The problem with dd'ing Netbackup tapes is the block factor.  You have to
use the corrct block factor when you dd to make an useable tape.  For
non-NDMP tapes, it's fairly simple 'cause the first tape file is 2 blocks
(1k) which is the tape lable, and the remaining tape files are all with
block factor of 64 (32k block) if your backup server is on Solaris.

For NDMP tapes however, the NDMP tape file has variable record size.
I remember the first *record* of a NDMP backup image (tape file) is 2k (I
could be a bit off here), and the remaining of the NDMP backup image has the 
block factor of 126 (63k record size).  Getting this right while dd'ing 
isn't that straigtforward.

dd'ing Netbackup tape isn't as easy as it seems.

--Mike

> From veritas-bu-admin AT mailman.eng.auburn DOT edu  Mon Oct  9 14:51:08 2000
> NetBackup only supports 2 copies.  The original and one 
> duplicate.  
> 
> An option if you care to use it is to simply dd the 
> duplicate tape.  NBU catalogs will not know about it, 
> but at least you have a third copy.
> 
> Hope this helps,
> 
> David Chapa
> 
> Quoting "Buffington, Devon" 
> <Devon_Buffington AT AIMFUNDS DOT COM>:
> 
> > Hello. I am trying to duplicate an image that I 
> already duplicated once. I
> > keep getting an error that the image already has two 
> copies. Is there a
> > command I can use that will reset this so I can 
> duplicate the image more
> > than once? We are using Netbackup 3.2 and the master 
> is running on Solaris
> > 2.6.
> >
> > Devon S. Buffington
> > UNIX System Administrator
> > AIM Management Group
> > (w)713.214.7302/(p)800.516.0663
> > UNIX is user friendly
> > It's just picky about its friends
> >
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> David A. Chapa                847 413 1144 p
> Director of Technology        847 413 1168 f
> DataStaff, Inc.               http://www.datastaff.com
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-- 
Mike Wei       Collective Technologies, a Pencom Company
Email: wei AT colltech DOT com