Duplicate secondary image on CAS directly to attached tape library

[jan_villeres]

We have implemented BackupExec 3600 R2 appliances at remote sites as Managed BackupExec Servers (MBES)
with a separte BackupExec 2012 SP3 server at main site as Central Admin Server (CAS).

We have the following backup definition created from the MBES:
1. Take local backups to BE appliance dedupe pool.
2. Duplicate (Optimized Duplication-Shared dedupe pool of CAS) these backup sets from remote site to main site (2nd Stage).

We then need to do another duplicate job for images (Monthly/Yearly) on the CAS to go directly to the attached tape library.
Your valuable inputs are very much appreciated. How can we satisfy this requirement?

Thank you in advance,

[CraigV]

Hi Jan,

You'd simply add in a stage to duplicate the backup sets for those particular jobs to tape...this would be done with the job you have currently configured.

Thanks!

[Majid_K]

Hi Jan,

I believe what you intend to do here is to duplicate the backed up data on tapes using the deduplicated disk pool on the CAS server as source. These are my thoughts on it;

I do not think this is acheivable automatically by adding a duplicate job. A duplicate job uses the related backup job as its source; quote from BE Admin guide - About duplicating backed up data

"When you duplicate backup data with a duplicate stage, the stage uses the related, or linked backup job in the backup definition as source"

Also when you use optimized duplication to duplicate backup sets between two backup servers you will be required to inventory and catalog that media before  you can actually use it;

Quote from BE Admin guide - About copying deduplicated data between OpenStorage Devices or deduplication disk storage devices by using optimized duplication

" You must inventory and catalog the media on the destination server before you recover any files from the duplicated backup set. You must do this regardless of how the catalog sharing option is configured for CASO."

However once you inventory and catlog the media on the destination backup server, you should be able to duplicate the backup sets manually to tapes.

Hope this helps and this is my understanding and I might be wrong :)

Kind Regards,

Majid.

[jan_villeres · Accepted solution]

Thank you CraigV and Majid K for your generous inputs.

This is the response I got from Symantec Support:

"Manual duplication on CAS with replicated backup sets from MBES can be done by selecting backups sets and right click then duplicate to tape. Automating this process, the tape out or duplication of backupsets, is not available in the GUI and in the command line as of the latest BE version."

Also, adding a third process or stage (tape out) from a previous stage (optimized duplication) will still refer to the original image hosted in the MBES.

Bottom line, we are stuck with doing manual duplication process for the monthly/yearly jobs on the CAS until this feature is supported by future BE releases.

Jan

[CraigV]

...that's an oversight. Might be worth your while to get onto the BE 2014 Beta to see if you can get your answer there!

Thanks!

[jan_villeres]

Thank you CraigV.

Definitely, we will look into the BE 2014 Beta and try to request/verify if this feature to be/is supported.

Cheers!

[Georg_Kabas]

Hi Jan,

just to be sure to understand what you want.

You have a Managed Media Server (as Appliance) on a remote location and the Central Admin Server with Dedup-Device and attached Tape-Library in the Datacenter.

You want to do a backup on remote site to the Appliance, then duplicate it to CAS and then write it to Tape on CAS-Site.

If it is so, then you have to do the following:

Make your CAS-Server to act as a "Private Cloud Server". Without that setting you are not able to duplicate Jobs to tape-devices that are not hosted by the remote server:

Select Backup Server > Properties > Setting > Enable Private Cloud Server

Then create a job:

1. Backup to BEMS

2. Add Stage from the first Job > Duplicate to CAS

3. Add Stage from the second Job > Duplicate to Tape

Should work.

Regards, Georg

[jan_villeres]

Hi Georg,

Thank you for this input. So the requirement will be satisfied by enabling Private cloud Server feature.

We will look into this possibility and hopefully it works.

regards, Jan