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  1. Home
  2. NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, Volume II
  3. Additional configuration
  4. About dynamic host name and IP addressing
NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, Volume II

About dynamic host name and IP addressing

Before making changes to a configuration, read this entire topic.

By default, a NetBackup server assumes that a NetBackup client name is the same as the network host name of the client computer. This assumption makes it difficult to back up any clients that have any network host names that might change. For example, a computer that plugs into a LAN and obtains IP addresses from a DHCP server. Or, a remote machine that dials into a PPP server. Use dynamic host name and IP addressing to define NetBackup clients that do not have fixed IP addresses and host names.

If dynamic addressing is used, remember that the NetBackup servers still require fixed IP addresses and host names.

All clients that are configured to use dynamic addressing and host names must trust each other, similar to the NetBackup altnames feature.

The following process is required to support the configurations that use dynamic IP addressing for NetBackup.

Table: Process to support the configurations that use dynamic IP addressing for NetBackup

Action

Process details and requirements

Configure the network to use a dynamic IP addressing protocol like DHCP.

NetBackup requires that the IP addresses of clients have a network host name.

(On Windows) Be sure to define network host names for the range of dynamic IP addresses in the hosts file and (or) DNS on the network.

(On UNIX) Be sure to define network host names for the range of dynamic IP addresses in the hosts file, NIS, and (or) DNS on the network.

Determine the NetBackup client names for the computers that have dynamic IP addresses and network host names.

These NetBackup client names are used in other steps. Each NetBackup client must have a unique NetBackup client name. The NetBackup client name that is assigned to a client is permanent.

Make changes on the primary server, as described.

  • Create NetBackup policies with the client lists that include the new names.

  • Create entries in the NetBackup client database for the new client names. Use the bpclient command to create the entries.

Make changes on each dynamic NetBackup Windows client, as described.

Open the Backup, Archive, and Restore interface. Click File > NetBackup Client Properties. Click the General tab. Enter the correct NetBackup client name for the computer in the Client Name text box.

On the primary server, enable the Announce DHCP interval option, as described.

In the NetBackup web UI, on the left click Hosts > Host properties. Select the client. If necessary, click Connect. Then click Edit client. Expand Windows client > Network. Select the option Announce DHCP interval.

Make changes on each dynamic NetBackup UNIX client, as described.

  • Modify the bp.conf file to include a CLIENT_NAME entry with the correct NetBackup client name for the computer.

  • Configure the system to notify the primary server of the computer's NetBackup client name and current network host name during startup. The bpdynamicclient command is used to notify the primary server.

  • Configure the system to notify periodically the primary server of the computer's NetBackup client name and current network host name.

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