Set aside a tape drive for dups

[cgoliver]

Hello,

We have ~ 30 tape drives per storage unit. Each storage unit is based on a media server. All media is shared amongst all media servers (24).

My question. We need to set aside a single tape drive for performing dups off our dsu's. How can this be accomplished?

Thanks,

Chris

[RonCaplinger]

Change the current storage unit to only allow Max Concurrent Write Drives of "29".  Then create a new storage unit for the same media server/Storage Device combination with only 1 Max Concurrent Write Drive.  When you define the duplications (through SLP's or Vault), write to the new single drive Storage Unit.  This way you won't have any hard-coded drives, it will just choose a drive that is not already assigned to the other storage unit.

[Andy_Welburn]

all your media servers such that each media server can access any of your tape drives?

If your drives are shared across your environment then this could present a further issue for consideration. You could end up restricting the amount of drives that are available for backups for the rest of your infrastructure to a greater extent than if they weren't shared.

e.g. total 31 drives (in one library) shared across 3 media servers, you would have to have

STU1 - max concurrent 10
STU2 - max concurrent 10
STU3 - max concurrent 10
STU4 - max concurrent 1 (for dup)

If they're not shared then Rons suggestion will fit your requirements.

[cgoliver]

Between all 24 media servers all tape drives and all tapes.

Each storage unit is for a specific type of tape drive

xxxxxxxx_LTO ~ 16 Tape drives across 24 different paths

xxxxxxxx_T10A ~ 14 Tape drives across 24 different paths

xxxxxxxx_T10B ~ 4 Tape drives across 24 different paths

I suspect there is no solution.

Chris

[Rajesh_s1]

As you are using SSO , and you have shared all drives across media servers . its not possible to dedicate a perticular drive only for duplication . As the drives are shared accross media servers which ever the drives are free that drive will be used. 

One thing i can suggest , if you can configure an another media server and zone only this media server to a particular drive and then Create a stg unit and dedicate your duplications only on that storage unit (Note: duplication wil happen through network).

[cgoliver]

We are going to move from tape as primary target to disk as primary target. Then dup to tape. This should alleviate some of the problems we are dealing with. 

[Mark_Solutions · Accepted solution]

There is one other possibility but needs a little thought so i will go through the process to give you an idea:

1. Allocate a set of tapes for the duplications that, so for this we will say to use one of the LTO drives.

2. Change the media type for this set of tapes from say hcart (if that is what they currently are) to hcart2 using the vmquery command:

install_path\Volmgr\bin\vmchange [-h EMM_server | volume_database_host] -new_mt media_type -m media_id

3. A bar code rule may be useful for the above if you can have a specific bar codee for the duplication tapes to ensure they are always added as half inch cartridge 2.

4. Double click one of the HCART drives and change its type to HCART2 - this will register for all hosts and restart the device manager on them all

5. Set your current hcart storage units to have one drive less than they currently have

6. Create a new storage unit of type hcart2 with just this one drive

7. Specify this storage unit to be used by the DSSU

Job done - one shared drive and a set of tapes which wont get used for any other jobs

Hope this helps