Netbackup 6.5 issues

[Msoro]

Guru's

I'm running Netbackup 6.5 on Solaris 10 with media/master server on the same host

Kindly advice on the issues below

1. I realise after ejecting media from the tape library & doing an inventory robot (update contents) the ejected volumes are still present in the media list. The only difference is the eject button is disabled. Could this be a software bug issue ?
2. Backups of Windows clients  are written to one tape at a time but for UNIX clients backups are written to more than one tape at time.  This is especially  true in cases where I have a single policy backuping up files in more than one UNIX client. This is really causing confusion because I can't tell which tapes should be relocated for offsite storage.
3. How do I expire a tape so that it can be recycled ?
4. My tape library is a new SUN Storagetek SL500 & I'm using LTO4 tapes. I have lots of LTO2 tapes which are not barcoded? Is it possible to use them with this library ? If so, can you advice on a good barcode printer software

Regards

[RiaanBadenhorst]

Hi,

1. Why would it be a bug? If the media is offsite you can't eject it, so why should the option be available?
2. Run the media written report after your backup run, it will tell you which tapes were written to in the previous x day/x hours. Eject those tapes and send them offiste. Or use Vault (license required)
3. If your retention periods are configured correctly you don't need to expire media/images. NetBackup will do it for you when the expiry date comes around.

[Ed_Wilts]

No.  You can not write to an LTO-2 tape in an LTO-4 tape drive.  From the Ultrium FAQ at http://www.ultrium.com/About/faq.html:

What are the backward compatibility characteristics of the Ultrium format?

The LTO Ultrium compatibility is defined with two concepts demonstrating investment protection: 1) An Ultrium drive can read data from a cartridge in its own generation and two prior generations. 2) An Ultrium drive can write data to a cartridge in its own generation and to a cartridge from the immediate prior generation in the prior generation format.

For example: 
- An Ultrium format Generation 5 drive will read and write data on an Ultrium format Generation 4 cartridge as specified by the Generation 4 format and read data on an Ultrium format Generation 3 drive.

- An Ultrium format Generation 4 drive will read and write data on an Ultrium format Generation 3 cartridge as specified by the Generation 3 format and read data on an Ultrium format Generation 2 drive

In your LTO-4 drives, you can read LTO-2 tapes but can not write to them.

[Marianne]

My 2c:

1. Ejected tapes will still appear in the media database. Have a look at the Robot Type  column: ejected tapes should show up as NONE.

2. Use 'Tape Written' report to get a list of tapes used in the selected period.

3. Careful about expiring tapes - there's a reason for retention periods. User's have a habit of requesting restores soon after manual expiration. They KNOW when their backups are supposed to expire naturally...
Command to expire when you are 100% sure and accept 100% responsibillity/accoutability:

bpexpdate -m <media-id> -d 0

4. STK libraries will not accept/use non-barcoded media. Best to purchase labels from your STK/SUN/Oracle resellers (seen too many problems with home-made barcodes). Also - as Ed pointed out - LTO4 drive can read from LTO2 media, but cannot write to it.