how to expire tape cartridges (BackupExec 2015, Windows Server 2012R2)

[Cecilia_Tong]

Hi,

Does anyone know how to expire tape cartridges in Backup Exec 2015 on Windows Server 2012R2?

I created a robotic library contain 2 robots,10 tape drives and 10 cartridges. I didn't find the solution from the BackupExec2015 Guide.In order to meet the test case needs, I need to expire the tape cartrideges which contain data.

I don't know how to solve this problem, please give some advices, thanks a lot!

[pkh]

If you want to overwrite the tape immediately, right-click on the tape in the Storage tab and associate it with the Scratch Media Set.

[Cecilia_Tong]

Thanks for your generous advice. Actually I want to backup data on expired cartridges.

[pkh]

Once the tape is in the scratch media set, your next backup job will be able to write to it.

[Cecilia_Tong]

Pardon me, did you mean that "scratch media set" equal to "expire media" in BE? Thanks.

[MSI_iqbal]

Maybe you can expire the media image on tape cartridge, maybe all of them. Then you can inventory and catalog the tape.

[Cecilia_Tong]

I didn't find the expire button, could you please tell me how to expire  the media image on tape cartridge, thanks!

[pkh · Accepted solution]

Expire media is only applicable to disk media, not to tape media.

I would strongly suggest that you read the Admin Guide to understand how BE works.  You cannot test a product without understanding how it works.

[Cecilia_Tong]

Thanks!