Transferring files to new backup set

[slash6matt]

I'm migrating from a DLT autoloader to an LTO2 autoloader.

I want to transfer all my archive DLTs to LTO2.

I've got about 26 DLT IV tapes to transfer, about 1.2 TB.

 

I was going to use TRANSFER,

but I'm worried that I'll run into trouble when I need to

interrupt the process to do daily backups and other dearchiving.

 

What is the best/fastest/easiest/safest way to do this?

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Matt

[twickland]

You are right to be concerned. Retrospect doesn't look to see what's in the destination backup set before performing the transfer, and will simply append whatever files are selected in any given transfer to the destination backup set, whether or not there's a copy of the file already there. Thus, you will need to specify the correct files yourself.

 

I think the easiest way to do this is as follows:

1) Go to Configure> Backup Sets> Configure> Members, and write down the dates and times that each of your DLT tape members was first written to.

2) Estimate how many tapes you are likely to be able to transfer in the time you have available.

3) For the first partial transfer, use as a selection criterion that the file backup date and time is before the start date/time of the tape just after the sequence of tape members you plan to copy from.

4) For subsequent partial transfers, use as a selection criterion that the file backup date and time is between the start date/time of the first tape member in the current transfer operation and the start date/time of the tape just after the sequence of tape members you'll be copying from.

 

I've found this method to work just fine. If, however, you're worried that you might not capture every file at the tape transfer point, you could always adjust the start and end dates/time in your transfer selection criteria so that they overlap a bit. This would cause you to have duplicate copies of those files whose backup dates/times were listed in the overlap period, but it might buy you some additional peace of mind.