How to Create NetBackup Instances on Veritas Flex

 After completing the Flex Appliance Console Administration & First Use Guide, you're now ready to deploy NetBackup workloads using Veritas' container-based architecture.

This guide walks you through the process of setting up NetBackup Primary and Media Server instances on the Flex Appliance — a crucial step in building your backup infrastructure.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Prepare DNS Records for NetBackup Instances

Before provisioning any NetBackup instances, create proper DNS entries for both the Primary and Media servers:

1. Open your DNS server or management console.
2. Create two A records, such as:
   
   • NB-Primary.domain.local
   • NB-Media.domain.local

Tip: Accurate DNS resolution is essential for successful application communication within the Flex environment.{alertInfo}

Step 2: Create the NetBackup Primary Server Instance

1. Go to the System Topology tab in the Flex Appliance Console WebUI.
2. Under Instances, click + Create Instance.
3. When prompted, select NetBackup Primary Server and click Next.
4. In the Enter Parameters phase, input the required configuration settings (hostname, IP address, domain, etc.) and proceed.
5. On the Confirm and Create phase, review your inputs, then click Create.
6. You'll be redirected to the Activity Monitor tab to follow the deployment progress. Wait until the status shows success.

Step 3: Change the Default Password for the Primary Server

1. Connect to the Primary Server via SSH.
2. Login with the default credentials:
   
   • Username: appadmin
   • Password: P@ssw0rd
3. Upon first login, you will be forced to change the password:
   
   • Enter the current password.
   • Provide and confirm a strong new password.
4. Once changed, you will have full shell access to the NetBackup Primary Server.

Important: Changing the password is mandatory to enable WebUI access for appadmin.{alertWarning}

Step 4: Trust the Media Server on the Primary Server

1. Open a browser and go to:
   

   https://<NetBackup_Primary_Server_FQDN>/webui{codeBox}

2. Log in using the newly updated appadmin credentials.
3. Dismiss the welcome screen if it appears.
4. Go to Hosts > Host Properties.
5. Check the box next to the Primary Server and click Connect.
6. Once connected, click Edit Primary Server in the toolbar.
7. Go to the Servers section.
8. In the Additional Servers tab, click + Add and enter the Media Server FQDN.
9. Repeat the same step under the Media Servers tab.

Note: This trust relationship must be established before you can deploy a Media Server instance.{alertWarning}

Step 5: Create the NetBackup Media Server Instance

1. From the System Topology tab, click + Create Instance.
2. Select NetBackup Media Server and click Next.
3. In the Enter Parameters phase, configure the instance settings (Hostname, IP settings, etc..)
4. Set storage sizes depending on storage type:
   
   • MSDP (Media Server Deduplication Pool) – enables data deduplication.
   • Advanced Disk – raw disk storage without deduplication.
   • Staging Storage – optional, acts as cache for better performance.
5. During this phase, the installer will ask for the CA certificate fingerprint of the NetBackup Primary Server. You can find this under:
   System Topology > NetBackup Primary Server Instance > NetBackup CA SHA-256 Fingerprint
6. Click Next, review your settings in the Confirm and Create phase, then click Create.
7. Monitor the instance creation progress in the Activity Monitor until it completes successfully.

Recommendation:

• Use MSDP for deduplication. Set its size in multiples of 65TB for optimal performance.
• Allocate the maximum available 500GB for Staging storage to improve throughput.{alertInfo}

Step 6: Change the Default Password for the Media Server

1. Connect to the Media Server via SSH.
2. Login with the default credentials:
   
   • Username: appadmin
   • Password: P@ssw0rd
3. Upon first login, you will be forced to change the password:
   
   • Enter the current password.
   • Provide and confirm a strong new password.
4. Once changed, you will have full shell access to the NetBackup Media Server.

Final Notes

At this stage, both the NetBackup Primary Server and Media Server are fully deployed and operational. These instances are now ready to handle enterprise-scale backup operations.

Coming Next

👉 Stay tuned for the next article:
How to Add MSDP Storage in Veritas NetBackup Primary Server

This will guide you through the process of integrating storage to your NetBackup environment for optimal performance and deduplication efficiency.