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Understanding which tape out of the library will be used next??

Cat_Adams
Level 5

I am attaching a screen print of the two magazines that are in my library.  On the left hand magazine,  the slots are number from 1 through 12 .  I do not use the mail slot so I start placing tapes in slot 2.  I had 4 tapes (slot 2, 3, 4 and 5) that were labeled for end of month tapes.  I had two extra tapes in slots 6 an 7 just in case.  Well, the duplicate to tape for all 16 jobs wrote to tapes in slots 2, 3 and 6 and skipped slots 4 and 5.  Why did this happen?  How can I make it use the tapes in order.  They are being appended to and when full, should go to the next tape in line etc.

 

I know I am asking a lot of questions regarding this tape thing but so far,  you all have answered my questions and I do appreciate that.

 

Thanks

Cathy

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Hi Cat,

 

The only way you will ensure that BE will use a specific tape in a specific slot is to have multiple partitions defined, and target multiple jobs or stages at these slots.

Otherwise BE will use any tape which is free and usable depending on the media set's Append/OPP settings that it belongs too.

Read pkh's article below...it explains things really well.

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/must-mondays-backup-be-monday-tape

Thanks!

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5 REPLIES 5

Linda_Lounsbury
Level 4

I'll be very interested to hear the answer on this, too, as I can see no logic to how BE decides what order to write tapes, especially when all tapes are blank.  Thanks for asking the question.

Linda

CraigV
Moderator
Moderator
Partner    VIP    Accredited

Hi Cat,

 

The only way you will ensure that BE will use a specific tape in a specific slot is to have multiple partitions defined, and target multiple jobs or stages at these slots.

Otherwise BE will use any tape which is free and usable depending on the media set's Append/OPP settings that it belongs too.

Read pkh's article below...it explains things really well.

https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/articles/must-mondays-backup-be-monday-tape

Thanks!

Cat_Adams
Level 5

Thanks much.  I guess I am going to have to rethink the way we handle tapes.  Wish there were a simplier way to do this..  Like the tape using the next slot in line instead of at random. 

pkh
Moderator
Moderator
   VIP    Certified

There is an order as to the way BE uses tapes in a library.  See this document

How Backup Exec searches for overwritable media

However this is not as specific as you would like.  If you want to manage your tapes in this manner, it might be easier to use a stand-alone tape drive.  The idea of getting a tape library is to let it and BE manage the tapes for you, instead of you managing the tapes.

Ken_Putnam
Level 6

There is a way, but it is not very elegant

 

Every time you swap tapes in the magazine, reinitialize/relable  them in the order that you want them  used 

 

Backup Exec will then use them in the order that they were labled.  

 

(Bear in mind also that Append and Overwrite will also determine which tape Backup Exec will select.  If they are all Overwrite jobs, then ignore this comment wink)