Re: NTBackup - Overwriting a tape on a scheduled backup?

"20vtguy" <> wrote in message
news:be8e2669-2ce9-402b-b624-...
>I am setting up NTBackup on SBS 2003 with a DAT72 tape drive. We are
> simply going to use 5 tapes that we will rotate daily and do full
> backups to each night rather then diffs or incrementals. So we will
> have a Monday tape, a Tuesday, etc, all as full backups. I set up
> individual backup jobs for each day and scheduled them. I wanted to
> test the jobs so I took the new Monday tape and manually activated the
> Monday backup via the Task Scheduler. It started and ran fine. I then
> tried to run it again and it failed telling me it was the incorrect
> media. I tried the same scenario with the Tuesday tape and the same
> thing happened. Now in my backup jobs I specifically told it replace
> the existing backup. Why will it not run the same backup job again on
> the same tape? There has to be some sort of command line switch I can
> add to the scheduled backup properties to allow for this ability. What
> I am missing?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> Adam

Try the /um switch (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=239892). AFAIR, this
switch is not documented in Windows SBS 2003 but it does work. I also
suggest you consider replacing the tapes with USB disks. They tend to be
slow when you're backing up and extremely slow when you're restoring files.
They are also much less reliable than disks.

20vtguy <> wrote:
> On Dec 7, 5:10 pm, "Pegasus [MVP]" <n...@microsoft.com> wrote:
>> "20vtguy" <20vt...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>
>> news:be8e2669-2ce9-402b-b624-...
>>
>>
>>
>>> I am setting up NTBackup on SBS 2003 with a DAT72 tape drive. We are
>>> simply going to use 5 tapes that we will rotate daily and do full
>>> backups to each night rather then diffs or incrementals. So we will
>>> have a Monday tape, a Tuesday, etc, all as full backups. I set up
>>> individual backup jobs for each day and scheduled them. I wanted to
>>> test the jobs so I took the new Monday tape and manually activated
>>> the Monday backup via the Task Scheduler. It started and ran fine.
>>> I then tried to run it again and it failed telling me it was the
>>> incorrect media. I tried the same scenario with the Tuesday tape
>>> and the same thing happened. Now in my backup jobs I specifically
>>> told it replace the existing backup. Why will it not run the same
>>> backup job again on the same tape? There has to be some sort of
>>> command line switch I can add to the scheduled backup properties to
>>> allow for this ability. What I am missing?
>>
>>> Thanks in advance,
>>> Adam
>>
>> Try the /um switch (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=239892).
>> AFAIR, this switch is not documented in Windows SBS 2003 but it does
>> work. I also suggest you consider replacing the tapes with USB
>> disks. They tend to be slow when you're backing up and extremely
>> slow when you're restoring files. They are also much less reliable
>> than disks.
>
> I will look into that switch but I wiill take Lanwrenches

Lanwench, please!

> advice and
> try SBS Backup.

If you think you can swing it (and if you get HDs) check out StorageCraft's
ShadowProtect. So nice.

> I agree with you on using external USB HD's rather
> then tape but for some reason my boss wants to use the tapes.

Oy. Tell him to move into the 21st century. If these were ultrium/LTO I'd
say fine, but DAT? Come on, you can't fit your whole server on that, and
it's slow, tapes will go bad, etc.

> I
> already have it backing up to an external HD every Sunday so we have
> one local backup thats fairly current and reliable in the event we
> have a restore issue with the tapes. I will try and convince my boss
> to forgo the tapes altogether and and switch to USB HD's as the daily
> routine rather then just the Sunday one. Also recently I have set up
> an offsite backup with IDrive so we are pretty safe as far as data
> goes.

Good. You could check out www.granitedigital.com - they have hotswap eSATA
drive bays that will let you remove HDs just like they were tapes. I love
these.

>
> Thanks,
> Adam

"20vtguy" <> wrote in message
news:c67d0654-c722-41e3-a1ed-...
On Dec 7, 5:10 pm, "Pegasus [MVP]" <n...@microsoft.com> wrote:
> "20vtguy" <20vt...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:be8e2669-2ce9-402b-b624-...
>
>
>
> >I am setting up NTBackup on SBS 2003 with a DAT72 tape drive. We are
> > simply going to use 5 tapes that we will rotate daily and do full
> > backups to each night rather then diffs or incrementals. So we will
> > have a Monday tape, a Tuesday, etc, all as full backups. I set up
> > individual backup jobs for each day and scheduled them. I wanted to
> > test the jobs so I took the new Monday tape and manually activated the
> > Monday backup via the Task Scheduler. It started and ran fine. I then
> > tried to run it again and it failed telling me it was the incorrect
> > media. I tried the same scenario with the Tuesday tape and the same
> > thing happened. Now in my backup jobs I specifically told it replace
> > the existing backup. Why will it not run the same backup job again on
> > the same tape? There has to be some sort of command line switch I can
> > add to the scheduled backup properties to allow for this ability. What
> > I am missing?
>
> > Thanks in advance,
> > Adam
>
> Try the /um switch (http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=239892). AFAIR,
> this
> switch is not documented in Windows SBS 2003 but it does work. I also
> suggest you consider replacing the tapes with USB disks. They tend to be
> slow when you're backing up and extremely slow when you're restoring
> files.
> They are also much less reliable than disks.

I will look into that switch but I wiill take Lanwrenches advice and
try SBS Backup. I agree with you on using external USB HD's rather
then tape but for some reason my boss wants to use the tapes.

=================

Do a few of test recoveries, then tell him how long it took. It is not
unusual to take several hours and if the tape goes then you have a little
problem. Remember also - tapes are highly mechanical: Two reels and a thin
foil that must make contact with a reading head while it moves, and it moves
a lot! With disks there is no physical contact between the reading head and
the magnetic surface and thus next to no wear and tear.