Multiple Execution and Tape Library (Retrospect 7.0)

[Walker, Nate]

Note to list members : The original post in this thread was sent to an
alternate address so it was not posted on Retro-Talk. The original post
is included below for your reference.


Hi Jonathan,

Fiber Channel support took a good deal of engineering so adding it to
Retrospect 6.5 wasn't possible.

In regards to your backup, are you using two different backup sets as
destinations? Or are you using a single backup set as the destination
for both scripts? Source volumes and backup sets can only be used by
one operation at a time. If you want to run multiple executions you
will need to specify a unique destination for each script.

Thanks,
Nate





-----Original Message-----
From: retro-talk-***@list.dantz.com
[mailto:retro-talk-***@list.dantz.com] On Behalf Of Jonathan Michael
Hawkins
Sent: Thursday, May 05, 2005 9:53 AM
To: retro-***@lists.dantz.com
Subject: Multiple Execution and Tape Library (Retrospect 7.0)

Hello--

We've recently installed a Dell PowerVault 136T and I've had some
problems
with it and Retrospect, in a Windows 2000 Server environment.

First, the library isn't supported in Retrospect 6.5 via Fibre Channel,
so
I'm going to have to shell out an extra grand for the upgrade to 7.0 and

the Advanced Tape Functionality. Is there some reason FC isn't
supported
in 6.5, other than the obvious one of, in the words of Mel Brooks, the
"Search for More Money"? I mean, I understand if that's the case, but
it's a little odd that the library works with SCSI but not FC.

Second, while testing out Retrospect 7.0 for Windows on a trial license,

Retrospect fails to use both drives.

I have set up two different scripts backing up two different servers,
explicitly set to different execution units. Retrospect backs up fine
to
a single one of the drives, but fails to use the second drive. This
does
not happen when, say, erasing 4 tapes at a time. In this scenario
Retrospect uses both drives to erase the 4 tapes.

Is there some configuration option I've forgotten to set?

Thanks.

Jonathan Hawkins
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[Jonathan Michael Hawkins]

Post by Walker, Nate
In regards to your backup, are you using two different backup sets as
destinations? Or are you using a single backup set as the destination
for both scripts? Source volumes and backup sets can only be used by
one operation at a time. If you want to run multiple executions you
will need to specify a unique destination for each script.

I tried that, and it works. However, I need a recommendation. I've got
a 2.5TB RAID array with some very large datasets on it. If I can't
access various parts of the array simultaneously, I can't use the
multiple drives in my library to improve the times. For instance, the
data tends to be nicely segmented by directory structure into at least
two different parts. I would be fine having these on different backup
sets and backing them up at the same time, but I don't think Retrospect
can do this if the array isn't local. If I could connect the array
hardware to the backup system, this should be possible, but I have it
connected via the network because the array is connected to a different
server.

Any ideas?

Jonathan