Moved tape to different mediapool and looses file index?

[HardWired]

Moved a couple of tapes that I could previously list the files on by going to the files tab, after moving them to a Monthend media pool it seems to have lost any index it had of files on the tape??????

Im really starting to miss my nice backup exec setup that never had any issues but im pushing on, trying to sort out how to get the Veeam tape system working like a normal tape backup system but its difficult.
Also the TL2000 Dell multichanger, tape slots are listing with completely non-logical numbers which doesnt exacly help and would seem like something that would be pretty easy to sort of before a major release, how exacly does slot 4096 help instead of being Slot1 or even Slot0 ??

I cant tell veeam to take a tape from a certain slot either, or partition slots off to be used for weekly/daily/monthly either, something that I loved how easy it was under backup exec, always knew that slots 1 and 2, whatever tapes were there were for a full weekdump, and every other slot was for incrementals (lto5s were loaded in the first two slots and lto4s for incrementals)

Why cant some of these highly-basic tape backup software features work in something thats been in development for so long.

[Dima P.]

Hello,

Moved a couple of tapes ... to a Monthend media pool

Notification warning should pop up when you are moving tape between media pools, letting you know that when you move tape between pools it is marked as free. However the tape would be erased only during next writing operation, so to save the data you can delete this tape from catalogue and then catalogue tape bacl to the library, such tape would be moved to imported media pool and the data could be restored.

how exacly does slot 4096 help instead of being Slot1 or even Slot0 ??

VBR does not rename tape slots instead slot numbers presented from the library are taken.

I cant tell veeam to take a tape from a certain slot either

With Veeam tape feature you can create multiple media pools and specify tape media allocated to each media pool (media could be identified by barcode/name), then for each media pool you specify retention, and media set creation.

[HardWired]

Well all the answers pretty much explained everything that we already knew, but does nothing to actually fix any of the problems which im sure will be sorted in the next few years bit by bit.
Why should i need to recatalog a tape after moving to another media set... not really helpful and an incredibly slow process if you want todo lots of tapes, i can quite happily move media around sets in backupexec and easily lookup files/dates/media from backups in the catalog without loosing that info because the tape moved between a folder/mediaset
We know vbr takes the slot numbers from the tapedrive, but changing it to a user-friendly format would be handy, im sure backupexec tapes the slots numbers from the drive too, but it seems to be able to show easily understandable numbers?
and yes we know about media pools, as its the only way of using the tape system with veeam, backupexec has media pools too, but also provides the ability to choose to take tapes from a certain slot regardless of the name/barcode/mediapool of the tape.
Taking a free tape always from slots X to X and then putting whatever media is picked into a mediapool is quite a handy feature.

[foggy]

Well all the answers pretty much explained everything that we already knew, but does nothing to actually fix any of the problems which im sure will be sorted in the next few years bit by bit.

Yes, we are going to considerably improve tape functionality in the future releases. Thanks for your feedback.

[scott.anderson]

Please fix the tape media pool move!
I'd suggest that the only time you want it to "erase" the tape set info is if you move it to the FREE tape media pool.
Moving a tape to a Monthly or Yearly Media Pool is usually because you want to KEEP it longer with a different retention setup, not lose all the information!

[Dima P.]

Scott,

However the media pool architecture is not going to change, your scenario could be achieved thru the vaulting feature that would be presented in the upcoming major release. Thank you.

[ccatlett1984]

What quarter is the release slated for?

[veremin]

Hi, Chris, there is no ETA at this moment. Thanks.

[regnak2012]

Hi,

We want to put our end of month tapes offsite permanently. We plan to create a custom media pool in Veeam to prevent overwrites and manually move the tape to this pool. My understanding is that in doing this we will lose the file catalog data (the ability to search for individual files within backup jobs on tape). Future Veeam versions may address this but in the meantime, is it possible to recover / retain the file catalog data somehow? Will a tape rescan only pick up jobs rather than reconstitute file catalog data?

Thanks for any advice offered,
Mike

[veremin]

Hi, Michael,

The tapes moved between media pools are marked as free, and, as the result, file indexes are lost.

The vault feature that, according to the plan, should be included in the next product version. As for now, you can use the workaround mentioned by Dmitry.

Thanks.

[regnak2012]

Hi,
Thanks for that. Just one thing I need to clarify - if I re-import the tape, does it allow me to search for individual files within the VMs backed up on that tape again?

Cheers,
Mike

[veremin]

Does it allow me to search for individual files within the VMs backed up on that tape again?

