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Duplicate 2 x LTO6 to 1 x LTO7 or 8?

JRVtpi
Level 2

A client is using BE 20.5 and their LTO6 single-drive tape library is nearing end-of-support. Shopping for new single-drive libraries now, but it will be either LTO7 or LTO8.

Each of their archive backups is on 2 LTO6 tapes. One LTO7 (or 8) tape would be all that's needed for the amount of data.

It looks like I can create a Duplicate job from the Backup Sets window, once we have new and old drives both connected, to duplicate from the LTO6 tapes to new LTO7/8 tapes.

In doing so, can we combine TWO LTO6 tapes onto ONE LTO7/8 tape?

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Larry_Fine
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@JRVtpi wrote:

In doing so, can we combine TWO LTO6 tapes onto ONE LTO7/8 tape?


 

Yes, you probably can. That is because the Duplicate job is duplicating a Backup Set, not an whole tape.

If they upgrade to an LTO7 library, they can still read AND write their LTO6 cartridges. So you may not need to duplicate anything.

If they upgrade to an LTO8, then cannot even READ their LTO6 cartridges. Your would have to duplicate everything. Or hope that their LTO6 library can be kept running as long as they might want to restore something, which is not unreasonable.  LTO8 broke the LTO "rule" about reading 2 generations back and writing one generation back.

 

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pkh
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3 REPLIES 3

Larry_Fine
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@JRVtpi wrote:

In doing so, can we combine TWO LTO6 tapes onto ONE LTO7/8 tape?


 

Yes, you probably can. That is because the Duplicate job is duplicating a Backup Set, not an whole tape.

If they upgrade to an LTO7 library, they can still read AND write their LTO6 cartridges. So you may not need to duplicate anything.

If they upgrade to an LTO8, then cannot even READ their LTO6 cartridges. Your would have to duplicate everything. Or hope that their LTO6 library can be kept running as long as they might want to restore something, which is not unreasonable.  LTO8 broke the LTO "rule" about reading 2 generations back and writing one generation back.

 

pkh
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Yes

Thanks, both!

The old LTO6 library is about due for its annual failure, and going out of support shortly, which is driving replacement.  We're going with LTO7 so, yes, we could read the LTO6 tapes. But we want to consolidate the archives since we're paying by the slot at an offsite vault facility. So that's the back story.