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NTBackup and multiple tapes


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Guest Jack B. Pollack
Posted

I want to be able to give one of my elderly clients a simple one-button

backup icon using NTBackup.

He is backing up to tape. I want him to rotate through several tapes before

returning to the first.

 

I am using a shortcut with command line:

ntbackup backup "@C:\Backup Jobs\Selective.bks" /j "Selective Backup Job" /t

"Selective BU" /n "Selective BU"

 

 

If the tapes have different names (eg "Selective BU 1", "Selective BU2")

NTBackup sits there waiting for a specific tape to be mounted. I want all

the tapes to be used interchangeable. If I name all of the tapes with the

same name I get a message when running my shortcut that multiple tapes have

the same name.

 

How can I get around this? I do not run into this problem when backing up to

a second hard drive. I only have it when backing up to (named) tapes.

 

I have used MS KB as reference http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814583.

 

Thanks

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Guest Twayne
Posted

Re: NTBackup and multiple tapes

 

> I want to be able to give one of my elderly clients a simple

> one-button backup icon using NTBackup.

> He is backing up to tape. I want him to rotate through several tapes

> before returning to the first.

>

> I am using a shortcut with command line:

> ntbackup backup "@C:\Backup Jobs\Selective.bks" /j "Selective Backup

> Job" /t "Selective BU" /n "Selective BU"

>

>

> If the tapes have different names (eg "Selective BU 1", "Selective

> BU2") NTBackup sits there waiting for a specific tape to be mounted.

> I want all the tapes to be used interchangeable. If I name all of the

> tapes with the same name I get a message when running my shortcut

> that multiple tapes have the same name.

>

> How can I get around this? I do not run into this problem when

> backing up to a second hard drive. I only have it when backing up to

> (named) tapes.

>

> I have used MS KB as reference http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814583.

>

> Thanks

 

I think about the only way to do that would be to create a completely

new, virgin job at every backup, thereby destroying any history of past

backups. Many tape backups keep the whole backup history on each tape

so it can identify which is which for the user. But, the date always

makes for a good name anyone can remember how to format?

 

I assume the issue is KISS and you don't want the user to have to make

up names? It's the only way I make sense out of what you want.

In that case, you could instead just write a batch file (cmd file,

whatever ... ) and put a self-incrementing name in the batch to save the

backup to. Thus, the user only runs the same backup batch file every

time. You could even add that to the scheduler and have it run

automatically without user intervention; all the user had to do is label

the tapes and put new ones in.

And better yet, the names in the batch file, instead of incrementing,

could be a representation of the date. After the batch runs, have it

pause and display a message about what to label the tape/s with. Lots

of different possibilities with batch files.

alt.msdos.batch.nt is a group with many helpful and very

knowledgeable folks if you need help with the batch. They specifically

know XP in and out for using batch files. One place they're carried is

news.aioe.org in case your ISP doesn't carry it.

 

HTH

Guest Jack B. Pollack
Posted

Re: NTBackup and multiple tapes

 

Thanks I'll post there.

 

"Twayne" <nobody@devnull.spamcop.net> wrote in message

news:upjHv7a7IHA.3480@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> > I want to be able to give one of my elderly clients a simple

> > one-button backup icon using NTBackup.

> > He is backing up to tape. I want him to rotate through several tapes

> > before returning to the first.

> >

> > I am using a shortcut with command line:

> > ntbackup backup "@C:\Backup Jobs\Selective.bks" /j "Selective Backup

> > Job" /t "Selective BU" /n "Selective BU"

> >

> >

> > If the tapes have different names (eg "Selective BU 1", "Selective

> > BU2") NTBackup sits there waiting for a specific tape to be mounted.

> > I want all the tapes to be used interchangeable. If I name all of the

> > tapes with the same name I get a message when running my shortcut

> > that multiple tapes have the same name.

> >

> > How can I get around this? I do not run into this problem when

> > backing up to a second hard drive. I only have it when backing up to

> > (named) tapes.

> >

> > I have used MS KB as reference http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814583.

> >

> > Thanks

>

> I think about the only way to do that would be to create a completely

> new, virgin job at every backup, thereby destroying any history of past

> backups. Many tape backups keep the whole backup history on each tape

> so it can identify which is which for the user. But, the date always

> makes for a good name anyone can remember how to format?

>

> I assume the issue is KISS and you don't want the user to have to make

> up names? It's the only way I make sense out of what you want.

> In that case, you could instead just write a batch file (cmd file,

> whatever ... ) and put a self-incrementing name in the batch to save the

> backup to. Thus, the user only runs the same backup batch file every

> time. You could even add that to the scheduler and have it run

> automatically without user intervention; all the user had to do is label

> the tapes and put new ones in.

> And better yet, the names in the batch file, instead of incrementing,

> could be a representation of the date. After the batch runs, have it

> pause and display a message about what to label the tape/s with. Lots

> of different possibilities with batch files.

> alt.msdos.batch.nt is a group with many helpful and very

> knowledgeable folks if you need help with the batch. They specifically

> know XP in and out for using batch files. One place they're carried is

> news.aioe.org in case your ISP doesn't carry it.

>

> HTH

>

>


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