Heather,
        I have used consolidation backups in the past. They work quite
well but there are a couple of gotchas.

You will need an initial full before any of the consolidation runs will
work. The consolidation works by doing a level 1 backup and then
creating consolidated full from the last full and the level1. Now, if
you've been counting, that's three (3) devices required for that single
backup.

It can also be a bit of a CPU load on the box doing the consolidation.

You can mitigate these issues by using a server with sufficient
horsepower and by using a disk staging area to back up to (i.e. do the
level 1 backup to disk and that way you only use two drives for the
consolidation.

On the plus side, only the changed data gets sent over the wire.

If the large servers are near the backup server consider using one or
more of them as storage nodes and sharing the library. Similarly, for
the remote data, if the consolidation backups prove unworkable, consider
making the remore server a storage node and attach a small library (you
will need local intervention to change tapes but that tends to keep the
local people in touch with the backup so could be seen as a good thing)

Regards
Bob


 

>-----Original Message-----
>From: EMC NetWorker discussion 
>[mailto:NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU] On Behalf Of Campbell, Heather
>Sent: 16 July 2007 08:40
>To: NETWORKER AT LISTSERV.TEMPLE DOT EDU
>Subject: [Networker] Save Set Consolidation Question
>
>All,
>
>            We have some servers that are in remote sites and 
>also some large file servers that take way to long to backups 
>on their weekly Fulls. I have looked at "Save Set 
>Consolidation" and was wondering if anybody uses that 
>functionality or for me not to even use it. Just looking for 
>some input on this Legato feature or if others use some other 
>way of doing theses kinds of backups.
>
> 
>
>Thank you!!
>
> 
>
>Heather
>
>
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