Expanding and shrinking VTLs (4046528)

NetVault: Backup Virtual Tape Libraries (VTLs) often need to be shrunk or enlarged. The following section describes the process for shrinking a VTL and the process for expanding a VTL using the command `nvmakemedia`.

These examples assume a VTL installed in the directory /VTL. By default, NVHOME on 64bit Windows is C:\Program Files (x86)\Quest Software\NetVault Backup, on unix or Linux /usr/netvault

Removing Virtual Media from a VTL

1. In the NetVault Backup, open Manage Devices.
2. Expand the VTL from which media will be removed from. It is assumed that the VTL has been added to NVBU.
3. Identify the virtual tape you want to remove from the VTL. Typically, this is the largest virtual media number.
4. Select the virtual tape you want to remove and select Blank. This will delete all backup indexes on the media to be removed from the NetVault Backup Database. It is important to perform this step when removing media. Otherwise, VTL licensed total capacity may be miscalculated.
5. The virtual tape will be automatically loaded back into the drive. Select the virtual drive and select Unload.
6. Identify the virtual slot in which the blanked virtual media was placed.
7. Stop NetVault Backup Services on the NetVault Backup Server or SmartClient where the VTL is located.
8. Navigate to the directory /VTL/slots/.

To find out where your VTL files and folders are located, open the /Netvault Backup/Config/diskdevices.cfg

Scroll down right at the bottom and check the path of the Libraries. It should look like this:

[libraries]

location=C:\VTL

  9.  Go to the path and browse the slots folder

  10. Delete the .media file from the virtual slot directory identified in step 6. If you open the file in an text editor the content should like this: ..\..\media\PP4ZW020

In this case the PP4ZW020 is barcode for the media.  Delete this file and its parent folder.

Next, go back up to the slots folder then browse the media folder. In there you should have the actual media files.

In the above example, there should be a file called PP4ZW020 that can be deleted.

11. Restart the Netvault Service.

12. Open the NetVault WebUI Manage Devices. It should have less slots and media.

Adding Virtual Media to VTL

1. In the NetVault: Backup WebUI, open the Manage Devices window.
2. Identify the virtual media names defined which include the barcode appended with the virtual media number and displayed in parenthesizes.
3. Stop the NetVault Backup Services on the NetVault Backup Server or SmartClient where the VTL is located.
4. In the /VTL/slots directory, create a sub-directory which is one number larger than the existing largest numbered virtual slot directory.
5. Copy the .media file from one of the virtual slot directories to the virtual slot directory created in step 4.
6. Modify the .media file in the newly created virtual slot directory from ../../4O4HR00* to ../../4O4HR00X where X represents the new virtual media number.
7. Change the directory to [NVHOME]/util
8. Run `./nvmakemedia 50m mediafiles /VTL/media/4O4HR004` where 404HR004 represents the appropriate bar code and virtual media number and 50m = 50 Megabytes. Note: Quest recommends that all virtual media be exactly the same size.
9. Restart the NetVault Backup Services.

Further usage details for `nvmakemedia` can be found in the NetVault Backup Command Line Interface Reference Guide.