I am new to DPM.

We have configured a protection group for short term goal with 7 days retention range, Synchronization frequency 6 hours. And recovery points are based on synchronization (means 4 Recovery points per day and DPM will have 28 valid restore points after a week...!!??). In long term goals we have configured 2 recovery goals to tape ...  1 recovery point per week on saturday (retention 4 weeks) and 1 recovery point per month (on day 1 with retention range of 1 month).

Now Im getting PG status "backup to Tape failed" I want to know the process how DPM will check and verify recovery points on disk before writing them to tape.

Based on my protection group settings, there should be 4 recovery points on disk everyday. but there is something different result...see the below in reply.

My queries are:

1) On Saturday weekly tape job, does it require DPM to have valid 28 Recovery points?? What happen if any RP missing.

2) Due to some issues, if weekely tape backup failed on saturday. Can we resume it on monday,tuesday..with corrective actions??

3) the DPM process of verifying disk based recovery points before writing them to tape.

• Edited by Vijay MC Friday, January 03, 2014 2:38 PM

Here is the Recovery Point Status for this particular Protection Group:

Hi,

For volume / share protection, Synchronizations are not recovery points. Based on that I'm seeing for RP's, your synchronizations cannot be set to 6 hrs, they are currently 4hrs or less because your recovery point schedule is 8:00AM, 12:00PM and 6:00PM.   DPM can only make a recovery point after at least one successful synchronization since the last recovery point.  

To answer your questions..

Q1) On Saturday weekly tape job, does it require DPM to have valid 28 Recovery points?? What happen if any RP missing.
A1) No, DPM just requires one new disk passed recovery point since the last successful tape backup before it can make a new tape backup.

Q2) Due to some issues, if weekely tape backup failed on saturday. Can we resume it on monday,tuesday..with corrective actions??
A2) Yes, as long as the disk based recovery point has not yet expired and you retry the tape backup from the alert that was raised when the tape backup failed.  Once you inactivate the alert, you cannot remake the tape backup for the time it was scheduled for, you can only make a new ad-hoc tape backup.

Q3) the DPM process of verifying disk based recovery points before writing them to tape.
A3)  DPM always makes tape based backups from the last successful disk based recovery points so there is nothing to verify before the tape backup.  You should enable the verify option to check the integrity of the tape backup. 

 

Hi Mike

Thanks for your reply and this useful information. Yes I noticed that there is 'File Recovery point option' when I am creating a protection group for file share volume.

Based on this picture and your reply, I am understand these points. Please correct the point if you find its my wrong:

1) For file/volume protection, synchronization is not RP. We have to configure RP creation time manually.

2) For application's (SQL,EXCH,SHAREPOINT) recovery points each synchronization job will create a RP as per synchronization frequency. 

3) If a tape backup is getting failed due to invalid RP on disk, I am creating a manual RP with Express full backup(for databases) and a RP with Incremental(for file/volume share), then resuming tape backup. Is it correct way to do this?

4)How to enable the verify option to check the integrity of the tape backup?

5) And what is Co-Location..!!

• Edited by Vijay MC Monday, January 06, 2014 2:24 PM

Hi,

<New questions Snip<

Q1) For file/volume protection, synchronization is not RP. We have to configure RP creation time manually.
A1)  Correct, file synchronizations are not recoverable, only "recovery points" are recoverable.

Q2) For application's (SQL,EXCH,SHAREPOINT) recovery points each synchronization job will create a RP as per synchronization frequency. 
A2)  Yes, for applications like SQL and Exchange that support incremental backups, then incremental synchronizations are recoverable.

Q3) If a tape backup is getting failed due to invalid RP on disk, I am creating a manual RP with Express full backup(for databases) and a RP with Incremental(for file/volume share), then resuming tape backup. Is it correct way to do this?
A3) Yes, A manual Express full for application data or a manual recover point with synchronization for file / share data and that should allow you to manually create a new tape based backup from the alert.

Q4)How to enable the verify option to check the integrity of the tape backup?
A4) Simply modify the PG that has tape based protection and while on the "Select Library and tape Details" page, select the option "check backup for data integrity (time consuming operation)". 

Q5) And what is Co-Location..!!
A5) Tape co-location allows data from different protection groups to be written to the same tape.  You need to make a tape protection group set using the "Optimize usage" feature under the management - Libraries page of the DPM console.

See the following TechNet pages.

Tape Optimization Setup - Create-Modify Protection Group Set
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj628037.aspx

Tape Optimization Setup - Advanced Options
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/jj628016.aspx

Thanks Mike :)

One more query is there.

How RPs stored on tapes. I mean layout of RPs on tapes. Suppose we have 1 RP everyday on disk and 1 weekly recovery point on tape and 1 monthly RP on tape. 

At the end of week, weekly tape backup job will backup only latest RP from disk? or all 7 RPs? Will it create Single file on tape or multiple 7 backup files? Similarly what will happens at the month end tape job...!!

Hi,

<Snip>
Q1) How RPs stored on tapes. I mean layout of RPs on tapes. Suppose we have 1 RP everyday on disk and 1 weekly recovery point on tape and 1 monthly RP on tape. 

At the end of week, weekly tape backup job will backup only latest RP from disk? or all 7 RPs? Will it create Single file on tape or multiple 7 backup files? Similarly what will happens at the month end tape job...!!

A1) All Long term tape backups are "point in time" just like disk based recovery points.  DPM will mount the latest disk based recovery point (shadow copy) at the time the tape backup is scheduled.  If the latest disk based recovery point was 1-6-14 @ 6:05PM and the tape backup was scheduled to run on 1-6-14 at 10:00PM, the tape based recovery point under the recovery tab would be the same as the latest disk based recovery point of 1-6-14 @ 6:05PM because that is the correct time that data was last backed up and is identical to that on disk.  Each data source that is protected in the protection group will be a separate dataset on tape.  If you look at the tape details, you will see the individual datasets, their backup date/time, and expiration date/time.