Total Noob in Backup Exec Help.

[darkvicoamao]

Hi, i'm totally new to backup exec, i have problem understanding some concepts about backup exec.

I 'm been reading the backup exec admin guide, but only produce more questions, i want to have some good deployment help, including the creation of polices and how to about setup some tape slots for backup.

I need to create a complete backup strategy for my company.

I have backup exec 2010 r2 quickstart edition and quantum superloader 3.

Any help will be apreciate.

Thanks for all, and sorry for my bad english.

Amaury

Dominican Republic

[pkh]

I am afraid nobody will be able to tell you how to backup your system because we don't know what data is involved and how long you need to keep the data.   You would need to ask more specific questions.

Also note that the quickstart edition is only good for simple backups and restores.  It does not handle backups of databases, like SQL or Exchange.

[darkvicoamao]

Thanks for the fast response, i know nobody go to tell me what i need to backup in my enviroment, but i want to know how to setup a backup policy, example:

I want to know what is the best practices for working with tape drives, do you recomend to partition the slots in the tape drive?

Thanks for the interest.

Amaury

[pkh]

Personally, I would not partition a library, but some other users would.

[CraigV]

I personally do partition my autoloader, simply to keep things logical. It makes it easier to speak to a non-IT person as well when telling them how the hardware is configured, and where they must put the tapes/remove them.

I would strongly suggest getting hold of the BE 2010 Admin Guide and give it a skim read over the things you need to get started with. So you're looking for how to install BE, how to create the service account, how to create a basic job, how to create a selection list, and how to create a policy.

Once done, set it up on your side and see if you're correct in what you did. If not, come back to the forums and log a query...there are more than enough guys who can help.

Just be aware though, that the QuickStart Edition is a very basic, cut-down version of BE so you might not be able to do everything you can with a full version!

The link for the Admin Guide is below...

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=DOC4045&key=52757&actp=LIST

[florin_s]

Hi,

how do you control on which tape run diff/incr and full jobs if you do not partition the library.

as far as i know if you just alocate them to media sets(daily, weekly) weekly tapes will get overwritten if daily jobs run out of tapes and viceversa.

regards,

florin

[CraigV]

...you'd target your full backups to a partition, and the differentials to another. If you don't partition your library, your Append/OPP periods come into play. An INCR/DIFF backup should never overwrite a full backup if the Append/OPP periods are set correctly!

[pkh]

I have never found a situation which I have to use partitions to do the things that I want to do with my tapes.  If you have defined your media set properly, you can control your tapes.

BE will NEVER overwrite tapes whose OPP has not expired and are not overwriteable.  When BE needs an overwriteable tape, it looks for it in the targeted media set, then the scratch media set and then any other media set.  This is so that the job will not fail as long as there is an overwriteable tape in the library.  With partitions, you limit the search to just that partition.  If you do not have an overwriteable tape in that partition, then your job will fail even though there is an overwriteable tape in another partition.

[florin_s]

thanks  for the answer

[darkvicoamao]

Thanks guys for all your responses, you are clearing things for me, i'm reading BE Admin Guide, but is not very oriented for noob backup guys like me.

I have rigth know the confussion about how backup exec handless de tapes in the autoloader, for example:

i'm running a backup job with a total amount of 250 gb and my media tape capacity is 200 gb, what happens?, the backup job fail?, BE look for another tape in the library where it can write the remaining 50gb?

This is one of my doubts about the managing autoloader.

i have read and think i understand the following concepts:

 to install BE, how to create the service account, how to create a basic job, how to create a selection list, and how to create a policy.

Thanks for all

Amaury

[CraigV]

Hi Amaury,

Best bet is to check out these 2 TNs below...they explain OPP/append periods really well which is what you are looking for:

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH5459

http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO22325

That said, if you don't have partitions, it doesn't matter where your tapes are located...your Append/OPP settings will ensure that a tape that is free to be overwritten will be used in a particular media set.

With partitions, you need to ensure that your tapes are in the correct slots, otherwise you'll be getting failed/queued backups.

Thanks!

[pkh]

When BE needs an overwriteable tape, it will look for it in this order: The targeted media set, the scratch media set and then any other media set.

[darkvicoamao]

Thanks for the info, i go to check right now, but i stiil have doubt about the managin process of the tapes.

I want to create a GFS Rotation Scheme, and i'm still uncertain how to setup correctly in BE.

Thanks.

Amaury

[CraigV]

...if you follow the wizard to create a policy, it basically prompts you along. This includes day/time you want to run a backup; how you want to run it; where it needs to go to (devices), and the selection list to use. Based on this, BE automatically creates rules that prevent your jobs within that policy from clashing.

[darkvicoamao]

Hi, folks i'm been away for a few days, thanks to all for the great help, i still have doubts in how i can manage my GFS Backup strategy using media sets without partitioning my 8 slots.

I really apreciate help in these, i'm still not clear with this.

How can i guaratee the daily, weekly and monthly backup only using media sets?.

Thanks for the future help.

Amaury

[pkh]

Have you familiarise yourself with the Media Management chapter in the Admin Guide?  Most of what you are asking is explained there.

[darkvicoamao]

i have read the media management chapter, but i dont understand the following:

Example:

i'm running a daily backup job (monday)  with a total amount of 250 gb and my media tape capacity is 200 gb, , BE look for another tape in the library where it can write the remaining 50gb, ok i know that,  but what happens when another daily backup job run (thuesday), what happen with the tape the other backup job use 50 gb? what happens with the remaining 150 gb? it uses that remaining space or use another tape from my daily media set tapes?.

that is one of my doubts.

thanks in advance.

Amaury

[Kiran_Bandi]

If your job is configured to Append to media, and the media is appendable till the next run of the backup job BE will use the remaining 150 GB space on the second tape to write backups. You can see this setting under job properties --> Device And Media --> When this job begins:.... Be will use an appendable tape to start the backup. If another tape is required to complete that backup then BE will only pickup an overwritable media. If none is available job will fail.

Media will be appendable or not depends upon the appendable period setting configured with the media set. Append period will be calculated from the media allocation time and Overwrite protection period will be calculated from last write to that media.

Regards....

[darkvicoamao · Accepted solution]

Thanks for that info, i think i go to start some backup test jobs, and obtain some real world skills.

Thanks for the info.