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NetVault 13.0.2 - Administration Guide for Managed Service Providers

Introduction Getting started Configuring clients Managing catalog search Configuring storage devices
About storage devices SAN considerations Quest DR Series systems Quest QoreStor NetVault SmartDisk EMC Data Domain Systems Snapshot Array Manager Virtual Tape Libraries Virtual standalone drives Shared Virtual Tape Libraries Physical tape devices Storage tiers
Backing up data Managing policies Restoring data Managing NetVault dashboard Managing jobs Monitoring logs Managing storage devices
Role-based access to manage storage devices Monitoring device activity Managing disk-based storage devices in list view Managing disk-based storage devices in tree view Managing the Snapshot Array Manager Managing tape libraries in list view Managing tape libraries in tree view Managing tape drives in list view Managing tape drives in tree view Adding shared devices
Managing storage media Managing user and group accounts Managing Tenant Monitoring events and configuring notifications Reporting in NetVault Working with client clusters Configuring default settings for NetVault
About configuring default settings Configuring encryption settings Configuring plug-in options Configuring default settings for post-scripts Configuring default settings for Verify Plug-in Configuring Deployment Manager Settings Configuring Job Manager settings Configuring Logging Daemon settings Configuring Media Manager settings Configuring Network Manager settings Configuring Process Manager settings Configuring RAS device settings Configuring Schedule Manager settings Configuring Web Service settings Configuring Auditor Daemon settings Configuring firewall settings Configuring general settings Configuring security settings Synchronizing NetVault Time Configuring the reporting utility Configuring NetVault WebUI default settings Configuring NetVault to use a specific VSS provider Configuring default settings using Txtconfig
Diagnostic tracing Managing diagnostic data Using the deviceconfig utility NetVault processes Environment variables Network ports used by NetVault Troubleshooting
Common errors Safe Mode in NetVault

Importing shadow tapes (NetApp VTL)

The NetApp VTL Shadow Tape option allows you to quickly import a tape from the shadow tape pool whenever possible instead of obtaining the physical tape.

To use shadow tapes, you need to do the following:

•
Configure the Enable Shadow Tapes option on the filer and library containing the virtual tapes. For more information about enabling shadow tapes, consult the relevant NetApp VTL documentation.
•
Select barcodes as the default labels for virtual tapes in NetVault. NetVault requires this method of labeling media to be fully functional. You can use barcodes as default labels by selecting the Use Barcodes as Labels check box in the Media Manager settings dialog box. For more information, see Configuring general settings for Media Manager.

With shadow tapes enabled, whenever a virtual tape is exported to a physical tape, the virtual tape is moved to the shadow tape pool. The shadow tape pool is invisible to the backup application and it is not listed as part of a virtual library, but it is available for quick access if the physical tape is later imported. It is also available for reading if the physical tape is stored off-site or is otherwise unavailable.

The NetApp VTL manages the space used by shadow tapes. It can delete a shadow tape if more space is required for the new backup data. The administrator can set a preferred retention time for shadow tapes. If the retention period has not expired, the NetApp VTL sends a notification before deleting the shadow tape.

Note the following:

•
The media requests for shadow tapes can only be used for Restore or Duplication tasks as these tapes are converted to read-only virtual tapes.
•
No permanent records are created in the NetVault Database for shadow tape media. The database only stores the details of actual media. The shadow tape attribute is associated with the media when they are imported to the library as shadow tapes. Therefore, you must export all shadow media before stopping or restarting NetVault. If you fail to export the media, they lose the shadow attribute and are converted to read-only items. For the same reason, you must export the shadow tapes before opening a library door.
•
Error messages are displayed if you try to import media when nothing is available in the shadow tape pool or when the shadow tapes option is not supported on the device.
To import virtual tapes:
1
In the Navigation pane, click Manage Devices.
2
In the list of devices, click the icon to locate the library, and then click the corresponding Manage Library icon .
3
On the Tape Library Management page, click Import Media.
4
In the Media Barcode list, select or type the barcode for the tapes that you want to import.
5
Click Import.
The requested tapes are imported to the medium changer from the shadow tape pool or physical library. When both shadow tapes and physical tapes are available, the shadow tapes are converted to read-only virtual tapes and imported to the entry/exit port. When only the physical tapes are available, virtual tapes are created from the physical tapes and imported to the entry/exit port.

Removing a tape library

You can use the following procedure to remove a tape library that is no longer required.

When you remove a tape library, it does not delete the media information from the NetVault Database. You can use the media on any other library that supports the media type. Scanning is not required if you use the media in the same NetVault domain. In a different NetVault Domain, you must scan the media to access the backups.

To remove a tape library:
1
In the Navigation pane, click Manage Devices.
2
In the list of devices, click the icon to locate the library, and then click the corresponding Manage Library icon .
3
On the Tape Library Management page, click Remove, and then in the confirmation dialog box, click OK.

Managing tape libraries in tree view

This section includes the following topics.

•
Viewing tape library details
•
Modifying a library
•
Changing the device view type
•
Opening and closing library door
•
Opening and closing entry/exit ports
•
Unloading or importing tapes from entry/exit ports
•
Exporting tapes to entry/exit ports
•
Restarting ACSLS or NDMP libraries
•
Importing shadow tapes (NetApp VTL)
•
Removing a tape library

Viewing tape library details

The Manage Devices page shows all the devices that have been added to the NetVault Server. The current status of the devices is depicted using the following light icons.

 
Table 94. Device status icons
Status Indicator
Description

Green light

Device is online and available for use.

Yellow light

Device is in use. NetVault is able to detect the device, but unable to access it for backup or restore jobs.

Red light

Device is currently offline. NetVault can detect the device but it cannot be accessed for backup or restore jobs.

Red cross

Device is unavailable (the SCSI cable is disconnected, the device is removed, or any other reason). NetVault cannot detect the device.

To view device status and performance statistics:
1
In the Navigation pane, click Manage Devices. Select Tree View.
2
To view the details of a particular device, click the corresponding library and then click Status.
3
The library status dialog box includes the following information under the Details tab:
•
Name: Library name.
•
Machine: Machine name.
•
Status: Device status (online or offline).
4
Click OK to close the Details dialog box.
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