upgrade updates have been completed. For a complete
list of required updates prior to 3.2 upgrades, refer to the following article:
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100046066
■ All jobs have been stopped or suspended and all SLPs have been paused.
 Performing the upgrade 21
Installing a NetBackup appliance software update using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu

■ The Support > Test Software command has been run and it returned a
Pass result.

2 Log in to the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu from the IPMI console.

Note: Veritas recommends that you log in using the shell menu from the IPMI
console instead of an SSH session. The IPMI console is also known as the
Veritas Remote Manager interface. For details about how to access and use
the Veritas Remote Manager, refer to the following document: NetBackup
Appliance Hardware Installation Guide.

3 To install the software release update, run the following command:

Main_Menu > Manage > Software > Install patch_name

Where patch_name is the name of the release update to install. Make sure
that this patch name is the one that you want to install.
4 Monitor the preflight check and watch for any Check failed messages.
■ If no Check failed messages appear, you are prompted to continue to the
next step to start the upgrade.
■ If any Check failed messages appear, the upgrade is not allowed. You
must resolve the reported failures, then launch the upgrade script again so
that the preflight check can verify that the failures have been resolved. Click
on the UMI links (V-409-xxx-xxxx) for information about how to resolve the
reported issues.
■ If any Check failed messages indicate that a RHEL version third-party
plug-in was not found, you must obtain the plug-in from the appropriate
vendor. Refer to the following topic for installation details:

5 After all preflight check items have passed, and before the upgrade begins,
you must first select how the upgrade process should respond if any errors
occur during the upgrade. The following prompt appears:

If an error occurs during the upgrade, do you want to immediately enforce

Enter yes to immediately enforce an automatic rollback.

Enter no to pause the upgrade process and investigate the errors.
6 After all preflight check items have passed, you may need to trust the CA
certificate and the host ID-based certificate to start the upgrade process.
To trust and deploy the CA certificates, do the following:
 Performing the upgrade 22
Installing a NetBackup appliance software update using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu

■ Verify the CA certificate detail and enter yes to trust the CA certificate, as
follows:

To continue with the upgrade, verify the following CA

certificate detail and enter "yes" to trust the CA certificate.
CA Certificate Details:
Subject Name : /CN=nbatd/[email protected]/O=vx
Start Date : Jul 14 12:59:18 2017 GMT
Expiry Date : Jul 09 14:14:18 2037 GMT
SHA1 Fingerprint : 31:E9:97:2E:50:11:51:7C:D6:25:7F:32:86:3D:
6B:D5:33:5C:11:E2

>> Do you want to trust the CA certificate? [yes, no](yes)

■ If the security level of the master server is Very High, you must manually
enter an authorization token to deploy the host ID-based certificate on the
appliance, as follows:
>> Enter token:

Note: If the appliance is ever factory reset or re-imaged after it has been
upgraded to version 3.1 or later, a reissue token is required for the next
upgrade.

■ If the security level of the master server is High or Medium, the

authentication token is not required. The host ID-based certificate is
automatically deployed onto the appliance.
For more information about security certificates, refer to the chapter "Security
certificates in NetBackup" in the NetBackup Security and Encryption Guide.
7 Master server upgrades from software versions 3.1.1 and earlier require you
to provide a registration key for the Veritas Smart Meter feature. The upgrade
process displays the following instructions to obtain the key file and upload it
to the appliance:
■ Log in to the Veritas Smart Meter site with your VEMS credentials and go
the Registration Keys page.
■ The following shares have been opened on this appliance:
CIFS share \<hostname or
ip>\incoming_patches\customer_registration/
NFS share <hostname or
ip>:/inst/patch/incoming/customer_registration/
Mount one of these share paths.
 Performing the upgrade 23
Installing a NetBackup appliance software update using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu

■ Upload the veritas_customer_registration_key.json file to the mounted

share path.
Once the file is uploaded, you can continue with the upgrade for this Master
server.
If you need assistance, contact Veritas Support.

