Media Set Properties

[Dan_Moya]

I am using 9.1 version and have the following settings:
media set properties>OPP none
append period>1 yr
tools>media mgrmnt>media OP level>none w/no check mark
media overwrite option>overwrite recyclable

And when i choose under backup/device media/append and or overwrite if no appendable media full backups they had been working for about a week or so. Now I get a message after it backs up to place a overwritable tape in drive. Do I have to quick format all (m-f) tapes?Can anybody tell what I am missing with these settings?

I was able to do full backups and differential in the afternoon until about a week ago.

[Ken_Putnam]

If you will be reusing your tapes every week, set

OPP on the media set to 6 days
Overwrite Protection to "Full"

If you will be overwriting every two weeks, set OPP to 13 days

Also, remember that Append period is figured from the date that the firsta data is written to the tape, while OPP is figured from the time that last data is written to the tape.

So if you append all week, and want to skip a week, then reuse the third week, OPP should be set 8 days

[Dan_Moya]

Thanks for the response, however that did not work.....OPP to 6 days. I still geta message after the full backup is completed to place a overwrite tape in. My backup use to be about 10gig in size when the full backup worked. Now when it finishes with about the same size, I get the message to place the overwrite tape in. Were my settings listed in my original entry incorrect?

[Ken_Putnam]

When you get this prompt, has the job written anything at all to the tape?

Is the job append or overwrite?

[Dan_Moya]

this is what I am getting:

Device and media info.
Drive Name: Seagate 1
Media Label: MC000014
Media GUID: {A346779C-6C82-11D8-8562-00E0182F65A9}
Overwrite Protected Until: 6/21/2005 7:42:10 PM
Appendable Until: 6/21/2006 6:42:10 PM
Targeted Media Set Name: Media Set 1

job operation
Media operation - overwrite.
Hardware compression enabled.

Backup Set info.
Family Name: "Media created 6/21/2005 1:41:08 PM"
Backup of "\\xxxxxxx\C: "
Backup set #1 on storage media #1
Backup set description: "Backup 0039"
Backup Type: FULL - Back Up Files - Allow incrementals and differentials using modified time

Errors
Backup - \\SAILSDC\C: Media mount failed.
User canceled a Physical Volume Library operation.

The media operation was terminated by the user.
Error reading file data.
Error reading file data.

I have to cancel the job because at the end of the backup, I get the message to place a overwrite tape in. Only during fullbackups and not differnential.

[Ken_Putnam]

OK, it's an overwrite job.

But the other question remains - Has the job written anything to tape when the prompt comes up?

If so then you are filling the tape up.
If not, then the tape in the drive is not ovewritable at the time that BackupExec tried to do so.

[Dan_Moya]

I have m-f tapes that for awhile I was backing up full in the mornings and doing diff's in the afternoon each day. Below is Tu-Wed of the info I get under media/media sets.
Media Properties for MC000014

General

Media label: MC000014
Media description:
Used capacity: 9.45 GB
Available capacity: 0
Total capacity: 9.45 GB
Bytes written: 9.45 GB
Compression ratio: 1.00:1
Management
Creation date: 6/14/2005 10:16:04 AM
Allocation date: 6/21/2005 1:42:10 PM
Modification date: 6/21/2005 4:44:17 PM
Statistics
Total bytes written: 37.7 GB
Total bytes read: 80.0 KB
Total mounts: 20
Total seeks: 24
Total hours in use: 12.5
Seek errors: 0
Soft read errors: 0

General
Media label: MC000014
Media description:
Used capacity: 9.45 GB
Available capacity: 0
Total capacity: 9.45 GB
Bytes written: 9.45 GB
Compression ratio: 1.00:1
Management
Creation date: 6/14/2005 10:16:04 AM
Allocation date: 6/21/2005 1:42:10 PM
Modification date: 6/21/2005 4:44:17 PM
Statistics
Total bytes written: 37.7 GB
Total bytes read: 80.0 KB
Total mounts: 20
Total seeks: 24
Total hours in use: 12.5
Seek errors: 0
Soft read errors: 0
Hard read errors: 0
Soft write errors: 0
Hard write errors: 0

If tapes are filled up will they have to been formatted to be reused?

[Ken_Putnam]

looks like that job wrote 9.45 GB

What kind of tape device do you have?
What kind of media are you using?

What does the log from one of these Saturday backups show for total written?
Are you using the same selection list for a Sat job as for the rest of the week?

[Dan_Moya]

99 yr model Seagate STT20000N with Imation Travan 20gig compress/ 10 gig uncompress that doesn't allow long erase. I only do m-f backups and yes I am using the same selection list. I ran diagnostics and nothing out of the ordinary came back.

So at this point I have 4 new unwrapped tapes that I can try doing a full backup. I will set OPP to 7 days, append period to infinite, overwrite protection level to none and media overwrite protection level to overwrite recyclable media first.

Since there is no long erase I’m assuming these taps are filled up since rumor has it they have been used since 3/04.

[Ken_Putnam]

Missed one of your questions -

No, it the tapes are fille up you do not need to reformat to reuse them, just drag them to the scratch media set, or make sure that the job is Overwrite only and that the OPP has expired.

[Deepali_Badave]

Hello,

As Mentioned in teh earlier reply of Ken, it the tapes are full it is not required to reformat to reuse them, drag them to the scratch media set.

Please update us on this issue.

NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered and would be moved to answered questions pool.

[Amruta_Purandar]

Hello,

We hope the above solutions have helped. However also please take a look at the following technotes.

Title:
The basics of Advanced Device and Media Management for VERITAS Backup Exec (tm) for Windows Servers
http://support.veritas.com/docs/192265

Title:
An explanation of the "Overwrite Protection Period" and the "Append Period"
http://support.veritas.com/docs/237374

NOTE : If we do not receive your reply within two business days, this post would be marked assumed answered and would be moved to answered questions pool.