Overwrite protection for tape

[Spana]

Dear All,

I need someone advice me how to really count the overwrite protection.  Because i found backup exec didnt overwrite the media caused backup job fail due to capacity reach.

There is a LTO 4 catridge assign to media set and based on following configuration.  My 1st backup job with multiple server backup on this catridge is 1/9/2011 with job completed 100% then keep offsite.  After 2 week i run same backup job as 1st on this catridge again, then job incomplete due to capacity reach.  Then I perform catalog on this catridge I found still have 1st backup data on the catridge.  If backup exec fully overwrite the  previous the backup job will complete.

My question:

Why backup exec didnt overwrite all the previou job?

How to make backup exec really overwrite previou job?

The following is my configuration on my backup exec 2010 R3 on Windows 2008 R2.

Media Set

Overwrite protection period - 5 days

Appendable period - Infinite - allow append

Backup job

Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is avaiable

Backup Exec option - Media Management

Partial - Protect only allocated media with check prompt before overwrite imported media

Regards,

Lum

[ZeRoC00L]

Configure your job to overwrite the tape.

It is now configured to append first, because the tape is allowed to append, it will append.

[Spana]

Hi Zeroc00L,

This is share libarary environment.  Multiple media server and job share this single drive library.  Let say, i have 3 media server and each media server running 1 job share this single drive library.  The first job require 100GB and second job require 900GB and 3rd job require 50GB.

Do I need to set 3 job all overwrite or only the 2nd job?  If I set job to be overwrite either all or single job will this cause backup overwritten issue?

Regards,

Lum

[ZeRoC00L]

For the different jobs, configure the first job to overwrite, 2nd and 3th job to append.

[Mohd__Arshad]

Overwrite Protection Period (OPP) & Appened Protection Period (APP) is for the Media and not for the job.

Any settings given in the job setup will be over powered by the Media Set rules.

Only if the Media Set Rules allow the operation the job setup settings will be active.

There are a few things you need to confirm before setting the OPP and APP

-How much time do you need the data to be added to the media (APP)

-How many days do you want the data to be saved before being overwritten (OPP)

For example:-

Job 1: 100GB

Job 2: 900GB

Job 3: 50GB

All jobs run once in every 2 weeks.

So when the first time all the 3 jobs run.

Total Disk Space used : 1050GB

Now according to your settings:

Overwrite protection period - 5 days

Appendable period - Infinite - allow append (Note: OPP is active only after the last job. If APP is on it will not allow overwrite it will allow only adding of data to the Media. Thus after every APP operation OPP will reset itself.)

From the above settings there will be no overwrite as the APP never ends.

[Spana]

Hi Mohamed Arshad Akbar,

Thank you so much for the reply.

Based on your explanation I should set a period for APP?

Lum

[Ken_Putnam]

Based on your explanation I should set a period for APP?

Set APP to 4 Hour (or however long it takes for the last job to start) and the OPP 10 13 days and you should be good to go

[Emma_P_]

You may find the technote below useful

An explanation of the "Overwrite Protection Period" and the "Append Period"

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH5459