Backup 2 Disk questions

[KevanD]

I am about to start using backup 2 disk in a mixed environment of File, application, Exchange and SQOL servers and have a number od questions.

I have read many forum questions and have also asked a question about this befrore but am still confused by some answers so am asking some more questions.

1. Should I create a backup 2 disk folder for each backup job. ie 1 for the main file server, 1 for exchnage, 1 for SQL server etc?

2. If I create Backup to Disk Folders for each job would it be sensible to create the maximum size of the backup to disk files depending on the size of each backup job. ie. The main file server is about 2.5Tb therefore should I set the maximum file size in this folder to be 100Gb.  Where as the Backup to Disk folder for the Domain Controllers could have a maximum file size of 5Gb as the total size of these servers is probably only 40Gb.  The Exchange server is about 250Gb so a maximum file size of say 30Gb and so on.  Would this be a sensible approach.

3. In each case does the performance advantage of allocating the maximum file space immedialy out wieigh the fact that you may waste disk space when only portions of a file are used.

4. Is there a way of checking how much of each file actualy has data written to it?

5. OR.  would it be best to create 1 Backup to Disk Folder, allocate the maximum file size to say 50Gb and direct all the jobs to it.  If I was planning to backup the Backup to disk folders to tape every week. What should the overwrite protection and apend policies be set to?

^ I belive the best way to backup a backup to disk folder to tape is via a policy.  can anyone please explain this in easy to understand language.

Thank you for any help and sugestions.

Kevan

[Kiran_Bandi]

1) If i have to do this, i would have gone for different B2D folders.

2) Yes, for file server backups still you can increase maximum file size. But how you configured maximum number of backupsets for B2D folder value? With less number of backup sets configured and less size for maximum size of B2D files, finally you large size backups will be in trouble.

3) If you have some append period configured, file space cannot be wasted. But remember the fact that along with appending overwrite protection also increases.

4) No.

5)I guess daily you will be running these backups and weekly once you want to duplicate those to tape. Do you have sufficient disk space to hold file server backups for long time? Depending on this you have to configure retensions.

If you want to overwrite the b2d files properly, overwrite only is the best option. Choose media protection level to FULL, job should start as overwrite only. Configure your media sets with 6 days OPP and None append. For the first 6 days of backup job, 6 different backup sets will be created. During next run oldest backup sets will be overwritten. (This thing entirely depends on your disk space and required retension)

In a policy use create your backup template with schedule and create a duplicate template with schedule and create a template rule as duplicate all backup sets created by template A using template B as scheduled.

Regards..

[KevanD]

Hi

Thank you for your comments. They are all very helpful. The one big question left to resolve is should I use the option to allocate full disk size on creation or alow the disk to grow as needed.

With the smaller backups, setting a maximum disk file of around 5Gb on creation is not a problem. With the File server Backup if I was to create a maximum disk size of 250Gb allocated on creation I am potentially wasting 249Gb a day.  So for this Backup to Disk Folder I think I should not allocate full size on creation.

I have left the maximum number of Backup sets per backup to disk file as the default 100.

Do these ideas make sense.?

Regards

Kevan

[Kiran_Bandi · Accepted solution]

With the File server Backup if I was to create a maximum disk size of 250Gb allocated on creation I am potentially wasting 249Gb a day.

Sorry, i couldn't understand how you calculated this.... 

Let us say if your file server backup comes around 2.5 TB and if you choose maximum file size to 250 GB 11 bkf files will get created and from last file 190 GB wasted. If you choose 200 GB maximum file size 13 bkf files will get created and because of last file 40 GB wasted. (Approximate. Can't say waste but you can say like for saving 60 GB file 250 GB file will get created.) Go for maximum file size of 200 GB.

Regards...

[KevanD]

Thank you for your help.

This is all becomming slightly clearer