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James_Lane's avatar
James_Lane
Level 3
17 years ago

Tape not overwritable when loads of space

This is probably a basic issue but I am having trouble running a system of backups to tape.  I use 9.1 rev 4691 on Windows Server 2003 SP2.

Each week I run a FULL backup which then duplicates to tape.  There is no problem with this as I alternate 2 tapes and have it set to overwrite each time.  My problem is with the incremental daily backups.  Currently the job (tape reused each week) is set to Append, or Overwrite if no appendable available.  First week after making the tape Scratch Media works fine.  Now I always get a message the 2nd week saying tape "is overwrite protected".  It has used 1.32Gb with 18Gb available.  Why does it not APPEND?  How can I force it to go to the end of the tape before thinking about overwritting the beginning please?
10.x and Earlier
Backup and Recovery
Backup Exec

10 Replies

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  • Ken_Putnam's avatar
    Ken_Putnam
    Level 6
    17 years ago
    Overwrite and Append are controlled at the media set level.  From the media tab, right click the media set\properties  OPP is overwrite protection and is figured from the time the last backup set on a tape is closed, and thus changes every time a tape is appended.   APP is append period, and is figured from the time the first backup set on a tape is opened, and never changes until the tape is overwritten
     
    Sounds like the APP period has expired.  To continue appending set the APP to a higher value
     
    I do have one other observation.  When you do appends, you need to think about periodic ovewrites also, since when a tape fills up, and you overwrite, all data on the tape is lost.
  • James_Lane's avatar
    James_Lane
    Level 3
    17 years ago
    Thanks for the pointer - however I have the OPP at 4 days as the 5th is the full backup and the APP is Infinite!  So what now?  I am even more baffled!

    I don't think I need to worry about overwrites of this tape as the Full Backup resets the starting point each week.  I also have all backups going to NAS first.  So this Incremental tape only has a life of a week and will only be used if my NAS blows... Is this ok or have I missed a trick or scenario?  Thanks for your input.
  • Ken_Putnam's avatar
    Ken_Putnam
    Level 6
    17 years ago
    With  the further explaination, your rotation looks like it ought to work
     
    Do both the FULL and INCR use the same media set?  This is a requirement for appending in BackupExec
  • James_Lane's avatar
    James_Lane
    Level 3
    17 years ago
    Ah!  The Full goes to a Media Set that is a NAS folder, and so does the Incremental.  But these are different media sets as they are in different folders on the NAS.  This seems to work fine.  The tape media sets are also different because I needed to distinguish between the cycles of OPP and APP.  So 4 media sets in all with 3 tapes.

    Looking at this now, if in the 2nd week I had a restore to do on an Incremental and the NAS had blown a fuse - I would blow a fuse too!  As it would have been overridden.

    Basically I am storing about 2 months of backups on NAS with weekly FULL and 4 Incrementals and then this is also sent to tape using the Duplicate job.  The tapes though only would take me back 2 weeks as I have just 2 Full tapes I interchange.  The incremental will only take me back 1 week.

    So if I have to have the tape media on one set for both Full and Incremental how do I set this up so as to keep the status quo or should I have a different routine completely?!  Maybe: 4 tapes (2 Full and 2 Incr) OPP is 13/14 days (I tend to take one day off in case I have an o'night error and have to run the job again the next day - as this can really mess things up) and the APP is Infinate.  Would that work?  Oh, my head hurts...!
  • Ken_Putnam's avatar
    Ken_Putnam
    Level 6
    17 years ago
    Are you using DUPLICATE or just backing up the B2D folders?    if the latter, you need to restore the BKF files, inventory them, then catalog them, THEN restore
     
    If you Duplicate instead, you can restore directly from tape.
     
    If you want to stack the FULL and following INCR on the same tape, make the full Overwrite and the INCR Append, using the same media set.
     
