Job using incorrect media set

[Upinit]

I'm a BE 2010 newbie so be gentle. I'm having issues with a job that used to run fine now using incorrect media. Here is my setup for the issue I'm having:

• 2 tapes which are being used for Monday and Tuesday night differentials
• 1 tape being used for DR pursposes run every Tuesday
• 1 tape being used for catalog backup on Wednesday morning

This setup has worked fine up until now. The catalyst was me now adding an extra tape into the mix. I'm now adding a scratch media as my Differential job is starting to fill up one of the 2 tapes being used so I needed to add a 3rd tape to the mix. With this new scratch media available, my DR job is utilizing it instead of my DR tape and I can't figure out why. Both the scratch media and my DR tape are "Overwritable" and "Not appendable". My DR backup job is set to "Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available".

Can someone please explain why this job will not use the correct media tape?

Thanks!

[Kiran_Bandi]

Change the media management setting to "Overwrite recyclable media in target media set before overwriting SCRATCH media " from tools --> Options --> Media Management.

Now it may be set to the other option so BE is using SCRATCH media before using recyclable media in target media set.

Thanks.... 

[Biker_Dude]

It sounds like the new tape you introduced is in the Scratch media bin whereas the DR Tape is sitting in it's proper media set but is eligible for an overwrite.  Even though both tapes may be overwritten, Backup Exec will choose tape with nothing on it over a tape with data.  This could be the reason why the new (blank) tape you introduced in to your rotation is being used over the existing (overwritable) tape.

I am not sure what type of tape backup device you are using but it sounds like a tape library.  If so, have you ever thought about using Backup Exec's software partitioning feature?

The partition feature allows you to group slots according to the type a backup.  You could set up one partition of three slots for your differential backups and another for your DR tape.

Again, this assumes you are using a tape library.  If you are, check out the Backup Exec Administrator's Guide for more information about partitioning a tape library.

[pkh]

2 tapes which are being used for Monday and Tuesday night differentials

Check that you have defined a media set,e.g MediaSetA for these two tapes. Right-click on your new tape and associate it with MediaSetA

1 tape being used for DR pursposes run every Tuesday

Define another media media set, e.g. MediaSetB for this tape.

Your differential job should target MediaSetA and your DR job should target MediaSetB

[Upinit]

I'm sorry but this still isn't making complete sense to me. My Diff jobs are assigned to use my Monday and Tuesday media set which are 2 assigned tapes. The DR job is set to use the DR media set which is a single tape. Why would just this DR job grab the scratch media instead of the DR tape while my Diff jobs grab their correct media set tapes?

My media management setting is currently set to "Overwrite scratch media before overwriting recyclable media...". I could change this like Kiran suggested above but I would like to be sure that my Diff overrun job would indeed spill over onto the scratch media tape and not another overwritable media set. Bascially, I don't want to break something else by trying to fix this issue.

I forgot about the ability of assigning a job to a particular slot and I could indeed set it up this way I am trying to get a better understanding of the overwite settings job before I went down this road.

Thanks!

[Kiran_Bandi · Accepted solution]

I would like to be sure that my Diff overrun job would indeed spill over onto the scratch media tape and not another overwritable media set

Incase BE needs a overwritable media, it will look into target media set first with the proposed setting ( in your case monday and tuesday) if found any it will use, otherwise will use the media from SCRATCH media set. If none are available in target media set and SCRATCH media set then it will choose recyclable media from other media sets.

Why would just this DR job grab the scratch media instead of the DR tape

Absolutely expected as the media management setting is set to use SCRATCH media before using recyclable media in target media set.

Hope this is clear....

EDIT: How backup exec searches for overwritable media: http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO22313

[Upinit]

Thanks for the info Kiran. One last clarification. I took this over from a previous admin whose process was to use scratch media as overrun tapes when tapes filled up. I have continued with this process. My current Diff job would be an example of this where 2 tapes are assigned to a edia set and we have 1 scratch media as overrun for when one of the tapes fills up.

If I make the change to the media in the media management area to use recyclable media before scratch, I should then change my process and assign the scratch media to my diff media set to give me a total of 3 tapes associated to this diff set? Then when one of my diff tapes filled up it would then grab the overwritable 3rd diff tape correct?

Lastly, I have a 2 tape head system so only 2 jobs run at a time. When you have 3 tapes assigned to a media set will backup exec only use the first 2 tapes until they are filled up and then go onto the 3rd or is it a random round robin where all 3 tapes could be used for my different nightly jobs? I'm concerend that if its the latter the 3rd tape will be used early on and then not become available for the overrun as it would no longer be overwritable.

Thanks!

[Upinit]

Nevermind Kiran, I answered my own question. The media management setting is just telling the job what tapes to check for FIRST. I could still use scratch media for job runnover.

Thanks for the help!

[Kiran_Bandi]

the scratch media to my diff media set to give me a total of 3 tapes associated to this diff set?

Not required. Backup Exec will move it when required (overrun). If both the tapes in differential media set are filled, then BE will move the SCRATCH media into differential mdeia set. And from thereon it will be used in rotation with the other two tapes in the media set. 

When you have 3 tapes assigned to a media set will backup exec only use the first 2 tapes until they are filled up and then go onto the 3rd or is it a random round robin where all 3 tapes could be used for my different nightly jobs?

The media with oldest allocation date among available will be used first. If you are not moving the third media manually into differential media set, then you no need to bother about this, as BE moves only after filling the other two tapes.