Backup exec creating multiple BKF files

[mrpush]

Hi,

Backup exec 11D on W2K3 server.

When creating backup to disk jobs (B2D), sometime I get multiple BKF files, sometimes not. 

I read this TECH21036 but I already comply with these settings.

In a single example, I have a job set to B2D on local hard drive.  It's a differential backup to my "diffbackup" folder.

This device (backup to disk folder) has the following settings:

   - Backup to disk file managment:  40 GB  (backup jobs are not more than 6GB)

   - Max number backup sets per backup to disk file: 100

    -Allow 1 concurrent jobs

I have a single DIFFERENTIAL media set "DiffMedia" setup that takes all my different Diff jobs as follows:

    -Overwrite protection period (OPP):  2 weeks

    -Append Period: Infinite - allow append

    -No vault rules

Since so many different jobs are in this media set (63 right now) there are always a few in BLUE that are overwriteable.  And it always appers to me there is a least one BLUE overwriteable media in these B2D folders.

What I get are a mix of single BKF files created and multiple BKF files created from some of my server jobs.

In my 2 week period, Mon-Thur in week one may have all single bkf files, but then in week 2, half of days get 2 bkf files, and half of the days only one.

Why is this happening?

Quite frankly, it confusing enough to get through 11D with jobs, media, devices, and policies.  When I see these multiple bkf files, it adds to my frustration.  I always only want a single bkf file for my backup jobs to keep things clean and simple.

Why are these multiples being created?  How do I stop it from doing that?

Now, I also do DUPLICATE B2D jobs (via POLICY) on external USB hard drives, and that is even more of a mess, with nearly ALL backup jobs creating multiple BKF files.

I do rotate in 4 different external HD's for these jobs, so only 1 is online at a time, which could render "overwriteable" as offline, but it appears to me that there are again some BLUE overwritable media on every drive ant any given time so its kind of the same situation.

All I want are single BKF files for ALL my jobs to keep things clean and simple.

Help?

Thanks,

MP

[Striker_303]

At times .bkf file get corrupted,

1 40 GB .bkf file gone you loose everything.

4x10 .bkf, you loose 1 file..still can restore 36 Gb of data.

[RahulG]

Well are backup job set to overwrite media or append to media ?

IF it is set to Overwrite it will create a new bkf file for each job and the size of the bkf file depends upon the setting you have in the backup to disk folder properties . So if you max size of bkf file set to 40 gb if you run a backup job of 60 gb it would create 2 bkf file (one  40 gb and the other one 20 gb, one of the bkf file would be overwrtie protected and the other one would be appendable but ti depends upon the media set properties you have specified .

I would prefer not to append to bkf file so that each backup job have a new set of bkf file .

Also have look on the following setting

Tools--Options --Media management

make sure Overwrite recyclable media is selected so that the backup job does not keep on creating new bkf file untiall the drive is full .

refer the following document

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH21036

You can set all the backup job to write on single bkf file by checking the option to allocate max size to the backup to disk folder . The other options would get greyed out once you do it

refer the following thread , You should be more intrested in solution .

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/b2d-file-sizes-and-number-backup-sets-pr-file

[mrpush]

Hi,

Thanks for reply.

ALL jobs are set to OVERWRITE.

All jobs are 16GB or less and have DEVICE property "Max size for backup to disk file" = 40 or 50 GB.

My Tools--Options --Media management was set to "Overwrite SCRATCH"....I set it to "Overwrite Recycle".

All my setting comply with first link.

I do not want to set the "allocate the max size" so I don't waste space.

I will read the 2nd link when I get a chance.

Thanks,

MP

[mrpush]

Hi,

Good point.  However I am more concerned about trying to manage a bunch of bkf files in an emergency panic restore operation than I am about redundancy.  Since I keep full and diff backups, I could probably survive a single bkf corruption with my current backup windows.

Thanks,

MP

[pkh]

When you set "overwrite scratch" in your media management, BE will occasionally create a new .bkf file instead of overwriting recycleable media.  Over time, your disk will fill up and your jobs will fail due to a lack of space.

Since you have set media management to "overwrite recycleable", BE should overwrite your recycleable media.

I don't quite understand your situation.  You want to use only 1 .bkf for your jobs.  You can only do so if you are appending to the media.  If you use overwrite, each job will create its own .bkf.  If you are appending to the .bkf, then BE will use a new .bkf when either the max. size or the max nuumber of resources is reached whichever is first.

You should not try to manage the .bkf files.  There is no need to.  Let BE do it.  I can understand your concern that in a critical situation, you would rather know which media you are dealling with.  Actually, it is quite simple.  All you need to do is to inventory the entire B2D folder and then catalog the whole folder.  There is no need to select a particular .bkf file.

[mrpush]

PKH,

With my window of say 2 weeks on my diff backups, it will accumulate 10 bkf files (M-H diff backups for 2 weeks), one new bkf file for each day.  Then, I just want them to be overwritten when the 2 week overwrite expires.  So technically I should have only 10 BKF files I this folder and I can see which each is by date.   When I start to see 20 bkf files where I expect only 10, I start to wonder whats going on and why things are different.

I think you may be right however, I seem to want to manage BKF files as that is what I'm used too and I do not have experience using INVENTORY and CATALOG within BE.  I want to know what each BKF file contains and it's date. 

I somehow do not trust BE as in the past I have tried to restore backups only to find that I ended up sifting through BKF files by time and date stamps to get what I needed.  I just don't trust it, i feel i could find what I need to restore faster by just looking at the BKF files by folder and date.  Having to restore more than one BKF for a single server is going to add to my restore stress level. 

I suppose inventory and catalog should suffice, but i have not used them successfully either.  Something is always missing or the backups do not show up where expected.   My experience has not been good in this area.

Thanks,

MP 

[pkh]

It is unfortunate that you do not trust BE to manage your backup data for you.  Trying to manage backup data your way will only add to your stress, not the other way round.  With software, it is more often than not "my way, or the highway".  Mastering a software takes time and effort.  Often things that go wrong are the result of our mistakes/ignorance rather than a buggy software.

I would suggest that you familiarise yourself with the Data Management section of the Admin Guide and then do some test backups and restores and see how the backup data are stored and managed.  You don't have to mess up your production jobs or B2D folder.  You can create a test B2D folder for your tests.

You might also want to attend some courses offered by Symantec on BE.

[mrpush]

PKH,

After double checking all my settings for now the 3rd time, I have run some tests, and they are all over the place.  Some jobs create a single BKF and some jobs (w the same data)  create multiple ones.

Mastering software does take some time and effort.  However, when I put my time in and checked and re-checked settings, followed all suggestions to the T, and then I end up with no explancation for why the software does not do things consistently from backup job to backup job, then I must place the blame on the software.  For the exact same backup jobs, it produces different results randomly.  That is a software problem as I have ruled out all other factors from drives, to cables, to servers etc.

I can forsee overlooking these multiple BKF files, however that will never satisfy my desire to know why it does this and makes wonder what else it does without consistancy.  It is very difficult to trust a system that gives random mixed results especially when it come to protecting data.  Will it work in the end?  That is possible but it still leaves me wondering.

Thanks much,

Mark