* David Simpson <[email protected]> [20151118 11:35]:
> Hi Deb, Jon
> 
> Hopefully this will cover both responses. Thanks again...
> 
> 
> Holdingdisk is already configured as 2000GB that as much as I can do on that 
> server.
> Chunksize I have already set to 500MB
> 
> Advice on 1/4 of tape size for max DE noted.
> 
> 
> >>Archive - with infinite tapes:   Amanda will chug through all the tapes in 
> >>your changer,    and then will wait until you put some more new tapes in 
> >>there
> (note to self:  no it won’t,  it will fail cuz it can’t find tapes.   How can 
> we tell it to WAIT ON THE OPERATOR to change tapes?)
> 
> Interested in this. Will the dump fail? What will happen will it stop with a 
> DLE in the Holdingdisk waiting to be flushed?
> 
> 
> 
> ----------------------
> 
> I ran the tape profiler and got these numbers seen in my definition (I also 
> added part size into the definition). I don't know why I didn't get closer to 
> 170mps or 180mps.... kernel module/driver?
> 
> define tapetype "HP-Ultrium-LTO6" {
>    comment "Created by amtapetype; compression enabled"
>     length 2299845440 kbytes
>     speed 69251 kps
>     blocksize 32 kbytes
>     #use default filemark - don't specify
>     #filemark
>     #needed for spanning... set low to try to avoid wastage (in abscence of 
> LEOM)
>     part_size 100G
> }

Retry by disabling tape compression with mt and use bigger blocksizes, like
2MiB or even more.

Note that a part_size of 100G will lead to 25 chunks on a tape if amanda
fills it to capacity. That's a lot of stop-and-go for the tape heads.
OTOH, you use tapes more efficiently...your call.

