Tapes Changing Media Sets

[Peter_Caton]

. I have an autoloader that serves various backup jobs. I have created various Media Sets and placed the tapes into the set that I want a specific backup job to use. Oddly enough, the backup jobs use ANY media, and then move media from one Media Set into another. In other words, I have 2 tapes in "Media Set 1" and 1 tape in "Media Set 2." I have configued one backup job to use the 2 tapes in "Media Set 1" and another backup job to use the tape in "Media Set 2." WHen the backup jobs run, backup job 1 uses the tape from Media Set 2 and then moves this tape into "Media Set 1."

There is another post that describes the exact same thing that is happening to me.

http://forums.veritas.com/discussions/thread.jspa?forumID=103&threadID=50116&messageID=4378324컔

In this post, it is said that I need to change the option "to use overwritable media in the target media before scratch media."

Unfortunately, I don't have this options under Tools -> Options -> Media Management.

Instead, I have

1)Overwrite scratch media before overwriting recycled media in the targeted media set.

2) Overwrite recyclable media contained in the targeted media set before overwriting scratch media.

#2 is the one checked. Should I select #1 to resolve this issue? If not, what other setting needs to be made to successfully get a backup job to use tapes in the Media Set I specify?

[ray_littlefie1]

You got the global setting right.

The job properties should also be Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available.

Still not working? It sounds like you might be manually dragging tapes into the media sets? This could be causing you some problems. If you can, perform a quick erase on all tapes in the library for the affected media set prior to the next backup.

If you're trying to gain better control over what tapes get used for certain jobs then consider partitioning the library into several sections, and define jobs to just those partitioned sections.

[Peter_Caton]

I do have the job properties set to Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available.

And yes, it is still not working.

I am manually dragging tapes to the media sets after I do a quick format on them. How else should I add tapes to media sets?

I'm not sure how to partition the library into several sections. I rotate the tapes each night, so that is another factor to consider.

[ray_littlefie1]

I would do the quick format and then let backupexec assign the media sets when the job starts.

If the tapes have exceeded the overwrite protection period by the time they are rotated back into the library- you shouldn't have to quick format them (would still need to do Inventory or Scan)

It may be that I don't understand what you are trying to solve: Is it A.) that the backups don't work because they can't find tapes to use. Or is it B.) That the backups are not using the tapes that you want them to use for the job?

Problem A.) is a media set / job definition problem.
Problem B.) is a partitioning / job defintion problem.

[Peter_Caton]

The problem is the backup jobs will not use the tapes I want them to use even though I create media sets and configure the backup jobs to use specific media sets. Backup job #1 that I setup to use media set #1 ends up using a tape in media set #2, etc. Since my problem is "B", what do I need to do?

[ray_littlefie1]

what is the overwrite and append times of media set #1?
what are the times for media set #2?

If you left all the tapes scratch (not manually moving them into media sets) how does this affect your tape rotation?

[Peter_Caton]

Media set #1

Overwrite: None
Append: Infinite, Allow Append

Media Set # 2

Overwrite: None
Append: Infinite, Allow Append

[Cindy__Dunigan]

I have experienced same problem with library. One time I am told to use overwrite scratch first and then it is changed again by support. I am not very happy with this product with Libraries.

This week it would not pull any media and cancelled the job because it wanted to tell me I would need new media soon. This media only used 5 times. I just don't seem to be able to get reliable backups.

Did they tell you about partioning the Library. I would try that if I ever felt confident with just doing backup from the server's harddrive.

Good luck.

[Peter_Caton]

I am unsure how to partition the library?

I also rotate the tapes on a daily basis, so I can store the backups offisite. I'm not sure how partitioning the tape library would impact my rotation.

[ray_littlefie1]

Peter- Does your library have more than one tape drive?
Does this behavior (media set hopping) happen with every single backup job? Or do the first jobs work correctly and the jobs that run later at night exhibit this behavior?

My thought (and I may be way off) is that your settings are OK for what you want to do, but the behavior of backups spanning more than one tape may be throwing your media set scheme off a bit. If a job is appending to an existing tape and then needs to continue to another, the 2nd tape must be overwritten from the very beginning. So, in your case, you created 2 media set#1 tapes and through the night some media set#1 data has been written to both of them. Then one of the jobs needs another tape- there's no overwritable media set #1 tapes; so it will use a yet to be used media set#2 tape (even though there's room left on a media set #1 tape).

