Fix tape backup on Symantec Backup Exec 2010 R2

[minhcorp]

Dear Symantec,

I take BE 2010 R2 with IBM TS3200, i fixed some tape for media set daily backup, some tape for media set weekly backup, and run the job backup. The job running sucessful, but the tape is very clutter, some tape on media set daily have move to media set weekly, and some tape at media set weekly have move to media set daily. I want fix the tape to media set and no change, please help me to slove this problem.

Regards,

[minhcorp]

Anyone help me!

[Ken_Putnam]

From Tools\Options\Media Management

Select the option to "use overwriteable media in the target media set before scratch media"   This will try to use a tape already in the same media set before using any other tapes

If you select the alternate choice, BackupExec will always write to the tape that has been in Overwriteable status the longest, regardless of what media set it currently belongs to

[pkh]

The problem why your jobs are looking for tapes in other media set is that you have not set the OPP of the media set correctly.  If the job needs an ovewritable tape and there is none in the targeted media set, it will look for an overwritable tape elsewhere.  See this document

How Backup Exec searches for overwritable media

You can partition your library to prevent your jobs from grabbing tapes from other media sets. However, if your OPP is still not set correctly, your jobs will fail when the job needs an overwritable tape and cannot find one in the targeted partition.  BE will not take tapes from another partition.

You need to take a look at your OPP settings and make sure that your tapes are overwritable BEFORE the jobs start.  See this document

OPP and AP explanation

[Sym-cr]

Overwritable tapes (either scratch media or recyclable media) even if shown under a specific media set under the media tab of Backup Exec, it doesn't obey any media set property.

Backup job has it's property set to associate the tape with the media set and it looks for an overwritable media (if when the job begins is not set to "append to media else overwrite the media") and pick it from any media set and writes the data.

In short, overwritable media has NO media set until it is picked by a backup job.

[pkh]

Overwritable tapes (either scratch media or recyclable media) even if shown under a specific media set under the media tab of Backup Exec, it doesn't obey any media set property.

This is not true.  If you change the OPP or AP of the media set that the media belongs to, the OPP and AP of the media will change immediately.

In short, overwritable media has NO media set until it is picked by a backup job.

This is not true.  A media is ALWAYS associated with a media set. Otherwise, how does BE determined whether it is overwritable or not.