When using BPEXPDATE -deassignempty, does this take a tape which no longer contains a valid image and mark it as scratch? The description in the command guide is not clear about this - at least to me.
just to add : NBU runs this command every 12 hrs.
From : http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH135182
"The purpose of the bpexpdate -deassignempty command is to return a tape to scratch if all of the images on the tape have expired before the tape's expiration time has been reached"
"If the bpexpdate -deassignempty command is not being run, empty tapes (which no longer hold valid images) will not be made available for new backups until the tape's expiration time - this may be a long time in the future (or possibly never, if the tape's expiration time is infinity)"
-deassignempty should not be run on a tape that contain valid images. You can always run "bpimage -cleanup -allclients" if you can't wait for Netbackup to do the periodic release of media.
Hope that answer the qustion
Best Regards
Nicolai
Per the command manual:
"Searches the catalog for the removable media that no longer contain valid backups. It removes the media from the media catalog and removes the media IDs in the Media Manager catalog"
I read this as I do not have control over which media (which is fine with me), but I am concerned when you said:
"-deassignempty should not be run on a tape that contain valid images."
Why is this?
just to add : NBU runs this command every 12 hrs.
If this is the case, it makes this process kind of idiot proof.
Thanks!
Your were correct! Now, where did you read/find this information?
Because it will scratch it - but the NBU Catalog still need it for restore.
When Netbackup run the command it of cause ensure it has no valid images on it (all expired).
There are a few T/Ns (& forum posts too) that cover this, but it is also at the beginning of the T/N that Nicolai quoted:
This command should be run periodically by nbpem, according to the Image Cleanup Interval, which by default is 12 hours.
