Veritas-bu

[Veritas-bu] Virtual Tape Libraries and D2D2T backups

2005-07-14 09:26:35
Subject: [Veritas-bu] Virtual Tape Libraries and D2D2T backups
From: rich.dellaripa AT cingular DOT com (Dellaripa, Rich)
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 09:26:35 -0400
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While we also use DSSUs here with good success and are still evaluating VTL
products,
VTLs do provide features DSSUs don't. For example, VTLs aren't subject to
filesystem
size limitations (1 TB, 2 TB, etc) that several OS's have, which can be a
pain in the 
DSSU realm. Second, VTLs, being "tapes", are more portable than DSSUs; any
system on
The fabric with the VTL can access a backup written to a VTL whereas,
without advanced 
features of volume managers, DSSUs are locked to the host they're on.

I haven't looked very much at what's changed in 6, but what I've seen can
only mitigate
issues like this, not solve them.

---Rich Dellaripa


-----Original Message-----
From: Ed Wilts [mailto:ewilts AT ewilts DOT org] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 5:01 PM
To: Vincent_Mase AT harvardpilgrim DOT org
Cc: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu
Subject: Re: [Veritas-bu] Virtual Tape Libraries and D2D2T backups

On Wed, Jul 13, 2005 at 04:38:24PM -0400, Vincent_Mase AT harvardpilgrim DOT org
wrote:
> Question 2:   Interested in hearing from anyone using DSSU's  and if
> they are experiencing all the headaches that the VTL vendors use as
> selling points for their products.

We're using DSSUs extensively and in general, they work well.  Not ideal
yet, but not so bad either and the price was right (free in the current
version of NetBackup).

DSSUs helped us but we do have occasional issues.  Last week, somebody
built a new server and forgot to put an exclude file on a cluster and we
tried to do a 2TB backup to a 1TB DSSU.  For some strange reason, that
failed :-).  Unfortunately it caused 160 backup jobs to fail since the
DSSU was full.  

NetBackup has a bunch of improvements in version 6 for DSSUs.  I'm
looking forward to those and don't expect that we'll ever buy a VTL
here.

Personally, I think that VTLs were a "point-in-time" solution - great at
the time and solved a lot of problems, but long-term I see that enough
functionality will roll into NetBackup to kill off the VTL market in all
but a few niche places.  

-- 
Ed Wilts, Mounds View, MN, USA
mailto:ewilts AT ewilts DOT org

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<P><FONT SIZE=2>While we also use DSSUs here with good success and are still 
evaluating VTL products,</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>VTLs do provide features DSSUs don't. For example, VTLs aren't 
subject to filesystem</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>size limitations (1 TB, 2 TB, etc) that several OS's have, 
which can be a pain in the </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>DSSU realm. Second, VTLs, being &quot;tapes&quot;, are more 
portable than DSSUs; any system on</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>The fabric with the VTL can access a backup written to a VTL 
whereas, without advanced </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>features of volume managers, DSSUs are locked to the host 
they're on.</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>I haven't looked very much at what's changed in 6, but what 
I've seen can only mitigate</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>issues like this, not solve them.</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>---Rich Dellaripa</FONT>
</P>
<BR>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>From: Ed Wilts [<A HREF="mailto:ewilts AT ewilts DOT 
org">mailto:ewilts AT ewilts DOT org</A>] </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Sent: Wednesday, July 13, 2005 5:01 PM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>To: Vincent_Mase AT harvardpilgrim DOT org</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Cc: veritas-bu AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Subject: Re: [Veritas-bu] Virtual Tape Libraries and D2D2T 
backups</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>On Wed, Jul 13, 2005 at 04:38:24PM -0400, Vincent_Mase AT 
harvardpilgrim DOT org wrote:</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>&gt; Question 2:&nbsp;&nbsp; Interested in hearing from anyone 
using DSSU's&nbsp; and if</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>&gt; they are experiencing all the headaches that the VTL 
vendors use as</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>&gt; selling points for their products.</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>We're using DSSUs extensively and in general, they work 
well.&nbsp; Not ideal</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>yet, but not so bad either and the price was right (free in 
the current</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>version of NetBackup).</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>DSSUs helped us but we do have occasional issues.&nbsp; Last 
week, somebody</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>built a new server and forgot to put an exclude file on a 
cluster and we</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>tried to do a 2TB backup to a 1TB DSSU.&nbsp; For some strange 
reason, that</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>failed :-).&nbsp; Unfortunately it caused 160 backup jobs to 
fail since the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>DSSU was full.&nbsp; </FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>NetBackup has a bunch of improvements in version 6 for 
DSSUs.&nbsp; I'm</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>looking forward to those and don't expect that we'll ever buy 
a VTL</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>here.</FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>Personally, I think that VTLs were a &quot;point-in-time&quot; 
solution - great at</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>the time and solved a lot of problems, but long-term I see 
that enough</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>functionality will roll into NetBackup to kill off the VTL 
market in all</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>but a few niche places.&nbsp; </FONT>
</P>

<P><FONT SIZE=2>-- </FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2>Ed Wilts, Mounds View, MN, USA</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=2><A HREF="mailto:ewilts AT ewilts DOT org">mailto:ewilts AT 
ewilts DOT org</A></FONT>
</P>

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