Backup Exec Disk Storage with multiple backups

[Active]

Cannot identify the backups files I need to restore!

Environment:

Backup Exec 2012 - Fully patched.

3TB backup drive used for the backups destinations

5 Servers are backing up to this disk storage overnight and during the day this is backed up to tape.

Problem:

Because Backup Exec 2012, 'Backup disk destinations' refuse to allow subfolders and prevents more than a single backup to disk location when on the same physical drive, I am left with a single backup folder with hundreds of backup files from all five servers. I have no way of knowing which file relates to which server. So I have to restore everything even if it is a single file I need.

I have to then inventory and catalogue the restored folder to identify the backups, then run a restore. This took a whole day and caused me much grief.

Help Needed:

Without adding more disks to the backup server, how can I segregate each of these backups so I only have to restore one part of the backup instead of every backup job before I can query the catalogues.

I have tried using a Virtual drive (Subst command), Sharing a folder and choosing network locations. I have no other space (disks) to backup to. Previous version did not restrict this and all was working until 2012 version.

Could potentially an upgrade to 2014 allow this? 

Any other way I can use this disk and segragate the five backups?

[CraigV]

Hi,

You should simply be able to run the Restore wizard and select the date and server you want to restore from...not from the actual files themselves.

Thanks!

[Larry_Fine]

5 Servers are backing up to this disk storage overnight and during the day this is backed up to tape.

Problem:

Because Backup Exec 2012, 'Backup disk destinations' refuse to allow subfolders and prevents more than a single backup to disk location when on the same physical drive, I am left with a single backup folder with hundreds of backup files from all five servers. I have no way of knowing which file relates to which server. So I have to restore everything even if it is a single file I need.

I have to then inventory and catalogue the restored folder to identify the backups, then run a restore. This took a whole day and caused me much grief.

It sounds like you might be doing it wrong.

Are you making backups of your BKF files?  If so, stop.  Run a duplicate job instead.  Do NOT backup your backups.

Reasons why backing up or copying backup to disk data files is NOT recommended.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH176061

[pkh]

For BE 2012 and BE 2014, you can only have one disk storage per volume.

[Active]

I wasn't familiar with the duplicate to tape option and this certainly seems a good idea to me now to preseve the backups and enable restores directly fom tape.

I'll see how this goes over the next week.

Thanks all.