Can you Recycle Tapes written to by other Backup Software. 1

[stresco]

We have recently switched to NB4.5 Datacenter from Brightstore 9 and have about 30 tapes that were written to by Brightstore that i would like to re-use. Is there a way to erase these tapes or re-format them for use with NB? I know that Brightstore tags the tapes as they are written so no other version of ArcServe can use the tapes.

Thanks in advance.

 

[MrLula]

Hi,

There is a command called BPLABEL (<NBdir>/bin/admincmd) used to manualy label tapes that were once used for Netbackup Catalog Backups.

Usage: bplabel -m media_ID -d density [-o] [-p volume_pool_name] [-n drive_name | -u device_number]

If you try to use the medias with backups on it Netbackup will FREEZE them at its first try to write them. You can unfreeze with:
bpmedia:
-freeze|-unfreeze|-suspend|-unsuspend -m <media_id> [-h <hostname>] [-v]
-movedb -m <media_id> -newserver <hostname> [-oldserver <hostname>] [-v]

You can also set &quot;Allow Media Overwite&quot; in the Media tab on MediaServers's properties. By setting this options, NB will not freeze the medias found with the selected formats.

I hope it helps,

MrLula

 

[stresco]

Thanks for the fast reply...Will I need to do this if these tapes have never been mounted by NB before, only AS?

 

[MrLula]

I think you will only need to set the &quot;Allow media ovewrite&quot; if AS writes in one of those formats, otherwise NB will use the tapes withount complaining.

When you try, Let me know what happened.

Regards,

MrLula

 

[stresco]

I mounted a couple of the AS tapes in NB today with new barcodes on them and NB didnt complain in the least. It looked at them as if they were blank tapes. I think that this will work fine. Thanks again. Do you think that you can explain to me the way that NB writes to tapes? Does it write to the same set of tapes till they are full as long as they have the same retention period? If i need to archive tapes a offsite for an indefinate period, how would you suggest i go about isolating a certon group of tapes for the policy?

 

[MrLula]

You are rigth NB will try to use the tapes untill they are full. By default NB does not mix retention periods on the same media, unless you select &quot;Allow Multiple Retentions Per Media&quot; in the Media Server properties.

I would recommend create another schedule within your policy with the new retention period. Then select &quot;Override Volume Pool&quot; and set another VolumePool for Historical data. It is more simple to manage when historical tapes are on a separated pool then those so called &quot;daily&quot;. (Dont forget to add tapes to this pool or to setup a Scrath pool)

You can also duplicate the desired backups into another pool of medias specifying a new retention period.

Regards,

MrLula

 

[stresco]

Sounds good. FYI what i have done is set up Differential Policies which i have directed to a Differential Pool and Monthly Policies with a higher priotity setting that i have directed to a Monthly Pool. The Tapes that are written to in the Montly Pool will be archived.

Thanks for your help.