Ransomware attackers specifically target and attempt to destroy backup systems to increase the probability of payment. Hardening your system is critical. Please ensure you have reviewed your platform security using the Security Hardening Checklist
Cohesity

COHESITY Documentation

Explore our documentation to get started, discover products & new features, access troubleshooting guides, register sources, platforms support.

Products
Data Security Alliance
Visit Cohesity.com
Demos
Support
Blogs
Developers
Partner Portals
Cohesity Community
© 2026 Cohesity, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use|
Privacy Policy|
Legal|
  1. Home
  2. Veritas NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, Volume I
  3. Section II. Configuring hosts
  4. Configuring Host Properties
  5. Media properties
Veritas NetBackup™ Administrator's Guide, Volume I

Media properties

The Media properties apply to the master servers and media servers that are currently selected. Media properties control how NetBackup manages media.

Figure: Media dialog box

Media dialog box

The Media dialog box contains the following properties.

Table: Media dialog box properties

Property

Description

Allow media overwrite property

This property overrides the NetBackup overwrite protection for specific media types. Normally, NetBackup does not overwrite certain media types. To disable overwrite protection, place a check in the check box of one or more of the listed media formats.

For example, place a check in the CPIO check box to permit NetBackup to overwrite the cpio format.

By default, NetBackup does not overwrite any of the formats on removable media, and logs an error if an overwrite attempt occurs. This format recognition requires that the first variable length block on a media be less than or equal to 32 kilobytes.

The following media formats on removable media can be selected to be overwritten:

  • When ANSI is enabled, ANSI labeled media can be overwritten.

  • When AOS/VS is enabled, AOS/VS media can be overwritten. (Data General AOS/VS backup format.)

  • When CPIO is enabled, CPIO media can be overwritten.

  • When DBR is enabled, DBR media can be overwritten. (The DBR backup format is no longer used.)

  • Remote Storage MTF1 media format. When MTF1 is enabled, Remote Storage MTF1 media format can be overwritten.

  • When TAR is enabled, TAR media can be overwritten.

  • When MTF is enabled, MTF media can be overwritten. With only MTF checked, all other MTF formats can be overwritten. (The exception is Backup Exec MTF (BE-MTF1) and Remote Storage MTF (RS-MTF1) media formats, which are not overwritten.

  • When BE-MTF1 is enabled, Backup Exec MTF media can be overwritten.

See Results when media overwrites are not permitted.

Enable SCSI reserve

This property allows exclusive access protection for tape drives. With access protection, other host bus adaptors cannot issue commands to control the drives during the reservation.

SCSI reservations provide protection for NetBackup Shared Storage Option environments or any other multiple-initiator environment in which drives are shared.

The protection setting configures access protection for all tape drives from the media server on which the option is configured. You can override the media server setting for any drive path from that media server.

See Recommended use for Enable SCSI reserve property.

See Drive path options.

The following are the protection options:

  • The SCSI persistent reserve option provides SCSI persistent reserve protection for SCSI devices. The devices must conform to the SCSI Primary Commands - 3 (SPC-3) standard.

  • The SPC-2 SCSI reserve option (default) provides SPC-2 SCSI reserve protection for SCSI devices. The devices must conform to the reserve and release management method in the SCSI Primary Commands - 2 standard.

  • To operate NetBackup without tape drive access protection, clear the Enable SCSI reserve property. If unchecked, other HBAs can send the commands that may cause a loss of data to tape drives.

Note:

Ensure that all of your hardware processes SCSI persistent reserve commands correctly. All of your hardware includes Fibre Channel bridges. If the hardware does not process SCSI persistent reserve commands correctly and NetBackup is configured to use SCSI persistent reserve, no protection may exist.

Allow multiple retentions per media

This property lets NetBackup mix retention levels on tape volumes. It applies to media in both robotic drives and nonrobotic drives. The default is that the check box is clear and each volume can contain backups of only a single retention level.

