Symantec Backup Exec

Full – protect allocated and imported media

Prevents media in media sets and imported media from being overwritten.

See Media overwrite protection levels.

Partial – protect only allocated media

Allows imported and scratch media to be overwritten. Media in a media set that has an overwrite protection period that has not expired (allocated media), cannot be overwritten.

This option is recommended if you have media from an earlier version of Backup Exec or another product (imported media) that you want to reuse.

Prompt before overwriting imported media

Prompts you before Backup Exec overwrites imported media when Partial has been selected.

The job will not run until you respond to this prompt.

None

This option is not recommended because it does not protect data from being overwritten.

Disables the media overwrite protection feature. With this option, you are responsible for making sure that the media in your storage devices are not accidentally overwritten.

For example, when an overwrite job is submitted to a device, and the media overwrite protection level is set to None, the media in that device is overwritten.

Prompt before overwriting allocated or imported media

Prompts you before Backup Exec overwrites allocated or imported media. If you selected None (no overwrite protection), it is highly recommended that you select this option to be prompted before overwriting allocated or imported media.

The job will not run until you respond to this prompt.

Overwrite scratch media before overwriting recyclable media contained in the targeted media set

Lets Backup Exec overwrite scratch media first when an overwrite job occurs.

See How Backup Exec searches for overwritable media.

If no scratch media are found in any of the storage devices, Backup Exec overwrites recyclable media in the targeted media set.

If no recyclable media are found in the targeted media set, Backup Exec searches for recyclable media in any media set.

If no recyclable media are found, Backup Exec automatically searches for other media to overwrite. The media that is overwritten depends on the level of overwrite protection that you set (Full, Partial, or None). If you select this option, more media may be required for the same number of jobs than if you choose to overwrite recyclable media first.

Because this option affects the order in which Backup Exec overwrites media, choosing to overwrite scratch media first may allow the recyclable media to be preserved longer for possible recovery.

Overwrite recyclable media contained in the targeted media set before overwriting scratch media

Lets Backup Exec overwrite recyclable media in the targeted media set first when an overwrite job occurs.

If no recyclable media are found in any of the storage devices, Backup Exec overwrites scratch media.

If no recyclable or scratch media are found, Backup Exec searches for media to overwrite. The media that is overwritten depends on the level of overwrite protection that you set (Full, Partial, or None).

See How Backup Exec searches for overwritable media.

If you choose to overwrite recyclable media in the targeted media set first, you will re-use the same media more frequently than if you choose to overwrite scratch media first.

Media type

Displays the types of media for which you can create default labels.

See Imported media labeling.

For example, if you select 4mm, then all 4mm-type media that are entered for the first time into this installation of Backup Exec are assigned a label according to what you specify in the following fields.

Prefix

Displays the current default prefix for the selected cartridge type. To specify a new prefix on the label, type from one to eight alphanumeric characters.

Next value

Displays the next number that will be included in the label of the next media that matches the selected cartridge type when that media is entered for the first time into this installation of Backup Exec. This number is incremented by one each time a media that matches the selected cartridge type is entered into this installation of Backup Exec.

For example, if Cartridge type is set to 4mm, and Next value is set to 1, the first time a 4mm media is entered into this installation of Backup Exec, its label will include the number 1. The label on the next 4mm media entered will include the number 2.

To enter a new value, type from one to eight numeric characters. This number must not exceed the number specified in the Digits field.

Digits

Displays the length of Next value, including placeholder zeroes. This field defines the minimum size of the numeric portion of the label.

For example, if Next value is set to 1, and Digits is set to 6, then the Next value for the media label is 000001, 000002, 000003, and so on.

If the Next value exceeds the entry in the Digits field, the extra digit is added. Using the previous example, if label numbering continued until 999,999, the next label would be 1,000,000 even though the value specified in Digits is 6.

Rolling over the label numbering to 1,000,000 and 1,000,001 rather than 000,000 and 000,001 prevents the duplication of labels.

The number entered in the Digits field must be in the range of three to eight.

Default media vault

Displays the default vault that you want media moved to when a job is run to move media to a vault or to export media. The default media vault that you select here is displayed on the job properties dialog box, in Options.

See Scheduling a job to move media.

See Exporting expired media from a robotic library.