Tape Library backup strategy

[Ahmed_Shawky]

Dears,

 Kindly I have Tape Library MSL 2024 connected to symantec Backup Exec 2012, and i have 24 Tapes (3 TB).

Can anyone help me for the best strategy and usage of the tape library in my case? . How can i deal with them to get the best practice? As it is my first time to deal with tape libraries :)

Regards,

Ahmed

[Backup_Exec1]

Hi

1 First of all ensure your tape library is supported by BE2012 HCL.

www.symantec.com/business/support/.../en.../be_2012_hcl.pdf

2 Ensure BE2012 is fully updated with sp1a and all updates

3 Ensure tape drives for library are installed with Symantec tape drivers

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH17931

4 Medium Changer is installed with unknown medium changer

http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH124860

5 Once done do a good power cycle by powering off tape library and Media server and Power On library first to ensure it is initialized completely and then power on media server later on

6 Finally once library is seen in BE you can configure backup to run ...

Hope that helps

Thanks

[Ahmed_Shawky]

thanks sir

[CraigV]

...not sure if that was the answer you were looking for to be honest...That's just how to set it up.

What do you want to do? Do you want to have partitions to logically split the slots for backups? Do you want a mail slot for Import/Export functions? Do you want to designate a cleaning slot?

How are your jobs configured to run? All these should be answered before marking a post that answers 1 part (maybe) of your question...

Thanks!

[Ahmed_Shawky]

I just need to know the best practice for using tape library and to install it correctly. i just followed up (Backup_Exec i changed medium changer device to Unknown Medium Changer and i installed the symantec drivers for tape library.

but when I open Backup Exec console \ Storage ; I found Robotic Library \ Tape Library 0002 (No Media) Missing Device and its state shown as Offline.

Actually i don't put any Tapes in my library till now, please advise what is the cause of this error? how i can resolve it?

and Many thanks in Advance

Ahmed

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

...OK, what OS are you running? If Windows Server 2003, stop and disable the Removeable Storage service as it clashes with BE's lock over the library.

Are you using a supported SCSI card (assuming that it is a SCSI tape library) or a RAID controller (not supported by HP!), and the same goes for SAS?

Is this a physical server or a VM (not recommended due to limited support...ie, if you can replicate your issue on a physical server, only then would Symantec support you)? And lastly, are the tape library's firmware along with the card it attaches too up-to-date?

Thanks!

[pkh · Accepted solution]

Try this

1) Delete the library from BE

2) Stop the media server and the library

3) Start the tape library

4) Start the media server

5) Ensure that the library and tape drive is recognised and functioning correctly in the Windows Device Manager. The library should appear as an Unknown Medium Changer with a Microsoft driver and the tape drive should have a Symantec driver.

6) In BE, install the library if necessary.  

[Ahmed_Shawky]

Many thanks for all your replies, really appreciated. when i checked the device manager of the server, i saw only one tape library. but in the BE\ storage ; it sees two Tape Drives. 

Tape Drive 0001 (No Media)

   HP ULTRIUM 5-SCSI

Tape Drive 0002 (No Media)

  Missing Device

I don't know why two drives appear to me in BE console,, It seems that there is a confusion in BE, At All I work now in the Tape Drive 0001 and i disabled Tape Drive 0002.

and I Installed tapes, and there are fine now. so it seems that i can live with that .

Many thanks again,

Ahmed

[CraigV]

...if you run tapeinst.exe there should be an option to delete the tape drive not in use.

Thanks!