Take out tape from library

[adam900331]

Hello.

I have a tape library with 8 slot, there is one simple media pool which used by a file to tape job. The media pool retention setting is never overwrite data selected. What is the best practise to change the full wrote tape when all 8 tape is fulled? How can I identify which tape can I remove from tape library? Or do I have to use the export function in Veeam even no mailslot?

Thanks.

[HannesK]

Hello,
if you have no mail slot, then "eject" would be the way to get the tape out of the drive slot. Tapes are identified with barcode labels and you need to find them manually by opening the library.

Best regards,
Hannes

[adam900331]

Thanks Hannes.

Another question: I have a simple media pool for the file to tape job. The retention setting is to do not overwrite the data for 1 month. My plan is that the file to tape job run once a week (sunday) which is copy to tape the one week backup chain. Also I set on the media pool setting, that create the new media set for every backup session option. When the file to tape job successfully write data to tape (for example 3 tape), is it enough to pull out manually the tape library magazine and take out the affected 3 tapes (identifying with barcode) for offsite storing?

Thanks

[HannesK]

Hello,
after removing / adding tapes doing an inventory run makes sense https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... tapes.html

Best regards,
Hannes

[adam900331]

Hello!

Okay, I know the inventory process, but my question not related to the inventory process.

So Don't I have to do Export on the affected tapes (3 tapes in this case) without mailslot, only enough to pull out the magazine manually and take out the 3 tapes?

Thanks.

[HannesK]

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... media.html - without mail slot, it makes no sense to me

Exporting ejects the tapes from the slots in the tape device and moves them to the I/E slot (or Mail slot).

[Regnor]

You can just open/eject each magazine and remove those 3 tapes from the library. Veeam will automatically rescan the library and notice that those tape are no longer online.

[adam900331]

Thanks, Regnor!

What happened when I have no more empty tape? When eject these 3 tapes from library and there are some tape which is older than 1 month (retention setting), when will Veeam ask these tapes? When the file to tape job starts? Or do I have to check the oldest media set date tape and insert these tapes to library?

[Regnor]

When the tape job starts, Veeam will first check if there are any free/unused tapes available. Next it will check if any expired tapes are online. And if there are neither free nor expired tapes, it will ask you to insert one with 'waiting for tape' status.

[david.domask]

@adam900331,

If you have the media pool set to "never overwrite", the tapes will protect the data until you either manually mark them as free or erase them (short or long).

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

Even disabling this and applying new protection policy to the existing tapes, you need to consider the media set; if it closes, then Veeam will not write to it for a new media set unless the protection is expired, or marked as free/erased.

https://helpcenter.veeam.com/docs/backu ... ml?ver=110

Can I ask, what is your intended tape-out strategy? I think you could likely simplify this a bit by setting a specific protection time and then Veeam would handle overwriting the old data automatically without the need for a lot of manual work.