04-07-2015 11:04 AM
Hi All,
I manually expired the image using Catalog window in Netbackup Admin console.( Step: Just selected the image and clicked Expire.)
But I unable to get free space in DD( DD is configured as VTL).
I just read the below mentioned article and have a query, Do I need to really issue the below commnad to reclaim the space in DD
https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/what-image-clean-job-netbackup
bpexpdate -deassignempty -force
Solved! Go to Solution.
04-08-2015 06:48 AM
Most VTLs do not release the space when NBU has expired the data.
I have seen users here on Connect who have to manually label expired VTL tapes in order for the VTL to release the space.
Some previous Connect posts:
is there an easy way to recycle VTL tapes, to free space
04-29-2015 01:16 AM
DON'T !!!!! - using multplexing on deduplication devices destory the possibility to do deduplication becuase each backup - when multiplxed - present a new set of unique fingerprint.
The workaround is to define more VTL tape drives and disable MPX:
3 drives with mpx of 4 = 12 streams (using real tape drives)
12 VTL tape drives with MPX of 1 (using VTL drives on deduplication devices).
You will see the deduplication rate rocket if you disable MPX. That means you can have more data on the device.
04-07-2015 11:24 AM
Netackup released media for re-use in a 12 hour interval. But space on data domains is not released/reused before a clean has been run. By default clean runs once per week.
You can however initiate the clean manually:
You can initiate a manual cleaning using the web GUI as well.
Background info:
https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-32486
https://community.emc.com/docs/DOC-30529
What are you running low at - Data Domain space or virtual medias ?
04-08-2015 06:48 AM
Most VTLs do not release the space when NBU has expired the data.
I have seen users here on Connect who have to manually label expired VTL tapes in order for the VTL to release the space.
Some previous Connect posts:
is there an easy way to recycle VTL tapes, to free space
04-08-2015 12:46 PM
Marianne once again is correct .... :0)
Not seen them for a while but some vendors developed scripts to release the space, not sure why as the tapes will be overwritten ...
Some people also logged support called when they found the scripts deleted the wrong data ...
04-08-2015 12:47 PM
The VTL doesn't know the image is expired, it's behaving like, well, a tape.
With a real tape, the images expired from netbackup remain on the tape, only when all the images expire, then can the tape be expired. But, even then the images are still on the tape, and it is only when the tape is selected for backup again are they overwritten.
Pretty much the same happens on a VTL, one a 'tape' expires, the space will be reused, but not 'deleted'.
In summary, your VTL is doing exactly what it should, behaving like tape.
04-09-2015 05:57 AM
Thanks everyone.
If I expire the complete tape using the bpexpdate. Will the space be reclaimed.
04-09-2015 06:08 AM
No. bpexpdate will NOT reclaim space on the VTL.
It will simply make the tape available in NBU.
When tape is chosen for backup again, NBU will write a label to the beginning of the tape, which will then release the space for the new backup.
If you want to release the space on the VTL, you need to manually label the tapes as per all of the posts that I have referenced above.
If you use the storage as DISK (OST, basic disk, etc) instead of VTL, the backup will be removed from disk when image is expired.
As per previous posts - VTL is treated the same as physical tape in NBU. Backups are not deleted from tape when media is expired.
04-10-2015 06:44 AM
Mansoor - In order to help you with the right advice, we need to know if you are running out of VTL tapes or running out of Data Domain space.
I asked this question in my first post.
04-20-2015 04:58 AM
Hi Nicoli,
sorry for the delay.I am running out of DD space not Virtual Tape.
04-20-2015 05:08 AM
Please read again through my post of 8 April:
https://www-secure.symantec.com/connect/forums/image-cleanup-process#comment-11019981
If you want the space to be released in DD, you need to label expired tapes.
Either manually using the GUI, or by using a script.
(Some examples in the posts that I have mentioned above.)
04-20-2015 06:58 AM
Now I'm confused ...
You reply to Nicolai saying you run out of space in the DD, not VTL but previouly you state:
But I unable to get free space in DD( DD is configured as VTL).
So, is the storage disk, or virtual tape ...
?
04-21-2015 07:12 AM
MPH999: The problem is the space on the data domain file system. Its not a problem with the defined number of VTL tapes.
Mansoor: How may of the VTL tapes are in the FULL state ?
What the average deduplication rate on the device - point a browser to the IP of the data domain and use the built-in web console.
04-21-2015 05:30 PM
Ahh, the VTL tapes are deduping in background to disk, and the disk is full ...
04-21-2015 06:34 PM
04-22-2015 04:22 PM
Hi Nicolai,
VTL total number of tapes is 1000 number each with 100 GB.
Total size of the DD is 18 TB.
Number of Tapes in Full state is : 170 Tapes
Compression rate : 7.6 %
04-23-2015 02:00 PM
@Marianne - label expired tapes means bpexpdate command and Media-->label-- >unchecking verify media label before perfroming operation -- >ok..
04-23-2015 06:16 PM
04-24-2015 04:02 AM
Dude - compression rate of 7.6. What type of data do you backup. A descent dedupare rate is between 15 to 20. Do you use multiplexing on the VTL tapes ?
04-28-2015 05:16 AM
This discussion has been dragging along for 3 weeks now...
I am sure the question about releasing space on DD after bpexpdate has been answered many times, right?
04-28-2015 02:00 PM
@ Nicolai - Media multiplexing is enabled.
@ Marianne - Thanks for the update. I need to work to get list of media that can be expired and initte media lebal operations.
Regret the delay.