Incremental backup - Media Sets and Library Tapes

Hi there,

Don't assign tapes to a media set yourself unless you really need too. At this stage of things I'd let BE assign the tapes itself. Only do this yourself if you need to add additional tapes.

Thanks!

if I do not assign tapes, how are they processed?

For Overwrites, BackupExec will either grab the Tape in the target media set that is past the OPP date with the oldest alloction date, or the oldest tape period, that is past the OPP, depending on the option set in Tools\Option\Media Management

For Appends,  it will search for tapes in the target media set and grab the most recent (I think, it may be the oldest ) that is still within the APP  If it cannot find any, then it will either use Overwrite rules to look for an overwriteable tape or pause and ask for a tape, depending on the option selected in the job (either Append Only or Append, Else Overwrite)

thx for replay :)

But,For Example:

My tape library are 20 tapes.
My One tape is max 800gb free.
My full backup is 800gb.


I suppose, i have this media sets and i Don't assign tapes to a media set :

daily Media
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 Weeks
Append Period: 6 day

Weekly Media
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 Weeks
Append Period: 6 day

Monthly Media
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 Weeks
Append Period: 6 day

and i have this Jobs:

Daily -> monday - thursday setting the job to do an incremental backup.
Media set: daily Media

friday -> to do a full backup
Media set:Weekly Media

Monthly -> once a month - to do a full backup
Media set:Monthly Media

What is the sequence? (first startup)

- The first process start (manually) with full backup (example monday).
- Backup Exec grab the first tape (at random?) and write data.[In this case the tape reaches full capacity 800gb]
- the next day , start jobs incremental "Tuesday": automatically loads a second tape? at random?

thx.

What is the sequence? (first startup)

- The first process start (manually) with full backup (example monday).
- Backup Exec grab the first tape (at random?) and write data.[In this case the tape reaches full capacity 800gb]

You will seldom if ever get 2:1 compression on your backups.  If your tapes are 400/800, you will most likely get around 500-550 on them, so the first job will probably use two tapes.  If you want to force Backup Exec to use a specific tape/tapes, you can re-label all mounted tapes in the order that you want them use.  Then BackupExec will use them in that order

- the next day , start jobs incremental "Tuesday": automatically loads a second tape? at random?

Since you have separate media sets, then, yes BackupExec will start overwriting a new tape (based on thesame rules as above).  You haven't mentioned whether your INCR jobs are overwrite or append, so let's assume the you use append.  The third day (second INCR) backup exec will grab the tape used yesterday.  If it fills up, it will start overwriting a third.  On the fourth day, it will start with the tape used  2Incr.  when that fills up it will start another etc.

Thank you for your support!

"The third day (second INCR) backup exec will grab the tape used yesterday.  If it fills up, it will start overwriting a third.  On the fourth day, it will start with the tape used  2Incr.  when that fills up it will start another etc."

When he arrives Friday, start the jobs friday ( Full Backup ) , in this case append data on another tape or continue on the tape on Thursday??

In all this, act as these two options:

-Overwrite scratch media before overwriting recyclable media contained in the
targeted media set.

-Overwrite recyclable media contained in the targeted media set before
overwriting scratch media.

When he arrives Friday, start the jobs friday ( Full Backup ) , in this case append data on another tape or continue on the tape on Thursday??

Generally, when mixing FULL and INCR/DIFF, you would make the FULL job an Overwrite to it's own  media set.  The First INCR/DIFF should be Overwrite and the subsequent ones can be overwrite or append again to their own media seet

-Overwrite scratch media before overwriting recyclable media contained in the targeted media set.

With this option, even if BackupExec can see an expired tape in the desired media set, it will use a scratch tape first (a tape in the scratch media set or one in any other media set that has passed the OPP

-Overwrite recyclable media contained in the targeted media set before overwriting scratch media.

This is just the opposite.  Even if BackupExec can see a scratch tape, if it can also see an expired tape in the target media set, it will use that one first.

Thank you very much!!!

The last question:

Overwrite and Append: To be able to recover the data of the week and a month ago, how do I configure them?

I have them configured this way:

Media Sets:

Daily Media
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 week
Append Period: 6 day

Weekly Media
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 week
Append Period: 6 day

Monthly Media
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 week
Append Period: 6 day
 

and i have this Jobs:

Daily -> monday - thursday setting the job to do an incremental backup.
Media set: daily Media

friday -> to do a full backup
Media set:Weekly Media

Monthly -> once a month - to do a full backup
Media set:Monthly Media

i remember you:

My tape library are 20 tapes.
My One tape is max 800gb free.
My full backup is 800gb.

and i Don't assign tapes to a media set.

thx.

Overwrite and Append: To be able to recover the data of the week and a month ago, how do I configure them?

To restore selected data as of a given date, you just need to find the last backup of that data, regardless of which job actually grabbed it

To do a DR type restore (Disaster Recovery - Full System Restore), you would have to restore the last full and each subsequent INCR (in order) that was taken before the selected date

Thanks!!! sorry for my english.

In your opinion, this policy is correct for maintaining saving a month ago?
I don't now how configure the Overwrite protection period and append period correctly.
Is correct this " template " :
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 week
Append Period: 6 day
for any media sets?

Media Sets:

Daily Media
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 week
Append Period: 6 day

Weekly Media
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 week
Append Period: 6 day

Monthly Media
Overwrite Protection Period: 4 week
Append Period: 6 day

thx!! :)