I'm wondering what type of the tape job you're using. Backup to tape or Files to tape one?

I'm asking, since if you're using backup to tape job, you can only see VMs that were backed up by it, not the files located inside these VMs. Only the files backed up by file to tape job are reflected under corresponding node ("Files").

Thanks.

[regnak2012]

Hi,
I should clarify I'm using Enterprise Manager for this task, rather than B&R. I plan to use Backup to Tape jobs. What's interesting is the Enterprise Manager Docs quote the following:
"Even when VM backups are moved to an external storage device or tape, indexing data for such VMs remains in the catalog and is displayed in search results.You can use the Import feature in Veeam Backup & Replication to import the backup to the backup server, and then recover the file."
To backtrack, my requirement is to send a tape once a month offsite potentially forever but retain the file index in the catalog permanently. If I move the Tape to a different media pool to protect it from being overwritten, can I rebuild the file index in the Enterprise Manager catalog again? Hope this makes sense! Thanks.
Mike

[foggy]

If I move the Tape to a different media pool to protect it from being overwritten, can I rebuild the file index in the Enterprise Manager catalog again? Hope this makes sense!

Not 100% sure, but indexing data should remain in the catalog (until retention applies) and be available for restores once you import the tape back.

[dgrambo]

Moved tape to different mediapool and looses file index

Six years later..

Yes this behavior is insane. Why would the tapes metadata of cataloged content ever be removed unless the tape has been erased or overwritten? This insane behavior has just cost us hundreds of dollars, as I will have to dehydrate and re-catalog terabytes of virtual tapes just to see their content.


Incredible that this issue has not been fixed.

[Dima P.]

Hello dgrambo,

Tape media pool is organisational entity to keep your backup sets on tape media tight together, so you cannot move the tape without marking such tape as free (which basically removes all tape links with the media pool on the first place). When tape is marked as free content remains on tape but in our catalog the information gets erased to prevent possible conflicts.

That's said, may I ask why you moved your tapes to another media pool? Thank you in advance.

[Switchy88]

Hello Dima P.

I have the same problem and I’m very unhappy about this.
You need some points to move the Media Pool.

I don’t use GFS for me Backup. The backup rules from the company is not working with GFS.
I have daily (retention 4w) and monthly jobs (retention 12m).

1. If you change the ERP System.
Before you shut down the system you crate the last full backup.
You need this Backup for the Archive for the Government rules.
Then I made a Full backup Monthly Backup and move this Tape to another Backup Pool.
“archive pool or a year pool with 10 years retention time”.
In the moment with Veeam I have do a new job with new retentions.

2. Your Company change the Backup strategy.
You have to change the backup pool names and the retention time or you have to create new backup pools. Then you move some Tapes.
In this chase you must wait a year to have the new strategy. The security officer will be unhappy.

3. The Important thing for me.
I did the monthly backup on end of the year then I move this this tape to the year pool.
This is much easier as to manage all year Jobs.

I have over 80 tape jobs and 5 Libraries in different countries with different Admins and grow up.
If you Protect a tape and this is in the monthly pool as Archive is this not so save as a Tape in the Year pool. If a new backup admin stressed and need important new tapes and see some tapes protected but 2 or more years and old then is possible to use this tape.
Are this Tapes in the year pool is this clear you can’t use this tape! Is a Year Backup with 10 years and more retention.

--
For me is clear you move to the free pool is the tape free to use.

You did a backup for a company and this tape must be have a retention.
This retention is your security!
If you move to another pool must be the retention from the new pool.
If you delete the index after a move your retention is gone and your security is gone.
It possible to Index again bot with the old retention

I hope I give you some good information’s.

[e.rottier]

Tape media pool is organisational entity to keep your backup sets on tape media tight together

Quite late to the party, but I run against this 'limitation' as well.

I want to merge two pools, but my tapes are erased when I do that.
Specially since it's only an "organisational entity", this shouldn't be a problem anymore right?

I cannot get over the fact that indexes are stored with the pool and are not transferable. Why are they not stored with the tape object itself, or at least with the job it belongs to?
I should be able to move tapes across pools in my opinion, as long as the job is there. After the tape expires, it could be used in the new pool.

Well, fortunately my backups where only 6 months old, so I had to destroy 2 our of 3 pools, a half year worth of backups to congregate them.
Of course it was my own fault for not knowing it worked the way it does, but I would like it to be more gentle with my tape history.