bpexpdate expire disk images promote tape images to primary

[Thomas_Anthony]

NBU 7.6.0.3 on RedHat Master

Hello Forum, 

Have a large number of disk backup images that were manually written to tape some time ago. I've confirmed all the disk backup images are the Primary copy and have a duplicate copy residing on tape.  

I have the valid list of backup images that reside both on tape and disk and can use this list for bpexpdate, but am not sure how to safely expire the disk images only.   So the plan is to bpexpdate the disk backup images from the disk storage unit and then promote the tape backup images to be the primary copy.   Wanted to check with the forum to confirm the bpexpdate command syntax and options.  Suggestions ?

Thanks

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Currently using SLPs to do this automatically for current backup images, and have been using vault to duplicate older disk backup images to tape (using the expire option), but the above are backup images that were manually written to tape with no disk expirations made.

[Marianne · Accepted solution]

All disk images should be copy number 1, right?
Tape copies then copy number 2?

If you are 100% sure, you can add the image-id's to a text file and write a script to loop through the list and expire copy 1.
This will automatically promote the remaining copy (2) to primry.

Something like:

bpexpdate -backupid <backup_id> -d 0 -copy 1

[stucci · Accepted solution]

I agree with Marianne,

I add, if you are 100% sure you can add also -force to prevent confirm for any image expiration.

regards

[Mark_Solutions]

You can also just search the catalog section against primary copy for them .. that should show them with the mediaid as the disk path or disk media id (@aaaaaf o similar) so that you can be sure they are the right ones and only on disk.

You can then right click and select expire .. that expires just that copy

Re-run the search in the catalog and you will see that the primary is now the tape media id copy - all done automtically for you.

Really easy and safe as you cannot miss one if the Primary is actually on tape.

Test it with one image first if you feel unsure but saves any risk with making a typo 

[Thomas_Anthony]

Thanks for the feedback

Yes, have confirmed the disk images to be expired are copy 1/primary using "bpimagelist -backupid" (which shows backup images have media id's on both on disk and tape), a catalog search for all copies (which shows the media id's for disk and tape), and ran vault to duplicate the disk backup images to tape (which returned backup images are already on tape: 'Already in Offsite Volume Group').

Have previously used the GUI to expire images, and although that method is preferred, cannot use the GUI for this case since there are 1,500 non-sequential backup images. Searching and expiring would take too much time.

Will try the suggested bpexpdate command "bpexpdate -backupid <backup_id> -d 0 -copy 1" on a couple disk backup images, confirm with "bpimagelist -backupid" and if successful, will then run a script on the rest (using the -force parameter). Thanks!