Veeam and partitioned tape libraries

[marieelieg]

Hello,

Let's say I have Veeam installed and already taking backups to an HPE MSL 2024 tape library that contains 1 LTO6 drive. I want to add a new LTO8 drive to this library and partition it: LTO6 drive with some slots and LTO8 with the rest.

I want Veeam to now back up to the LTO8 drive/tapes. In case of restoring old data, Veeam should restore from the LTO6 partition.

My questions are:
1- Will Veeam "see" this library as 1 library with 2 drives without differentiating between the 2 partitions?
2- Or will Veeam "see" 2 libraries, 1 for the LTO6 partition and 1 for the LTO8 partition?
3- In either case, how can we configure/force Veeam to back up to the new LTO8 drive?
4- Also in either case, how can we configure/force Veeam to restore the older data from the LTO6 drive (old data was backed up via the LTO6 drive) and the newer data from the LTO8 drive?

Thank you in advance!!
Have a nice day

[Dima P.]

Hello marieelieg.

Veeam B&R server will see both partitions as a separated libraries but you are to one to select which partition is going to be assigned to the Media Pool as a streaming device. For recovery device selection works automatically (since we already know in which partition needed tapes are stored).

[marieelieg]

Hi Dima,

Thank you for your reply.

A follow up question:
When we configure media pools, there's an option to "Add tapes from Free media pool automatically when more tapes are required". If this option is selected, will Veeam know to add tapes from the LTO8 partition's free media pool only? Or will Veeam add tapes from either partition's (LTO6 and LTO8 partitions) free media pool?

Thanking you in advance!!

[Dima P.]

It should tape free media only from the assigned tape device: you see all the tape media under free media pool, but your LTO8 media pool can work only with free tapes loaded into assigned library i.e. LTO8 partition. Cheers!

[marieelieg]

Thanks Dima!