SAN option / Media Pools

[FrogEater]

Hello,

I just installed the Arcserve SAN option on 3 server (1- the Primary SAN server, 2*Node of a Cluster) and wanted to schedule a set of job to run on the same media.

Config of the job I'm trying to run:
1 - The primary server start first on Media Pool "MyPool", option mention erasing the tape
2 - Cluster node are starting after also on Media Pool "MyPool", options setup to add to tape

I'm using custom Schedule (Full every day). Here is the result:
The Primary serve picked up a tape from the scratch set, format it and write data=> That's fine
The secondary server add their sessions ..to the next available Scratch Media, and not the media just written by the Primary.

I guess I misconfigured something, but could not find much help in the doc.

Any tips will be welcome,

Thanks,
Chris

 

[vschumpy]

First of all going back to basics, ensure you have the 2 non-primary nodes using the remote DB on the primary SAN server - you can run it with 3 db's but it is a lot more hassle in the long run.

Ok, asides from that, ensure you have the second job appending to media and not overwriting. If you are using a rotation or custom rotation then these options are set in the schedule tab, not in global options.

 

[FrogEater]

Hi,

The 2 non-primary are definitly using the Primary server DB.

I'll test for the config of the job and post the result ASAP.

Thanks,
Chris

 

[FrogEater]

So, some results:
1- the custom Schedule does not seems to work properly, to get the SAN backup working on one media, Rotation (GFS or not) has to be used.
2-thre seems to be a bug in 11.5SP1. I selected Rotation / Full-7days. I selected my pool "TEST" and made sure that "Append" was checked/ Ater the job is submitted, "Append" is changad into "Overwritte". And I can reproduce it over and over again.

I'm busy downloading the SP2.. might fix this.

Chris

 

[FrogEater]

Hello,

Still no luck.
Can't get my backup to run as follow:
1- Primary gets a tape from the Scratch pool, format it and backup its part
2- secondary servers start and backup their parts appending data to the tape formatted at step1.

vshumpy, I tries to force "append" in the scheduling Tab, but no luck so far

Chris

 

[vschumpy]

ahh because the rotation auto-names tapes you cannot use append with it - sounds like you would be better off using a custom schedule/repeat job rather than a set rotation.

 

[FrogEater]

Here we go. I got it working.

To do so:
- Create on the primary server the job, schedule to use GFS rotation, supply a Prefix name, and setup the rotation
- create on the secondary server the job, schedule to use the same GFS than the primary one, and the same prefix name. Make sure that all schedule are identical.

then it works.

Details where in the admin guide, in the section "media maximization". I overlooked at it at the beginning as this section is not much linked to the backup section.

Thanks for help.

Chris