Problem restoring B2D bkfs after media is reused

[cneschmann]

The backup process that I inherited has 1) an on-line backup which creates 4GB B2D Bkf on-line media of the production data using daily incrementals and weekly full, and 2) Daily and weekly B2T which backs up the bkf's files based on archive bit.

The problem I have found with this method is that there is no simple way to restore the bkf's from an older tape.  There are about 70 bkf files in a typical daily B2T.  In attempting to restore an older days tape I found that the media library would not pick up the information from the restored bkf's, even after I restored and overwrote the existing bkf's and did inventory and catalog.  Cataloging would fail with the v-79-37344-2304 error.    Repeated attempts to catalog different bkf's finally got one to contain the data file I needed and I did retrieve that data.  I have two questions;

1) What is the correct method to restore old bkf's that are on tape?

- I propose that it is 1) Delete all on-line media (move to a retired set, then delete)  2) Restore the bkf's from tape.  3) Inventory and catalog.

2) What is the correct process for B2T of B2D files so that they can be restored from tape? 

- I have seen in the notes that B2T's should be DUPLICATE jobs, not COPY.

[Colin_Weaver]

take a read

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH176061

So in answer to 1) - empty the BEDB after you have restored the BKFs from tape and then inventory and catalog the BKFs (or restore the time matched BEDB and Catalogs - lots of work as you need to protect the existing bedb and catalogs before doing this and have a method to put them back afterwards.

In answer to 2) Always duplicate the sets within the BKFs do not backup the BKF files themselves - then the duplicate sets have their own catalogs and do not cause inconsistencies when you overwrite the original bkfs with newer data.

[Kiran_Bandi]

2) Daily and weekly B2T which backs up the bkf's files based on archive bit.

You should not backup bkf files as you backup flat files. You should make use of Duplication within BE to duplicate images from disk to tape here.

Why it is not recommended to copy/backup: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH176061

2) What is the correct process for B2T of B2D files so that they can be restored from tape? 

Multiple ways to do so. You can make use of policies, duplicate jobs depending on your requirement and comfort. 

It becomes a lot easier when you make use of policies. Create a backup template and a duplicate template within a policy and configure a rule to run duplicate to tape immediately after the completion of backup.

This TN explains about the configuring policies with templates: http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH48668

[Sush---]

Hello there,

Please take a look at this technote which explains that B2T's should be DUPLICATE jobs, not COPY.

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH176061 : Reasons why backing up or copying backup to disk data files is NOT recommended.

Thanks,

-Sush...