Multiple Backups in parallel using Symantec Exec 12.5

[S_Singh]

Hello,

I am currently using a trial version of Symantec Exec 12.5 to copy data from RAID to Tape..

How can I do two backups in parallel of the same source data?

The solution proposed for Backup Exec 12.5 in the Help is first to make one tape copy, and then use this to make a second tape copy. However, this is time consuming and for my application backup time is an issue.

Is it possible to do backup with Backup Exec "on the fly"? For example, I am writing data to RAID1_myworkdir, and as each file is completely copied over to the RAID the backup SW copies this to Tape. Possibly what I need to do is start a backup job once a certain number of files exist on the RAID. And once this backup is complete do an additional incremental backup job to backup the additional files. And ideally all these backup jobs should be writing to two different devices in parallel.

Any advice here would be most appreciated.

Cheers!

[CraigV]

This is almost like replication of data. When it changes in 1 location, move to another.
If you want to run 2 jobs, I'd set your first job to write to disk, and then create another job with a start time 30-60 minutes after the other one finished.
Look into the following:

1. Create your initial backup job as a stand-alone/using a policy.
2. Create a duplicate job using the New Job to Duplicate Backup Sets, and select the option to "Duplicate backup sets following a job".

It will only run once your initial job completes.

[Ken_Putnam]

Sounds like Craig's approach should work

I think I'd break the backup into multiple jobs if possible though, and set each to DUPLICATE on completion via policy

You will be severely thrashing your RAID, though, with constant read and write at the same time

[S_Singh]

Basically I want to copy data from a JBOD to tape. Unfortunately files on the JBOD use a proprietary file system. Hence, I cannot copy the data from the JBOD directly to tape using COTS SW.

Hence the 2 step approach. First copy from JBOD to RAID. And then use COTS SW (in this case Backup Exec) to copy from RAID to Tape. And do two copies.

I am trying to find an optimum solution in terms of time. Doing two copies in parallel to Tape can be easily solved via HW by having 2 RAID. i.e JBOD -> RAID1 + RAID2. And then having each RAID archive to its own tape.

@Ken - I agree with your comment about severely thrashing the RAID with constant read and write at the same time. I thought about copying say half of the data from JBOD to RAID. And then starting a job to archive RAID to Tape. But this still ends up thrashing the RAID for the second half!

Any alternative suggestions would be most appreciated.

[Ken_Putnam]

to copy from RAID to Tape. And do two copies.

I had missed that you wanted two output tapes.  AFAIK, there is no way to do this in one step using BackupExec.  You would either have to Duplicate the just finished tape (using two tape drives) or else do a second D2T duplication

As far as thrashing the disk drives.  Not much you can do about that if you are doing streaming reads and streaming writes at the same time.