Bacula-users

Re: [Bacula-users] [Bacula-devel] backup to removable external disk

2008-09-10 17:46:52
Subject: Re: [Bacula-users] [Bacula-devel] backup to removable external disk
From: Josh Fisher <jfisher AT pvct DOT com>
To: Peter Sjoberg <peters-bacula AT techwiz DOT ca>
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 2008 17:45:23 -0400
Peter Sjoberg wrote:
> On Mon, 2008-09-08 at 14:51 -0400, Dan Langille wrote:
>
>   
>> See also:
>>
>> http://tregnago.blogspot.com/2008/09/bacula-with-usb-disks-vchanger-altered.html
>>
>>     
>
> This script definitely looks like the path to take. Did a quick trial
> implementation and it works as documented - it's just that I need
> something a little different.
>
> Biggest issue is that this script handles a single USB connection (per
> storage device) and I want to use two. Each disk is considered one
> magazine filled with a pile of tapes and I have to change that
> "magazine" now and then to avoid it filling up (or when it complains
> that it's full).
>
> Looked at disk-changer script and a quick glance it seems to do
> something similar, talks about diskfiles as slots.
>   

Neither of the scripts allow for using multiple drives as a single 
"magazine". I have since written a replacement 'vchanger' in C++ that 
emulates a multi-magazine multi-drive library.

It works a bit differently that the scripts. Instead of creating a 
symlink to a (volume) file, it creates a symlink to the 
directory/mountpoint containing the volume file. A symlink is created 
for each (loaded) virtual drive that points to the directory/mountpoint 
containing the volume file that is "loaded" into the virtual drive. 
Multiple virtual drives can be loaded from the same magazine, and any 
virtual drive can be loaded from any magazine. Each magazine has the 
same number of slots. So for 5 slots per magazine, magazine 1 would be 
slots 1 -5, magazine 2 slots 6-10, etc. Magazines are defined (ie. their 
mountpoint given) in a config file, and the order in which they appear 
in the config file determines which slots they contain. The new vchanger 
program can be used with, for example, a 5-in-3 SATA backplane device 
with hotswap drive caddies. The scripts are not really designed for that.

There are a few other additions. It now works on Windows, for those 
trying the Windows version of Bacula. An extended command, initmag, was 
added to initialize a new blank disk and assign it a magazine number and 
barcodes for its volumes. Volume barcodes are generated automatically 
based on a name and a magazine number, rather than requiring a barcode 
labels file. All magazines belonging to a particular autochanger are 
given the same 'name' and a unique magazine number. This allows defining 
multiple autochangers, each with their own config file . unique name, 
and set of magazines.

The vchanger source, Windows installer, and a new Howto will be made 
available in the near future. The code is complete and has been working 
on my home network for about a month without issue, but I'm still 
working on the docs. I think it is definitely ready for trying out, but 
wouldn't advise it for production use without a lot more testing.

> I will think about it a bit but the way I feel I want it done is to have
> another level between and the easiest way to do that is probably to move
> everything up one level.
> I have single "drive" that has a "magazine" with two "slots"/"tapes".
> Then each tape is really a physical disk with one big file on it.
> This way, when one disk/tape is filled up it should automatically move
> to next tapedisk and at some point I can replace the filled tapedisk
> with an empty one.
> One issue I see with this is that I would end up having a single 1T file
> on each disk and I don't think that's to good so I'm still open for
> suggestions.
>
> /ps
>
>
>   
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