Tape as Scaled Out Repository

[DHadlock-CHMC]

Hello All,

Veeam Backup and Replication version 11.

Trying to run tape backups on the weekend for offsite storage, backup jobs are split between two tape drives, LTO6 backing up 7TB, the LTO7 backing up 13TB. Tape backups run all weekend and don't complete by the start of the week, which then locks the disk backup jobs until the tape jobs finish.

I'm limited to a 1GB network, and I think the tape jobs are saturating the network.

Is there a way to run the tapes as a scaled out repository as a tier two? I have a server with drive space that could easily handle a weekend worth of backups to disk, and then I pictured the backups being transferred off to tape in the background, which would allow our daily backups to run as scheduled.

Does that option exist? I've searched scale out repository to tape, but all references point to Cloud storage such as Amazon or Backblaze.

Any insight or direction would be appreciated.

Thank you,
Doug

[Andreas Neufert]

You can create a backup copy job to the disk media at site 2 (maybe even use the Veeam integrated software WAN accelerators). Then create a backup 2 tape job with this source.

Overall I think a 1 Gbps network is not enough to keep the tape drive in streaming mode, which means the tape has to stop rewind and continue the whole time which cost extra time and stresses the tape heavily. Your idea is the right path. See above about the implementation.

[Dima P.]

Hello Doug,

Is there a way to run the tapes as a scaled out repository as a tier two?

You cant add tape media to scale-out repository as somewhat extent but you can definitely use tape jobs with scale-out repository being set as a source for your backup to tape jobs. In such case the backups from performance extents will be processed by the tape job.

I'm limited to a 1GB network, and I think the tape jobs are saturating the network.

Yup, agree with Andreas - the best performance can be achieved by taping out backups over LAN, so you can potentially offload the copy of your primary backups to secondary site and only then use tape jobs with secondary repository as a target.