Separate switch for backups

[pitbull_1973]

First off, I have had no formal network training. Everything I know I have picked up from OJT after inheriting the Network Administrator position at my company. That being said...

 

We just picked up a Dell NX3100 PowerVault NAS that we want to use for backups using Microsoft DPM. We have 9 physical machines in a server rack (with a mix of Windows Server 2003 & 2008 OS's), each of these has at least 2 NIC ports. The primary ports are all connected to our main network. I want to have a separate switch connected to the 2nd NIC of each machine, essentially creating a stand-alone network just for the backups to run through. I know that this can be done, as Google searches show many references to this setup, but I can't find any instructions on how to actually accomplish it.

 

I have the machines physically cabled into an unmanaged Netgear ProSafe 16-port Gig switch (I chose unmanaged because it will only be used for backups traffic), but now I need instructions on where to go from here. I want to put the second NICs on a different subnet (possibly 192.168.100.xxx) than our main network (which is on 192.168.168.xxx). I am just a little confused as to how to do this. I am assuming it is best to assign static IPs to each machine for the second network, but would the Default Gateway be that of the main network? Same question for primary and secondary DNS.

 

Once I get the actual configuration of the second network down, I'm going to need to figure out how to configure an iSCSI connection from the NAS to the DPM server, but I can put that in another thread once I get this part figured out.

 

Thanks in advance.

Edited January 6, 2012 by pitbull_1973

[CyberNerd]

I have the machines physically cabled into an unmanaged Netgear ProSafe 16-port Gig switch (I chose unmanaged because it will only be used for backups traffic), but now I need instructions on where to go from here. I want to put the second NICs on a different subnet (possibly 192.168.100.xxx) than our main network (which is on 192.168.168.xxx). I am just a little confused as to how to do this. I am assuming it is best to assign static IPs to each machine for the second network, but would the Default Gateway be that of the main network? Same question for primary and secondary DNS.

 

If the network is a single function for backups you probably won't need a default gateway of DNS. Just assign the static IP's and same on your backup server.

Are you sure it wouldn't be better to aggregate the links to 2GB/s and just run the backup at night to get the best out of your hardware?

[glennda]

TBH FOR DNS on the second Nic you could just use a Hosts file it is what a machine looks to before it does DNS lookups - you could create one which has an IP and hostname for your nas and just copy to the local C: drive.

 

As mentioned above you shouldn't need to put a second gateway (I would leave blank). The default gateway is used when a machine is trying to send data to machines on another subnet which you won't be doing.

[pitbull_1973]

Just assign the static IP's and same on your backup server.

Sorry, I'm not following this statement. Do you mean just assign the IP and leave everything else blank?

 

Are you sure it wouldn't be better to aggregate the links to 2GB/s and just run the backup at night to get the best out of your hardware?

Management wants DPM to run constant backups during the day (it initially takes a snapshot, then every 15 minutes or so it just resync's that snapshot with the latest changes, so you are constantly up to date). Each night we will be running a separate backup job to tape also.

Edited January 6, 2012 by pitbull_1973

[glennda]

Sorry, I'm not following this statement. Do you mean just assign the IP and leave everything else blank?

 

 

Management wants DPM to run constant backups during the day (it initially takes a snapshot, then every 15 minutes or so it just resync's that snapshot with the latest changes, so you are constantly up to date. Each night we will be running a separate backup job to tape also.

 

IP and Subnet and leave the rest DNS/DG empty

[plexer]

Be carefull if you are multi homing ad ds, dns or dhcp servers.

 

Ben

[pitbull_1973]

Be carefull if you are multi homing ad ds, dns or dhcp servers.

 

Ben

 

How so? What do I need to watch out for with these servers?

[pitbull_1973]

TBH FOR DNS on the second Nic you could just use a Hosts file it is what a machine looks to before it does DNS lookups - you could create one which has an IP and hostname for your nas and just copy to the local C: drive.

 

So, if I create a Hosts file with each server's name and its IP on the second subnet, on the C: of the backup server, then it will be able to identify each server by name?

[glennda]

So, if I create a Hosts file with each server's name and its IP on the second subnet, on the C: of the backup server, then it will be able to identify each server by name?

 

yes

 

some more text so i can post

[squeeky]

why bother with the hosts file ? if your assigning statics anyway just assign them 1 - 9 in the stack and access them via their ip.

[glennda]

why bother with the hosts file ? if your assigning statics anyway just assign them 1 - 9 in the stack and access them via their ip.

 

it was if said software (DPM) needed a hostname - which is might not it which case IP will be fine. also being able to remember hostnames is easier then IP's hence why we have domain names!