Bacula-users

Re: [Bacula-users] bscan, file retention, and pruning

2010-11-19 06:36:18
Subject: Re: [Bacula-users] bscan, file retention, and pruning
From: Martin Simmons <martin AT lispworks DOT com>
To: bacula-users AT lists.sourceforge DOT net
Date: Fri, 19 Nov 2010 11:33:29 GMT
>>>>> On Fri, 19 Nov 2010 10:00:53 +1300, Craig Miskell said:
> 
> Martin Simmons wrote:
> >>>>>> On Thu, 18 Nov 2010 11:02:49 +1300, Craig Miskell said:
> >>    So I have just seen a case where an old tape with a job that had it's 
> >> file
> >> records pruned by the File Retention was bscan'd to get the records back 
> >> into
> >> the database.
> >>
> >> The operator then tried to run a restore, but had managed to leave the tape
> >> drive in an inconsistent state (unmounted, with the tape in it, so mtx had 
> >> a
> >> hernia), and the Restore job failed.  That's unfortunate, but it happens, 
> >> and
> >> isn't the real problem.  When the job failed and finished, the File 
> >> Retention
> >> period kicked in, and the bscan'd records were purged.
> >>
> >> This is somewhat annoying, and means we have to bscan again (4 hours+).  
> >> In the
> >> general case of a bscan and a single successful restore, it's pretty much 
> >> ok.
> >> But in case of a failure of the restore, or if we find we have to do more 
> >> than
> >> one restore (the user decides they need more files after the first batch), 
> >> this
> >> is a real pain.
> >>
> >> The somewhat crude approach is to raise File Retention on the client to a 
> >> big
> >> enough period to cover back to when the tape was written, while going 
> >> through
> >> the bscan/restore process, and setting it back to normal afterwards.
> >>
> >> Is there a better way?  I'm thinking of something like marking the job as
> >> not-pruneable after the bscan and while doing restores, but I'm open to any
> >> suggestions.
> > 
> > I assume you have AutoPrune=Yes in the client definitions (it is the 
> > default)?
> > If so, try changing it to AutoPrune=No.
> > 
> > You can either do that temporarily (instead of raising the File Retention) 
> > or
> > you can do it permanently and also add Prune Files = Yes and Prune Jobs = 
> > Yes
> > in the backup job definitions.  Since the Restore job definition will not 
> > have
> > these directives, it won't trigger any pruning.
> > 
> > The only problem with the latter approach is that pruning will still occur 
> > if
> > a backup runs before you have finished the restore.
> Thanks for both suggestions; the first is a nice clean option, although 
> someone
> else suggested making the bscan'd volume Read Only, which is even less 
> intrusive
> (affects just that volume).

Does setting VolStatus to Read Only work?  It will certainly prevent
recycling, but I'm a little sceptical that it will prevent file pruning
because that code doesn't look at the Media table AFAICS.

__Martin

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