8 To check the upgrade status before the AIM window appears, enter the following
command:
Main_Menu > Manage > Software >UpgradeStatus

The system reboots at least two times during the upgrade process. After the
first reboot, the NetBackup Appliance Web Console and any SSH-based
connections to the server are unavailable until the reboot process has
completed. This condition may last two hours or more, depending on the
complexity of the appliance configuration. It is important that you do not attempt
to manually reboot the appliance during this time. You can use the Veritas
Remote Management interface (IPMI) to view the system status. In addition,
you may view the logs under /log or wait for the appliance to send an email
upon completion of the upgrade process.
During the upgrade process, you can open the AIM window to view the upgrade
progress and the estimated remaining time.
9 If problems are detected during the post-upgrade self-test, the AIM window
shows the upgrade status as Paused. Other SSH sessions and email
notifications also indicate this status.
To clear the Paused status, perform the following tasks:
■ Press the V key to switch to the Verbose view to see the logs. If there are
any Unique Message Identification (UMI) codes for the errors, search for
them on the Veritas Support website to get more detailed information.
■ Try to fix the problem that the AIM window reports.
If you need to use the shell menu, log on to the NetBackup Appliance Shell
Menu through an SSH session. When the AIM window appears, press the
S key to close it.
■ Go back to the AIM window on the IPMI console.
If you tried fixing the problem, press the A key to attempt the self-test again.
If you cannot fix the problem, contact Technical Support or press the R key
to roll back the appliance to the previous software version.
 Performing the upgrade 24
Installing a NetBackup appliance software update using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu

Note: Starting with the 3.1.2 release, if the post-upgrade self-test fails, an
automatic rollback is no longer enforced. If you select Attempt again and
the self-test still fails, the upgrade pauses again and prompts with the same
options.

10 After the upgrade has completed, the AIM window shows a summary of the
upgrade results.
After
the disk pools are back online, the appliance runs a self-diagnostic test. Refer
to the following file for the test results:
/log/selftest_report_<appliance_serial>_<timedate>.txt

If SMTP is configured, an email notification that contains the self-test result is

sent.
11 Complete this step only if your backup environment includes SAN client
computers.
The Fibre Channel (FC) ports must be re-scanned to allow any SAN client
computers to reconnect to the Fibre Transport (FT) devices. The re-scan must
be done from the NetBackup CLI view on the appliance.
To re-scan the FC ports:
■ Enter the following command to see a list of NetBackup user accounts:
Manage > NetBackupCLI > List

■ Log on to this appliance as one of the listed NetBackup users.

■ Run the following command to rescan the FC ports:
nbftconfig -rescanallclients

■ If any SAN clients still do not work, run the following commands on each
of those clients in the order as shown:
On UNIX clients:
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bp.kill_all
/usr/openv/netbackup/bin/bp.start_all
On Windows clients:
<install_path>\NetBackup\bin\bpdown
<install_path>\NetBackup\bin\bpup

■ If any SAN clients still do not work, manually initiate a SCSI device refresh
at the OS level. The refresh method depends on the operating system of
the client. Once the refresh has completed, attempt the nbftconfig
-rescanallclients command again.
 Performing the upgrade 25
Installing a NetBackup appliance software update using the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu

■ If any SAN clients still do not work, reboot those clients.

Note: If you have SLES 10 or SLES 11 SAN clients that still do not work,
Veritas recommends upgrading the QLogic driver on those clients. For the
affected SLES 10 clients, upgrade to version 8.04.00.06.10.3-K. For the
affected SLES 11 clients, upgrade to version 8.04.00.06.11.1.

12 Refer to the following topic for tasks that may be required after the upgrade
has completed:
 Chapter 4
Post upgrade tasks
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Post upgrade tasks

Post upgrade tasks

After the upgrade process has completed successfully, refer to the following article
for a checklist of any required or recommended updates that you should install:
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.100046589
 Chapter 5
NetBackup client upgrades
with VxUpdate
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ About VxUpdate

■ VxUpdate repository management

■ Deployment policy management

■ Manually initiating upgrades from the master server using VxUpdate

■ Manually initiating upgrades from the client using VxUpdate

■ Deployment job status

About VxUpdate
Veritas introduces VxUpdate as the replacement for LiveUpdate. The main
component of VxUpdate is the new deployment policy that serves as a client upgrade
tool. With the release of VxUpdate, Veritas no longer supports LiveUpdate.
With support for policies, Veritas provides a simplified tool for client upgrades. No
additional external tools are required and the configuration is in a familiar
policy-based format, similar to a backup policy. Signed packages are verified and
installed into the VxUpdate repository on the master server. Once the packages
are installed, they become available for use with deployment policies. Additionally,
you can use the deployment policies to automate the installation of emergency
engineering binaries, as provided by Veritas.

