Setting maximum concurrent B2D jobs

[gshawns]

Is there a way to set the maximum number of concurrent B2D jobs?  I think I read that 16 is the default but I would like to change this to something like 4.  We have 30+ B2D folders (one for each server) but don't want 16 jobs running at once.  If we can limit the max concurrent jobs to 4, the others would queue until the one of the 4 slots were open.  Any ideas?

[Ken_Putnam]

I think that the setting you are talking about is for max concurrent access to EACH B2D folder.  The only way to limit  the number of total concurrent jobs would be to kick off four jobs, and then use Policies to start additional jobs as the first four complete.  Continue as necessary until all 30 jobs jobs have  been run.

[gshawns]

Ken,

Thanks for the info!  I currently have 36 policies, one for each server, and each policy has a rule that basically says "after backup job completes, start duplicate backup job" but I can only select the jobs in that policy, which are only the full and diffs for one server... does that make sense?

Also, I'm using 36 different B2D folders, one for each server and that is why I have 36 different policies.  Should I be doing this differently?  Am I really gaining anything by have a separate B2D folder for each server?

Lastly, (I know I'm going on a tangent here) I have been using 4GB files for backups with no append but have been considering going to 40GB files and using append.  Do you have any advice about this?  Is a 40GB file too large for B2D?

I appreciate your help!

[Ken_Putnam]

I have been using 4GB files for backups with no append but have been considering going to 40GB files and using append.  Do you have any advice about this?  Is a 40GB file too large for B2D?

I'd stay with 4 GB Overwrite.  Also, if you Append, ALL of the BKF files are considered part of one big multi-volume set, and all are governed by the same OPP. That is if you have a two week OPP, and append, even BKF files created two months ago are protected for two weeks following last night's backup.

Don't see any real reason to have multiple B2D folders, and if you knock it back to one, then setting Max Concurrent to 4 ought to do what you want.

As for the policies, couldn't you setup a policy for the Duplicate Job that would release the next backup when it (the duplicate job) finishes?

[gshawns]

Ok, I will leave the bkf files at 4gb. 

I plan on setting up 3 B2D folders that only allow 1 concurrent connection each.  Then add them to a device pool and build my policies around the pool.  This should allow me to get 3 (and only 3) concurrent backups going at once.

My logic behind the 3 B2D folders is that I will be able to move these to separate drive arrays down the road without having to overhaul the backup configuration.  I'm guessing I would get better performance if the B2D folders were on separate arrays.

Does this sound alright?  Is there anything here I shouldn't be doing?  One concern I had is that a single backup job might span multiple B2D folders.  Should this be a concern?

[Ken_Putnam]

A single job CANNOT span multiple B2D folders  See  http://support.veritas.com/docs/242726 .  Think if them as tape drives, and the BKF files as tape volumes.  A job can span volumes, but once you point it to a B2D folder, it will only write to that folder

[gshawns]

Thanks for the link!

So it sounds like my plan will work fine.  I appreciate all your help, Ken!  Keep up the good work!

[gshawns]

So I ran my backup jobs last night with them pointing to a device pool that included 3 B2D folders.  As it turns out, since they were in a pool, some jobs were written to multiple B2D folders.  All the folders are currently on the same drive but I wonder if it would matter if they weren't.  Since the B2D folders are in a pool, the backup job is just going to look for the next available "device" and use it, regardless of where it is located...right?