Strategy ideas on using multiple tapes

[ConfusedOne]

I've scoured the user manual and the forums, but must have missed something. Here's the situation: We're using Dantz Retrospect Workgroup Backup v5.6. We have ten backup tapes (one for each day of the work week for two weeks - e.g. Monday Week 1 through Friday Week 2). I would like to do a full backup of two directories on a server every night at midnight, with someone switching out the tapes each morning.

 

I have created a script, which works fine, but how do I now prepare all the tapes for use? The script is scheduled to backup to "Backup Set A," but every time I put in a new tape, it says that the tape isn't part of the backup set and warns me that the media is not ready. I can go into the Backup Set options and "Prepare media for next backup," (I have been choosing the "Recycle" option), but this only applies to the tape that is actually in the drive. Meanwhile, it doesn't seem to actually rename the tape until a backup is performed (until then the tape is just labeled as "erased"). Do I just continue to do this with the tapes, inserting them one by one, or is there an easier way to prepare all the tapes for backup?

 

Also, what happens the first time I re-insert my first tape (Monday Week 1)? I would like for Retrospect to erase everything on the tape automatically, and rewrite over it. However, I don't see a automatic "Recycle" option anywhere. It seems Retrospect will just continue to append to that tape until it's full, at which point it will ask me for a new one.

 

Any help anyone has will be greatly appreciated.

 

 

 

Thanks

[lv2ski]

Automatic (scripted) recycle is what you need.

 

Go to Automate/Scripts. Click on your script and click edit. GO to schedule. Go to one of your scheduled and click modify. Go to Action...this is where you change it from normal to Recycle.