How to duplicate a tape in NetBackup

[Keith_pA]

Hello,
My apologies if this is a dumb question but I'm new to NetBackup and I can't find a simple way to make a copy of one tape to another.
I have discovered how to:

1. Duplicate an image
2. Make an Inline copy.
3. Make multiple concurrent copies

but I can't figure out how to copy one tape to another.
Also, can this be done if the primary tape exists in robot A and the backup tape exists in robot B?
Both robots are connected to same media server which is also the master.

Thanks.

[Stumpr2]

Keith,
Netbackup duplicates images and not tapes as you have already discovered. A workaround would be to identify all images on a tape and then duplicate those images.

You can set up a "read" host with any of its storage units that it has physical acces to the image to be read for duplication and a "write" host with any of its storage units taht have physical access to the "duplicated images tape"

[Keith_pA]

Thanks Bob,
I was certain that there was a a way to duplicate the tapes for offsite storage.
I'm also surprised that you are able to do inline copies, which are copies made when the backup is done, but you are unable to manually do a physical tape copy.

[Stumpr2]

The inline copies are simple.
NetBackup stuffs the clients data into a memory buffer. The data is then pulled from the memory buffer unto the tape. The buffer is then cleared for reuse and the process continues. All inline copy does is ensure that both tapes have received the data before clearing it from the buffer. This does add a little overhead for the initial backup but saves a whole ton of time compared to doing a post read/write from a tape to a tape process.Message was edited by:
Bob Stump