Networker

[Networker] How to determine number of tapes to add

2004-10-29 13:51:49
Subject: [Networker] How to determine number of tapes to add
From: George Sinclair <George.Sinclair AT NOAA DOT GOV>
To: NETWORKER AT LISTMAIL.TEMPLE DOT EDU
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 2004 13:54:04 -0400
Hi,

I'd like to have a way to determine how many tapes to add for any given
night before the backups start. Our backups run every night after 4 pm,
but some of our schedules vary and are customized from one month to the
next. I was thinking to use both mminfo and 'nsrjb -C' to get a listing
of available tapes and how many are full and which ones have the oldest
savesets so I could determine which ones could be removed from the
library, e.g. any volume wherein the oldest saveset is say older than a
month, in order to make room for the new tapes I'm adding. That's easy
enough, but how do I determine from a script:

1. What levels the various schedules are calling for
2. What size to expect, in say GB, for any given groups or clients so
you can determine the min. number of tapes that will be necessary

How do folks determine this? How do you know how many tapes to add?

Of course, I could just fill the whole library up and always keep it
full, and then it's moot, but I'd like to avoid that. Up until now I've
just been monitoring the tape usage by looking at the mount window (or
nsrjb -C) from one week to the next to get an idea of how many tapes are
appendable, and then I just kind of guess at how many tapes I think I
might need to add, if any, based on the schedules that I know I'll be
running. I've had no problems thus far because I have a pretty good
understanding of the min. number required *BUT* I'll soon be leaving
these decisions up to two trainee operators, and I'd prefer to have a
script to help them with this until they become more familiar with the
operations. Such a script would help me, too. I think I can write it,
but I need help with items 1 and 2 above which seem necessary.

George

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