Where are my incrementals?

[tfloor]

Hi,

I need some explanation about how the backup full / incrementals to tape are working.
I've read the user guide, but i still don't understand exactly how it works.

I've a backup to disk job with 1 test vm. 1x Full and 3 incrementals.
Then i created a Backup to Tape Job, and select the previous test-vm-job to backup.

Then i assign a full backup pool "Media pool full backups"
And i also select "Process incremental backup files" and assign "Media pool Incremental Backups"

Started the job, and ended with only a new media set created under the "media pool Full Backups".
Don't see the incrementals on tape.

So the question is. Where are the incrementals?


The goal of my situation is to backup incrementals of 4 backups jobs on Monday till thursday, and on friday the synthetic full. All of them to tape.
If that is working i can move backup exec to the trash.

I appreciate any advice.

Tristan.

[Dima P.]

Hello Tristan,

Incremental backups should be stored on the media, assigned to the Incremental media pool. Could you please confirm it, running Restore wizard: Restore wizard > Source and press "Point" button on the right side of the wizard: it should display all the available restore points for the VM, as well as provide you with the detailed information.

Please note: If you choose a full backup point in the list, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore only this full backup. If you choose an increment, Veeam Backup & Replication will restore a chain consisting of a full backup and forward increments, necessary to restore selected VM to the required point-in-time.

Thank you.

[tfloor]

That's exactly what i did.

Made 2 pools.
1x full backup media pool
1x incremental backup media pool

assigned 2 test tapes to each media pool.

And i also have checked the restore wizard > Point, i only see 1 restore point. It's the media set Full backup %date%
Another interesting thing is that i don't see a media set created on tapes within the incremental pool.
So all tapes in the incremental pool are empty (no files)

So i don't know if i do something wrong.

[Dima P.]

Tristan,

Unfortunately, I need to ask you to contact the support team and provide them with logs for deep investigation, as right now it does not work as expected. Thank you.

[tfloor]

Oke, thanks. I will create a support ticket.
I will post the results here.

[Dima V.]

Tristan,

Just to be sure.
Do you use Reversed Incremental or Forward Incremental backup mode for your backup job?

Backup to tape job processes only VBK (full backups) and VIB files (forward increments). Reversed increments (VRB) are skipped form processing.

[tfloor]

I use Forward incremental backups. (i've read that already in the user guide).
And because of the need for tape backups i use forwards.

[Dima P.]

Tristan,
Thank you for the heads up!

Please let us know the case number, after you would contact support team so we could track the investigation!

[tfloor]

I'm at the moment busy with the case.
It looks like that Veeam has still problems opening the tape drive.
Probably because of another process is still blocking access.

While i already has stopped all the backup exec processes, i now have disabled them and will try again.
It's not possible to uninstall the backup exec, because he has to backup to tape each night, while i'm further test with the veeam tape features.

[tfloor]

Disabling the services is not the solution:

Still see this in the logs:

[20.08.2013 12:15:47] <08> Info [AP] (c24a) error: Cannot get tape media parameters: Tape error: '21' (The device is not ready.\n) \n--tr:Cannot start new tape backup session 'Backup set 20-8-2013 12:15:37 created' for tape 'Tape0'.\n--tr:Client failed to process the command. Command: [startSessionTape].\n

So there must be something else :S

[tfloor]

I think i have found the solution.

In my device manager the driver of the tape drive is from symantec corporation.
I've said "update driver" and let windows search for something else, and came back with a driver from HP.
After that is was possible to do the backups to tape again.


So i think it's better to use windows or manufactered drivers and not from a backup solution like symantec .....
and then it's still needed to stop the backup exec services, because BU wants exclusive access to the tape device .(grrr)

I can now fully test the tape feature.

[Gostev]

Thanks for the update, Tristan!

[nunciate]

I have a Quantum i80 with 4 LTO6 FC drives. I have "Weekly Full" and "Daily Incremental" media pools setup. I have all jobs setup to do the full and incremental to each of those pools. Every backup I run is placed into the Weekly Full pool even incremental jobs. I do have the tape library driver installed from the Quantum site. I also can't believe that a single pool can only access 1 drive at a time as the job locks the pool. Meaning I have to run every job to a different pool so that each job can take the next available drive. Which means every job will get a new tape if I understand how this works. Unacceptable! I will run out of tapes in the library just doing incremental backups if I don't fill it all the way.

[foggy]

Every backup I run is placed into the Weekly Full pool even incremental jobs.

Alan, this should not be the case and, as you've already been advised in the adjacent thread, please open the case for this problem to be investigated. Thanks.