Re: [Bacula-users] Again vchanger and volumes in error...
Mandi! Josh Fisher via Bacula-users In chel di` si favelave... > This Looks like the volume is marked as being in a slot in the bacula > catalog, but the RDX cartridge containing that volume is not actually > mounted. This can happen if a cartridge is removed but an 'update slots' > command is never run or else failed due to an error. Also replying to Bill: no, script seems to work as expèected and udev rules that run them too. Apart strange things that sometime happens, what happen is simple: on friday morning i eject the cartdrige by a script; operator so find the cartdrige expelled, and change it. If change wrong cartdrige (eg, remove the '3' and put in the '2' insted of the '1') could be that the umount script/udev rule does not act, but surelt the mount script/rule act as expected: i found the volumes of cartdrige 2 correctly 'inchanger'. Simply they are not purgeable, so bacula start to purge volumes in cartdrige 1 (right) and mount them (wrong), puting them on error. -- chi si convertiva nel novanta ne era dispensato nel novantuno (F. De Andre`) ___ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
Re: [Bacula-users] Again vchanger and volumes in error...
On 3/19/24 11:11, Josh Fisher wrote: Do you remember if you checked for an ACTION="change" event on media change? That would be sufficient to trigger a launch of vchanger REFRESH to perform the update slots. It would be a feature of the device driver and may or may not exist. If not, then there's definitely no way to automate it and the update slots must be run manually from bconsole any time a cartridge is inserted (or removed). Hello Josh... Wow... I have no idea as it was a very long time ago that I was messing with these things. :) It would be interesting if someone currently working with the RDX stuff could fill in the blanks here. :) Best regards, Bill -- Bill Arlofski w...@protonmail.com signature.asc Description: OpenPGP digital signature ___ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
Re: [Bacula-users] Again vchanger and volumes in error...
On 3/18/24 14:36, Bill Arlofski via Bacula-users wrote: This is in response to Josh... In my experience, with RDX, the docking bay itself shows up as a device... (/dev/usbX or /dev/sdX, I forget) But plugging/unplugging an RDX cartridge does not notify the kernel in any way, so udev rules are not possible to do anything automatically with RDX. This was my experience about 8 or more years ago which is why I abandoned any attempts to use RDX with my own customers, and went with plain old removable eSATA drives, fully encrypted with LUKs, and auto-mounted with autofs. Do you remember if you checked for an ACTION="change" event on media change? That would be sufficient to trigger a launch of vchanger REFRESH to perform the update slots. It would be a feature of the device driver and may or may not exist. If not, then there's definitely no way to automate it and the update slots must be run manually from bconsole any time a cartridge is inserted (or removed). I'd love to know if something has changed in this regard in the past 8 years or so. :) ___ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users ___ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
Re: [Bacula-users] Using LTO drives with bacula
On 3/19/24 14:56, Anders Gustafsson wrote: Hello. so we switched to Bacula and backing up to disk. ... get one, plus a SAS card and install in a separate PC Why a separate PC? Separate from the one running storage daemon with disks, I guess. What does this separation buys? Once you've written the tape and eject it, it's fully airgapped. bye av. ___ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
Re: [Bacula-users] Using LTO drives with bacula
Ah yes, the qualstar Q24 library front panel looks identical to the BDT Flexstor 2U panel. My Q24 library says it is a FlexStor II in the web GUI. BDT states they have around 70% market share in the tape library field. https://www.bdt.de/en/products-solutions/storage-automation/ Heh, Overland Tandberg states they have a 24 tape library they call the T24. Front panel also identical to the BDT FlexStor 2u library. I believe BDT might only sell to OEMs, and not directly sell their libraries. Overall, when selecting a library you're probably going to buy a BDT library regardless of whether it says BDT on the front or not. :) I'd say select a library based on price, and non-encumbrance with silly "pay us more to use the rest of your slots" licensing. Robert Gerber 402-237-8692 r...