Allocate Media to a Set and Make Overwriteable

[DaveyMG]

Hi,

I want to "pre-allocate" a set of sequentially labelled tape library media to a particular media set.

I can associate the media with the set but all of the media immediately take on the media set's overwrite protection/appendable until period. What I'd like to do is allocate the media to the set and make the media overwriteable (thinking about it, if you allocate a scratch media to a media set, shouldn't it be in overwriteable status anyway?)

If I leave the media in the Scratch media set then I can't ensure that BE will use them when it selects a new media for the set.

Can this be done?

Thanks.

[pkh]

You should leave the media in the scratch media set.  Target your job to the desired media set.  If there is no suitable media in the targeted media set, your job will look for media in the scratch media set. Once your job finished writing to the media, it will be placed in the targeted media set.

See this document on how BE select media

How Backup Exec searches for overwritable media

[DaveyMG]

Thanks for your reply.

If I have Tapes A,B,C and D in the scratch media set and I have a job targetting media set X, how can I ensure that BE will select Tape C then Tape D from the scratch set when it requires additional tapes for media set X?

[DaveyMG]

I've just discovered library partitioning which is where I think my solution lies.

[pkh · Accepted solution]

You are managing your tapes instead of letting BE and the tape library manage your tapes for you.  See my article on this subject

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/must-mondays-backup-be-monday-tape

When you use partitions, you have to have as many jobs as you have partitions because one job can only target 1 partition.  Also, if your OPP/AP is set incorrectly and there is no suitable tape in the partition, your job will fail even if there are suitable tapes in other partitions.  This is because BE will not get tapes from another partition.

[DaveyMG]

Thanks for the link, I'm going to have a rethink on my tape allocations.