Clarify Virtual Full Tape options

[matt_778]

@v.Eremin

I read this here:

make sure that tape retention is not shorter than a disk one. Otherwise, a tape job would try to copy two .vbks - old one that was copied previously but has been already removed from tapes and virtual full one
http://forums.veeam.com/tape-f29/trying ... 32124.html

I want to understand this more.

I have a forward incremental (forever) disk jobs setup with 30 rollback points.
I want to add tape offload (virtual full) via Veeam. I set my media pool to protect media for 6 days - but I'm worried this will cause 2 x .VBK writes to tape?

Here is a link to pics of my job settings: http://1drv.ms/1UHpdJU

Can someone confirm my current settings would write 2 x .VBKs to tape per job?
Also, if I changed media pool settings to Do not protect data.. would that result in jsut 1 x .VBK written to tape?

The outcome I want it for just 1 x Virtual Full .VBK written to tape, per job

[Dima P.]

Hi Matt,

I set my media pool to protect media for 6 days - but I'm worried this will cause 2 x .VBK writes to tape?

Once tapes are overwritten by retention (i.e. does not contains restore points for the source job) tape job will pick all the restore points from the disk and create one additional virtual full backup for the set day (check under the Schedule button at the tape job’s media pool for full backups) to split up the long incremental chain.

For instance if you have a forever forward incremental backup chain three weeks long it picks the first .vbk and then creates one virtual full for the last third week.

Can someone confirm my current settings would write 2 x .VBKs to tape per job?

Since your tape retention is shorter than disk retention, you will get the first full backup in the backup chain from disk plus one virtual full backup on tape for the set day.

Also, if I changed media pool settings to Do not protect data.. would that result in jsut 1 x .VBK written to tape?

No, since there is no guarantee that restore points on tape won’t be erased before they are gone from the disk repository.

The outcome I want it for just 1 x Virtual Full .VBK written to tape, per job

Is it possible to increase the retention for tape media (you may also decrease the retention on disk repository)?

[matt_778]

I think I understand, though its making by brain hurt.

I guess I was hoping the virtual full would just sent to tape a Full on the day I have set, and not concern itself if there are other (longer) rollbacks on disk.
Is there any change to this in Veeam 9?

For now, I have increased the media pool retention and reduced the rollbacks on disk, though this goes against the number of disk rollbacks the client wanted.

[veremin]

Is there any change to this in Veeam 9?

Yes. However, in initial release forward forever incremental chains will not fall under those changes. Most likely, it will happen in one of next v9 updates. Thanks.