Restore Files from Tape after Retention Time has elapsed

[morganaw]

On a Files to Tape job we were doing a weekly full and no incrementals and had the retention policy set for 30 days. In reality we were keeping the last job of the month for 12 months and should have had it setup as a GFS rotation, but didn't. We needed to do a restore from a tape 3 months old and don't seem to be able to. The files are still on the tape, but the restore point isn't an option when we go to perform the restore.

We can fix this going forward by switching to a GFS rotation job. But is there any way to read off these old tapes that have passed their retention period? Not a big deal, we found the file another way. But I am wonder if all these monthly offline copies we have stored offsite are worthless or worth keeping.

[morganaw]

Although I have just discovered that I cannot use a GFS retention media set with a Files to Tape job...

[morganaw]

Never mind I figured out that it does show older tapes, past retention period, but around 30 days ago the folder name was changed so it didn't exist with that folder name on older tapes.

[fragi25]

Hi, i have the same issue. Trying to do a restore from an expiered tape.
What steps are needed, that i can see and choose my restorepoints from this tape?

Thanks for any help
fragi25

[morganaw]

I just did a restore like normal and it worked fine. It let me chose all the old restore points, as long as the tape hasn't been written over or erased. If your tape doesn't have the right name you can try cataloging the tape first. But then I had no problem.

Our issue was that the file were were looking for was within a folder that had the name change. So we were looking for the current folder name and needed to look for an older temporary folder name.

[Regnor]

Just be careful that your tape jobs don't overwrite the "expired" tape as long as it's inside the drive/library.
To be safe either protect the tape via Veeam or use the hardware lock.

[fragi25]

Good Morning,

after trying to make a restore from this tape, i took it out of the library, so that i can be sure, that no job will overwrite it.

But, i can`t see my Restorepoints from this tape, and i allso can`t choose a backup, stored on this tape. I allready run cataloging on this tape, but still can`t see, or choose a backup from this tape.

So i still need some help.

Thanks
fragi25