DWIvey
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Back-up Exec: overwrite protection and appending
we run two jobs each night. The first job is the backup of our email (GroupWise) system. This job is set to overwrite. The second job is the backup of the rest of the systems, both on a Novell server, as well as the media server, MS server2003. This job is set to append, then overwrite if no appendable media.
The media set for each tape is set for overwrite protection for 1 day and infinite append. We use 5 different tapes, one for each weekday.
My question is how to set up the append and overwrite protection. I don't want the 2nd job to overwrite the first job or fail because there is no appendable media. These jobs run in the evening and there is no one here to change the tapes. WIll the 2nd job append, even though the 1st job has overwrite protection? What happens after a few weeks and there is no more appenable space left on the tape...will it overwrite onto the section of tape that is not overwrite protected by the first job? Does this sound confusing?
The media set for each tape is set for overwrite protection for 1 day and infinite append. We use 5 different tapes, one for each weekday.
My question is how to set up the append and overwrite protection. I don't want the 2nd job to overwrite the first job or fail because there is no appendable media. These jobs run in the evening and there is no one here to change the tapes. WIll the 2nd job append, even though the 1st job has overwrite protection? What happens after a few weeks and there is no more appenable space left on the tape...will it overwrite onto the section of tape that is not overwrite protected by the first job? Does this sound confusing?
ASKER
ok...I'll try it tonight and let you know.
Thanks
Thanks
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ASKER
We have 1 tape drive (a new HP Ultrium 480), We use 5 different tapes, 1 each weekday, with 1 custom defined media set. The media set is set up for a 20 hour overwrite protection period and infinite allow append period. Each night we run 2 jobs, backed up on the same inserted tape. Job #1 is set for overwrite media, Job #2 is set to append or overwrite if no appendable media is available.
I'm pretty sure job #1 will run properly. It's job #2 that is confusing. I'm hoping it will append onto the tape after the overwrite protected job #1 data. and keep appending until it gets to the end of the tape, at which time I'm hoping it will overwrite, but only on the non-overwrite protected portion of the tape...geesh, you're right when you said this can be confusing!!
It appears that the first solution worked, although I really need to go a week or two to make sure the tapes don't fill up and stop recording.
I'm pretty sure job #1 will run properly. It's job #2 that is confusing. I'm hoping it will append onto the tape after the overwrite protected job #1 data. and keep appending until it gets to the end of the tape, at which time I'm hoping it will overwrite, but only on the non-overwrite protected portion of the tape...geesh, you're right when you said this can be confusing!!
It appears that the first solution worked, although I really need to go a week or two to make sure the tapes don't fill up and stop recording.
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So i think what everyone is telling you is accurate. It is ALSO very difficult to do backups without a library and only a single drive. Overwreite protection applies to a media set not a "job" first off, and i think that's what is confusing you. You need different media & different media sets created ideally & a tape library to make your life as simple as possible. Although you don't have a library / autoloader your settings might still work assuming your daily jobs will fit on to one tape. The append period should be set to infinite ideally based on your simple backup scheme. The 20 hour overwrite protection sound right.
ASKER
You're right, it is very confusing...even BE tech support wasn't much help...I will probably end up buying a second tape drive and controller to run the two backups. This is largely because Groupwise has its own open file mechanism which is why we run 2 jobs. 1 using BE's open file mgr and 1 using GW's open file mgr...geesh!
The second job will continue on the tape that the first job ended on.
Since you set up the first job to overwrite, every week the backup will start again at the start of the tape. The "after a few weeks" scenario shouldn't worry you.
Should your tape fill up completely with the backup of one day, then Backup Exec will just prompt you to insert a new tape. It will never overwrite anything on the tape it just finished with.