Duplicating Backup Tapes with an Autoloader.

[DarienA69]

I have some old backup tapes that I need to duplicate from a dormant Backup Exec instance. My question revolves around the duplicate backup job and how it works with an Autloader. I have a 8 drive Autoloader.

If I do a duplicate backup set job the job just gets stuck at loading media(it pulls the tape of the job, then I see it return that and pull the only other tape in my autoloader a blank tape... then it sits there.... I'm wondering if that's because the preferred device to get the job from and the destination is the same place.. the Dell Autoloader.

I'm wondering if that's because I need to first copy the backup set to disk, then copy it a new tape from there?

I'd appreciate any input....

[AmolB]

With a single tape drive in the library you cannot duplicate from 1 tape to another.

[Kiran_Bandi]

I have a 8 drive Autoloader.

8 drives or 8 slots?

You can duplicate from tape to tape if you have more than one tape drive configured. And for using more than one drive in parallel, you would need to install extra LEO licenses also.  

[DarienA69]

Its a Dell PowerVault 124T DLT. 8 slots... so I'm assuming that means its really just 8 holdings slots and one "write" drive.

So I'd have to duplicate the job to disk... (in this case a connected USB drive), and then duplicate that disk job back to a new tape correct?

[Kiran_Bandi · Accepted solution]

in this case a connected USB drive), and then duplicate that disk job back to a new tape correct?

Yes, that's correct....

[DarienA69]

Alrighty... thank you!

[DarienA69]

Ok so i've got the job duplicated to my USB drive... its in a backup to disk folders with a large number of B2D media lablled files.... at this point I'm not sure how to duplicate THAT job back to tape? I'm not sure how to identify that job that is on the USB drive in the first portion of the duplicate backup job wizard...

[Kiran_Bandi]

Note the media id used while duplicating to disk from job log created for the duplicate to disk job.

Once found, use Duplicating Backup Sets to duplicate it to tape.

[DarienA69]

If just wanted to pull my exchange server's backup out of the backup job(which is for multiple servers)... store that on USB and then copy that to a backup tape could I do that or does the duplicate have to be for the entire job?

Secondly it seems like there's some interaction that happens with agents and that the agents on any other servers in that job have to be up and running? (seeing some failures in the job log referring to other servers agents I think)