Backing Up Data › Backup Staging Methods › How Backup to Disk to Tape Works › How to Configure Arcserve Backup to Perform Disk Staging Backups › Configure Device Groups to Use Staging

Configure Device Groups to Use Staging

This section describes how to configure device groups for staging operations.

Note: Before you can configure device groups, you must specify the devices that you will use for staging operations. For more information, see Create File System Devices.

To configure device groups to use staging

1. From the Administration menu in the Navigation Bar on the Arcserve Backup Manager Console, click Device Group Configuration.

   Device Group Configuration opens.

2. Click Next.

   The Login Page dialog opens.

3. Complete the required fields on the Login Page dialog and click Next.

   The Options dialog opens.

4. From the Options dialog, select the server that you want to configure, click Configure Disk-based Groups, and then click Next.
5. From the Groups list, select the group that you want to configure. To enable staging for the selected group, click the Enable Staging option and then modify the following options as needed:
   • Max Threshold--Lets you specify the maximum amount of used space on a disk that Arcserve Backup will use for staging backups. When Arcserve Backup detects that the amount of used disk space exceeds the Max Threshold, Arcserve Backup pauses the backup job and purges the oldest migrated sessions from the FSD until the amount of used disk space is equal to or less than the Purge to Threshold.

     Default value: If % is specified, 80%; if GB is specified, 8 GB; if MB is specified, 4000 MB.

     The Max Threshold can be represented as either the total number of MB or GB used, or as a percentage of the total capacity used on the FSD. If the Max Threshold value is set as a percentage of the capacity of the FSD, the Max Threshold value must be equal to or less than 100% and the Purge to Threshold value must be greater than 0%.

     Note: The Max Threshold must be greater than the Purge to Threshold. If you specify an absolute value (for example, MB or GB), the value must be equal to or greater than 1 MB.

   • Purge data when the used disk space exceeds the Max Threshold--Lets Arcserve Backup purge migrated sessions from the FSD when the amount of used disk space exceeds the Max Threshold.

     Note: To ensure that the purge mechanism starts in a timely manner, best practice is to specify a Max Threshold value that is at least 100 MB less than the total disk space.

   • Purge to Threshold--Lets you specify the amount of used space on a disk when Arcserve Backup stops purging the oldest migrated sessions from the disk.

     Default value: If % is specified, 60%; if GB is specified, 6 GB; if MB is specified, 3000 MB.

     Arcserve Backup automatically specifies the units specified in the Max Threshold value (for example, %, MB, or GB). The Purge to Threshold value must be less than the Max Threshold value. If you specify an absolute value (for example, MB or GB), the value must be equal to or greater than 1 MB.

     Example: The capacity of an FSD is 100 GB. The amount of used disk space is 75% (75 GB). The Max Threshold is 80% (80 GB) and the Purge to Threshold is 50% (50 GB). The administrator submits a job totaling 10 GB. Arcserve Backup detects that the job, when complete, will be greater than the Max Threshold. Arcserve Backup pauses the job and purges the oldest migrated sessions from the FSD until the amount of used disk space is equal to or less than the Purge to Threshold - in this example, 50% (or 50 GB). Arcserve Backup then continues the backup job.

     Note: If Arcserve Backup purges all of the migrated sessions from the disk, but the amount of used continues to exceed the Purge to Threshold, Arcserve Backup restarts the job and attempts to complete the job using the available disk space.

   • Max # Streams--Lets you specify the maximum number of simultaneous streams to the selected file system device group. If you have licensed the Enterprise Module, you may specify up to 32 streams, otherwise, the maximum number is 2.

     Note: If a job spawns child jobs, the number of child jobs spawned will not exceed the number of streams specified for the job. However, if a job spawns child jobs and you do not specify a number of streams to use, the child jobs will be created and backed up in one continuous stream.

   • Enable SnapLock for this group--Lets you enable SnapLock WORM protection on the file system device.

     Note: This option is not available for libraries. To use this option, the file system device must support SnapLock technology. If you enable SnapLock on a device that does not support SnapLock WORM protection, Arcserve Backup write-protects the data, however, the data can be deleted from the device.

   • Pause data migration--Lets you pause the data migration operation.
6. Repeat the previous step, as necessary, to configure other groups.
7. Click Next and then click Finish.

   The options are applied to the job.