working with standalone tape drive

[RegisdLF]

Initial situation :
VMware vSphere 5.5 infrastructure
MS W2K12 R2 physical server
VB&R 9.5 has the following functions:
-VBR Server
-Backup Proxy (SAN Mode :connected to SAN array through a Brocade fabric)
-Backup Repository (local storage)
-Tape server (connected directly (SAS cable) to a standalone tape drive Powervault LTO-6 200)
- Several daily backup jobs in reverse incremental mode (D2D)
- 1 media pool which includes 10 tapes (20 To) with 4 weeks of retention policy (not GFS pool)
- Several backup tape jobs based on the backup jobs using “always continuing one media set”

I'm having trouble working out how best to configure the tapes and the backup tape jobs (because I do not have a library but a standalone drive)

I would like to externalize on tapes the last full backup on a weekly basis.

Question 1 :
Is it the best way to configure the tape environment and the backup tape jobs in my environment ? (1 media set including all the tapes and a single media set)
Question 2 :
What will append when during the running of a backup job, it will be necessary to change the tape (because the current tape becomes full) ? Does VBR will prompt for the next tape and will it be possibility to eject the tape online and load the next tape which is offline ?
Question 3 :
Same question during a restore job ?
I made a test : while there was no tape into the drive, I started a restore job : the VBR prompted for the tape sequence number 1 of the media set, but when the tape was loaded into the drive nothing appended and I was obliged to cancel the job in order to inventory tape and re-run the restore job …..
Question 4 :
Is it possible when VB&R prompts for the tape, it uses the “name” of the tape and not the sequence number ?
Question 5 :
Does the tape job will copy at each session, a complete VBK file to tape ? (even though I checked “archive incremental backup to tape” in the backup to tape job ?

Regards

[Dima P.]

Hi,

Is it the best way to configure the tape environment and the backup tape jobs in my environment ? (1 media set including all the tapes and a single media set)

Your setup looks good. From top of my head, one backup to tape job in case of a standalone device should be easier to manage.

What will append when during the running of a backup job, it will be necessary to change the tape (because the current tape becomes full) ?

If you use one media set (always continue current media set option). Data is always appended to the loaded media, unless it gets full (or replaced by another media).

Does VBR will prompt for the next tape and will it be possibility to eject the tape online and load the next tape which is offline ?

Yes.

Same question during a restore job ?

Yes. Inventory is required prior running a recovery for the first loaded media.

Is it possible when VB&R prompts for the tape, it uses the “name” of the tape and not the sequence number ?

Can you please share a screenshot?

Does the tape job will copy at each session, a complete VBK file to tape ? (even though I checked “archive incremental backup to tape” in the backup to tape job ?

If that full is on tape VBR would not write it again. However, if source jobs are forever forward incremental you can schedule a virtual full backup creation to tape on a desired day.