Add backup folder to media set

[Fred12]

BE2010 R2

One of our backup jobs has failed due to a disk becomming full.

Allocating a new folder in BE was not the easiest task but I have managed that.

How do I now add the new backup to disk folder to the media set that has become full?

Thanks in advance

[pkh]

You cannot add a folder to an existing B2D folder. You will have to create a new B2D folder or expand the volume on which the old one resides

[Fred12]

Hang on... I am confused.

Thanks for the reply but I am struggling to come to terms with this idea.

The current hard drive has become whilst doing my weekly backup.
I have spare capacity on another drive and BE has allowed me to create a new folder on it but I cannot extend the media set to include the new folder..! Why is it called a media SET if it can only have one folder on one disk?

Surely this cannot be right? What use is that to anyone?

[VJware]

Definition of a Media Set - (For BE 2010 and earlier)

A set of rules that apply to tape and disk media that are associated with a media set. These rules specify append periods, overwrite protection periods, and vaulting periods.

So a media set cannot become full, however the storage device can. The storage device contains multiple backup sets which in turns belongs to a "logical" media set.

If your current drive has become full, then you can create a new B2D on a different drive. You can target the backup job to this new drive and it will create new backup sets as it writes to this new drive. In the backup job, you can specify this new drive and the media set which governs the append and overwrite protection period properties.

Would recommend a read of these KB articles -

https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.TECH5459.html

https://support.symantec.com/en_US/article.tech164267.html

[Fred12]

Thanks,

I am unable to see where I can add the new folder.

How do I 'target' it? The only options I see are to change the device to a different one rather than using it as well as the current device.

[VJware]

By "target" i meant, editing the backup job and choose the new drive. You can choose only one device and not multiple devices in the same backup job.

[Fred12 · Accepted solution]

Thanks for trying to help.

Sorry but what idiot thought we would not want to backup to more than one disk?
We are backing up several servers so we are bound to exceed the capacity of a single disk at some point!
This really is a serious shortcoming with BE if that is the case.

I guess my only way forward is to edit the job to IGNORE some user's folders; delete all of the media it has currently used and restart the job and then ask my users to manually back stuff up if they want to...

The last time I had problems with BE I swore to get rid of it but never found the time.

This time I will make it my mission; it really is an overcomplicated system that is no longer fit for purpose.

Thanks anyway...

[VJware]

A simple method to make it work would be to create a new B2D on the new drive, create a device pool and select the device pool in the backup job.

A non-GRT enabled backup job will write to the first disk and when it gets full, it can then move on to the next disk. There is no need to specify both B2Ds in the same job since one has to specify just the pool.

Have a look @ this post - https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/how-span-disk

Another option is as pkh suggested earlier - Extend the volume on which the B2D resides. This would inturn extend the capacity of the existing B2D as well.

I would strongly recommend to have a good read at the Admin Guide specifically the chapters about devices & media management. They are bound to clear up *any misgivings* about BE configuration and about BE-related terms such as media sets etc.

[Fred12]

Thanks for the reply, however we are on R2 and I am not willing to risk upgrading.
I have read too many frightening posts on upgrading and problems that it can cause.
 

[VJware]

Upgrading to 2010 R3 is recommended since R3 is the most stable amongst the 2010 versions and is secure as well, however the above mentioned options will work with 2010 R2 as well.