Ryan,

NBU only tracks the 2 tapes specified in the NetBackup Database
Configuration. any other tapes in the NetBackup pool are available for
other use.
I only have 4 tapes in my NetBackup pool and I rotate them to NB
database duty every couple of months or so. All of my backup tapes are
pulled from other pools.
I suppose it would be wise to change to new tapes every year or so (you
can keep your labels, though) to be sure that you don't end up with data
corruption due to bad media.

Jim


>Does anyone know the most proper way to physically take out the current
>NBU database tapes and put two new ones in their place?  For such a
>seemingly mundane task, I'm not 100% sure the best way to do it.  The
>on-line help in NBU 3.1.1 (Solaris) says this on the subject:
>
>" For example, assume you change to a different media ID in order to
>make an
>extra copy of the databases. When you change to the new media ID,
>NetBackup
>replaces the old ID with the new ID and no longer tracks the old ID in
>its
>database. This results in the media associated with old ID being made
>available for reassignment by Media Manager."
>
>
>Is it only possible (and desirable) to have two media IDs known as NBU
>databases?  Is putting in two new tapes always necessarily a deletion >of
>the previous' media IDs, although the data is still intact?  Am I way
>off base?