Note: You can only cancel queued deployment jobs. Once a VxUpdate job enters
the active state it cannot be canceled.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 28
VxUpdate repository management

The deployment policies are not located with the other policies in the NetBackup
Administrative Console. Deployment policies are located in the NetBackup
Administration Console under Deployment Management > Deployment Policies.
To successfully create and use deployment policies, Veritas recommends:

Table 5-1
Step Action Additional information

1 Populate the NetBackup repository See “VxUpdate repository

management” on page 28.

2 Create the deployment policy See “Deployment policy management”

on page 31.

3 (Optional) Manually run the upgrade See “Manually initiating upgrades from
from the master server or the client the master server using VxUpdate”
on page 35.

See “Manually initiating upgrades from

the client using VxUpdate” on page 39.

VxUpdate repository management

The appliance VxUpdate commands control the VxUpdate package repository
contents. Do not attempt to manually modify or update the repository without the
use of the VxUpdate commands. If you populate the repository with all the client
packages for all platforms, you need approximately 20 GB of space on the appliance
master server. This amount does not include any engineering binaries or hotfixes.
Note that this is the approximate amount of space that is required for all packages
for all platforms for each NetBackup version.
The AddPkg option verifies and populates the repository with supported VxUpdate
client and NetBackup EEB packages. Veritas signs the VxUpdate packages.
Attempts to populate the repository with unofficial or unsigned packages fails. These
packages are referenced in the deployment policies that install NetBackup on target
hosts. When you use the AddPkg option to populate the repository, be mindful of
the required disk space. The master server must have enough disk space to store
packages for the NetBackup versions and platforms that are specified in deployment
policies.
The package types you can load into the repository include:
■ VxUpdate client packages
You can upgrade NetBackup clients to a newer version of NetBackup with
VxUpdate. These packages are slightly different from standard NetBackup client
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 29
VxUpdate repository management

packages. The packages include additional components to support the various

VxUpdate operations.
■ Emergency binaries (EEBs) and hotfixes
You can use VxUpdate to deploy emergency binaries and hotfixes to NetBackup
8.1.2 and later clients. You can obtain VxUpdate formatted EEBs from support
in the same way you obtain traditional EEBs. These EEBs are only for NetBackup
version 8.1.2 and later. Any client hotfixes that Veritas creates for NetBackup
8.1.2 and later releases include VxUpdate formatted fixes.
VxUpdate formatted packages are available from the myveritas.com licensing portal.
Emergency binaries and hotfixes are obtained from the standard locations. You
should download the VxUpdate versions of these packages and place them in a
location accessible to the master server. Once they are accessible to your master
server, you can add them to the VxUpdate package repository.
Downloading Veritas approved NetBackup client packages
1 Go to the myveritas.com licensing portal.
2 Enter your user name and password.
3 Select Licensing.
4 Enter or select your account number.
5 Select Apply Filters
6 Select your account number from the resulting table.
This action presents a listing of your entitlements. From here, you have the
ability to download the associated software.
7 Select Downloads
8 Use the filter options to limit the results to the NetBackup product line and the
appropriate product version.
Add your filters and select Apply Filters.
9 Under Actions, select the download icon
10 In the resulting table, select the VxUpdate packages and then select Download.
The client packages follow the naming convention shown:
vxupdate_nbclient_version_operatingsystem_platform.sja

11 Download and extract the files to /inst/patch/incoming on the appliance.

 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 30
VxUpdate repository management

12 Run the following command to verify that all packages have been downloaded
and extracted:
Main > Manage > Software > List Downloaded

13 After you have verified that all of the downloaded and extracted packages are
listed, add the packages to the NetBackup package repository.
See the section called “Adding packages to the VxUpdate package repository”
on page 30.

Adding packages to the VxUpdate package repository

VxUpdate can only use the Veritas signed packages that you add to the VxUpdate
package repository. Use the VxUpdate AddPkg option to add packages to the
repository. This command also adds metadata to the EMM database and places
the packages in the repository directory structure on the file system. You can use
the Listpkgs option to list the contents of the package repository to verify that a
package was added.
To add packages to the repository
1 On the appliance master server, log in to the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
as an administrator and navigate to the following menu:
Main > Manage > Software > VxUpdate

2 Run the AddPkg package_name option, where package_name is the client

package name.
Example: AddPkg vxupdate_nbclient_8.2_suse_ppc64le.sja
3 To view the repository and verify that the package was added, run the ListPkgs
option.
4 To see the package details, run the ShowPkgDetails n option, where n is the
package ID number.

