loading media

[powerb]

 Hi,

I have Symantec Backup Exec 12.5 installed on my server. To make all the backups of the data on the the server I have a tape drive connected to the server. With the Symantec Backup Exec 12.5 I create a daily, weekly and monthly backup of the data on my server to the tapes of the tape drives.

Now I want to make a duplicate backup of the backup on the tapes to a removable tape so I can store the tape at a other location. I choosed  "Duplicate backup sets following a job" to make the duplicate backup on the removable tape. but when trying to make the duplictate of the backup the job stays in a "Loading media" and the duplicate backup is not created.

Can anyone help me with this problem?

[CraigV]

 ...if it is a stand-alone tape drive, it's going to need someone to load a scratch/overwritable tape into the drive before it starts the duplicate.

If you only have 1 drive, this won't work. You'd need 2 stand-alone drives, or a library with 2 drives + the LEO license installed.

Laters!

[powerb]

Hi CraigV,

I have only 1 stand-alone tape drive (DELL PowerVault TL2000 2U library). Did you mean that I have to partition the library into 2 logical libraries?

Thanks for the support

[pkh]

No.  You can duplicate a backup that is on tape to another tape if you have only one tape drive.  You need 2 tape drives for this operation.  Partitioning your library will not help.

What you can to is to duplicate the backup on tape to disk and then duplicate the backup on disk to another tape.

[powerb]

So what I tried to do is to make a backup on a tape drive (for example in slot 1) and then make a duplicate backup of this backup to another tape drive (for example in slot 4). When the "Duplicate backup sets following a job" is configured,in the general settings the "Preferred source device" is set to DELL1 (which is the tape drive) and in the device and media settings the "Device" is set to DELL1 (which is the tape drive). This give me the "Loading media" problem.

Do I have to duplicate the backup on tape (slot 1) to disk first, before I can make the duplicate backup to another tape (slot4).

[pkh]

Do I have to duplicate the backup on tape (slot 1) to disk first, before I can make the duplicate backup to another tape (slot4).

Yes.

[CraigV · Accepted solution]

...this is how a tape duplicate will work:

1. Drive1 contains tape with data on it that you want to duplicate from.

2. Drive2 contains blank tape.

3. You need 2 drives to do this, and if you have a library, another Library Expansion Option license to enable the use of the second drive.

If you try doing this with 1 drive you will get the "Loading media" error...it is going to try loading a tape to write too, but because there is only 1 drive and it is ALREADY in use, it will stay like that!

[powerb]

OK...thanks for the support

[pkh]

Do close out this discussion by marking the answer that has helped you the most as the solution.