B2D2T with some GRT and B2T thrown in for good measure

[Lesta_G]

Hope someone could give this the once over to see if my logic is flawed

BE2010 R3

Backup Requirement

Policy 1 - 3 servers backup VM Image to disk and duplicate to tape.

Policy 2 - 10 servers backup VM Image to tape

Policy 3 - 3 servers, backup VM Image and GRT using RAWS agent to backup a particular share of the 1 file server and system state (for the 2 domain controllers) and duplicate to tape

All to the one tape in a tape library

This has to happen on a daily and a monthly basis

I am assuming............... I am going to need to run 3 backup jobs (using policies) , with the 2nd and 3rd policies appending to the one tape.

I also want to kick of policy 1 and 2 at the same time to reduce the backup window:

e.g

9:00pm Policy 1 starts backup to disk

9:00pm Policy 2 startes backup to tape (overwrite tape)

9:30pm Policy 1 completes backup to disk and waits for policy 2 to complete before duplicating the B2D and appending it to the tape in use

10:00pm Policy 2 completes backup to tape

10:01pm Policy 1 acquires tape and appends duplicate to tape

10:15pm Policy 3 kicks off waiting for tape to be made available

10:30pm Policy 1 completes

10:31pm Policy 3 acquires tape and appends  to tape

12:00pm Policy 3 finishes

I suppose I could do this all with one policy? , but i thought it would be easier to explain as 3 separate.

ETA: I also assume that for a policy if I tick use GRT (for the RAWS) the VMDK and the sytem state (or files) will be backed up in one pass. (I have not used GRT before)

Cheers
Lesta

[pkh · Accepted solution]

If you do it as one policy, there will be one backup job and one duplicate job, not three of each.  This is because a policy can only handle one selection list at one time.

To use GRT with a vmdk, all you need is to install the RAWS in the VM and then backup the vmdk as a whole.  During a restore, you would be able to select individual files/folders.  If you have an application licence for the VM, you would be able to restore individual Exchange mailboxes and SQL database.  Make sure that GRT is enabled (it is by default).  Go to Tools ---> Options

[Lesta_G]

Thanks PHK

After posting, I think I really need 3 policies as there are:

1.  3 different selection sets
2. one of those selections sets needs GRT

The requirements are due to contractural obligations so I am  tied to what servers are backed up and how.