How to Deploy a Tape Library and Use it with Veeam?
When planning and implementing your deployment project, follow the recommendations below:
- It is recommended to configure the tape library for use exclusively by Veeam Backup & Replication. Using it together with any 3rd party tape-recording software (for example, in your evaluation lab) may prevent other software from recording.
- To streamline the workflow, use tapes with the barcodes. Please check barcodes integrity before you start using the tapes, and make sure the barcode reader is turned on. If you have multiple libraries, ensure that the barcodes are unique throughout the infrastructure.
- For increased capacity, use the latest LTO.
- If you plan to use encryption for archived data, consider using hardware encryption (implemented in LTO-4 and later).
- Install and check the following:
- The latest drivers for your tape library. Remember that only the original (OEM) drivers are supported; drivers supplied with Microsoft Windows are not recommended.
- The latest changer and controller. Changers working via SCSI are supported.
NOTE: Starting from Veeam Backup & Replication 9.5 Update 2, multi-pathing will not be supported.
- You will need a tape server that will perform most data transfer tasks during archiving to tape.
- This should be a physical machine, or a VM connected through iSCSI, since direct pass-through is not supported.
- Using a Windows 2008 R2 machine for a tape server is not recommended due to the possibility of performance degrade. Instead, use Windows Server 2012 or later to achieve better performance and seamless operation.
- Best practice is to provide a direct connection from tape server to the repository to improve the performance and specify this preferred repo in tape server connections.
- If you plan to create synthetic backups, using a deduplication storage is not recommended.
- If you plan to perform file-to-tape archiving for a large number of files (more than 500, 000 per job), consider using any commercial edition of SQL Server for Veeam Configuration Database to support these operations. Configuration Database stores information about all files backed up by Veeam Backup & Replication, and using SQL Server Express Edition (with its 10 GB limit for a database size) may lead to significant performance degradation.
- To load or get the tapes from the library, use the import-export slots. If you need to perform these operations manually, remember to stop tape jobs, stop tape server, perform manual operation, then start server, rescan or run inventory for the library (to recognize the uploaded tapes), restart the tape job.
- If the tapes have barcodes, then you can perform the rescan
- If the tapes do not have barcodes, then you should perform the inventory
NOTE: For more information on tape infrastructure and operations, refer to the User Guide. For resource planning, you can also refer to the Best Practices document. (It can be recommended that you double your estimated numbers when planning for the resources).
What are the Upgrade Tips?
If you are upgrading your Veeam deployment, then you should first upgrade the Veeam backup server.
The tape server will be upgraded after that, using the automated steps of the Upgrade wizard that opens after the first launch of Veeam Backup & Replication console. However, you can choose to upgrade it manually, starting the Upgrade wizard at any time from the main Veeam Backup & Replication menu.
If you are upgrading your tape library, consider the following:
- To streamline the process and skip the catalogization step, you can add the new library to the existing media pools, and after the old library is switched off, remove it from the media pools
- After connecting the new library to Veeam server you should load the existing tapes with their barcodes to that new library and perform the rescan. Then you can switch the old library to the offline state (detach it from Veeam server) and then delete it from Veeam Backup & Replication configuration.