Deleting unwanted backup images from an active tape.
Good Morning,
We have large amounts of unwanted backup images on tape that a customer has informed us we no longer need to keep.
On an "Active" tape in the library is it is possible to delete the unwanted images. If so would Netbackup then be able to write to the space previously occupied any deleted unwanted image/s.
Kindest Regards
Peter Nabialek
Hi PNabski1
You can delete the images on the tape (and Netbackup catalog) using the bpexpdate command, but Netbackup is not able to use the released space. All images on a tape has to be deleted/expired before Netbackup will re-use the tape.
Please see this blog on how Netbackup writes to tape.
Hi PNabski1
If you want to determine what backups are on a tape you can do this a number of ways.
Through the GUI in the catalog section is one way, although myself I prefer to use the command line.
To read the actual tape the "bpmedialist -mcontents -m XXXXXX" command will display all the backup images on a tape. You can then use this to expire those images to "empty" the tape ("bpexpdate -d 0 -force -backupid <BackupID>").
An alternate that just looks at the catalog is the "bpimmedia -mediaid XXXXXX" command which should provide the same information.
Once you have expired all the images from tape, the tape should in a short time become unassigned, but you can quicken this process by using the command "bpexpdate -deassignempty -m XXXXXX".
Now if you have multiple copies of backups or SLP's in use, then things can be more complicated (if multiple copies you may need to specify the copy number to avoid deleting a different copy of the backup).
Have fun
DavidHi Nicolai,
Thanks for that info , made a note of it in case I come across the situation.
Kindest Regards
Pete
