What ionformation does the .DR file consists?

[Trinee_BE]

What ionformation does the .DR file consists? Will it have any details about where the backup set resides? If so, I am running full backup to disk after some time it goes to tape as a duplicate data, if the disk backup sets are deleted will I be able to perform SDR using tape which was used for duplicate backup?

[pkh]

The .dr file will have the necessary information to point to a backup set, be it on a disk or tape.  If you do a manual duplication, the .dr file will not be updated and you would not be able to use the duplicated tape backup set.

However, the duplicated tape backup set is still in the catalog and you would be able to select it.  This means that you would be able to recover a remote server using a duplicated tape backup set by selecting it from the list of backup sets.

[Colin_Weaver]

NOTE: this message has been edited since first response as I made a mistake regarding the update of the .DR file during duplicate jobs.

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.DR files contain the reference data to the backup that created them and do know where that set resides in terms of the media name/label and device (although will use a different device if the original is not present)

With regards Duplicated sets the .DR files are updated (as long as it is a scheduled duplicate and not a manual one created as an afterthought against an existing SDR backup on disk)

Please note however (in BE 2012) that .DR files are only really used for loss of the media server (and hopefully the media server is backed up to tape as loss of media sever might mean loss of your disk locations).

The .DR information for remote server restores (assuming the media server remains intact) is part of the catalog information from the SSP/SDR enabled backup job. Hence a remote SDR operation browses the catalogs instead of using the traditional .DR file. In this instance however I am not 100% sure if the duplicate location from an SSP/SDR original backup would also be displayed - so I need to test this and get back to you.

[Colin_Weaver · Accepted solution]

OK I have now tested what an SDR disk shows against Duplicate backups as follows:

a) Ran backup to disk of a remote physical server (with SSP/SDR  green indicator active) - Job log reported .DR file updated

b) Duplicated this to tape - Job log again reported DR file updated

c) Booted SDR disk (inside a VM in this instance) and went through the network config and recovery wizard to access the media server. The point in time drop down on the "Which backups sets do you want to use to recover the computer ? dialog does show both the original disk set and the duplicate tape set. Thus allowing you to restore from either

d) Deleted the backup sets for the disk backup using the Backup Exec Admin console (made sure to delete the disk sets for all drievs plus the system state)

e) Went back through the same recovery wizard, the tape set is still listed, the disk set is visible but now has a grey icon with an exclamation mark. Thus you can still restore form the tape even when teh disk set has been reclaimed (I think they  greyed out entry for the disk set would eventually get removed based on background catalog clean up processes)