Just a simple question - How do I disable media management

[DavidALines]

I am running a brand new server 2003 32 bit R2 patched server. The server is a ML350 G5

With
Data protector 3.50 sp2
bare metal disaster recovery
exchange agent
open file agent

I want a backup - just to run. Very much like NTbackup does with the /um switch.

I have scheduling a format before the backup, this runs without errors. Then an erase before the backup, this also runs without errors. But the backup refuses to run with an error saying please insert compatible media. Its all brand new LTO3 HP tapes in a brand new HP Ultrium 3 tape drive.

I just want a backup. - don't care about the media. Lets focus on whats important - getting a backup.

And what is more frustrating - once it complains that it doesn't like the media - it spits the media out. The server is 100KM from here. Whats with that. I have to ring the customer up and get them to push the tape back in the drive.

But I do want to schedule which days it is run on.

How do I run scheduled backups without media management?

[D Lancaster · Accepted solution]

Hi David,

There are a couple of ways to accomplish this. If you just want to do a full backup each night, set up a job rotation with daily full backup, one rotation set, no other backup scheduled (weekly, monthly yearly). This will do a full backup each night to the tape in the drive.

Another option is a weekly full backup and daily incremental backup. In this case use the Daily Append and again, set it up with one rotaion set.

If you want to do any other number of tape rotation sets but want to make sure it runs no matter what tape is in the drive, set up a job to erase the tape and set it to run each night about 15 minutes before the backup job is to run.

One thing from your current setup. You don't need to format the tape. Data Protector Express will take care of that for you. (It might actually be the cause of some of the problems you are seeing.)

DL

[DavidALines]

You mean like this? But I need to backup every Sunday as well as every day of the week? Will this schedule do this?

If it is set to every day and we don't stick a tape in for Saturday - I don't mind if that fails and I get an error.

Also Can I get the job to time out. I have already gotten out of sequence and the moment I put the tape in it goes and starts the previous nights backup.

If there is not tape in the drive can the job time out after 8 hours?

[D Lancaster]

Your screenshot looks like what I was describing. If you want it to run on Sonday, too, just click the Sunday header and all Sundays will be added to the schedule. (see attached)

There has to be a tape in the drive for the job to run. Unfortunately there is not a timeout and the job will wait until there is a tape. Hopefully this feature will be added to a future release.

DL

[DavidALines]

Tkanks for the info - couldn't ask for more.