After error in retro (bad media, dirty heads, etc...)

[ggirao 47]

After error in retro (bad media, dirty heads, etc...) The bkp continued, "eating" a new tape. That's ok by me because I now always have an extra tape on every media set. The trouble is now on further bkps, the tape that generated the error isn't used anymore, and has free space on it. The new one keeps growing, but I think retro doesn't even try to write to that one that generated the error. This media set has 4 plenty new LTO4 Tapes.

 

Any help?

[Lennart_T 151]

Why should Retrospect try to use a tape that it knows is bad? It doesn't make sense. Better to use a new tape and make the backup work.

[ggirao 47]

Why should Retrospect try to use a tape that it knows is bad? It doesn't make sense. Better to use a new tape and make the backup work.

 

But i'm sure that the tape is ok (sometimes happens this with some tapes). This is a brand new tape, as the others.

 

BTW I think the error came from the drive.

[Lennart_T 151]

Whatever the cause, Retrospect should skip tapes it can't write to without errors.

[ggirao 47]

But is there a way to force to used them?

[Lennart_T 151]

Would you ever trust a tape that produces errors? I will not!

 

If you REALLY want to risk your data, set the tape as "lost" in the media set (backup set) and THEN erase it.

[ggirao 47]

So, i mark it as lost, erase it and then could I use it again? Btw I need guidance in grooming. What are the benefits? How should I use it?

[Lennart_T 151]

Grooming works only with disk backup sets, not tapes.

 

With grooming you have, say, the last 5 backups of each client always available. If you recycle you lose all backups.