Deleting packages from the VxUpdate package repository

You can delete packages from the repository either when they are no longer needed
or to conserve disk space. For example, delete the NetBackup 8.1.2 packages once
all of the clients are upgraded to that version. Use the DelPkg option to delete
packages. To verify that a package was deleted, use the ListPkgs option to list all
existing packages.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 31
Deployment policy management

To delete packages from the repository

1 On the appliance master server, log in to the NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
as an administrator and navigate to the following menu:
Main > Manage > Software > VxUpdate

2 To view a list of the packages in the repository, run the ListPkgs option and
take note of the ID number that identifies each package.
3 Run the DelPkg ID option to delete any unused packages.
Example: DelPkg 1
For more information about VxUpdate command options, see the NetBackup
Appliance Commands Reference Guide.

Deployment policy management

Use the procedures that are shown to create, modify, and delete your deployment
policies.
Creating a deployment policy

Note: You must add packages to the VxUpdate repository before you can create
a working deployment policy. You can create deployment policies without packages
in the repository, but those policies fail to run successfully. More information about
the management of the VxUpdate repository is available.

1 In the NetBackup Administration Console, in the left pane, select Deployment

Management > Deployment Policies.
2 From the Actions menu, select New Deployment Policy.
3 Enter a unique name for the new policy in the Add a New Deployment Policy
dialog box.
4 Click OK.
5 Specify the information that is shown on the Attributes tab in the Change
Deployment Policy window:
■ Package: Select the package that you want deployed from the drop-down
menu.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 32
Deployment policy management

Note: Specifying a package that supports external certificate authority

certificates presents you with an additional tab titled Security. That tab is
covered later in this procedure.

■ Media server: Specify the media server from drop-down. The media server
that is specified is used to connect and transfer files to the NetBackup hosts
that are included in the policy. The media server also caches the files from
the NetBackup repository. The media server must be version NetBackup
8.1.2 or later. Since the repository resides on the master server, the master
server is the default value for the media server field.
■ (Conditional): Select the Limit simultaneous jobs option and specify a
value for jobs to limit the total number of concurrent jobs that can run at a
time. The minimum value is 1 and the maximum value is 999.
If the check box is selected, the default value is 3. If you do not select the
check box, no limit is enforced for the simultaneous upgrade jobs.
You can set unlimited simultaneous upgrade jobs through command line
interface by setting the value as 0.
■ Select hosts: Select hosts from the Available hosts list and select Add
to add hosts to the deployment policy. The list is generated from hosts in
the host database and backup policies. Once you select Add, the hosts
are shown under Selected hosts.

6 Select the Schedules tab in the Change Deployment Policy window.

You can see a summary of all schedules within that policy.
7 Select New.
8 Specify the information that is shown in the Add Deployment Schedule
window.
■ Name: Enter a name for the new schedule.
■ Type: Specify the type of schedule you want created.
Schedule types:
■ Precheck
Performs the various precheck operations, including confirming there
is sufficient space on the client for the update. The precheck schedule
type does not exist for EEB packages.
■ Stage
Moves the update package to the client, but does not install it. Also
performs the precheck operation.
■ Install
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 33
Deployment policy management

Installs the specified package. Also performs the precheck and the stage
package operations. If you already performed the stage package
operation, the install schedule does not move the package again.

Note: Please be aware that adding multiple different schedule types to the
same deployment schedule window has unpredictable results. VxUpdate
has no defined behavior to determine which schedule type runs first. If a
single deployment schedule window has precheck, stage, and install jobs,
there is no way to specify the order in which they run. The precheck or the
stage schedules can fail, but the install completes successfully. If you plan
to use precheck, stage, and install schedules, Veritas recommends that
you create separate schedules and separate windows for each.

■ Starts: Specify the date and time you want the policy to start in the text
field or with the date and the time spinner. You can also click the calendar
icon and specify a date and time in the resulting window. You can select a
schedule by clicking and dragging over the three-month calendar that is
provided at the bottom of the window.
■ Ends: Specify the date and time you want the policy to end as you specified
the start time.
■ Duration: Optionally, you can specify a duration in days, hours, minutes,
and seconds instead of an end time for the policy. The minimum value is
5 minutes and the maximum is 99 days.
■ Select Add/OK and the schedule is created. Select OK to save and create
your policy.

