Can I recover backup outside of storage limit

[Aaron_Bridge]

I had storage limit set for 1 week, I use six backup drives.  I need something restored from a backup drive from three weeks ago.  When I put that three week old backup drive in, Backup Exec automatically started deleting that backup data.  Is there anyway to get that back?

[pkh]

Unfortunately, no.  Once the backup sets are deleted there is no way to recover them other than using a professional disk recovery service which will be expensive.

There is a global setting which automatically set disk storage which are offline for a certain period of time to read-only.  This is to prevent situations like yours.  I guess you must have set this setting to a long time, hence your disk storage was not made read-only

[Colin_Weaver]

The default for read only disk being set automatically to read only for

- RDX is 30 days  - however RDX only deletes (reclaims) backup sets when you run another backup to the cartridge

- USB is 14 days - the USB timing is different from RDX as this also covers NAS and local drrives that go offline (and as they might go offline during some kind of local disaster a shorter default setting was deemed appropriate)

Both these settings can be adjusted inside the Backup Exec Settings --> Storage section

Now USB will delete (reclaim)  any expired backup sets on a 1 hour background refresh that has nothing to do with running a job (the 1 hour timing cycle is related to the service restart times). But this deletion (reclaim) will ONLY take place on expired sets that are not the last recovery chain for a set of data. The expiration timings are linked to the retention you set in the original backup job and the restriction for keeping last recovery chain can be disabled.

Things within Backup Exec to avoid the described scenario:

In the same way that if you know you need to restore from tape, it is recommended to slide the write protection tabs across before you insert the tape, you can either manually mark the disk as limited to Read Only - or set a Retain rule against the expired set before you re-attach the media that you need for your restore.  These lrestrictions can then be undone when you are happy the required restore is complete (and/or when you have detached the media again)

Unless you really understand the effects do not enable the setting that allows the deletion of the last recovery chain (note you probably did not get this wrong as I suspect the set you wanted to restore from was not the last recovery chain so this would not apply) This setting is also in the Backup Exec Settings --> Storage section

Use longer retention settings on your backup jobs so that they more closely match when you intend to re-use the disks for backups, so want the data on them to be deleted.

Adjust the periods when offline disks are automtically marked as Read Only

Introduce a process where you always mark all offline media is read-only at the time it is detached/dismounted/unloaded (and obviously then make a choice when re-attaching, re-mounting etc that is based on whether this is for a restore or a backup)

[Aaron_Bridge]

Thanks, everyone.  I was able to recover the file I needed thankfully.  When I set the the Storage option to Keep for 5 weeks, I should be able to put a backup drive in that is 4 weeks old and not worry about the backup sets disappearing, correct?  Onyl after the 5th week will the backup sets automatically be removed?

[Colin_Weaver]

I assume you mean the Storage setting in the backup job itself and if using

Retain for 5 weeks in the backup job

AND

Leaving the default setting for offline drives to go to Read Only on two weeks - you will be protected in two ways

First way is that the backup itself will not be deleted until 5 weeks has passed (and the disk has to be attached for up to an hour after this 5 week timescale)

Second way is that assuming the drive has not been connected for over 2 weeks, it will also be marked as limited to read only - which you will have to manually remove for the deletion to take place AND/OR if you want to run backups to it.