    If you have only two tapes, make the media set APP=5 days, OPP=8 Days (OPP is reset each time the tape is closed)  for four tapes, APP=5 again and OPP = 22
     
    You can Duplicate the backups automatically as soon as the B2D jobs end.  See page 307 of the Admin Guide
  • James_Lane's avatar
    James_Lane
    Level 3
    17 years ago
    Thank you, this is great.  I use the Duplicate method.

    I understand what you suggest: both Full and Incr on each tape - I had never thought of that style of approach before.  However I do remove the FULL tape to offsite the next day to cover risk of fire, flood etc.  Leaving the FULL in the machine for the week would expose me to this risk again.  Can I still have two tapes for FULL, one for INCR all in the same media set?  I would then only rotate the FULL tapes.  What would I need to set APP and OPP to?  Sorry for being dense but I have not grasped the logic of this yet!  I'm off to read the manual again... thanks for your patience.

    Also I note that you make the OPP just (number of tapes * days in week - 6).  This is great news as I always have an issue with the OPP/APP if a job overruns or needs running again for some reason.  I just took off one day from the total days, but if it is safe to take off 6, then all events should be covered.
  • Ken_Putnam's avatar
    Ken_Putnam
    Level 6
    17 years ago
    Also I note that you make the OPP just (number of tapes * days in week - 6).  This is great news as I always have an issue with the OPP/APP if a job overruns or needs running again for some reason.  I just took off one day from the total days, but if it is safe to take off 6, then all events should be covered.\
     
    Those times were based on appending the INCR to the FULL (OPP is reset each time the tape is closed)  Your approach ( time too keep -1 day ) is correct for tapes with only one job on them
     
    Yes you could rotate only  the fulls, but I'd still use two INCR tapes, unless any day this week, or the Friday of the week before is sufficient recovery for your purposes
     
    have the Daily job Append, Else Overwrite, with a 5 day APP   If you decide on two INCR tapes, set the OPP to 9 days


    Message Edited by Ken Putnam on 04-04-2008 08:12 AM
  • James_Lane's avatar
    James_Lane
    Level 3
    17 years ago
    Thanks Ken - sorry for the late reply.  Maybe the next comment should be a new thread but it does continue on what has gone before:

    I have continued with this week's setup of one tape for INCR - though I see your point re two INCR tapes.  However I am now presented with the error message that must surely drive us all mad.  Basically - can't backup to tape as it is Overwrite protected.  This is when the Allocated Date is 9/4 even when it came from Scratch Media at the beginning of the INCR jobs namely Tue 15/4.  With OPP at 6 and APP at 5 days.  If OPP runs from the Allocated Date this is Overwrite protected on the 15th, BUT the job is Append then Overwrite and there is 19Gb available capacity.  Why does it not append please?  Why is it trying to Overwrite.

    Even running the job again today (17th) it still fails with same error.

    P.S. When does a tape "close"?  Is it at the end of each backup regardless of the type of backup?
  • Ken_Putnam's avatar
    Ken_Putnam
    Level 6
    17 years ago
    When does a tape "close"?  Is it at the end of each backup regardless of the type of backup?
     Correct
     
     
    Hmm
     
    Do all your jobs use the same media set?  this is a requirement for Appending in BackupExec.  If it can't find an appendable tape  (one in the same media set that is within the APP) it will ask for an Overwriteable tape
     
    Does it ask for Overwriteable at the beginning of the job, or does the job run for a bit, then ask?  If the latter, then I'd say that the tape is filling up, regardless of how much data actually gets written to it
  • James_Lane's avatar
    James_Lane
    Level 3
    17 years ago
    Ken, I've been away so appologies for late response.

    You have mentioned that this sequence of backups should be under the same media set before and I must confess I failed to remember that when going off at various tangents.  I will now set this up under one set and use an APP OPP frequency as discussed earlier.

    MANY THANKS FOR ALL YOUR PATIENCE AND DEDICATION.