9 A Security tab appears when you select a deployment package that contains
support for external certificate authorities.
By default, the Use existing certificates when possible option is selected.
This option instructs NetBackup to use the existing NetBackup CA or external
CA certificates, if available.

Note: If you specify this option and certificates are not available, your upgrade
fails.

Deselecting the Use existing certificates when possible option lets you
specify the location for external certificate authority information for both UNIX
and Linux computers and Windows computers.
10 Windows clients have Use Windows certificate store selected by default.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 34
Deployment policy management

You must enter the certificate location as Certificate Store Name\Issuer

Distinguished Name\Subject Distinguished Name.

Note: You can use the $hostname variable for any of the names in the certificate
store specification. The $hostname variable evaluates at run time to the name
of the local host. This option provides flexibility when you push NetBackup
software to a large number of clients.

Alternatively, you can specify a comma-separated list of Windows certificate

locations. For example, you can specify:
MyCertStore\IssuerName1\SubjectName,
MyCertStore\IssuerName2\SubjectName2,
MyCertStore4\IssuerName1\SubjectName5

Then select the Certificate Revocation List (CRL) option from the radio buttons
shown:
■ Do not use a CRL. No additional information is required.
■ Use the CRL defined in the certificate. No additional information is
required.
■ Use the CRL at the following path: You are prompted to provide a path
to the CRL.

11 For both UNIX and Linux clients and Windows clients that select the From
certificate file path (for file-based certificates) option, specify the information
as shown:
■ Certificate file: This field requires you to provide the path to the certificate
file and the certificate file name.
■ Trust store location: This field requires you to provide the path to the trust
store and the trust store file name.
■ Private key path: This field requires you to provide the path to the private
key file and the private key file name.
■ Passphrase file: This field requires you to provide the path of the
passphrase file and the passphrase file name. This field is optional.
■ Then specify the correct CRL option for your environment:
■ Do not use a CRL. No additional information is required.
■ Use the CRL defined in the certificate. No additional information is
required.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 35
Manually initiating upgrades from the master server using VxUpdate

■ Use the CRL at the following path: You are prompted to provide a
path to the CRL.

To change a deployment policy

1 Right click on the deployment policy and select Change.
2 Navigate through the deployment policy tabs and make any necessary changes
to the policy.
3 Select OK and the policy is updated.
Deleting a deployment policy
1 Right click on the deployment policy and select Delete.
2 Select OK.
3 Confirm the deletion of the policy.

Manually initiating upgrades from the master

server using VxUpdate
You can manually initiate upgrades with VxUpdate using one of two methods. You
can manually initiate an upgrade based on an existing policy. You can also initiate
an upgrade without an associated policy.
Manually initiate deployment policies when you are logged into the master server
locally and need to force an immediate update. Or you can initiate an immediate
upgrade for emergency binaries. VxUpdate also provides the ability to launch
upgrades from the client with the command line. More information is available.
See “Manually initiating upgrades from the client using VxUpdate” on page 39.
To manually initiate an upgrade of all clients in a policy from the administration
console
1 In the NetBackup Administration Console, navigate to Deployment
Management > Deployment Policies.
2 In the middle pane, expand the master server, and select the policy you want
to run.
3 Right-click on the policy you want to start, and select Manual Deployment.
4 Alternatively, after selecting the policy you want to run, you can select Actions
> Manual Deployment.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 36
Manually initiating upgrades from the master server using VxUpdate

To manually initiate an upgrade of a specific client in a policy from the

administration console
1 Select NetBackup Management > Host Properties > Clients in the NetBackup
Administrative Console.
2 Right click on the host you want to upgrade in the right pane.
3 Select Upgrade Host.
4 In the Upgrade Host dialog:
■ Select the package you want to use from the Package drop-down.

Note: Specifying a package that supports external certificate authority

certificates presents you with an additional button titled Configure. That
button is covered in the next step.

■ Specify the type of schedule you want to run from the Type drop-down.
■ Select the media server you want to use from the Media server drop-down.
■ Confirm that the host you want upgraded is listed under Selected hosts.

5 (Conditional) If present, click on the Configure button to configure external

certificate authority information.
By default, the Use existing certificates when possible option is selected.
This option instructs NetBackup to use the existing NetBackup CA or external
CA certificates, if certificates available.

Note: If you specify this option and certificates are not available, the upgrade
fails.

