Automigration vs backup application

[Jay Reddekopp]

I'm not sure if there's a simple answer to this. We currently use ARCserve v11.5 and are upgrading to v12 after purchasing a VLS6636 and an additional MSL6060. Initially, we were going to look at using ARCserve to copy from the VLS to tape, but we've recently started looking at automigration on the VLS itself. Before we get too far into learning and testing, is there a preferred method? The first line of the Automigration chapter in the 6000 series manual implies that the preferred method of copying to tape is via the backup application. Is there any agreed upon best practice here? Thanks.

P.S. This thread has been moevd from Tape Libraries and Drives to Disk-Based Backup. - Hp Forum moderator

[TTr]

I would say that I prefer to use the backup application. This way the tape is recorded in you backup system and you can easily restore from it as with any other tape.

The VLS method is probably proprietary to the hardware maker. Check with the VLS manuals to see what is involved in restoring a tape that was made using the VLS method. Probably the tape is an image and needs to be restored entirely as an image before you can get to any files in it. Again it depends on the method that the VLS software uses to make the tape and restore from it.

[Marino Meloni_1]

old way is to use the backup to replicate cartridges from the VLS to the MSL, this is easy and under the application controll but it is costly (need licenses for two libraries) and it is time and bandwidth consuming on the host.

Using the new feature (automigration) you will have the tapes in the VLS automaticaly replicated in background in the MSL, the MSL is not visible to the backup application, but the phisical tapes have the same barcode label as those in the VLS, so if you need to restore a tape that is not anymore in the VLS, just put the phisical tape with the same label in a drive and read or import it.

In the future probably using SMI-S, even the automigration will be managed by the backup application if they will support that, but probably this feature will require an additional license