Multiple backup jobs using same tape mediaset

[bitmadmax1]

I have 2 seperate backup jobs.

The first job is a bi-monthly full backup of files and folders to a tape mediaset (lets call it mediaset business critical)

The second job is an hourly SQL database backup to disk, and then is scheduled to duplicate to tape at the same time as the bi-monthly backup. This is configured to duplicate to "mediaset business critical". The idea being I then remove these tapes and store them off-site.

The problem I have is, despite the bi-monthly backup and the SQL database duplication jobs being configured to use the same mediaset, the SQL duplicate to tape job seems to allocate itself a blank scratch media tape instead of appending to an existing tape allocated to the "buisness critical" mediaset. Is there anyway I can get this seperate job to append to the existing "mediaset buisiness critical". The duplication is only small (maybe ~100GB) and there is plenty of space left on appendable media within the mediaset business critical. I don't think I can consolidate these jobs due to the backup strategy's being different.

Thanks :)

[jurgen_barbieur]

what are your media set settings for append and overwrite?

what are de media set settings ? (backup exec - settings -storage)

[Colin_Weaver · Accepted solution]

The decision of which tape to use is made at the very beginning of the job processing at the start of each job and then following that a decision is made as to which drive to use, which will cause the job to go queued if no drives are available

When a drive becomes available the job goes unqueued and uses that tape it has already decided to use, probably as an overwrite unless another appendable tape in the same set was available at the time the media decision was made  (there is no trigger to re-evaluate available media when the drive becomes available)

Now a tape can be in a few states:

--------------------

Overwriteable and apendable

Overwritable but not appendable

None overwitable but still appendable

None Overwritable and Not appendable

Unknown as tape is busy, in use by a backup job etc (this state is handled as none overwritable and not appendable in terms of media choice logic for other jobs that try to choose media)

---------

Now assuming the SQL job is set to start as an Append then use overwritable if no appendable available, it is the last of these possible media states that could be causing your problem as if the SQL job starts before the other job ends then it is not allowed to choose that tape even if same media set (and even if once the first job ends the tape would be appendable.)

Solution is to schedule the duplicate of the SQL data so that it takes place at a time when the first job to that tape has definitely had chance to complete.

[bitmadmax1]

The mediaset settings are are:

overwrite protection period: non

Append period - 13 weeks (which is way long enough, as the backup takes a few days to complete)

General backup exec settings -> storage -> media overwrite options: set to overwrite recyclable media contained in the targeted media set before overwriting scratch media