Deselecting the Use existing certificates when possible option lets you
specify the location for external certificate authority information for both UNIX
and Linux computers and Windows computers.
6 Windows clients have Use Windows certificate store selected by default.
You must enter the certificate location as Certificate Store Name\Issuer
Distinguished Name\Subject Distinguished Name.

Note: You can use the $hostname variable for any of the names in the certificate
store specification. The $hostname variable evaluates at run time to the name
of the local host. This option provides flexibility when you push NetBackup
software to a large number of clients.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 37
Manually initiating upgrades from the master server using VxUpdate

Alternatively, you can specify a comma-separated list of Windows certificate

locations. For example, you can specify:
MyCertStore\IssuerName1\SubjectName,
MyCertStore\IssuerName2\SubjectName2,
MyCertStore4\IssuerName1\SubjectName5

Then select the Certificate Revocation List (CRL) option from the radio buttons
shown:
■ Do not use a CRL. No additional information is required.
■ Use the CRL defined in the certificate. No additional information is
required.
■ Use the CRL at the following path: You are prompted to provide a path
to the CRL.

7 For both UNIX and Linux clients and Windows clients that select the From
certificate file path (for file-based certificates) option, specify the information
as shown:
■ Certificate file: This field requires you to provide the path to the certificate
file and the certificate file name.
■ Trust store location: This field requires you to provide the path to the trust
store and the trust store file name.
■ Private key path: This field requires you to provide the path to the private
key file and the private key file name.
■ Passphrase file: This field requires you to provide the path of the
passphrase file and the passphrase file name. This field is optional.
■ Then specify the correct CRL option for your environment:
■ Do not use a CRL. No additional information is required.
■ Use the CRL defined in the certificate. No additional information is
required.
■ Use the CRL at the following path: You are prompted to provide a
path to the CRL.

8 Select OK to launch the upgrade.

Note: You can also launch an upgrade job from the Policies section of the
NetBackup Administrative Console. Select NetBackup Management > Policies
in the NetBackup Administrative Console. In the middle pane, select Clients.
Then right-click on the client you want to upgrade in the right pane and select
Upgrade Host. Then follow the procedure shown.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 38
Manually initiating upgrades from the master server using VxUpdate

To manually initiate an upgrade from the command line for all clients in a
policy
Use this procedure to manually start an upgrade for all clients in a policy.

Note: This procedure starts the upgrade for all clients in the specified policy. You
can start an upgrade on selected clients. More information is available.
To manually initiate an upgrade from the command line for selected clients in a
policy

1 Open a command prompt and navigate to the directory shown:

Windows: install_path\netbackup\bin
UNIX or Linux: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin
2 Use the nbinstallcmd command as shown to launch a policy:
nbinstallcmd -i -policy policy_name -schedule schedule
[-master_server master]

Where policy_name is the name of the deployment policy, schedule is the

name of the schedule, and master is the name of the master server.
Be aware that use of the -i option prevents a scheduled start of same policy
and schedule. This behavior prevents duplicate jobs.
To manually initiate an upgrade from the command line for selected clients
in a policy
Use this procedure to manually start an upgrade for selected clients in a policy.

Note: This procedure starts the upgrade on selected clients in the specified policy.
You can start an upgrade for all clients in a policy. More information is available.
To manually initiate an upgrade from the command line for all clients in a policy

1 Open a command prompt and navigate to the directory shown:

Windows: install_path\netbackup\bin
UNIX or Linux: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin
2 Use the nbinstallcmd command as shown:
nbinstallcmd -policy policy_name -schedule schedule {-hosts
filename|-host_filelist client1, client2, clientN}

Where:
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 39
Manually initiating upgrades from the client using VxUpdate

■ policy_name is the name of the deployment policy

■ schedule is the name of the schedule
■ filename is the name of a file that contains a list of clients to upgrade.
■ client1, client2, clientN is a list of clients to upgrade.

You can manually initiate the upgrade of a single client from the command line
without an associated policy. The options required for the nbinstallcmd command
vary depending on your security configuration. Please refer to the nbinstallcmd
command documentation for a list of all possible options and examples of command
usage.
NetBackup Commands Reference Guide

Manually initiating upgrades from the client using

VxUpdate
Manually initiate deployment jobs when you are logged into the client locally and
want to force an immediate update. You can either use a deployment policy to
initiate an immediate upgrade or specify an upgrade without an associated policy.
You can use the upgrade to update the NetBackup version or for other upgrades
such as emergency binaries.
Among the reasons for a client initiated upgrade using VxUpdate is mission critical
systems with specific maintenance windows. One example of these systems is
database servers with limited available down time.

