Third-party tape handling

[redhorse]

Hello,

with the new Veeam-Patch there is a new enhancement:

Third-party tape handling
Added support for detecting and reusing tapes written by third-party tape backup vendors.

What does that mean? I can't find any Information about this new Feature. Which new backup vendors?

It would be so great if it would be possible to read Backup Exec Tapes!

Kind regards

[veremin]

The said support means that now we can do both recognize that tape has been written by 3-party vendor and erase it ourselves, where previously usage of device manufacturer tool has been required. Thanks.

[ccatlett1984]

I would love to be able to tell Veeam to erase those tapes automatically (we are converting from B&E, and re-using LTO4 tapes).
I'd be fine with a nasty warning dialog, .... possible data loss....
or even a registry key.

Also, I don't like that it "fails" the inventory on those tapes.
Have a separate node for "foreign media" and put them there instead of failing.

[veremin]

As mentioned above, VB&R is capable of erasing medias written by 3-party products. Or you're asking about something different?

[ccatlett1984]

I know it can erase them.

I put the "foreign" media into my autoloader, and run an inventory in veeam. It inventories, and fails for each "foreign" tape. They are pulled into "unrecognized" media, and I have to select them and perform a "quick erase". The manual action of having to erase them; is what I would like to avoid. I agree that it should not auto-erase "foreign" media "out-of-the-box" but it should be an option for those moving from another tape backup product and wishing to re-use tapes.

[Gostev]

The manual action of having to erase them; is what I would like to avoid.

You can script it with PowerShell then.

should be an option for those moving from another tape backup product and wishing to re-use tapes

This feature has a very limited use (not something our users will benefit on the on-going base), and as such it makes a bad investment of our R&D resources...

[ccatlett1984]

how can I script that? (I'd be very happy with that as a solution)

[Gostev]

We provide a PowerShell cmdlet for that > Erase-VBRTapeMedium

[veremin]

The script should get all the mediums belonging to unrecognized media pool and erase them in accordance, but use it cautiously:

Code: Select all

asnp VeeamPSSnapin
$MediaPool = Get-VBRTapeMediaPool -name "Unrecognized"
Get-VBRTapeMedium -MediaPool $MediaPool | Erase-VBRTapeMedium

Thanks.