Mixing Backup and File to Tape

[UT2015]

Hi,

we have a "Backup to Tape" job, which backups a VMware Backup and several Endpoint Backups to tape.

We have also "File to Tape" job, which backups some local folders from the physical computer, Veeam Backup & Replication is running on.

Because the size of the files in the "File to Tape" job is not that big, we are "wasting" a single tape for it every day. Those files would easily fit on the last tape of the "Backup to Tape" job.

Is there really no way to mix a "Backup to Tape" with a "File to Tape" job?

Regards,
UT2015

[Shestakov]

Hi and welcome to the forums!
You can use an option to continue using the current media set instead of creating new one each time.
This way you will not waste remaining space on tapes. And yes, you can mix these 2 jobs on the same tape.
Thanks!

[UT2015]

Hi,

thanks for the info, that works perfectly!

Regards,
UT2015

[Shestakov]

Great!
Once you have a question, don`t hesitate asking.

[pshute]

I have a similar situation - each Wednesday I want to write a VM backup to tape, and then append a file backup to the same tape. But if I set both jobs to use the same media pool, and I set that media pool to "continue using the current media set", what happens when I try to reuse that tape in a few weeks? Won't it just keep trying to append backups to it till it's full?

[Shestakov]

Hello.
Not sure I`ve got your question. Both jobs will write on that tape until it`s full and then use another tape. You can set data retention to keep the tape from overwriting.
Does it answer your question?
Thanks!

[pshute]

Maybe. Currently I've got the retention for that pool to not protect. If I was to set it to 2 days, and set the media pool back to Create new Media Set, will it overwrite with the first backup done on Wednesday, and append the second one, then do similar next week?

I'm finding this stuff non intuitive. I know the Backup Exec way isn't the only way, but with every job one knew whether it was going to overwrite or append.

Thanks the prompt reply. I'm liking this method of support much better than just submitting support requests.

[Dima P.]

But if I set both jobs to use the same media pool, and I set that media pool to "continue using the current media set"

If you don’t use tape job’s export or eject options it will be written to the very end. In case you do, new media set is going to be opened while unused space remains on the ejected/exported tape.

[pshute]

We will manually eject and change the tape once a week. Will it do as we want without further actions if we do that?

[Dima P.]

Sounds good. Just to clarify the existing architecture: when tape gets ejected and job kicks in it waits for the tape to be ejected. You can insert the tape that was used before to append or start using a new tape instead. Whenever you use a new tape previous is no longer appendable.

[pshute]

Sounds good. Just to clarify the existing architecture: when tape gets ejected and job kicks in it waits for the tape to be ejected. You can insert the tape that was used before to append or start using a new tape instead. Whenever you use a new tape previous is no longer appendable.

I've finally got back to setting this up. Can you please clarify what you mean by "a new tape"? When I change our weekly tape, the one I put in will most likely have a backup on it from about a month ago. Does that count as a new tape? Or will it be appended to if I've selected "Do not create, always continue using the current media set" for that media pool?

[Shestakov]

Peter, one media set can contain several tapes.
If you select "Do not create, always continue using the current media set" you will have all backups written to the same media set.
By new tape was meant another tape from the media pool which is not currently protected.

[pshute]

I'm having trouble understanding how to apply this to my situation. I think it makes more sense if you have an autoloader. We want to back up a VM backup to tape on a Wednesday, then add some more files to the same tape. Then we put in another tape (which may have been used before), and we want to do the same thing the next Wednesday - if the tape has anything on it already, it's to be overwritten.

How do we set this up?

[Shestakov]

So you schedule backup to tape to run on every Wednesday and file to tape later this day or on Thursday.
Then, set an option to create new media set every Friday and choose desired protection period.
Next week the used tape(s) will be protected and another one will be used for the next run.

[pshute]

So you schedule backup to tape to run on every Wednesday and file to tape later this day or on Thursday.
Then, set an option to create new media set every Friday and choose desired protection period.
Next week the used tape(s) will be protected and another one will be used for the next run.

Thanks. What exactly does "Create New Media Set" do? Does it require the tape to be in the drive at the specified time?

And why do I need to set the retention period? The previous tape should be safely out of the drive by the time the next backup is scheduled. Is that to guard against accidental overwriting? Or is it just something that is necessary with autoloaders?

If I try these settings, how do I prove to myself what has ended up on the tape?