Note: You can only launch updates on the local client. You cannot use the
nbinstallcmd command on a client to launch jobs on other clients. If you want to
launch updates on other clients, you must initiate them from the master server.

VxUpdate also provides the ability to launch upgrades from the master server with
the command line. More information is available.
See “Manually initiating upgrades from the master server using VxUpdate”
on page 35.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 40
Deployment job status

To start a client initiated deployment job based on an existing policy

1 Navigate to the binary directory from a command prompt.
UNIX or Linux: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin
Windows: install_path\netbackup\bin
2 Use the nbinstallcmd as shown:
nbinstallcmd -policy policy -schedule schedule -master_server
name

Example: nbinstallcmd -policy all_clients -schedule install812

-master_server master1

If the job initiated successfully, you are returned to the command prompt without
an error message.
3 Monitor upgrade status with the NetBackup administrator and the Activity
Monitor in the NetBackup Administrative Console.
You can start a client initiated deployment job without an associated policy from
the command line. The options required for the nbinstallcmd command vary
depending on your security configuration. Please refer to the nbinstallcmd
command documentation for a list of all possible options and examples of command
usage.
NetBackup Commands Reference Guide

Deployment job status

Monitor and review deployment job status in the Activity Monitor in the NetBackup
Administration Console. The Deployment job type is the new type for VxUpdate
policies. Deployment policy parent jobs that exit with a status code 0 (zero) indicate
that all the child jobs successfully completed. Parent jobs that finish with a status
code 1 indicate that one or more of the child jobs succeeded, but at least one failed.
Any other status code indicates failure. Review the status of the child jobs to
determine why they failed. Otherwise, there are no differences between deployment
jobs and other NetBackup jobs.
Your deployment job may receive a status code 224. This error indicates that the
client's hardware and operating system are specified incorrectly. You can correct
this error by modifying the deployment policy with the bpplclients command found
in:
UNIX or Linux: /usr/openv/netbackup/bin/admincmd
Window: install_path\netbackup\bin\admincmd.
 NetBackup client upgrades with VxUpdate 41
Deployment job status

Use the syntax shown:

bpplclients deployment_policy_name -modify client_to_update -hardware
new_hardware_value -os new_os_value

Deployment policies use a simplified naming scheme for operating system and
hardware values. Use the values as shown for the bpplclients command:

Table 5-2 Deployment policy operating system and hardware

Operating system Hardware

hpux ia64

debian x64

redhat x64

suse x64

redhat ppc64le

suse ppc64le

redhat zseries

suse zseries

aix rs6000

solaris sparc

solaris x64

windows x64

Security certificates are not deployed as part of the VxUpdate upgrade if the Security
Level for certificate deployment is set to Very High. This setting is located in the
NetBackup Global Security Settings in the NetBackup Administration Console.
If you cannot communicate with your clients after you use VxUpdate to upgrade
your clients, please ensure that the proper security certificates were issued during
upgrade. You may need to manually deploy the certificates. Refer to the technote
that is shown for additional details:
https://www.veritas.com/support/en_US/article.000127129
 Chapter 6
Troubleshooting
This chapter includes the following topics:

■ Troubleshooting upgrade issues

Troubleshooting upgrade issues

If the upgrade fails or if you experience other upgrade issues, access the following
information to help resolve the issues.
■ Rollback after NetBackup appliance upgrade failure causes inactive media
server
■ Preflight checkpoint creation failure prevents NetBackup appliance upgrade
from starting
■ Old checkpoints remain after interrupting a NetBackup appliance upgrade or
rollback
 Index

A U
Appliance Install Manager (AIM) 7 upgrade
appliance server or client package version 3.2 with RHEL operating system 6
download directly 15 upgrade time estimation 13
appliance upgrades upgrades
requirements and best practices 9 supported upgrade paths 6

C V
client share version 3.2
download software updates 17 install update from NetBackup Appliance Shell
Menu 20
D version 3.2 upgrades
RHEL operating system 6
download directly
appliance server or client package 15
download methods
release updates 14
download software updates
from NetBackup Appliance Web Console 14
using client share 17

I
install update from NetBackup Appliance Shell Menu
version 3.2 20

R
requirements and best practices
appliance upgrades 9

S
software updates
download from NetBackup Appliance Web
Console 14

T
troubleshoot upgrade issues 42