Backup Exec Media Management

[florin_s]

Hello,

As per Symantec:

If recyclable media from the User Media set targeted in the backup operation is not available for overwrite operations, Backup Exec next searches for recyclable media in the all other User Media sets for media that can be overwritten. If more than one recyclable media is available for the backup operation, Backup Exec will select the media based on the number of hours the media has been recyclable (media that have been recyclable will be chosen before media that has just turned recyclable). If two recyclable media have been recyclable for the same number of hours, Backup Exec will then select the recyclable media based on the lowest allocation date or time.


is there a way to stop BE from overwriting a tape in another media set then the one targeted?

ex: i target a job to daily media set; if there are no more tapes that can be written on the daily media set i want the job to stop(queued, requesting tape). i don't want this job to write on a tape from media set weekly even though they are on the same partition.

thanks,
florin

[pkh]

is there a way to stop BE from overwriting a tape in another media set then the one targeted?

The only way to do this is to partition your library.  BE will not use tapes from another partition other than the one that the job targets. 

if there are no more tapes that can be written on the daily media set i want the job to stop(queued, requesting tape).

Note that when this happens, there is no way for you to feed another tape into the library.  The library is held for the duration of the job.  Hence the only option is to cancel the job and start all over again.

[florin_s]

i want to be able to do this without partitioning the library if it would be possible.


"Note that when this happens, there is no way for you to feed another tape into the library.  The library is held for the duration of the job.  Hence the only option is to cancel the job and start all over again."

this is true for libraries with only one backup device.

[pkh]

i want to be able to do this without partitioning the library if it would be possible.

This is not possible.

this is true for libraries with only one backup device.

Even if you have 2 tape drives in your library, what I said earlier hold true.  BE will not use the 2nd tape drive unless it is set up as a cascading device pool.

[florin_s]

you set the 2 devices in a device pool, if a job runs out of tape, you open the library insert a new tape in one of the slots, run an inventory on that slot(this uses the 2'nd device) then the job will resume.
i wasn't sure that it would work also(if the library can be unlocked during a job) but this is a tested solution.

[pkh]

The library cannot be unlocked during a job.  If  you can open the magazines during a job, you don't need a second tape drive.  The first drive would have unloaded the first tape and is waiting for the second one.  In any case, with barcode labels, you don't need to do an inventory.