Any Best Practices of Folder structure for Changing from B2T to B2D

[RicoLui]

Any Best Practices of Folder structure for Changing from B2T to B2D??

All tape drive will be retired in the future in our company. We are planing to change from "Backup-to-tape" to "Backup to disk".

How should I create the folder structure?

For example:

The Media server has 20 clients.

We need to create 20 folder for each client?

Client1, Client2, Client3 ..........Client19, Client20

Each Client has MON to FRI Inc or Dif Backup

Weekly Full Backup

Monthly Full Backup

7 folders for each Client

Client1\MON, Client1\TUE, Client1\WED, Client1\THU, Client1\FRI, Client1\Weekly, Client1\Monthly

Client2\MON, Client2\TUE, Client2\WED, Client2\THU, Client2\FRI, Client2\Weekly, Client2\Monthly

Client3\MON, Client3\TUE, Client3\WED, Client3\THU, Client3\FRI, Client3\Weekly, Client3\Monthly

.

.

.

Client19\MON, Client19\TUE, Client19\WED, Client19\THU, Client19\FRI, Client19\Weekly, Client19\Monthly

Client20\MON, Client20\TUE, Client20\WED, Client20\THU, Client20\FRI, Client20\Weekly, Client20\Monthly

Total number of folders = 20 clients x 7 folder = 140 B2D folder need to create for this media server????

Any better solution? Thanks!

[pkh]

You can only target one B2D folder per job, so if you have defined 140 jobs you can implement your scheme.

[RicoLui]

Does it mean that the number of B2D folder depends on how many backup job the media server has?

[pkh]

No.  You can create as many B2D folders as you want, but you can only target 1 B2D folder per job.

[MattiasA]

Hello Rico,

The recommended setup usually only depends on two things;

1. Your storage solution (ie. how many storage areas you have available for B2D)
2. If you are using GRT (ie. do you have any Exchange/AD GRT backups?)

The best recommendation there is is "keep it simple".

If you are using GRT I would recommend two volumes; one for GRT and one for the rest.
Be sure to turn off allocation for the GRT B2D.

If you aren't using GRT, send everything to a single B2D-folder made up by your largest storage available.
And make sure you only have one B2D folder per volume.

Best regards,
MattiasA
 

[pkh]

make sure you only have one B2D folder per volume.

Why?  You can have as many B2D folders as you want on a single volume.

[RicoLui]

Hi pkh

I know that I can create as many as folders I want but

For B2T - 3 jobs

Each Client has MON to FRI Inc or Dif Backup: Client1\MON, Client1\TUE, Client1\WED, Client1\THU, Client1\FRI (5 tapes)

Weekly Full Backup: Client1\Weekly (1 tape)

Monthly Full Backup: Client1\Monthly (1 tape)

For B2D - 7 jobs

Each Client has MON to FRI Inc or Dif Backup: Client1\MON, Client1\TUE, Client1\WED, Client1\THU, Client1\FRI (5 B2D)

Weekly Full Backup: Client1\Weekly (1 B2D)

Monthly Full Backup: Client1\Monthly (1 B2D)

7 folders for each Client

B2T:20 x 3 jobs = 60

B2D:20 x 7 jobs = 140

80 additional backup jobs after changing to B2D for 20 clients

Any better suggestion?

[RicoLui]

Hi  MattiasA

1. More than 10T

2. No GPT

Any problem if only one B2D folder for multi backup jobs with different retention policy? Different media set?

Thanks!

[pkh · Accepted solution]

The question that you should answer is how you are going to use the B2D folders, i.e, how many jobs are you going to create.  If you use your elaborate scheme, how many jobs are you going to have?  Let's say you have created 20 B2D folders, but you only have 5 jobs.  How are you going to use the rest?

Why do you need to create 1 set of B2D folders for each client.  Can you combine them?  As MattiasA said, keep it simple.

There is no right or wrong way create B2D folders.  You have to decide what is best based on your needs.

[Ken_Putnam]

Any problem if only one B2D folder for multi backup jobs with different retention policy? Different media set?

Retention is handled per media set, not per backup device, so no problems with multiple media sets in the same B2D folder   If you plan on running more than one backup at a time to the same B2D device, make sure that you have it setup for multiple concurrent access.  Also remember that this will tend to slow down each backup that runs.   Multiple jobs to different B2D devices on different spindles/arrays should  be no problem at all

[RicoLui]

Hi pkh

After migrate from B2T to B2D, I don't want to give too much impact for server admins. And only want they can opreate with the media server as same as migrate. I want to have same number of jobs as B2T

I create 1 set of B2D folder for each client because I want to identify which media (bkf after B2D) is belongs to which client. I don't know is it a good practices.

Sorry, I don't have too much experience about B2D. I have too many silly question about it.

[pkh]

I want to have same number of jobs as B2T

Suppose you have 10 B2T jobs, you can only target them to at most 10 B2D folders.  You have have less than 10 B2D folders, but not more, so you scheme got to take this into consideration.  If you create more than 10 B2D folders, you would not be able to use them. 

I create 1 set of B2D folder for each client because I want to identify which media (bkf after B2D) is belongs to which client. I don't know is it a good practices.

It not not necessary, but there is nothing to say that you cannot do so.

[RicoLui]

Hi Ken

I checked the current backup data size of the media server is around 1.5T. Is any problem if inventory or catalog such size of B2D folder after migration?

Thanks!

[RicoLui]

Hi pkh

Our company has 2 site: One Production Site & One DR Site. Server Admins have a request to identify the media. For example: they want to restore the 2nd weekly full backup of last month at DR site.

How can they identify the bkf file of 2nd weekly full backup of last month in the B2D folder? Do they need to copy the whole B2D foler or the bkf file of 2nd weekly full backup only to the DR site for restore?

Thanks!

[pkh]

How would you identify which tape to bring to your DR site?  Substitute .bkf files for tapes and you have your answer.

[RicoLui]

But there are many .bkf file after data growth in the B2D folder. It seems not easy to identify the bkf file belongs to which backup jobs.

[pkh]

Your joblog will tell you which .bkf file is being used to store the backup data.

[RicoLui]

Hi pkh

Is it possible to export a table of job log vs media (bkf) as follow? Thanks!

Date	Job	Media
10/3/2011	Daily Differential	B2D000031
	Daily Incremental	B2D000032
11/3/2011	Daily Differential	B2D000033
	Daily Incremental	B2D000034
12/3/2011	Daily Differential	B2D000035
	Daily Incremental	B2D000036
13/3/2011	Weekly Full	B2D000037

[pkh]

This question is not related to your original question.  Do close out this discussion and post this as another question.