Media imports

As long as your data hasn't been physically overwritten, you should still be able to recover it from a tape.

If the image has expired from the Catalog, you will have to Import the images on the media back into the Catalog.

As long as the media is not in the scratch pool you can do a normal restore. After the media goes into the scratch pool but before it is written to the data can be retrieved by importing the data froom the tape. It is a two step process that has been detailed here in the forum. After the tape has gonei into the scratch pool then gone then been alocated to another pool for a different set of backups all is lost.

NetBackup writes images serially to tape. NetBackup by default does not allow mixed retentions to be on a tape. NetBackup ALWAYS appends to the end of the last valid image on a tape. If images #1 and #2 expire and images #3 and more exist on a tape, then the next image will NOT use the vacated part of the tape that image #1 and image #2 once occupied. It will still append to the end of the last valid image on the tape. Therefore the expired images will still physically exist on the tape and can be imported back into the Netbackup catalog. Only when ALL images on the tape are expired will the entire tape be unassigned and moved back into scratch for reuse. When the tape is selected to be written to it will start at position 1 and physically write over the old data. At this point you can no longer import the rest of the expired images on the tape.

Wow, fabulous information once again, Bob ...
That certainly deserves some points!

See, these are the fine technical details I'd love to know ...
Where did you pick this tidbit up from?

Bob's back.

Bob,

Got clear idea about that...as well the total retention period for a Tape will be depends upon all the Images (esp. Last image) which writens on it..Yes?

yes,
If you have a tape that holds 100GB and images that are 10GB weekly backups with 1 month retention.

week 1 total used 10GB
Image 1 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 2 total used 20 GB
Image 1 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks
Image 2 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 3 total used 30GB
Image 1 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks
Image 2 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks
Image 3 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 4 total used 40GB
Image 1 (10GB) expires in 1 weeks
Image 2 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks
Image 3 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks
image 4 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 5 total used 50GB
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expires in 1 weeks
Image 3 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks
image 4 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks
Image 5 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 6 total used 60GB
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expired
Image 3 (10GB) expires in 1 weeks
image 4 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks
Image 5 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks
Image 6 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 7 total used 70GB
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expired
Image 3 (10GB) expired
image 4 (10GB) expires in 1 weeks
Image 5 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks
Image 6 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks
Image 7 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 8 total used 80GB
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expired
Image 3 (10GB) expired
image 4 (10GB) expired
Image 5 (10GB) expires in 1 weeks
Image 6 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks
Image 7 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks
Image 8 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 9 total used 90GB
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expired
Image 3 (10GB) expired
image 4 (10GB) expired
Image 5 (10GB) expired
Image 6 (10GB) expires in 1 weeks
Image 7 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks
Image 8 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks
Image 9 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 10 total used 100GB (TAPE IS NOW FULL)
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expired
Image 3 (10GB) expired
image 4 (10GB) expired
Image 5 (10GB) expired
Image 6 (10GB) expired
Image 7 (10GB) expires in 1 weeks
Image 8 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks
Image 9 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks
Image 10 (10GB) expires in 4 weeks

week 11 (TAPE FULL) Backup goes to new tape image 11
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expired
Image 3 (10GB) expired
image 4 (10GB) expired
Image 5 (10GB) expired
Image 6 (10GB) expired
Image 7 (10GB) expired
Image 8 (10GB) expires in 1 weeks
Image 9 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks
Image 10 (10GB) expires in 3 weeks

week 12 (TAPE FULL) Backup goes to new tape
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expired
Image 3 (10GB) expired
image 4 (10GB) expired
Image 5 (10GB) expired
Image 6 (10GB) expired
Image 7 (10GB) expired
Image 8 (10GB) expired
Image 9 (10GB) expires in 1 week
Image 10 (10GB) expires in 2 weeks

week 13 (TAPE FULL) Backup goes to new tape
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expired
Image 3 (10GB) expired
image 4 (10GB) expired
Image 5 (10GB) expired
Image 6 (10GB) expired
Image 7 (10GB) expired
Image 8 (10GB) expired
Image 9 (10GB) expired
Image 10 (10GB) expires in 1 weeks

week 14 (TAPE FULL) Backup goes to new tape
Image 1 (10GB) expired
Image 2 (10GB) expired
Image 3 (10GB) expired
image 4 (10GB) expired
Image 5 (10GB) expired
Image 6 (10GB) expired
Image 7 (10GB) expired
Image 8 (10GB) expired
Image 9 (10GB) expired
Image 10 (10GB) expired
Tape now has all images expired and will be placed back into the scratch pool for reuse.Message was edited by:
Bob Stump