Migrating NetBackup to a new tape library

[dterm]

Hello,

This is a simple question, but I was wondering if anyone can help me understand better what I need to do or guide me. I recently migrated from one tape library vendor to another. Therefore, I have few volume pools created for the new tape library with its new media and I have existing volume pools from the old tape library. I want to remove the volume pools that have tapes from the old tape library, but want to be able to use the tapes in the future as we have one year retention period for data and I am still within that year. I want to remove the old media and volume pools for easier administration and cleaner UI. I tried changing pools for old media, so all old media is under one volume pool and I can use it in the future if I need to restore it. The old library is gone and every time I try to move media, delete volume pool, etc I get an error that the move failed.

My concern is how do I remove these media and volume pools that were created with my old library and still retain the images on the media which can be used later to restore if necessary. Should I remove these media and delete volume pools? I do have catalog backup tapes. Thanks.

-D

[Nicolai]

You can't move a assigned media from one volume pool to another. Media that are expired (scratch) can be moved.

[RiaanBadenhorst]

To add to what Nicolai said, you don't have to worry about the volume pools. Volume pools dont relate in any way to a library, in fact you can have 50 libraries all using the same volume pool. Just leave them there.

[dterm]

I guess then I will have to keep them there. I was hoping there was a way it couldn't be expired and moved or retained in some way then it would be nice.

Thank you for your comments.

[Mark_Solutions · Accepted solution]

You only really have three choices here:

1. Wait for a year until they have all expired and then move them to your new pool and delete the old pools.

2. Expire the old ones, move them to the new pool, delete the old pools and then re-import them all (very long winded!!)

3. Expire the new ones, move them to the old pool, delete the new pool and re-import them (long winded but depends how long the new library has been in place and how many tapes you have written)

Easiest is to just wait as year - do a regular check of the old pool for tapes that no longer have an assigned date and move them to the new pool.

Good luck!

[Tmy_70]

Step to Step:

1. Check the catalog with NBCC

2. Select the imagine on tape

bpimmedia -mediaid <Mediaid> -L
bpmedialist -U -mlist -ev <Mediaid>

3. create a new storage unit with tape

[Marianne]

There is no need to move tapes to 'new pool'. Pool is related to data contained on the tapes, not to the location or the robot.

If the tapes are compatible with the drives in the new robot, you can use the media in the new robot.

Verify media and drive density - they must match for NBU to be able to use them together.

Density for Assigned media cannot be changed (similar to the volume pool). Drive density can be changed.

Please tell us what the new drives are (e.g. LTO4, LTO5)? and 'old' media type (LTO3, LTO4)?
Also what their densities are in NBU (hcart....)?

Please see this TN for an explanation of how Volume Group is related to location and Volume Pool to usage, regardless of location:   http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO33887

[mpatt]

I need to move an existing i500 library from one Environement to another.

1) Any particular process to delete the tape drives from old Media server ? Or do i just delete them.

2) Also the new master/media server(s) that i am moving this i500 has a unfunctional Tape libary that i need to replace. While deleting the bad tape library, would there be any change in the Robots tape numbers? I currently have TLD 0, 1 and 2 of which TLD 0 is being replaced. Would deleting TLD 0 re-number the Robots?

3) Any particular precautions from netbackup master/media servers when migrating it to a new environment while deleting and adding to different master servers?

[dterm]

Marianne, new tape drives are LTO5. Old ones are LTO4. Ultrium 4 tapes. I can use the tapes from the old LTO4 tape library to the new one, the density is 1/2 inch cartridge for both.

Currently, I don't have the older tape library assigned in NetBackup, and am left with older media and the volume pools. Basically, I only want the new LTO5 media and the volume pools in the new tape library. I need the images on older media, which I can use later to insert in the new tape library and recover. I have the catalog backups. To confirm, I should be able to do recover with that if I am able to remove older media?

Recap: I want to know if there is a way to remove these older media, volume pools from the netbackup without waiting for a year as suggested previously. I need the images. Once I expire the older media or wait it out, I am not going to be using them on my current network, as the older tape library is being migrated to another network where these media will be reused. So no need to put the media in the new pool either. I want to start using the older tapes for backups on the network where the old library is being migrated to, so I have enough tapes for backups. I don't need to or want to buy more media as it is sufficient for our needs on both networks, just moving these older media without losing images is my issue. 

I will try looking into your solution, Tmy_70. I am not an expert command line user for NetBackup, so I will check...

Thank you for all your posts.

[Marianne]

"I need the images."

Then DO NOT expire the media/images and 'wait out' the media/image expiration.

Once the media/images have naturally expired, you will be able to change the volume pool.