Media sets and MSL 5026 with Backup Exec 9.1

[Pablo_Campo]

We've just installed an MSL 5026 S2. It's connected via SCSI to a Windows 2000 server with SP4. We use Backupexec 9.1. We are experiencing the following problem:

The tape library won't use a tape from the media set as defined in the backup job, but will use the tape in the first slot instead. After the backup job is finished, however the tape is placed in the media set defined for the job. So for instance, lets imagine we have defined 5 media sets (monday up to friday). The backupjob scheduled must run on a tape from media set wednesday. MSL 5026 will use the first tape (in this case a tape belonging to media set monday), write the backup on to it and place it in the wednesday media set.

Can anyone shed some light on this matter.

Thanks in advance.

Greetings,


Pablo Campo

[Renuka_-]

Hello,

There are two settings that govern the choice of media

1. In the media set properties: The Overwrite proptection period: OPP and the append period: AP.

2. The second one is in tools>options>Media management. Here the choice of Media protection levels and media overwrite options.


When a backup job is launched,

1. backup exec will first look for appendable/overwritable (whatever the setting in the job) in the targetted media set.

2.If not found here it will look for the media in either the scratch or recyclable media depending on the second setting.

3. After the job is completed this tape will be allocated to the new media set being the one to which the job was targetted.

This obviously means that your opp and ap settings need to be checked.For this refer to:


1. Titre : An explanation of the "Overwrite Protection Period" and the "Append Period"

http://support.veritas.com/docs/237374


2. Titre : The basics of Advanced Device and Media Management for VERITAS Backup Exec (tm) for Windows Servers

http://support.veritas.com/docs/192265


Also read the chapter on media management in the admin guide :

3. http://support.veritas.com/docs/266190



An alternative to ensure that backup exec picks up the tape from the desired slot is to configure partitions. When you set up aprtitions, each partition is treated as an individual drive and the job targetted to one slot looks for tapes only in that slot:

Title : Creating, configuring, and targeting a backup job to a Robotic Library partition in Backup Exec 9.x and 10.0 for Windows Servers

http://support.veritas.com/docs/262055

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