Backup Exec 11D with tape library

[pstmartin]

Hi I've been searching everywhere for information about this problem that we have without any luck. Maybe some expert here can help us.
We have a Backup Exec 11D connected to a tape library (MLS 2024 - 24 Trays with 2 drives). Our backup windows is getting shorter and shorter and what I noticed is when the backup runs every nights, the job does not run on both drives simultiniously. Sometimes the job runs on drive 1 and other times on drive 2 but never on both at the same time. If I can get the job to work on both drives at the same time I guess that we could almost cut in half the time of the backup. Is this possible?

Thanks for your help

[Colin_Weaver]

Do you only have 1 job as if the answer is yes, create 2 jobs and then split the selection list between the two jobs - this is of course assuming you have a library expansion option (LEO) license

[pstmartin]

Thanks for the response, yes we have a GFS policy and there's only 1 job that starts every week days. That is the way the wizard created the job.
S there's no option to tell the job the selection list on tape 1 and 2 (like server A, B,C on tape 1 and server D,E,F on tape 2)?

Thanks again for your help

[Colin_Weaver · Accepted solution]

Backup Exec does not provide multi- tape streaming in one job.

I belive that NetBackup might be able to.

For Backup Exec to write two two tapes simultaneously you create 2 jobs with 2 different selection lists where both jobs target the library as a device. Then have the jobs scheduled to start in parallel. Note if you use a Policy and 2 selections lists it will automatically start them in parallel and maintain your GFS schedule.

If you don't use a single policy (but either use 2 polcieis or 2 jobs) , you can you can also parttion the slots in the library (from the Backup Exec devices section) so that you know that Job 1 only used the tapes from certain slots and job 2 uses tapes in different slots - although if you do this you target the partition not the library itself. But it does make it easier to knwo which tapes are liekly to have which data on them.

[pstmartin]

Thank you again for you help. It was exactly the information I was trying to find!