Tapes

This screen enables the administrator to create, change, delete and consult tapes used for the backup and restore.

All tapes in Arkeia belong to a Tape pool. A new tape is made available for backup data storage by adding it to a tape pool which you have created, or the permanent Scratch pool.

To create a Tape pool, click on: Home > Where to backup > Backup to tape > Tape Pools. Before tapes can be transferred between Tape pools, they must be Recycled, to ensure that backed up data is not lost.

Add a new tape

New tapes for Arkeia Network Backup are added to a Tape pool.

Click on: Add a new tape in the actions box at the right, and fill the information required:

Backup/Cleaning tape
Check the box which describes the tape you are adding.
Tape name
Enter a descriptive name of your choice. Several tapes can be created at the same time. They will have the name you specify here, and a sequence number appended by Arkeia. See First # and Last # below.
Pool
Choose the pool the tape will be assigned to. The default pool is the Scratch Pool. The Scratch Pool is used by Arkeia as a reserve of blank tapes. Whenever a backup job needs another tape, Arkeia automatically assigns tapes from the Scratch Pool to the task being performed.
Path
If you selected FILE in the Type field, you are backing up to a DD rather than tape. A FILE tape is actually a virtual tape making it possible to do 'backup to disk'. Please note that the best way to perform 'backup to disk' is through the dedicated VTL object available in Home > Where to backup > Backup to disk > VTLs. FILE tapes are here for compatibility reasons with old Arkeia versions. Enter the pathname to the directory containing the FILE tapes here. See FILE Tape below for an additional field in this case.
First # and Last #
If it is necessary to create several tapes, enter the first tape number and the last tape number in the corresponding fields. For example, to create 5 tapes, enter 1 in the First number field and 5 in the Last number field. Tapes will be created with these numbers appended to the name in the Tape name field.
Owner
Enter the name of the owner (or the creator) of the tapes. Entering a name other than root in this field will give control over the tapes to the user whose name has been entered. If unsure, leave this field as is.
Comment
This field can contain an optional comment about the tape.

FILE tape

The tape type listed as File tape in the scroll list is a special type. It is not really a tape at all, but is a simulated tape which exists on a hard disk drive accessible to an Arkeia media server.

There are two additional fields to fill when you choose Type: FILE

Media server
Select the media server on which the file tapes are to be created, from the drop list.
Capacity (in MB)
Enter the disk space in MB you want these tapes to occupy. Each file tape you create will be this size.

When using a FILE tape, some means of inserting a new FILE tape into the drive is needed. For real tapes, this is done either:

A FILE tape cannot be physically inserted, so it is necessary to create one or more FILE drives) and a special tape library, whose type is FILE too.

NULL tape

NULL tapes may be used for tests. Backups will be directed to an empty device. Please note that no restorations are possible on this type of device.

A NULL tape is created just as a standard tape.

Tape types

Click on Where to backup > Backup to tape > Tape technologies > Tape Types in the navigator at the left to see the list of tape types supported by Arkeia, and their characteristics.

Recycle a tape

One of the most important issues about tapes is recycling.

Once written, a backup tape is supposed to be reused at some point. With Arkeia, a tape can be reused once it has been recycled. Therefore, the recycling function must be an integral part of a tape strategy.

A tape is automatically recycled once it has reached its Retention date. This date is determined by the backup run on that tape. The way the tape is recycled is determined by the Recycling mode and the Recycling pool fields in the tape definition.

Your tapes should be recycled very carefully, as you can run into quite a lot of problems once all of them are filled. Please note that, if you force a tape to be recycled, all data backed up on it is not available anymore.

To recycle a tape manually, select the tape to be recycled from the list Select a tape, then click on Recycle.... This will erase all references to this tape in the database index. All data written on this tape will be lost, once a backup has used the tape. After recycling, a tape is reused from its beginning and any previous data it may contain is lost.


Caution

This function does not erase the data on the physical tape, it only marks the tape as recycled in the Arkeia database, making it available for re-use.


Modify a tape

To change the properties of an existing tape, highlight it in the list, then click on Modify... in the actions menu.

Pool
Choose a new tape pool from the drop list.
Authorizations
Authorizations are used to reduce tape access in order to eliminate the risk of erasing data (Write), erasing the tape (Delete), recycle data written on the tape (Recycle), or prevent restoration from the tape (Read).
Recycling mode
Choose when this tape will be selected from the tape pool. Arkeia can use all the tapes in the same pool before beginning to write over the first tape used (FIFO: First In / First Out). It is also possible to reuse the same tapes as soon as they are recycled (LIFO: Last In / First Out).
Recycling destination
Choose what pool this tape will go into after it is recycled
Access
This option defines the way the tape is accessed (manual or automatic)
Manually mountable
Arkeia will ask the user to insert the tape for all backup and restore operations. By default, a tape is created in this mode.
Automatically mountable
The tape is in a tape library or changer, automatically accessible during backup or restore. The tape automatically switches to this mode when Arkeia detects it in a library or changer.
On line
This tape is already in the drive, accessible for backup and restore operations. The tape automatically switches to this mode after a positive tape access.
Physically damaged
The tape has to be switched manually to this mode when the user wishes to declare it physically damaged.
Secured in vault
The tape has to be switched manually to this mode when the user wishes to declare it secured in vault.
Comment
Enter an optional comment.

Click on Update to update Arkeia's record of the tape.

Write label

After tape has been created or modified in Arkeia, it must be physically labeled. Click on Write label... in the actions menu.

Choose the drive in which the tape is to be labeled, then click Write label. Arkeia will label the tape using the properties which have been entered. From this point on, whenever the tape is inserted to a tape drive, Arkeia will read the label and be aware of the tape's status.

Delete a tape

Click on the tape to be deleted in the Select a tape list, then click on Delete... in the actions menu. A deleted tape is no longer managed by Arkeia. If it is added at a later date, it is added as a new tape.

Backup list for...

Display a table of backup data sets currently stored in the highlighted physical tape.

Backup type
Can be:
Savepack
The Savepack contained in this backup data set.
Size
The size (in MB) of this backup data set.
Backup date
The date and time at which the backup job was started.
Retention date
After this date, Arkeia may overwrite the highlighted backup data set.