Catalog backup

[Balachandran]

Hi Team, Why we need two separate tapes for Data backup and Catalog backup?

[mph999 · Accepted solution]

A different pool is used for the catalog backup, which is why different tapes are used.

I've never tried it, but it might be possible to write the catalog backup to a normal tape, I have absolutely no idea if nbu allows this.  I certainly would not recommend it.  

Is this a general question ?  I'm not sure that this could ever be considered a poblem.  The catalog backups are so important, I think there is no issue with them having their own tapes.

[Yogesh_Jadhav1]

As rightly said by Martin catalog backups are important and recommended to be on seprate tapes.

If you are in crunch of Tapes you can definitely use same tape for Catalog that you are using for Data.

[Marianne]

Only a pool with Catalog backup pool attribute can be used for NBU-Catalog policy.

See what NBU Admin Guide I says about this attribute under Volume pool properties:

Catalog backup pool

Select this option to use this volume pool for hot, online
backups of the NetBackup catalog. This check box creates
a dedicated catalog backup pool to be used for NBU-Catalog
policies.A dedicated catalog volume pool facilitates quicker
catalog restore times.
Multiple catalog backup volume pools are allowed.

You really do NOT want your catalog backup to be mixed with normal backups...

Please read up in same Admin Guide I about Protecting the NetBackup catalog in chapter 18.