Full Backups/Incremental vs. Full Backups/Differential Backup Scenarios

Your estimation is about right and differential backups do make restores easier.  Does your backup window allows you to do differential backups?  The differential backups would take longer than incremental backups.

Also, I don't see how going to differential backups would solve your problem of frequent tape changes.  In fact it would make it worse since each differential would be a lot bigger than the incremental.

You might want to take a look at tape libraries.

Hi Linda,

PKH is correct. In addition to what he had mentioned, try to check or verify your retention period under Media Sets. By lowering your retention periods, this might help lowering the amount of time the backup data will be protected from overwriting. Thus lowering the number of tapes needed.

Below TN explains Overwrite Protection Period and Append Period.

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH5459

Regards,

Adonis