Please note: The following steps correspond to the information shown in Figure 1 (below).

Please refer to Figure 1 while reviewing

the steps outlined.

NetBackup 6.0 Backup Process Flow

1. Upon startup, nbpem obtains all of the Backup Policy information via
2. nbproxy process from
3. bpdbm. The currently configured Backup Policy information is used to create the job worklist for all scheduled jobs. The
build_worklist function runs only once when nbpem starts up. Once this information is obtained, the nbpem worklist will be
retained in memory. nbpem calculates when each job in the worklist is due to run and a timer is set to the due time for each job
that needs be run. nbpem sets this timer for each job to track when the job is out of window. When the job is due, the timer
expires and
4. nbpem issues a request to nbjm via pbx to schedule the backup using a job function of “job start”. The nbpem service is a job
scheduler.
5. nbjm initiates a backup job by communicating with bpjobd and the job is added to the job list in the jobs database. The job will
now be visible in the Activity Monitor. The job will initially be in a queued state, waiting for resources to be allocated. bpjobd
receives both data and status for any internal job started by nbjm while external or foreign jobs handle their own
communication with bpjobd. The nbjm service assigns, runs, executes, and starts jobs. If the job remains queued and the “out
of window” timer expires, nbpem notifies nbjm to cancel the job. Normally, nbpem will wait for notification from nbjm that
the job has either completed, or been cancelled. In either case, nbpem sets a timer in order to keep track of when the job is due
next. Now that the job has been submitted to the job manager, nbjm, the checks for resources are made. This involves the
NetBackup Resource Broker.
6. nbjm makes a request for resources to nbrb, the NetBackup resource broker, on the Enterprise Media Manager Server. The
NetBackup Resource Broker (nbrb) is another component of the Intelligent Resource Manager that runs continuously on an
Enterprise Media Manager Server. nbrb uses the PBX process to communicate with other IRM and EMM services.
7. The resource broker uses its associated nbproxy service to access resource consumption constraints from bpdbm on the Master
Server.
8. This information includes configured policies and other attribute information such as max jobs per policy, max jobs per client,
and max jobs this client. For a normal backup,
9. nbrb secures the physical resources from nbemm which can include storage units, tape drives, and media ids.
10. Those resources are then marked as reserved in the EMM database. PBX is again used for this communication.
11. nbrb will also request that EMM suspend avrd drive scanning on the assigned scan host.
12. Once the requested resources are acquired, nbrb notifies nbjm that resources have been allocated. The job will remain in a
queued state until all of the resources are allocated for the job by nbrb. Once the resources necessary for the job have been
acquired from the Resource Broker, nbrb, the job can go active. nbjm will send a message to bpjobd, activating the job in the
Activity Monitor.
13. When the job goes active, nbjm on the Master Server communicates with the Media Server via vnetd to start bpbrm and pass
the start job arguments to that process.
14. bpbrm starts the actual backup by using the client daemon, vnetd, to start the backup and archive program, bpbkar, on the
remote Client.
15. On the Media Server, the backup and restore manager, bpbrm, starts the appropriate media manager process, bptm for tape and
bpdm for disk. The bptm process on the selected Media Server will SCSI reserve the drive(s) and then
16. issue a mount request to ltid.
17. ltid will forward the robotic mount request to tXXd. The tXXd process spawns a child, which issues a drive unload and sends
the mount request to tXXcd. The tXXcd process spawns a child to issue the robotic move medium command. The tXXd child
polls the drive, waiting for it to become ready and returns to ltid, which updates the mount statistics in the EMM database and
then returns to bptm. The bptm process opens the drive path, positions and starts waiting for write data. nbjm will
communicate the job status information to bpjobd as necessary and also accept job requests from bpjobd such as; cancel,
restart, and resume.
18. The bpbkar program sends information about files within the image to the
19. backup and restore manager, which then communicates with
20. bpdbm in order to create image records in image database.
21. bpbkar transmits the backup image through vnetd to bptm or bpdm as directed.
22. The bptm or bpdm process forks a child process for this non-localized backup, which receives the image and stores it block by
block into a shared memory segment.
23. The original bptm process then takes the image from shared memory and directs it to the allocated storage media. After all
Client data has been written,
24. bpbrm sends job completion information to nbjm via vnetd.
25. nbjm will send a message to bpjobd so that the Activity Monitor shows the job is now “Done”.
26. nbjm also triggers the release of resources for completed jobs, notifying nbrb by writing in the job progress log.
27. nbjm will report the job exit status to nbpem who will then recalculate the next due time of the job.
Figure 1: NetBackup Process Flow
Enterprise Media Manager Server
Master Server

nbsvcmon
nbsvcmon nbsl
bprd

3 4 4 6 12 13 24 26 6 6 26 11 9 26 11 9 26
116 117 118 111
nbpem PBX nbjm PBX nbrb PBX nbemm PBX VxDAL
1 27 27 5 12 12 12
19
nbnos