[Shestakov]

Media Set is a set of tapes used for continuously writing backup data. Please check the hyperlink for more info.

And why do I need to set the retention period? The previous tape should be safely out of the drive by the time the next backup is scheduled. Is that to guard against accidental overwriting? Or is it just something that is necessary with autoloaders?

If you store your tapes offline after the job is finished, you don`t need that option. Media set protection is needed if you leave the tapes in the media pool and don`t want them to be overwritten.
Thanks!

[pshute]

Media Set is a set of tapes used for continuously writing backup data. Please check the hyperlink for more info.

But I can't write any data to a tape unless it's part of a media set can I, even if I never continue writing onto a second tape?

And why do I need to set the retention period? The previous tape should be safely out of the drive by the time the next backup is scheduled. Is that to guard against accidental overwriting? Or is it just something that is necessary with autoloaders?

If you store your tapes offline after the job is finished, you don`t need that option. Media set protection is needed if you leave the tapes in the media pool and don`t want them to be overwritten.
Thanks!

When you say "leave the tapes in the media pool", do you mean leaving them physically in an autoloader, or in the media pool defined by the software? I have a media pool called "Weekly tapes", and of course I want them to be overwritten next month, but for one day I want to be able to append a couple of jobs to a single tape.

I asked if there's a way to see what's on a tape. If you can tell me that then I can experiment and work out how all this works by trial and error. At the moment I'm just not confident of what will happen.

[Shestakov]

But I can't write any data to a tape unless it's part of a media set can I, even if I never continue writing onto a second tape?

Not sure I`ve got the question. Media set can consist of one or several tapes and as written in a link mentioned above, you can have only one media set or create new sets periodically.

When you say "leave the tapes in the media pool", do you mean leaving them physically in an autoloader, or in the media pool defined by the software? I have a media pool called "Weekly tapes", and of course I want them to be overwritten next month, but for one day I want to be able to append a couple of jobs to a single tape.

I mean the media pool defined by the software.
Thanks!

[pshute]

I'm still trying to get my head around how this all works. If I have a tape that had a backup written to it a month ago (or any random period), and today I want to append some files to the tape, what settings should I use for Retention and/or Media Set creation?

[pshute]

And just curious, how come there's an option for making a Backup To Tape job start after another job has run, but not a File To Tape job?

[Shestakov]

I'm still trying to get my head around how this all works. If I have a tape that had a backup written to it a month ago (or any random period), and today I want to append some files to the tape, what settings should I use for Retention and/or Media Set creation?

You need to make sure the tape is not protected from overwriting(protection period is already over) and point the file to tape job to a media pool with the particular tape you want use.
Thanks!

[pshute]

You need to make sure the tape is not protected from overwriting(protection period is already over) and point the file to tape job to a media pool with the particular tape you want use.
Thanks!

Won't that just overwrite the tape?

[Shestakov]

No, if you select Do not create, always continue using current media set. option.

[pshute]

Ok, but then all the tapes in the pool can't be overwritten. If I only want to append once, to this particular tape, do I need to change that setting, then change it back later?

[Shestakov]

That`s the setting for the whole media pool. All tapes in that media pool will work accordingly. You can create another media pool with different setting and point other jobs there. Or change the initial media pool`s settings.

[pshute]

Ok. Now can you please tell me how I can verify what I end uo getting onto the tape? I see that I can double click on the tape, then go to the Files tab. But that doesn't seem to be able to show me if there's more than one copy of a file on the tape.

If I repeatedly do a File To Tape for one particular file, for example, how can I prove to myself that it's now on the tape several times?

[Shestakov]

That`s one of the ways.
To check number of restore points in VBR you can click on "Files" tab under which is next to "Tape Infrastructure" and choose the desired file to see how many restore points it has.
And the most convenient way is to use predefined Veeam ONE reports.
Thanks!

[pshute]

That`s one of the ways.
To check number of restore points in VBR you can click on "Files" tab under which is next to "Tape Infrastructure" and choose the desired file to see how many restore points it has.

Thanks, I can see this file I'm testing with has two restore points, as I'd hoped. But how do I tell where these restore points are? I know they must be on the tape, but how do I prove it? They could be on two different tapes.

[pshute]

Oh, I see. It's only showing me what's on the currently loaded tape, correct?

[Shestakov]

It shows you restore points in all tapes. To make sure the restore point is there, you may start the restoration wizard and actually perform a restore to be 100% sure