cheers,
jf


> 
> 
> -------------------------
> 
> >>It sounds like you are thinking of a single full backup (your off-site 
> >>archive) and then just backing up the changes thereafter.  That
> 
> -I'm planning on a full backup (off site archive). 
> 
> -After that a full backup and proper cycle, likely a weekly or fortnightly 
> dumpcycle (so Amanda running in a more typical fashion) - but to do this... 
> I'm going to make a call on what I will and won't backup to try to reduce the 
> volume (probably to 7-8 tapes worth max). As Deb importantly point outs.
> 
> 
> >> Using your above parameters, that would mean about 20% of a full dump each 
> >> run (plus incrementals).
> 
> An important point. Perhaps it would be prudent to change to this (?) to 
> reduce the nightly volume:
> 
> dumpcycle 2 weeks
> runspercycle 10
> tapecycle 8   
> 
> 
> 
> I would want to avoid spilling into the daytime (7 or 8am) with the regular 
> backup if possible.
> 
> 
> 
> regards
> David
> 
> 
> 
> --------------------
> David Simpson - Computing Support Officer
> IBME - Institute of Biomedical Engineering 
> Old Road Campus Research Building
> Oxford, OX3 7DQ
> Tel: 01865 617697 ext: 17697
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On 
> Behalf Of Jon LaBadie
> Sent: 18 November 2015 06:01
> To: Amanda Users <[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: archive and near-line usage
> 
> On Tue, Nov 17, 2015 at 11:27:30PM +0000, Debra S Baddorf wrote:
> > AMANDA USERS LIST:     anybody else want to jump in here with better 
> > ideas??   
> > I’m open to better suggestions …..     I’m probably making a real hash of 
> > this, and
> > not necessarily making suggestions in the best order…..
> > Deb
> 
> I'll throw in a few thoughts.
> 
> > 
> > > On Nov 11, 2015, at 2:55 PM, David Simpson <[email protected]> 
> > > wrote:
> > > 
> > > Hi all,
> > > 
> > > Thanks for the help so far. This has saved me a lot of time.
> > > 
> > > I have a fair amount of data I'm looking to copy (potentially ~30TB) 
> > > - that is data from multiple file-servers to multiple tapes and without 
> > > LEOM.
> > > Am I correct in saying this is the implication(?) - Amanda will get 
> > > so far through the disklist then realize it can't fit a DLE onto a 
> > > tape then load the next [correctly labeled] tape?
> 
> Two things, holding disk and DLE splitting.  About both, strongly consider 
> Deb's comment about keeping DLEs to a reasonable size.
> 
> Amanda may be backing up multiple DLEs simultaneously -- if you use an inter- 
> mediate random access media called a "holding disk".  If amanda goes directly 
> to tape, it can only do one DLE per tape drive at a time.  There are many 
> advantages to using a holding disk, but it has to be quite large, capable of 
> holding several complete DLEs.  A DLE going to disk will not go to tape until 
> it is complete on the HD.
> 
> Amanda can split DLEs across multiple tapes.  See "allow-split" directive in 
> amanda.conf(5).  The DLE is split into chunks enroute to the tape.  If a 
> chunk doesn't fit the current tape, it is sent to the next tape.  You specify 
> the chunck size considering that the average "wasted, unused piece of tape at 
> the end" will be 1/2 the chunck size.  So, perhaps 1,2,5, or 10% of tape 
> capacity.
> 
> > > I will be loading 8 LTO6  tapes into the tape changer (currently max 
> > > capacity). I only have this one tape changer at my disposal.
> > > 
> > > I'm looking to do two things with the same data:
> > > 
> > > 1) perform a one-off archive and remove the tapes for safe storage 
> > > off-site
> > > 2) load a new set of tapes and use amanda as a near-line storage 
> > > solution (quick backup/restore over network)
> > > 
> It sounds like you are thinking of a single full backup (your off-site 
> archive) and then just backing up the changes thereafter.  That is the way 
> some backup systems operate.  Amanda was not designed to work that way though 
> it is flexible enough that you could coerce it.  Recognize that means there 
> is only a single copy of unchanged files (heaven forbid something happens to 
> it) and that one copy is off-site, not available for quick restoration.
> 
> > > Both of these can be achieved with the identical config I think? I 
> > > just need to specify the exact days for 1) then remove the tapes... 
> > > before doing so, will i need to use amadmin to say do not re-use 
> > > these tapes? (incase I retrieve from safe storage to do a restore 
> > > from)
> > > 
> > > Does this sound sensible?
> > > 
> > > dumpcycle 1 week
> > > runspercycle 5 
> > > tapecycle 8         ?
> 
> These are parameters to be nailed down after you decide on a scheme.
> Also "runtapes" is important in that discussion.
> > > 
> > > cronjob to invoke amdump once sun-thur inclusive at night ...
> > > any new DLE configured fri, meaning full backup of new DLE performed 
> > > sunday
> 
> Another "traditional" scheme is full dumps all on one night (Sun?) and 
> incrementals each other run.  Again, amanda can be coerced into this scheme, 
> but it was not designed for that scheme.
> 
> Amanda does full dumps of individual DLEs on different days.  Its design 
> tries to backup about the same amount of data each run of a dumpcycle.
> Using your above parameters, that would mean about 20% of a full dump each 
> run (plus incrementals).  Some runs will do full dumps of 10 DLEs other runs 
> just 1 big DLE.  Because of its design, new DLEs can be added at any time.  
> They will get their first dump as a full dump the next run.
> 
> Here are schemes two former clients used (still use to my knowledge).
> 
> 1. For legal requirements, some data needed long term archival storage.
> Most of the data required recent backup only.  This was handled by separate 
> configs.  The long term stuff done "manually" to all new tapes.
> At first, once a month, then once a week.  Eventually even the archive stuff 
> split into two configs, some done weekly, others daily.
> 
> The second original config ran on a 2 week dumpcycle and included the data in 
> the archival config(s) plus much more.
> 
> 2. This client had no need for archival storage but did require disaster 
> coverage of recent data off-site.  They ran a 1 week dumpcycle and their 
> tapecycle was large enough for 4 dumpcycles in 4 groups.  Three groups were 
> kept on-site, last weeks group, the group in current use, and the 3 week old 
> group that would be used next week.  When that last group became the 
> "current" group, the first group went off-site, and the off-site group of 
> tapes came back.
> 
> As you consider your scheme, also consider if your "near-line storage"
> needs taping.  Amanda can use hard disk as "Virtual Tapes".  NAS or some kind 
> of RAID box could be used.  The virtual changer could hold as many tapes as 
> you want and could be expanded as needed.  The LT06 could then be reserved 
> for a separate configuration intended for off-site archival of periodic full 
> dumps of everything.  All the VTs used for daily runs would be in your 
> virtual changer available at all times.  No physical tape changing.
> 
> HTH,
> Jon
> -- 
> Jon H. LaBadie                 [email protected]
>  11226 South Shore Rd.          (703) 787-0688 (H)
>  Reston, VA  20190              (703) 935-6720 (C)

-- 
Jean-François Malouin | IT Operations and Infrastructure
McConnell Brain Imaging Centre | MNI | McGill University

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