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Tape media - partially overwrite (expired backups only) ???

Den-Red
Level 1

Hi All,

I’m trying to build backup & archiving strategy, to keep always N (3/4) last full backups on single tape.

Just to explain concept using weekly full backup scenario:

  1. Week 1 – Media is empty. First backup gets written on the tape (1 backup in total)
  2. Week 2 – Second backup gets appended to the media (2 in total)
  3. Week 3 – Third backups gets appended to the media (3 in total)
  4. Week 4 – Forth backups gets appended to the media (4 in total. Tape is almost full at this moment)
  5. Week 5 – Fifth backup is running. Media is appended to the end of tape, and then backup made on Week 1 gets overwritten (since it’s expired) but Week 2 can’t be overwritten yet. After job is done media contains 4 full backups (Week 2-5)

I was hoping to configure media as OPP= 4 weeks and AP = infinite, but I’m missing some parameter wich will allow me to allow overwrite tape just partially. I was playing with Storage settings with no success.

OOP (Overwrite Protection Period) would control how many last backups should be preserved, others will be marked as expired. 

Currently BE15 will result at Week 5 to forgot/erase all existing backups (Week 1 -4), so will loose backup data which is still useful and valid.

Is it possible to achieve such scenario just to PARTIALLY OVERWRITE the TAPE (expired backup set) but NOT the REST OF THE TAPE  containing backups which DID NOT EXPIRED YET?

I think the only way possible for the tape media (managed by ADAMM), is that each time overwrite takes place all backup sets from the tape gets “forgotten” (technically they are not erased from tape I guess) and overwrite starts always with BLANK TAPE, so what I’m trying to achieve is impossible, at least for the time being.

If it's possible, please give me a hint how to configure BE15 to support this scenario.

Thanks & cheers!

1 REPLY 1

Colin_Weaver
Moderator
Moderator
Employee Accredited Certified

There is no way to partially overwrite a tape

 

Backup to disk can remove older sets without affecting newer ones, tapes do not have this ability so for a tape every set on the tape has to be expired (beyond the Overwrite Protection date) for the tape to be overwritten