Allow backups to span tape media

This property, when checked, lets backups span to multiple tape media. This property lets NetBackup select another volume to begin the next fragment. The resulting backup has data fragments on more than one volume. The default is that Allow backups to span tape media is checked and backups are allowed to span media.

If the end of media is encountered and this property is not selected, the media is set to FULL and the operation terminates abnormally. This action applies to both robotic drives and nonrobotic drives.

Allow backups to span disk

This property lets backups span disk volumes when one disk volume becomes full. The default is that this property is enabled.

The Allow backups to span disk property does not apply to AdvancedDisk or OpenStorage storage units. Backups span disk volumes within disk pools automatically.

The following destinations support disk spanning:

  • A BasicDisk storage unit spanning to a BasicDisk storage unit. The units must be within a storage unit group.

  • An OpenStorage or AdvancedDisk volume spanning to another volume in the disk pool.

For disk spanning to occur, the following conditions must be met:

  • The storage units must share the same media server.

  • The multiplexing level on spanning storage units should be the same. If there are any differences, the level on the target unit can be higher.

  • A disk staging storage unit cannot span to another storage unit. Also, a disk staging storage unit is not eligible as a target for disk spanning.

  • Disk spanning is not supported on NFS.

Enable standalone drive extension

This property lets NetBackup use whatever labeled or unlabeled media is found in a nonrobotic drive. The default is that the Enable standalone drive extension property is enabled.

Enable job logging

This property allows the logging of the job information. This logging is the same information that the NetBackup Activity Monitor uses. The default is that job logging occurs.

Enable unrestricted media sharing for all media servers

This property controls media sharing, as follows:

  • Enable this property to allow all NetBackup media servers and NDMP hosts in the NetBackup environment to share media for writing. Do not configure server groups for media sharing.

  • Clear this property to restrict media sharing to specific server groups. Then configure media server groups and backup policies to use media sharing.

  • Clear this property to disable media sharing. Do not configure media server groups.

The default is that media sharing is disabled. (The property is cleared and no server groups are configured.)

See About NetBackup server groups.

Media ID prefix (non-robotic)

This property specifies the media ID prefix to use in media IDs when the unlabeled media is in nonrobotic drives. The prefix must be one to three alpha-numeric characters. NetBackup appends numeric characters. By default, NetBackup uses A and assigns media IDs such as A00000, A00001, and so on.

For example, if FEB is specified, NetBackup appends the remaining numeric characters. The assigned media IDs become FEB000, FEB001, and so on. (Note that this numbering does not work with the Configure Volumes wizard).

Media unmount delay

To specify a Media unmount delay property indicates that the unloading of media is delayed after the requested operation is complete. Media unmount delay applies only to user operations, to include backups and restores of database agent clients, such as those running NetBackup for Oracle. The delay reduces unnecessary media unmounts and the positioning of media in cases where the media is requested again a short time later.

The delay can range from 0 seconds to 1800 seconds. The default is 180 seconds. If you specify 0, the media unmount occurs immediately upon completion of the requested operation. Values greater than 1800 are set to 1800.

Media request delay

This property specifies how long NetBackup waits for media in nonrobotic drives. A configurable delay is useful if a gravity feed stacker is used on a nonrobotic drive. A delay often exists between dismounting one media and mounting another. The default is 0 seconds.

During the delay period, NetBackup checks every 60 seconds to see if the drive is ready. If the drive is ready, NetBackup uses it. Otherwise, NetBackup waits another 60 seconds and checks again. If the total delay is not a multiple of 60, the last wait is the remainder. If the delay is less than 60 seconds, NetBackup checks after the end of the delay.

For example, set the delay to 150 seconds. NetBackup waits 60 seconds, checks for ready, waits 60 seconds, checks for ready, waits 30 seconds, and checks for ready the last time. If the delay was 50 seconds (a short delay is not recommended), NetBackup checks after 50 seconds.

More Information

Enable multiplexing storage unit setting

Feedback

Was this page helpful?
Previous

Lotus Notes properties

Next

Results when media overwrites are not permitted

Feedback

Was this page helpful?