Just a thought I had.

Partitioning as a concept is making smaller libraries out of a big one. You partition the slots, which effectivly limits the avaialble pool of tapes a backup job can even consider to use for the job. If you review this forum you'll see various schemes used like parttions to control which tape gets used each day of the week, or seperating daily backups from full, or tapes that stay in the library vs. tapes that get rotated. Some people want to be able to pick up a tape and know exactly what server backup it contains. Others want their tapes divided by dates. What do you want to do?

[Peter_Caton]

Our tape drive has 8 slots. It is an SDLT drive, 160/320.

The movement of tapes to different media sets is a random occurence. In other words, it happens on both jobs at the beginng of the night and at the end.

We run a backup on 10 different servers. Nine of the server backup jobs use 2 tapes. This gives me capacity of 320 GB uncompressed.

The other backup job uses 1 tape, with capacity of 160 GB.

I have totaled the hard drive capacity on the nine backup jobs, and this comes no where close to the 320 uncompressed limit.

Furthermore, the one backup job comes no where close the 160 GB limit.

So there shouldn't be a problem of running out of space.

Any other thoughts?

[ray_littlefie1]

OK- so you only have only one tape drive in the library. nevermind about the spanning tape syndrome- it doesn't apply to you.
A backup job that hops from one media set to another will only do so because it cannot append to the current media, and there are no other overwritable media in the same media set. If you want to troubleshoot that- open each job log for the night, expand the entire section and perform search for "Media Operation". Every job should say "Media Operation- Append" If you find a job that says "Media Operation- Overwrite" I would give that one a closer look, because based on the actions and settings you have indicated in this post there should never be any overwriting jobs.


Your backing up 10 servers. Are you using 10 jobs to do so, or 2 jobs (one job of nine, the other job of one). Are you using policies, or did you create each job individually?
regarding your tape rotation- Do you rotate all eight tapes every day? How many sets are in your rotation?

[Peter_Caton]

Yes, I am using 10 jobs to backup the ten different servers.

I am not using policies.

I created each job indivitually.

I only use three total tapes, 2 tapes for 10 jobs and 1 tape for the remaining job (or at least that's what I want to happen).

I did verify that the jobs are all using "Append... overwrite if no appenadble media is available."

Any other thoughts?

[ray_littlefie1]

You misunderstood. You need to check the job logs- click 'expand all' then click 'find' search for "Media Operation" .
Verify that each job log indicates an append operation. One or more of you logs will probably indicate "Overwrite" and that's what we need to troubleshoot.

What is the rotation period? How many days from when the tapes are removed from the library elapse before they get reinserted.

I would like to recommend changing your overwrite protection from 'None' to a more specific time period, so that you don't have to erase the tapes (which are overwritable anyways based on your settings) and prevent accidental overwriting of data.

[Peter_Caton]

Okay, I checked the job logs as you noted.

4 out of the 11 jobs do say "overwrite."

Our rotation period is as follows

For the two tapes, I rotate the 12 tapes (2 each for 6 days), once a week. For the one tape, I rotate the 12 tapes (1 for 12 days) once every other week.

What's the next step?

[ray_littlefie1]

I would change overwrite protection from None to Full, and keep the overwrite recyclable media before scratch setting. Keep all the individual job settings as append.

I would set overwrite protection on media set#1 (2-tape jobs) to 5 days, append period to 1 day.

I would set overwrite protection on media set#2 to 10 days, append period to 1 day.

Quick erase the tapes the first time you use them with these settings. By the second week everything will be automatic, and you will not have to quick erase or move tapes into media sets again.

I would also keep a few scratch tapes in your library just in case you take a sick day, or forget to change tapes. With these settings they will never get used otherwise.

[Gauri_Ketkar]

Hi,

Following Technotes will be helpful for this issue >

Technote http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/237374.htm

Technote http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/192265.htmTechnote

Technote
http://support.veritas.com/docs/206843

Update us on the same and revert for any further Query
Hope this will help you


Thank yo,
Gauri

Additional Information :
For information on the recent VERITAS Backup Exec security vulnerabilities, including links to the downloads for the necessary hotfixes, please refer to the following document:
Patch summary for Security Advisories VX05-001, VX05-002, VX05-003, VX05-005, VX05-006, VX05-007

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/277429.htm



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