NDMP backup fails with Network communication error on netvault server or Smart client that have m (4047088)

Date: FEB 2011
Product & Version: NDMP all versions
OS Version: all

Symptoms:

When running a NDMP backup on a netvault server or smart client with multiple NIC’s that are used for backup we see the following failure:


Information 2011/01/18 11:36:39 481 Data Plugin nbackup NDMP: NORMAL 0: DUMP: Network communication error
Information 2011/01/18 11:36:39 481 Data Plugin nbackup NDMP: NORMAL 0: DUMP: DUMP IS ABORTED
Error 2011/01/18 11:36:44 481 Data Plugin nbackup Data operation halted due to connection error
Information 2011/01/18 11:36:44 481 Data Plugin nbackup NDMP: NORMAL 0: Connection or IO Error.


Cause:

If you have a preferred address set in the configurator network manger connections tab, Netvault will broadcast this address as its address in the NDMP packet. If the NDMP job is not running on this address but running on a different NIC using a different address the NDMP client (usually a filer) will try to communicate with the Netvault server or smartclient using the preferred address. As this address will not be known on this network the backup fails with a communication error.

If you have multiple networks on a netvault server or a smart client that all have backups running on them, you have to set the IPaddress of the network with the NDMP clients on it as the preferred address, and all other addresses as fallback addresses.