Duplicating Images on different tape standards

[dslam24]

I am using AIT-2 tapes for our backups but I would like to upgrade. I am pretty sure the only thing backwards compatible with AIT-2 is AIT-3 but thats not really an upgrade. I am looking at either SAIT-1 or LTO-3, leaning more toward LTO-3.

My question is, on NETBACKUP there is an option that allows you to dupicate images, If both drives are connected would it be possible to copy images from the AIT-2 tapes to the LTO-3 tapes?

Thanks for your help in advanced, BTW...
windows server 2003 standard
veritas netbackup 6.0MP2

[Chia_Tan_Beng]

> My question is, on NETBACKUP there is an option that
> allows you to dupicate images, If both drives are
> connected would it be possible to copy images from
> the AIT-2 tapes to the LTO-3 tapes?

Sure. Your should have different storage unit configured for each AIT-2 drives and LTO-3 drives. When performing duplication (either via Vault option, Admin Console->Catalog or command line), specify the corresponding destination storage unit (in this case, the storage unit for LTO-3 drive).

[Stumpr2]

When using tapes with this type of high of speed/throughput then make sure you use the same media server to read the original and to write the duplicate.

[Chris_Colvin]

I'm working on moving data from 3590 tapes to T10000. Since the new tapes write a many times the read speed of the old ones, I have it set up to move the images from the 3590s onto disk first, and then I wait till I have a large amount of images before tying up one of my new drives. It does cause an extra step, but it allows me to not tie up my new drives as long.

[dslam24]

Thanks to both of you for the answers.

I have been looking for a veritas article that states this so I can turn it in to the IS director, but I have not been able to find one. Do you guys know of one?