Upgrade from LTO-6 to LTO-7 with Veeam?

[miingno]

We would like to upgrade our tapes from LTO-6 to LTO-7.

Is there a function in veeam that migrates all data from our current LTO-6 tapes to new LTO-7 tapes? Or what would be the best practice?

Is it still custom to always lift old backups to new standards?

Our tape library is a HPE StoreEver MSL2024.
Veeam Version 9.5.

Thanks!

[Dima P.]

Hello Andy.

function in veeam that migrates all data from our current LTO-6 tapes to new LTO-7 tapes

Unfortunately Veeam B&R does not provide such functionality.

Or what would be the best practice?

You can restore all the backup files from LTO-6 media to a temporary repository and then use File to tape job to write your backup files to LTO-7 media. Thanks!

[miingno]

Hey Dima P., Thanks for the quick reply!

I will try that and hope that Veeam still knows what backup it saved on what tape.

[Dima P.]

Andy,

Please keep in mind that catalog from the backup to tape will be lost (it wont be possible to use the original LTO6 retention). I believe that's not the case, since you can set new (or same) retention while writing backup files via File to tape jobs.

[bjdboyer]

Why move the data? The LTO7 drives can still read (and write!) the LTO6 media. so going forward just feed the library LTO7 media and if you need a restore the drive can read the old LTO6 tapes. Even if you jump to LTO8 it's still read compatible with the LTO6 media... and the LTO7.

Bill

[pkelly_sts]

...Even if you jump to LTO8 it's still read compatible with the LTO6 media... and the LTO7.

Need to be a little careful here - with LTO-8 they've broken the tradition of reading two revisions behind so LTO-8 drives will now ONLY read as far back as LTO-7 media...

https://www.support-partners.com/2017/1 ... -about-it/

However in this specific scenario the OP should have no problems reading LTO-6 in a new LTO-7 drive & just expiring them naturally.

[francs]

Hi

Our yearly backups are/were made to LTO5 tapes and should be kept for 7 years.
Our new LTO8 tape library is now in use.
The problem is that LTO8, won't read LTO6 or below. LTO8 can now only read down to LTO7.
So we need to keep the old library around in case we need to restore.

Is there a way to "migrate" the data from old to new tapes?

[DGrinev]

Hi,

You can create a new temporary repository and use Backup Restore from Tape to Repository, then use File to Tape job to write your backups to LTO-8 media.
Please review this thread for additional information. Thanks!

[Regnor]

Are the tape drives in your old library compatible with your new library?
In that case you could just install the drive(s) there if necessary.

[Dima P.]

Is there a way to "migrate" the data from old to new tapes?

I wonder if you can keep old drive/library and those tapes for archival purposes without actual migration? When restore is required you can connect the compatible device and run recovery. In one hand such restore would take some time, but in the other hand you do need to spend a lot of your time on migration, as well as do not waste new LTO8 tape storage. Cheers!

[francs]

I sort of understated the number of "Long Term" backups. We have monthly backups that are kept indefinitely.
That came to 131 LTO5 tapes. Restoring to disk and then backing up to LTO8 is going to be very painful.

VBR looks like it keeps track of Files to tape jobs, so you should be able to search for a specific backup file and pick the backup set to use.
It even tells you which tape is needed if it's not in the library.
So, a restore to a repository and then File to tape should also work as far as keeping track of what went to which tape.
A drawback would be that you'd have to have enough space available for a restore. In this case around 7 Tb.

However, Veeam is relatively new to tape backups, so this kind of issue probably hasn't come up a lot. Yet.
The functionality to move data straight from one tape generation to another or one tape technology to another would be very useful. In my opinion anyway.

[francs]

I wonder if you can keep old drive/library and those tapes for archival purposes without actual migration? When restore is required you can connect the compatible device and run recovery. In one hand such restore would take some time, but in the other hand you do need to spend a lot of your time on migration, as well as do not waste new LTO8 tape storage. Cheers!

There's a lot of reasons customers don't want to keep old hardware around.
Maintenance costs, rack space, older drives might not be compatible with newer IO cards, etc.