On 11/12/2006 6:09 AM, Anas Kayal wrote:
  > Im kind of new to Veritas. Im running NetBackup 5.1 with mp5 on a
> windows server. Now I?m having a lot of problems managing my tapes with 
> all these barcodes and manual backup logs. I also have weekly and 
> monthly backups that go to a remote site. I also handle the system side 
> of the company so im pretty busy. I need a better way to know whats 
> going on with my tapes and when they expire. I read about vaulting and I 
> think it can help me with my problem. Now I need to know 2 things:
> 
> 1.       Will vaulting help me??

Yes.  Vault's job is to manage the tapes that are out of your library. 
It will track by tape or container.  We've been using it for quite a 
while and are satisfied with the work it does.

> 2.       How can I get it? Im in Qatar and my local veritas dealer 
> hasn?t supplied any licenses for vaulting in Qatar yet. Is there 
> somewhere I can download a trial version to get the feel of it?

Vault is not one of these products that you can just plug in and try - 
until recently (4.5 I think) it required Professional Services just to 
install and configure.  It's a bunch of work to get going but once it's 
running, it's not that much work to manage.  Vault is licensed by the 
number of tape drives that you will use for vaulting - I believe the 
base licenses covers 2 tape drives (but that may have changed over time).

It seems like some resellers sell Vault and some don't.  If your's 
doesn't, you may need to find a different reseller.  Datalink 
(http://www.datalink.com) is based in the US but sells internationally 
(they sold us Vault licenses to our India-based subsidiary) and you 
might consider contacting them if your reseller can't help and there 
isn't another reseller in Qatar that can.

        .../Ed

-- 
Ed Wilts, Mounds View, MN, USA
mailto:ewilts at ewilts.org