DFSR Backups overwriting other backups

[Sillycon_Valley]

    Running Backup Exec 10.1d with SP4 on a Windows 2000 Server with SP4.

Backing up multiple servers to a removeable SATA HD.  Backups had been working great until I installed DFSR on our local Win2003 R2 server.  Before installing DFSR, had been backing up this file server via the file system with no problems.  The DFSR share names are "Data" and "Users", which replicate to remote servers in other offices.

I used to have 2 backup jobs:  First nightly full backup job to backup all the servers, including the file server, the second job a full backup of the Exchange information store, so that the transaction logs get properly cleared.

I was not able to backup the DFSR folders via the file system - it seems that I need to backup via Shadow Copy \DFSR shares, so I switched the first nightly backup job to this format.  Did not work.

I now have separate backup jobs.  First job:  all the other servers first (application servers, DC, etc). 
Second job:  Backup \Data  Third job:  Backup \Users  Fourth job:  Backup Exch Info Store

Am able to backup the DFSR shares via Shadow Copy / DFSR, but the last DFSR job over writes the previous backup of the other servers and also overwrites the first DFSR job.  Backup Exec reporting successful backups, with no errors.  Windows Event log showing no obvious related errors.

I go look at the space used on the backup media, and clearly a lot is missing.  I cannot even find or select to restore the other servers or DFSR \ Data folders - only DFSR \ Users folders are available, as well as Exch Info store.

This is driving me crazy and have been at it for weeks trying to get this to work.

Symantec / Veritas first and second level support guys had me try many things, none of which have worked so far.  I'm also out of ideas.

Any ideas from anyone?

[Ken_Putnam]

Forgive some basic questions, but 

1)  What is/are the OPPs for the media sets involved

2)  What is the Global Media Management option?  Full/Partial/None ?

[Sillycon_Valley]

1.  A lot of head scratching involved before I figured out what is OPPs.  The Media Set Properties Overwrite Protection Period = None     Append Period = Infinite

2. Global Media Mgmt option = None  (assuming this is the same as "Media Overwrite Protection Level")

Neither of the two above have been changed since encounting the DFSR backup problem.

[Ken_Putnam]

With OPP of none and Global of None, any job can overwrite a BKF file immediately after the job finishes

Try setting the Global to "partial" and the media set OPP to 6 days (for jobs run each week) or whatever is appropriate for your situation

[Sillycon_Valley]

Ken - this is the first intelligent suggestion offered.  I will try changing the Global and OPP settings as you suggested before tonight's backup job and let you know the outcome tomorrow.

Like I had said before, this was not a problem until I installed DFSR on the file server - the first nightly backup job had been set to overwrite the backup media, the successive nightly backup jobs to append (and terminate if none available) to the backup media each night.

What I don't understand is why installing DFSR on the file server would have changed the media retention / overwrite.

I guess the Veritas gods don't get along too well with the Microsoft/DFSR gods.  Now that I think of it, this has been much like a classic Greek tragedy.

[Sillycon_Valley]

Ken - your suggestion worked !  So far so good.  The first backup sent to the SATA HD are not getting overwritten by the subsequent appended backups.

The orginal behaviour was that appended backups would just append to the  HD as long as there was room.  After installing DFSR, appended backups would overwrite the pervious backups, even if there was room.  Why this behaviour changed after I installed DFSR, I'll never know ... I had not changed any other settings except backing up via Shadow Copy / DFSR instead of directly from the file system.  Maybe I found a bug?

BTW, it's a good thing we got it working, because someone needed some folders restored from DFSR today!


As a small token of our appreciation, the Acme Corp. would like to present to you the Wyle E. Coyote - Super Genius award !

[Ken_Putnam]

As a small token of our appreciation, the Acme Corp. would like to present to you the Wyle E. Coyote - Super Genius award !

Thanks, - I'll display it proudly on my Trophy shelf.