Information
Header File
nbgenjob

nbproxy nbproxy 25 nbproxy VxDBMS

2
7 7 8

8
3
143 144
bpdbm bpjobd
mds da
7
19
20 3 5 12 25
8 10 26
Information
Image File

13 24

NetBackup Job vnetd Note: PBX = Product ID # 50936 – Originator ID 103 EMM
Database Database Database

24 Image File Information

vnetd 18
13 Header File Information
19 vnetd
14
bpbrm
14
18 Image File Information 14 18
15
23 22 Backup Image
bptm bpbkar
bptm Shared Memory
child
Tape Backup
23 21 Image
Request Backup
bpmount bpfis bmrsave
Image
16
Active
ltid Client Data
Media Server Client
17 mount
Please note: The following steps correspond to the information shown in Figure 2 (below). Please refer to Figure 2 while reviewing
the steps outlined.

NetBackup 6.0 Restore Process Flow

1. When the user starts a restore, NetBackup receives the request from the Client’s bprestore program which sends a request to
the request daemon,
2. bprd. This request identifies both the files and Client targeted for the restore. The request daemon spawns a child bprd process
to handle the restore request.
3. The child bprd process queries the NetBackup images database via bpdbm to obtain the information associated with the
backup. This will include the files and Client targeted for the restore, as well as media information which includes the mediaID
and Media Server used for the backup. The Master Server then writes a neededimage file.
4. A child bprd will then communicate with bpjobd to initiate the restore job. The restore job should now show up in the Activity
Monitor. Note that the restore job may show up as “Active” even before the resources have been acquired for the job. The
request daemon then spawns a second child bprd process (MPX-MAIN-bprd) to handle the restore request. This MPX-MAIN-
bprd child bprd reads the neededimage file to get restore requirements.
5. The MPX-MAIN-bprd process then uses vnetd to start the parent backup and restore manager, bpbrm, on the Media Server
that holds the media on which the data requested by the restore resides providing the necessary information for the requested
restore.
6. The bpbrm process on the Media Server initiates both a child bpbrm process and starts either a bptm or a bpdm process. The
parent bpbrm passes necessary information to the child bpbrm. For external jobs such as a restore, resources requirements are
determined during this pre-processing phase of the job.
7. The bptm process on the targeted Media Server will make a request to nbjm on the Master Server via vnetd, naming the media
needed for the restore. The resources need to be allocated before the job can proceed.
8. The child bpbrm process initiates the tar process on the Client and establishes a connection between the NetBackup tar
program on the Client and bptm or bpdm on the Media Server.
9. Now that the job has been submitted to the job manager, nbjm, the checks for resources are made. This involves the
NetBackup Resource Broker. nbjm contacts the NetBackup Resource Broker, nbrb, on the Enterprise Media Manager Server,
to make a resource request.
10. nbrb communicates with nbemm, to request, access, and reserve resources as specified by the restore job and other
configuration information defined for this Client.
11. nbrb returns the resource allocation to nbjm.
12. nbjm passes the resource information retrieved by the nbrb service to bptm on the targeted Media Server. The bptm process on
the Media Server obtains the location of the data which includes the media ID or file path and any other resource information
necessary in order to perform the restore.
13. The bptm process on the selected Media Server will SCSI reserve the drive(s) and then issues a mount request to ltid.
14. ltid will forward the robotic mount request to tXXd. The tXXd process spawns a child, which issues a drive unload and sends
the mount request to tXXcd. The tXXcd process spawns a child to issue the robotic move medium command. The tXXd child
polls the drive, waiting for it to become ready and returns to ltid, which updates the mount statistics in the EMM database and
then returns to bptm. The bptm process opens the drive path, positions and starts waiting for read data.
15. It then spawns a child bptm process, assuming this is a restore to a remote client.
16. During retrieval, the original bptm process stores the image block by block in shared memory while the child bptm process
17. delivers the data to the tar program on the Client, which writes it to disk. When the data has been restored,
18. The parent bptm sends the unmount request to ltid.
19. bptm will notify nbjm that the restore is complete.
20. nbjm communicates with nbrb to de-allocate resources.
21. The child bprd process removes the neededimage file and all processes exit, ending the restore.
Figure 2: NetBackup Restore Process
2 1
Master Server mpx main Enterprise Media Manager Server
bprd bprestore
bprd
5
4 nbsvcmon
child bprd
3
7 9 11 12 11 9 20 11 10 20 11 10
116 117 118 111
nbpem PBX nbjm PBX nbrb PBX nbemm PBX VxDAL
19 20 20 20

nbgenjob

nbproxy nbproxy nbproxy VxDBMS

4
mds da

bpdbm bpjobd 20
12 19
3 4 10 11
nbnos 5 7

NetBackup Job vnetd EMM

Database Database Database

vnetd
5 8
7 19 vnetd
bpbrm
12
8
13 6 7 12 19
Restore Image 8
bptm tar
15 bptm Shared Memory
child
16
17 Restore
13 18 17 Image
Tape Restore
bprestore
Request Image

18 unmount 1 Active
ltid Client Data
Media Server Client
14 mount