Policies provide a method for managing backup jobs and strategies. Policies contain job templates, which are job attributes that define how and when Backup Exec processes a job. Templates specify the devices, settings, and schedule for a job, but do not include the selections to be backed up. To create jobs, combine a policy with a selection list.
Policies are useful in a number of situations.
For example, you can set up policies for the following:
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Rotating media. If you use the policy wizard to create a policy, you can use the Monthly full backup with weekly and daily backups option to create a Grandfather, Father, Son media rotation scheme.
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Creating duplicate copies of backup sets. Set up a policy that contains a backup template and a duplicate backup set template. The duplicate backup set template initiates a job that copies the backup set created by the backup job.
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Verifying backup sets. Set up a policy that contains a backup template and a verify backup sets template. The verify backup sets template verifies the integrity of the backup data after the backup is completed. You can schedule the verify operation to run at any convenient time inside or outside of the backup window.
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Setting relationships between jobs. When a policy contains more than one template, you can use template rules to establish relationships between the templates. For example, you can set a template rule so that when one backup job completes, Backup Exec automatically starts another backup job.
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Exporting media. Set up a policy that contains an export media template and at least one backup template. Then, set up a template rule that schedules a media export job after the backup completes. You can also select a vault to move the media to after it is exported from the robotic library slots.
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Creating a synthetic backup. If you have purchased and installed the Advanced Disk-based Backup Option (ADBO), then you can set up a policy that contains the necessary job templates for creating a synthetic backup.
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Enabling true image restore of backup sets. If you have purchased and installed the Advanced Disk-based Backup Option (ADBO), then you can set up a policy that contains the necessary job templates for enabling true image restore of backup sets.
After you combine a selection list with a policy, Backup Exec automatically creates a job for each template in the policy. For example, if a policy contains three templates, Backup Exec will create one job for each template, for a total of three jobs. Polices are reusable, so you can create a single policy and combine it with several different selection lists.
More Information
Creating a new policy using the Policy Wizard
About the synthetic backup feature