@craeon.net On Tue, Mar 19, 2024, 10:24 AM Rob Gerber wrote: > When reviewing our options we concluded that a tape changer was a small > additional cost compared to the cost of a tape drive. It also enabled > automatic tape handling. We are in the USA and purchased a Qualstar Q24 > library. The library is network connected and has room for 2 LTO drives. It > can use either FC or SAS, depending on the adapter you use in the library. > > The Q24 has a mail slot for tape import/export, but so far I've been > unable to find a way to use mtx to move tapes to or from the mail slot. The > only way to open or close the mail slot is the front console of the > library, from what I've seen. I can move tapes to/from the mail slot using > the changer web GUI. I am somewhat disappointed by this because I had hoped > to enable automated tape interchange workflows where a script moves a tape > from the mail slot, runs a job that deposits data to the tape, then ejects > the tape, moves it to mail slot, then ejects mail slot. An office staff > person removes the tape in the morning, places it into its case, and > inserts the next tape. If the tape isn't ejected, the staff person calls IT > since that means something went wrong. That workflow isn't possible to > automate as far as I can see because mtx cannot see or interact with the > mail slot. Not a huge deal, but something you might want to know. The > workflow I've described is more commonly used with a single tape drive and > no tape changer, but in the interest of air gapping as soon and as > regularly as possible in my opinion it's probably among the best practices > for routinely removing small single tape backup jobs from the changer. > > > If you want to do virtual full, copy, or migration jobs from LTO to LTO, > know that you'll need two LTO drives. For these job types there must be an > input device and an output device. Since you're already using bacula for > backup to disk volumes, I THINK you should be able to use the disk backup > as the input device and the LTO drive as an output device. In the case of > having a disk backup set and an LTO drive, I think you could find copy and > migration jobs useful since you could perhaps occasionally run off copy > jobs from your disk backups to tape, then remove your tape media from the > library. > > I have read about ransomware that automatically seeks out and attempts to > attack tape backup systems, over-writing tape media. You already mentioned > air gapping, but I must emphasize that actually removing backup media from > the changer is a very good practice in defense against that sort of threat. > > We selected SAS, primarily because we wanted to directly contact the > library to the tape drive, and because we didn't know anything substantial > about FC. FC also appeared to be more expensive. When considering SAS > adapters, we were informed by our backup hardware vendor that some SAS > adapters don't properly support tape communication. For that reason, an > ATTO SAS card was recommended. Our cost for that card was around $400 USD. > > Our vendor of choice was backupworks.com. I don't have a business > relationship with them or any incentive for recommending them. They've just > been really helpful in selecting hardware and their service has been good > as we ordered additional media. I believe they are usa based, so if you are > not then they might not be the vendor for you. > > I will note that some libraries in this space locked away the usage of > some slots and perhaps some features behind upgrade licenses. I didn't like > that idea at all, and didn't select such devices. I have been informed that > only a couple companies are still manufacturing tape drives, only ibm is > still researching new tape drive mechanisms. I believe the qualstar > libraries are actually manufactured in Europe, perhaps in Germany. I have > been told that the libraries are also being manufactured by one company and > rebadged elsewhere. Don't know if true. > > Because your goal is to air gap backups, definitely consider two things > regarding which drive you select: cost per TB, and cost per cartridge. As > of a while ago, LTO 8 media was $5 USD /
Re: [Bacula-users] Using LTO drives with bacula
When reviewing our options we concluded that a tape changer was a small additional cost compared to the cost of a tape drive. It also enabled automatic tape handling. We are in the USA and purchased a Qualstar Q24 library. The library is network connected and has room for 2 LTO drives. It can use either FC or SAS, depending on the adapter you use in the library. The Q24 has a mail slot for tape import/export, but so far I've been unable to find a way to use mtx to move tapes to or from the mail slot. The only way to open or close the mail slot is the front console of the library, from what I've seen. I can move tapes to/from the mail slot using the changer web GUI. I am somewhat disappointed by this because I had hoped to enable automated tape interchange workflows where a script moves a tape from the mail slot, runs a job that deposits data to the tape, then ejects the tape, moves it to mail slot, then ejects mail slot. An office staff person removes the tape in the morning, places it into its case, and inserts the next tape. If the tape isn't ejected, the staff person calls IT since that means something went wrong. That workflow isn't possible to automate as far as I can see because mtx cannot see or interact with the mail slot. Not a huge deal, but something you might want to know. The workflow I've described is more commonly used with a single tape drive and no tape changer, but in the interest of air gapping as soon and as regularly as possible in my opinion it's probably among the best practices for routinely removing small single tape backup jobs from the