Implementing Tape - Recommendations wanted

[benbour]

Hello all.

I am looking to implement a tape solution to my backup infrastructure. I currently am using an HP storage works X1600 G2 running Windows Storage Server. This is for all vSphere backups. I'm getting to the point now where available space is running out and I'd like to have a tape backup for archiving.

Here are the two big factors I'm wondering about:

1) How can this be worked in Veeam? I assume I start by adding a tape server? Or can I just buy an external tape drive and plug it in?

Once that's all set up, I'd basically like to move every single backup over to it and start fresh on the physical array again. Can the backup to tape job accomplish this? Will it allow me to say, move everything over to tape except for the past 2 weeks? Will it then remove the existing backups off the physical array for me?

2) If #1 can be done, what is out there for hardware solutions? Am I simply OK to purchase a device like above? I'm looking to archive approx. 10TB of data to tape. Is there a tape that will hold all of this, or will it have to be spread out?

Sorry for all of the questions. I'm hoping someone has gone through this with the same needs as me, and can offer up some advice!

Thanks!

[PTide]

Hi,

1) How can this be worked in Veeam? I assume I start by adding a tape server?

Corect. Please see Helpcenter article for details.

Can the backup to tape job accomplish this?

You can copy the whole backup repository to tape if you specify repository as a source.

Will it allow me to say, move everything over to tape except for the past 2 weeks?

No, that will move the whole repo containment to tape. May I ask you what backup mode do you use (incremental, reverse-incremental, forever-forward)?

Will it then remove the existing backups off the physical array for me?

No, it won't.

2) If #1 can be done, what is out there for hardware solutions? Am I simply OK to purchase a device like above? I'm looking to archive approx. 10TB of data to tape. Is there a tape that will hold all of this, or will it have to be spread out?

Well, tapes of such capacity are not commercially available so you'll need to use several tapes. Please also check this compatbility list.

[benbour]

I use Daily incremental with synthetic fulls every Friday. It's also set to transform previous backup chains into rollbacks. If Veeam won't remove the existing backups after I've moved them to tape, do I simply manually delete them from Windows Explorer?

Also, HP has Tape Drives available that look like they'll do 15TB

[PTide]

If Veeam won't remove the existing backups after I've moved them to tape, do I simply manually delete them from Windows Explorer?

It's not recommended to delete restore points manually. The best method would be to specify shorter retention policy and let it delete old restore points automatically.

Also, HP has Tape Drives available that look like they'll do 15TB

Good, then you can use that one.

Thank you.

[skrause]

Also, HP has Tape Drives available that look like they'll do 15TB

That is the compressed size of an LTO7 tape. If you are putting compressed/deduped backup files (likely with Veeam) onto the tape, you will not want to use library compression as you will not gain much in terms of usable capacity. LTO7 tapes have a raw capacity of 6TB, so I would use that number to determine max per-tape capacity.

[benbour]

It's not recommended to delete restore points manually. The best method would be to specify shorter retention policy and let it delete old restore points automatically.

I want to move everything over to tape. Then I want to start over. As soon as I lower retention, how fast will Veeam remove restore points?

Will I be able to briefly set retention to 1, wait for Veeam to clear, and set it back to 30?

[veremin]

As soon as I lower retention, how fast will Veeam remove restore points?

During its next cycle.

Will I be able to briefly set retention to 1, wait for Veeam to clear, and set it back to 30?

Yep, you will.

By the way, the idea of writing backups to tapes and then deleting everything from disc has been discussed several times on our forums, so, feel free to check similar threads.

Thanks.