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SAN volume

Tho_Phan
Level 4

Hi,

I tried to do some tests full backup to the SAN using BE2012 with Win 2008 R2. Now my volume that I created in the SAN (Dell) is almost full. I tried to go to win 2008 R2 the test backup files. Now, the disk drive in windows is clean but when I get to the SAN, the volume in the SAN is still full. Why? Id I do something wrong? ease give me a right way to do.

Regards,

Tho

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

RLeon
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP   

I'm no EqualLogic expert, but if this is a "thin provision" volume, and if your SAN supports "zero detection", then to make the volume shrink again after deleting files at the file level, you will want to write zeros to all the volume blocks (usually by using 3rd party software) in order for the SAN to detect them and shrink the thin volume back down.

 

http://michaelellerbeck.com/2010/02/25/equallogic-and-its-dirty-bits/
Apparently, EqualLogic does not support "zero detection"; Dell's other SAN offerings do.

Hope this helped pointing you to some directions.

View solution in original post

7 REPLIES 7

Gurvinder
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

Are you backing up to drive on the server which is a LUN from a SAN ?

I tried to go to win 2008 R2 the test backup files. Now, the disk drive in windows is clean but when I get to the SAN, the volume in the SAN is still full. Why?

I did not understand this.

Tho_Phan
Level 4

Oh, I am sorry for the typo, Gurvinder

I tried windows 2008r2 to delete the test backup files that I did in earlier. So, the disk drive in windows in emply now. But when I check on the SAN that volume is still full.

Thanks

 

Note: I created a volume in the SAN and at Win2088 r2 used iSCSI to connect it.

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

When you just delete the backup media using the OS, BE does not know that you have delete them and will show them as present.  If you try to do a restore, you will get an error.

The proper way to delete a backup set is to delete them in BE, not the OS.  Once you have deleted them in BE, BE will delete the corresponding disk files.

Tho_Phan
Level 4

Thanks PKH,

I can delete the back job from BE, but how can you delete the .bkf files from BE? I can delete the backup that I have created but the .bkf is still there.

By the way, I found the answer why the volume in SAN is still shown as full while the volume in O/S is empty. That's because if the bug or some kind of miscommunication between the ISCSI and the SAN (EqualLogic). However, even the SAN volume shown as full but I can stll store data on it like normal.

Regards

Tho

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

how can you delete the .bkf files from BE?

When you delete the backup set from the Storage tab, the corresponding .bkf files will be deleted.

RLeon
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP   

I'm no EqualLogic expert, but if this is a "thin provision" volume, and if your SAN supports "zero detection", then to make the volume shrink again after deleting files at the file level, you will want to write zeros to all the volume blocks (usually by using 3rd party software) in order for the SAN to detect them and shrink the thin volume back down.

 

http://michaelellerbeck.com/2010/02/25/equallogic-and-its-dirty-bits/
Apparently, EqualLogic does not support "zero detection"; Dell's other SAN offerings do.

Hope this helped pointing you to some directions.

Tho_Phan
Level 4

I understand now.

Thanks to all of you.

Tho