Veritas v10, B2D for a Server...doesn't seem to work correctly?

[EMR]

Hello All,

I've been searching all morning, but it seems a lot of the links to a KB don't work anymore. Looking for some insight into this. I don't have much experience with BE, so simple terms work the best.

What I’m trying to do seems simple, but it’s not working the way I think it should.

I have a single Server, with 1 hard drive with 2 partitions (system and data). I would like to backup the C:\, system state, and E:\data to an external 2TB drive nightly. (we have 2 of the external drives that will be changed out weekly or bi-weekly). It doesn’t really matter how long the backups are kept on the disk, it needs to be there until we switch it out with the other disk. I just don’t want to run out of space and not have it overwrite (longterm).

Backup to disk properties:

I have seutp a B2D folder, with 1 folder for everything

Status: Enabled

Max size for b2d files: 100GB

Max number of backup sets per b2d file: 5 (Does this mean after 5 nights of backups, it will start a new .bkf file on the 6th night?)

Disk space reserve: 100GB

Media set Properties:

Append period: Infinite – Allow Append

Media vault to use: None

Job:

Job name: B2D Full

Selection: C:\, some folders on the E:\ and System/Service state.

Device and Media: B2D

Append to media, overwrite if no appendable media is available.

Schedule: M-F start at 10.

After running 5 or 6 times, I only have 2 .bkf files. 1 of them is at 100GB, the other changes every day (Goes from 64GB to 30GB to 90GB to 40GB).

I’m only backing up 70ish GB of data a night. Are my settings correct?

Is this normal, the fluctuation in the 2^nd .bkf file? Will it fill up and start a 3^rd eventually?

[CraigV]

Hi,

You're putting all your eggs in 1 basket there. Having 1 file for your B2D job means that if that file gets corrupted, your data is gone. At least with multiple files you'd be able to restore some data.

Split your data into smaller files by editing the B2D folder settings.

Also, don't append to your B2D...set it for overwrite. Set the Append period to 0, and your OPP will then take effect.

Thanks!

[AmolB]

You haven't specified  overwrite protection period from the media set.

When you set the max B2D file size as 100GB then BE will create 100GB bkf files during the backup 

process, For eg: If you backup 140GB of data then with above settings BE will create 100GB and 40GB 

BKF file. When next backup jobs start and if the 40GB file is appendable then BE will start appending 

data till it reaches 100GB and then 3rd bkf file will be created and so on.

Instead of appeding its recommeded to configure Backup jobs to overwrite when target device is a DISK.

[EMR]

I forgot to mention my Backup Method is Full - Backup files - Using archive bit (reset archive bit).

Alright, I changed the Job Setup to  "Overwrite Media" instead of Append.

So that means all .bkf files will be overwrote at night? And it will never grow to larger than the amount of data it is backing up on that night? Basically just replacing the backup file from the night before?

When I go into Media set Periods OPP is greyed out "None". Append Period is "Infinite - Allow Append". Any idea how to change that? I would like to be able to keep 5 days worth of backups.

[AmolB]

So that means all .bkf files will be overwrote at night? And it will never grow to larger than the amount of data it is backing up on that night? Basically just replacing the backup file from the night before?

Overwrite of backup sets depends on the overwrite protection period and if the job is configured to 

overwrite. If you set a weeks protection than backup sets will be overwritten after 1 week

When I go into Media set Periods OPP is greyed out "None". Append Period is "Infinite - Allow Append". Any idea how to change that? I would like to be able to keep 5 days worth of backups.

In Global options -> Media Management-> Make sure overwrite protection level is set to "Partial"

If its set to None then the Overwrite Protection period field will be disabled in the media set properties.

[Ken_Putnam · Accepted solution]

When I go into Media set Periods OPP is greyed out "None". Append Period is "Infinite - Allow Append". Any idea how to change that? I would like to be able to keep 5 days worth of backups

From Tools\Options\Media Management select an overwrite protection of either Full or Partial

So that means all .bkf files will be overwrote at night? And it will never grow to larger than the amount of data it is backing up on that night? Basically just replacing the backup file from the night before?

No, Data will be protected for as long as your OPP setting.  if you want to keep data for at least two weeks, and as much more as your disk will hold, set you OPP to 13 days (incase the job starts before midnight and fininshes after) and again from Tools\Options\Media Management select "use scratch media before overwriteable media in the target media set" 

This combination will continue creating new BKF files until the disk fills up, and will then start overwriting/resuing BKF files starting with those that have been expired longest

And once again, you should  be using only Overwrite for disk based backups, not Append

[EMR]

Thanks for the quick responses. I've set the OPP to 13 days, and set it to overwrite.

I understand how it will perform the backup now. Thanks!