changer. If you want to do virtual full, copy, or migration jobs from LTO to LTO, know that you'll need two LTO drives. For these job types there must be an input device and an output device. Since you're already using bacula for backup to disk volumes, I THINK you should be able to use the disk backup as the input device and the LTO drive as an output device. In the case of having a disk backup set and an LTO drive, I think you could find copy and migration jobs useful since you could perhaps occasionally run off copy jobs from your disk backups to tape, then remove your tape media from the library. I have read about ransomware that automatically seeks out and attempts to attack tape backup systems, over-writing tape media. You already mentioned air gapping, but I must emphasize that actually removing backup media from the changer is a very good practice in defense against that sort of threat. We selected SAS, primarily because we wanted to directly contact the library to the tape drive, and because we didn't know anything substantial about FC. FC also appeared to be more expensive. When considering SAS adapters, we were informed by our backup hardware vendor that some SAS adapters don't properly support tape communication. For that reason, an ATTO SAS card was recommended. Our cost for that card was around $400 USD. Our vendor of choice was backupworks.com. I don't have a business relationship with them or any incentive for recommending them. They've just been really helpful in selecting hardware and their service has been good as we ordered additional media. I believe they are usa based, so if you are not then they might not be the vendor for you. I will note that some libraries in this space locked away the usage of some slots and perhaps some features behind upgrade licenses. I didn't like that idea at all, and didn't select such devices. I have been informed that only a couple companies are still manufacturing tape drives, only ibm is still researching new tape drive mechanisms. I believe the qualstar libraries are actually manufactured in Europe, perhaps in Germany. I have been told that the libraries are also being manufactured by one company and rebadged elsewhere. Don't know if true. Because your goal is to air gap backups, definitely consider two things regarding which drive you select: cost per TB, and cost per cartridge. As of a while ago, LTO 8 media was $5 USD / TB (raw). I haven't checked LTO 9 media recently, but I imagine it might be more per TB. Of course, cost per cartridge might matter a lot if you have otherwise small backups, and if you want to have many cartridges as part of a routine LTO export / data versioning / air gap process. Robert Gerber 402-237-8692 r...@craeon.net On Tue, Mar 19, 2024, 9:35 AM Gary R. Schmidt wrote: > On 20/03/2024 00:56, Anders Gustafsson wrote: > > Hi! > > > > We used to use tape a long time ago. Then it was CA Arcserve for Linux, > ran fine, but CA dropped the product > > so we switched to Bacula and backing up to disk. The recent surges in > ransom attacks has made us think of > > airgapping again and even a resonably small LTO drive would work for our > immediate needs. So the plan is to > > get one, plus a SAS card and install in a separate PC and run the > storage agent on it. At this point I am just > > fishing for advice and pointers. As I see it, the PC does not even need >
Re: [Bacula-users] Using LTO drives with bacula
On 20/03/2024 00:56, Anders Gustafsson wrote: Hi! We used to use tape a long time ago. Then it was CA Arcserve for Linux, ran fine, but CA dropped the product so we switched to Bacula and backing up to disk. The recent surges in ransom attacks has made us think of airgapping again and even a resonably small LTO drive would work for our immediate needs. So the plan is to get one, plus a SAS card and install in a separate PC and run the storage agent on it. At this point I am just fishing for advice and pointers. As I see it, the PC does not even need to be server class and the SAS card can be a humble 4-port HBA (Adaptec HBA 1100-4i ). Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Anything to watch out for? Unless you are running a small and static data set, go for FC rather than SAS, and an autoloader rather than just a drive. Cheers, GaryB-) ___ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
[Bacula-users] Using LTO drives with bacula
Hi! We used to use tape a long time ago. Then it was CA Arcserve for Linux, ran fine, but CA dropped the product so we switched to Bacula and backing up to disk. The recent surges in ransom attacks has made us think of airgapping again and even a resonably small LTO drive would work for our immediate needs. So the plan is to get one, plus a SAS card and install in a separate PC and run the storage agent on it. At this point I am just fishing for advice and pointers. As I see it, the PC does not even need to be server class and the SAS card can be a humble 4-port HBA (Adaptec HBA 1100-4i ). Does this sound like a reasonable plan? Anything to watch out for? -- Regards Anders Gustafsson ___ Bacula-users mailing list Bacula-users@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/bacula-users
