SAN Media Pools

[nigello]

Hi all
Anyone know how to share media pools across servers in a SAN environment?

 

[ARCserveGuru]

You would have to use a central database configuration style of some sort. Haven't done it myself though.

Just a thought,

g

 

[jabus]

Your best configuration will be a multiprocessor server (nothing fancy) dedicated to managing the database. Here are the rough steps:

- Install SQL server on the dedicated server
- Install all the latest ARCserve patches
- Run SetupSQL and configure AS to use SQL
- Run Central DB Configuration from the Start|Program Files | ARCserve menu
- assign that server as the Central DB
- assign each distributed node in the SAN to that server
- stop and start the engines on the dist nodes

I do not recommend using VLDB for the database, as the maintenance utilities are archaic, and of little use.

And, of course, make sure the SAN Option is installed and configured.

 

[Cyklops]

Be careful with the sharing of pools in SAN environments.
Each ARCserve server in a SAN acts as if it owns the ( shared ) tape library. It is the Primary Server that really controls it. Be sure you have your device groups configured exactly the same way on each ARCserve server and don't use duplicate pool names.

regards

 

[jabus]

We have a large libraries that are shared amongst the distributed nodes, and some of those dist nodes share media pools without issue--providing you have all the latest patches.

In a properly configured SAN environment, the dist nodes will pull the tape library configuration, including the device groups, from the primary. When a backup (or any type of job) kicks off on a dist node, it requests a tape from the primary. The primary instructs the library to move the tape to a drive, reads/formats the tape, and passes it back to the dist node, and then the job begins.

If using a Central Database, you cannot have duplicate pool names.