Multiple backup job tape stacking

[Steve_Rushing]

This is a continuation of the problem I posted in an earlier thread titled ?What am I doing wrong??, but the configuration has changed somewhat.

I am trying to run 3 separate backup jobs each night at different times.
I have an autoloader which, per Ken Putnam?s suggestion, I have partitioned into a logical drive for each day. Each day has a three slot segment, loaded with 3 tapes all of which are in a media set created for that day. This solved the problem of a job stealing tapes from other media sets, but am still having problems.

I run full backups which save somewhere north of 240gb in total each day. The tapes hold appx 100gb each.

The media sets are set to allow infinite append, and 2 days overwrite protection.

Global options are:

Media overwrite protection level = Fully protect allocated and imported media.
Media overwrite options = Overwrite recyclable media before overwriting scratch media.

All media is pre-allocated to a particular media set. (mon, tue, etc)

The first job starts at 6pm and is set to overwrite. This job only takes about 8gb, so that tape is almost empty when done.

Next job starts at 7pm and is set to append. This job always grabs another tape instead of the one used in the first job. It too only takes a few gb.

The big job starts at 10pm and is set to append to media, but inevitably winds up asking for ?overwritable media? to be inserted before the job is over.

I checked the media status when the ?insert media? message appeared, and the tape from the first job was overwrite protected for two days with 90GB free and infinite append. The tape that the second job (set to append) used was full, and so was the tape that the big job started on.

Ken explained that the type of job, overwrite or append only applies to the first tape of the job and that the second and subsequent tapes always overwrite. This makes sense and I can see why it wouldn?t and shouldn?t overwrite the tape from the first job.

But, I see no way to get this scenario to work without ?wasting? tape space. It took 4 tapes last night and Friday night.

What I want to happen is for all three jobs to use the first tape until it is full (overwrite, append, append) and then use the second and third tapes as necessary when the first is full.

Is there any way to accomplish this? Do I need to manually erase all the tapes for each day before the jobs start? I am trying to make this as hands free as possible, because staffing is not adequate?


Thanks in advance.

-Steve

[Ken_Putnam]

Set the first job of the night to "Overwrite" and the others to "Append, else Overwrite". Set all three jobs to write to the same media set. (to be appendable, the tape must contain an active backupset, be in the target media set, and be within the APP of the media set)

[Steve_Rushing]

What you stated is exactly how it is (and was for Monday) set up-

All three jobs for tonight are set to use the Tuesday partition consisting of three slots. All tapes in this partition are in the Tuesday media set.

Tuesday media set is overwite protected for 2 days and no append protection.

First job is set to overwrite media. Eject media not set.
Second job is set to append media, overwrite if no appendable. No eject
Third job is set append media, overwrite if not appendable. No eject.

The media status of the 3 Tuesday tapes in slot order is:

Tape 1 Is overwritable- Infinite allow append - 95gb free.
Tape 2 is overwritable - not appendable (because it is full?) - 97mb free.
Tape 3 is overwritable - Infinite allow append - 23gb free.

All are blue in media status.

Do you see anything wrong with this?

Thanks!

[Ken_Putnam]

Looks like it ought to work.

[Steve_Rushing]

Backup job bombed for other reasons last night. Trying again tonight.

[Steve_Rushing]

Here is how the backup went last night.

3 Tapes in the Wed partition of the loader, all in the Wed Media set.

Wed media set is set to 2 days protected Infinite append.

Tape status before job start:

Tape 1 Overwritable � Not Appendable (90mb free)
Tape 2 Overwritable - Appendable (13.4gb free)
Tape 3 Overwritable - Not Appendable (90mb free)

The first job, which is set to overwrite, grabbed tape 3 and overwrote it. Who knows why it didn�t use tape 1, but it didn�t. After this job ran, tape status was:

Tape 1 Overwritable � Not Appendable (90mb free)
Tape 2 Overwritable - Appendable (13.4gb free)
Tape 3 Not Overwritable - Appendable (95 gb free)

Second job, which is set to append, used tape 2, and just appended to it. Why didn�t it use tape 3? After this job ran tape status was:

Tape 1 Overwritable � Not Appendable (90mb free)
Tape 2 Overwritable - Appendable (11.2gb free)
Tape 3 Not Overwritable - Appendable (95 gb free)

Third job, set to append started on Tape 2, and filled it up, then went to tape 1 and overwrote it. When tape 1 was full, the job stopped and asked for overwritable media.

At that point tape status was:

Tape 1 Not Overwritable � Not Appendable (90mb free)
Tape 2 Not Overwritable - Not Appendable (93mb free)
Tape 3 Not Overwritable - Appendable (95 gb free)

Based on the job settings and media protection, all of this does make some sense, but it is not how I want it to work. There appears to be no logic to how BE chooses tapes for the jobs. In this case it wasted 95gb of tape, because the third job should have appended to the tape with the most free space.

Based on my previous messages, I am trying to find a way to get all three jobs to fit on 3 tapes. Ideally, BE would have overwritten a tape on the first job, appended the second job to that same tape, started the third job on that same tape, then overwritten the other two tapes as needed.

Is my only option to erase or re-label all three tapes before that day�s jobs?


Any ideas?

Thanks!

-Steve

[Ken_Putnam]

I'm pretty sure that BackupExec uses the same criteria for Append that it does for Overwrite, namely it will use the Oldest qualifying tape first.


That being the case, as long as yop mount the same tape in each slot every tme you use them, you will probably be OK after cycling through all your tapes if you quick erase each tape in the order you want them used.

[Steve_Rushing]

ok, on the quick erase, are you saying I need to do that each day before the jobs start or just once to get everything properly "aged"?

[Deepali_Badave]

Hello,

As suggested by Ken, you quick erase each tape in the order you want them used just once to get everything properly "aged.

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.

[Ken_Putnam]

As I said, assuming that you mount hte same tapes in the same slots each time, once through all the tapes OUGHT to do it. After that they should run as you expect.

[Steve_Rushing]

OK. We'll try it that way.

I hope "OUGHT to do it" is sufficient. The first round of "ought to" did not.

Thanks for the help.