What is the best way to backup backup files?

[Sherman_Colson]

I run a weekly backup2disk schedule where I do a full backup on Sundays and differentials throughout the rest of the week (full backups to a separate folder storing only 1 week at a time)

I then follow-up with a backup to tape where I backup the full backup2disk backup files.

Now here I am two weeks later and I need to restore a single file from the backup, and I first have to restore all of the backup files to the server, then inventory/scan/catalog all of the files so I can restore the single file.

My question is; is there a way that I can backup (to tape) my previous nights full backup (that was done to disk) without essentially zipping a zip file?  ie; so I can inventory the tape and see the files on it vs. doing a double restore?

I'm trying to avoid doing a full system backup to tape since it takes over 8 hours and multiple tapes and if I'm not changing them right when the system ejects them the backup would then run overnight into a second day.  (Yes my backup 2 tape of my backup 2 disk files takes about the same time but I've already essentially made my 'snapshot' of the system so it's not time sensitive.

[Ken_Putnam · Accepted solution]

See the Admin Guide page 443

What you  are talking about is DUPLICATING the backups to tape rather than COPYING.  Using the Template and creating a Policy will let you restore directly from tape

[Sherman_Colson]

Thanks for the link.  I had found a little information about it on the Symantec site but that link provides the information I needed.