Can I backup multiple machines, then copy all to single tape?

[hallux]

Hello,

Can Backup Exec be setup to back several machines to the backup server disk and then do a single job of copying that group of bkf files to a tape?

I would like to end up with a single tape for all my machines that I can send off-site. I expect that capacity-wise the backups of all of my machines will fit on a single tape.

Second question: Then the restore process would be to extract the contents of the tape back to the disk drive and then Backup Exec would allow me to begin the restore process?

-Hallux

 

[fraxx]

Yes, that would be possible. If you today have several jobs that backup several machines to disk, create a duplicate job for each backup job. Set destination for all the duplicate jobs to the same media set, and make sure you have the overwrite protection time set sufficiently high so the next duplicate job doesn't overwrite the tape. Also make sure you allow append, I always set Append time to infinite.

The restore can be done from the tape directly, or from disk if it's still intact.

 

[Davetoo]

I do exactly what you're wanting to do. I backup six servers to one backup server. I then backup the backups to tape twice a week and send those tapes off-site.

The only issues I had was to resolve my backup jobs properly because I don't do full backups of each server every night but rather incrementals each night and a full backup over the weekend.

I'm Certifiable, not certified.
It just means my answers are from experience, not a book.

 

[blonde]

If you do a full backup, then do differentials. If you have to restore, then you go from full backup and the last Differential. except then with differentials. your tape volume would be bigger.
I have not used this method. but sounds interesting..will read more. so do you do disk backups.. or just re-direct the backups to a server, then backup that server.? and send that off site?
blonde

 

[dpbazza]

Surely if you use differentials, when you restore you need the full backup and every diff job since to have up to date data. Not just the last one.

 

[fraxx]

The last differential will contain all changed files since the last full. Hence, a restore will only need the last full and the last differential.

 

[dpbazza]

ah the differential doesn't reset the archive bit does it.

 

[wallst32]

This sounds like an interesting idea... Aside from decreasing backup and restore times, any other benefits?

I have to backup 700GB+ of data for my fulls so I don't know if I would be able to justify adding that kind of disk space.