Proactive and Regular to Same Media

[jkaylen]

My backup server is a 533MHz, 256 MB RAM, Windows 2000 SP4 with Retrospect 6.5 multi server installed with the Proactive backup option licensed

 

We have two servers, 4 desktops that are always on, 2 desktops that are only used a certain times of the year, the four laptops that are in the office at random times.

 

For backup media we currently have two 20GB Tavern Drives, but will soon be purchasing a VXA-2 PacketLoader 1x10 drive with variable tape size (whatever we decide in needed).

 

We would like daily backups kept for two weeks (ie: M1,Tu1,W1,Th1,F1,M2,Tu2,W2,Th2,F2,M1,Tu1…)

 

We currently have our laptops and the two desktops on Proactive backup to a local hard drive, but I have to manually recycle the media whenever it fills up. I tried making a regular script to do a recycle backup, but if none of the laptops are in the office at the time it fails. The two servers and four desktops are being backed up with a regular script to the two Tavern Drives.

 

My first QUESTION is can a proactive script and a regular script both write to the same tape? (so long as they aren’t scheduled at the same time) OR do I have to specify different tapes for the proactive script?

 

My second QUESTION is if a proactive script and a regular script are both writing to the same tape, what happens to the proactive data when the regular script does a normal backup?

 

My third QUESTION is how do I automatically recycle the proactive media if I don’t have a guaranteed time of when at least one laptop will be on site?

 

My current ANSWER/solution (assuming the proactive and regular script can write to the same media):

 

-Monday at 1:00am RECYCLE backup of servers and 4 desktops to Monday-A

-Monday from 6:00am-11:00pm PROACTIVE backup of laptops to Monday-A

-Tuesday 12:00am SWITCH tape in loader to Tuesday-A (is that how it works?)

-Tuesday at 1:00am RECYCLE backup of servers and 4 desktops to Tuesday-A

-Tuesday from 6:00am-11:00pm PROACTIVE backup of laptops to Tuesday-A

-…

-Friday from 6:00am-11:00pm PROACTIVE backup of laptops to Friday-B

 

How does that sound? From my interpretation I should get a full backup every day and that it is kept for two weeks (as all the old regular script data and proactive data is deleted every morning). I know this won’t really give me the benefits of a progressive backup, but do I really need that? Please give feedback.