How to setup backup policy and media sets

[CSG_Prins_Mauri]

Hi,

We have Disk storage and a HP Tape Autoloader and want to have a B2D2T methode with Full and Differential backups combined. Once a week changing tape cartridges is OK with us.

Please give me direction on how to define the media sets and how te setup a policy?

Thanks in advance,

Jasper

[CraigV]

Hi Jasper,

Check the links below for further information:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO22927

http://www.backupexecfaq.com/how-to-duplicate-a-backup-set/

Thanks!

[pkh]

Before you define your media sets, determine how long you want to keep your data.  The longer you want to keep the data, the more tapes are required.  You would set your OPP accordingly. You would also want to determine whether you want to append to the tapes or overwrite them each time.  This will how you set the AP.  For each different set of OPP and AP, you would need to create a new media set.  You then target these media sets in your jobs.  

Your disk and tape backup sets can have different OPP.  For disk backup sets, do not append to them.  You should always specify overwrite when backing up to disk.

To duplicate your disk backup sets to tape, see this document

Adding a duplicate backup template to a policy

[CSG_Prins_Mauri]

So I created this configuration.

Media Sets

• Disk, OPP = 1 week, AP = 1 week
• Tapes, OPP = 4 weeks, AP = infinite

Policy Properties

These templates have been configured as follows:

• Weekly Full Backup
  Device = disk storage
  media set = disk
  Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available
  Runs on every Fri at 19.00 hrs.
• Duplicate Full Backup to Tape
  Template selected is Weekly Full Backup
  Device = HP StorageWorks (tape auto loader)
  Media Set = Tapes
  Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available
  Runs only according to rules for this template
• Daily Differential Backup
  Device = disk storage
  media set = disk
  Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available
  Runs on M-Th at 19.00 hrs.
• Duplicate Differential Backup to Tape
  Template selected is Daily Differential Backup
  Device = HP StorageWorks (tape auto loader)
  Media Set = Tapes
  Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available
  Runs only according to rules for this template

I have the following questions:

1. All templates are set to append data to the media. Is this a problem?
2. When should we replace the tape cartridges in the autoloader? Is this after the full backup or after the last diff backup?
3. Is it possible to make all full and diff backup to disk during the week and duplicate all of this once a week to tape? What are the pro's and cons?

Thanks again.

[pkh · Accepted solution]

1. Why do you want to append to disk media set?

2. After the last diff backup.

3. Yes, but you would have to do it manually.

[CSG_Prins_Mauri]

Thanks PKH for your apply. Just a simple answer on your question.

1. Not sure why and I am convinced now to change it to overwrite

[pkh]

There is no advantage to appending to disk media.  In fact, BE 2012 does not allow any appends to disk media.

You should also change the AP of your disk media set to 1 hr to prevent any accidental appends.

The duplicates of the full backups should overwrite the tape so as to maximise the use of the tape.

[CSG_Prins_Mauri]

Still one question that comes up on my mind.

I have decied to duplicate to tape every time after the job to disc finishes. When I use overwrite the duplicate job wil use more tapes than when I set it to append. But when I use append in the job, the tapes will never be emptied on first (re-)use.

How would you handle this?