what is Save Set? what is Scratch Set?

[Rosee]

Our company is using ARCSever2000 on Win2000 server. I am trying to learn the backup software. The followings are some questions that I have. Does any one know the answers? Please share with me. Your help would be grately approciated.

* what is the Save Set?
* what is the Scratch Set?
* What the difference between Save Set and Scratch Set?
* Why Save Set and Scratch Set needed under the Media Pool?
* Will it be OK if the Save Set list is different than Scratch Set list?
* Is it necessary to create an new Media Pool with new Save Set and new Scratch Set every time when an new backup job gets created.

Thanks.

 

[fritz4000]

Save sets and Scratch sets are used when media pools are bing used. If a media pool is used, the job will look to the device group for tapes that exist in the scratch set or blank tapes. When the job finishes, it will place the tape in the save set (these tapes cannot be overwritten but can be appended to). When a tape has met the criteria set (retention time and minimum # of tapes in save set), it will be moved to the scratch set so it can be used by the backup job again.

Hope this helps.

 

[Rosee]

Thanks for the info. I have found that there are different lists in the Save Set and Scratch Set. See detials below:
--------------------------------------------
Save Set: THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
there are 7 items in the save set and all of them are having own name, randomID, Serial Number, and Expiration Date.
---------------------------------------------------
Scratch Set: THURSDAY
SUNDAY
WEDNESDAY
TUESDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
WEDNESDAY
WEDNESDAY
there are 8 items in the Scratch Set with some duplicates. As you can see, FRIDAY, SATURDAY, and MONDAY items are not there. All of them are having own name, randomID, Serial Number, and Expiration Date.
------------------------------------------

Here comes more questions:

1. why both lists are different?
2. when backup runs, which list does ARCServe use?
3. why there are many WEDNESDAY in the Scratch Set?
4. If backup uses Scratch list, since FRIDAY, SATURDAY, and MONDAY are missing, which set does ACRSever use when backup runs on days of FRIDAY, SATURDAY, and MONDAY?
5. I have also noticed that randomID, Serial Number, and Expiration Date on both lists are not match. Both area have totally different information about randomID, Serial Number, and Expiration Date. Which ID infomation should I use when I need to run session reports?

Thanks again for your help.

 

[davidmichel]

The whole idea of the media pool is that the application will automaticly reuse tapes as per the user's specifications. There is a setting for a minimum number of saved tapes and for the number of days to save a tape. Once both of these have been meet the tape is moved to the scratch set.

 

[lzcwsq]

hi rosee

take a look at this site in CA site, it is for arcserve 6.61 but it works very similar to arcserve v7

http://support.ca.com/helpfiles/asnt65/ASMGROverview_of_Media_Pooling.html

let me know if it helps

 

[mcse924]

The link provides a good explanation. You need to understand GFS rotation schemes before you can understand what these are. Here's my 2 cents...

Scratch set - Any media that has surpassed the "retention time" as set by the backup administrator is moved into the scratch set automatically, and is made available for use for the next Arcserve backup job.

Save set - Any media that has NOT surpassed the "retention time" set by the backup admin. You can MANUALLY backup to media in the save set, but Arcserve will warn you that you are about to overwrite a media in the save set, meaning you can potentially throw your (GFS) rotation off by doing so.

good luck

Carpe diem, procrastination is the thief of time...

 

[mohamdr]

you can find enougth expliantion when you go to help from Arcserve