Netbackup media related query

[kaushik_arvind]

Hi

We have recently installed NB 6.2 and it was working well. We have seperate policies for unix and windows and we are taking it on 200GB LTO tape. We have created a volume pool called and created a volume called and assined to this volume pool. Both the windows and unix backup happen on this volume. Like wise we have for other volumepools and volumes created. The retention period is set to 1 week.


ACTIVE FULL SUSPENDED FROZEN IMPORTED
3 3 0 0 0

Number of NON-ACTIVE media that:
2 - are currently EXPIRED
WEDDAY expired 07/06/2006 08:06
SATDAY expired 17/06/2006 08:16
1 - will expire within 1 week
MONDAY expires 26/06/2006 09:00

Number of ACTIVE media that, as of now:
2 - are currently EXPIRED
THUDAY expired 08/06/2006 08:00
SUNDAY expired 18/06/2006 08:00
1 - will expire within 1 week
TUEDAY expires 27/06/2006 08:33

Summary by retention level of ALL media
Level # Media Megabytes
0 6 3927604.9

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What will cause the tapes to expire ?? I would like to know if setting a retntion period set will cause the media to expire or the images to expire? What action do i need to take? Does the tapes get deassigned once the tapes are expired and should i have to assign it back to volume pool. Please help me understand this concept. Now my backup did not start as scheduled. Thanks in advance

Regards
Arvind

[Gerald_W__Gitau]

You need to have a scratch pool. Create one the way you created the other pools but name it scratch. Make sure you tick the selection box "Scratch Pool". Remember to activate barcode rules.

This will direct all expired/deassigned media to the pool, the process is automatic. NB will the pick the media from scratch pool and assign them to the relevant pools as needed. In simple terms, you don't have to interfere.

The retention period will cause the image to expire even thought the data still exists on the tape until it is overwritten.

[Ankur_Kumar]

Hi kaushik

so when you fire a policy with a particular storage unit and a volume pool your
1)backup job goes to one of the drives from the allocated storage unit.
2) one of the media from the selected volume pool is allocated for backup.
3) the image is written on the media

now for example all the images in the media have a retention of 1 week. And they have all been backed up on todays date as well as the media capcaity is exhausted, " no spcae left on the media"

so seven days from now all the images would be expired and your Media would be expired and moved to the SCRATCH POOL from where it came from.

similarly if the images on the media are of differrent retention period then the media will not expire till the time the last and even if its the smallest size image has expired.



Chiao
Ankur Kumar

[Stumpr2]

It is possible to have a tape that has a 1 week retention to remain assigned for a very long time. The tape does not expire until all images on the tape expires. if you have a 200GB tape capacity and you are backing up 10 GB once a week with one week retentition then the tape will eventually expire in 21 weeks.

[kaushik_arvind]

Simple question :

When the tape cartridge is full , what to i need to do so as to use the same cartridge.

Do i have to expire all the images on the tape so that the cartrige can be reused? Is there a way we can configure netbackup to send us mail on when the tapes are nearing tis full capacity / or nearing expiry.

Regards
Arvind

[Stumpr2]

When the tape cartridge is full , what to i need to do so as to use the same cartridge.? Simply wait until ALL images expire and then the tape will be available for reuse.

Do i have to expire all the images on the tape so that the cartrige can be reused?
You can expire the images earlier by using the bpexpdate command.

Is there a way we can configure netbackup to send us mail on when the tapes are nearing tis full capacity / or nearing expiry.
You can run the available_media script and email the output from running the script to your email account.