Dell TL2000 Setup

[JaxIsland7575]

I have not done a VBR setup with a tape drive, ever! I have always used USB tape drives that rotate offsite, but anyways I am trying to connect my VBR update 2 to my Dell TL2000. My VBR server is a PowerEdge r730xd running Windows 2012 R2 using a 12Gbps SAS card to connect to the tape drive. I installed This Driver and rebooted. I went into VBR and added the server as a tape library but nothing else came up afterwards. How can I get Veeam to see the tape drive?

Thanks for any help!

Case ID: 01061587

[JaxIsland7575]

Ok I have moved on a step from where I was. It now shows the Library but Drives and Media are all empty. The tape drive is fully populated but Veeam doesn't seem to see it. I should clarify that when I try to add a Media Pool there are no tapes listed as available.

Thanks!

[Dima P.]

Hey Ryan,

It now shows the Library but Drives and Media are all empty. The tape drive is fully populated but Veeam doesn't seem to see it.

What happens if you start to import tapes from the library?

[JaxIsland7575]

Thanks for the reply, I should have updated the post but it was late and I forgot. I was able to get the tapes and everything showing in Veeam. I still have the case open because now I need to verify my configuration. I have 2 VBR servers and the one not connected to the Tape drive does a backup copy to the tape drive VBR server. If I do file to tape is that getting me the same restore capability as backup job to tape?

[Dima P.]

Restore capabilities are the same but backup logic is completely different

[JaxIsland7575]

Ok what is Veeams stance on best practice? Should I try and setup a Backup to Tape job from the other VBR server and have them go across the network or should I just run them all locally on that tape connected VBR server and have the local backups do backup to tape and the copy backups do file to tape?

[Dima P.]

Backup to tape is better as its fully automated and can split the forever incremental backup chain with synthesized full backup (made from incremental restore point on disk), start after the source backup or as a new backup file appear and other. File to tape is lightweight in terms of logic it operates on a file basis, for instance incremental run may pick up the changed full backup (if transform happens) which can seriously load the production network.

It’s hard to say - I’d better play with both solutions and decide what suites you (or your infrastructure) the most

[JaxIsland7575]

That leads into another question that I have with Tape, if I am using forever forward incremental but I need a full backup copied to tape on Sunday evening, do I need a full backup job to do that or will the tape job create the full before writing to it? Can I use that theory with a file to tape job?

[Dima P.]

You just set virtual full backup schedule to run on Sunday. Backup to tape job starts, checks if the full backup for selected day available – in case not it creates it from the incremental restore point and fire it to the tape. Some pictures and logic better explained here

Can I use that theory with a file to tape job?

Nope. It works only for backup to tape and forever incremental backup job. For file to tape synthetic/active full should be used.

[JaxIsland7575]

Nope. It works only for backup to tape and forever incremental backup job. For file to tape synthetic/active full should be used.

So I would schedule the backup copy job to run at 1300 and create a full, then schedule the file to tape job for sometime after that?

[Dima P.]

Should work also.

[JaxIsland7575]

So I am trying to restore a file from a tape job I ran last night. When I do a restore files from tape it only lets me select the .vbk file....I feel like I am missing something on the tape side of the world. Can I restore files from tape?

[Dima P.]

Are looking for “file from VM from tape recovery”?

[JaxIsland7575]

Yes, I would need to restore a file (.docx, xlsx, pdf, etc) but its on a tape backup. Is that a two step process that I have to restore the whole backup file then try a file restore?

[Dima P.]

Sorry Ryan - you have to restore the backup to temporary storage first – file level recovery from tape is not supported (however, we have this feature request on track)

[JaxIsland7575]

Ok so once I have the .vbk and .vbm file on my local C:\ drive of the VBR server, can I run just a normal FLR job? I assume I need a way to point at that file?

[Dima P.]

Double clicking the .vbk or .vbm also works if the VBR is installed on the machine.

[JaxIsland7575]

Wow, just wow. I think I need to pack up and go home for a bit. It was really that easy. I just restored the file to the local drive then double clicked and was able to get files out. Sorry for being so needy, but I appreciate the step by step help. I have a meeting in 15 minutes to show the CEO what his investment in redesigning his whole DR structure got him and this is what I needed!

Cheers!

[Dima P.]

I have a meeting in 15 minutes to show the CEO what his investment in redesigning his whole DR structure got him and this is what I needed!

Two wows is good enough to make me smile Good luck man!

[howartp]

I think I need to pack up and go home for a bit.

I have a meeting in 15 minutes to show the CEO

I wouldn't go home just yet if you've got a meeting with CEO...

[Dima P.]

Lol, give Ryan a break – he was fighting with Tapes, Endpoints, Enterprise manager and Encryption all day long

[howartp]

Hehe

I only started using Endpoint last week and I'm loving it; I've finally got the last 5% of my infrastructure backing up regularly instead of manually.

[JaxIsland7575]

Its all good! Veeam (as usual) is a hit and will be staying around here for quite a while. Ill admit I have been spoiled with other installs being able to migrate onto rotating USB drives vs. Tape, and using VMware, and brand new servers and SAN's. This has definitely been a challenge with old tape drives, two companies sharing resources, Hyper-V, Veeam One, and Enterprise Manager! Then throw VEB in for good measure! I feel good, we worked through the kinks and are transitioning into cruise control for the long haul. I have some VSS errors to address on the hosts and some residual items but we are in great shape.

As ALWAYS tech support was super responsive and helpful (yes I filled out my post-support surveys) and this forum is awesome!

Cheers!

[Dima P.]

Glad to hear - thanks Ryan. Its good to have you on board!