Virtual TapeServer 8.2 Supplemental Installation Guide

Enabling and Configuring AutoCopy and Instant DR | 21
AutoCopy is enabled at the pool level; all virtual tapes contained in the pool are monitored
and copied when necessary. If VTS fails to copy a virtual tape, it retries the AutoCopy
operation every five minutes for a total of twelve attempts. If the operation fails altogether, a
failure message is sent to the event log.
Note Autocopy will fail if the virtual tape already exists in another pool on the target.
Virtual tape names must be unique across all vaults and pools.
If an encrypted virtual tape is stored on an AutoCopy server and the AutoCopy server
attempts to perform an operation on the tape, Data Encryption must be enabled and the key
server that was used to encrypt the tape must be configured on the AutoCopy server. If not,
the tape operation will fail and an error message is displayed on the AutoCopy server
indicating that the operation failed. Refer to the Virtual TapeServer Configuration Guide for
information about Data Encryption and an explanation of the possible failures.
In general, AutoCopy should be used if files change often throughout the day. VTS
automatically monitors pools designated for AutoCopy. If a change is detected, data is
transmitted when each virtual tape is unmounted. This means that bandwidth may be
consumed throughout the day, which may coincide with user activity on the network. You
may also rely on Instant DR for synchronizing data. See
Overview of Instant DR on page 20 to
determine if Instant DR is a better solution for your needs.
Event Management System (EMS) and Secure Shell (SSH) are prerequisites for AutoCopy.
EMS must be configured and running correctly as described in
Configuring EMS
Communication on page 53. The EMS service is responsible for monitoring mounts and
dismounts relevant to AutoCopy. SSH must be configured on the source VTS server (contact
your authorized service and support representative if you need help configuring SSH).
AutoCopy performs the copy operation from the source VTS system to the target VTS system
using an SSH transfer, which encrypts communication between the VTS systems. The VTS
systems that receive virtual tape copies do not have to be configured for EMS or AutoCopy.
AutoCopy assumes that a virtual tape mounted in Read/Write or With Ring mode will be
modified upon dismount. NonStop mount requests that are designated No Ring are mounted
as Read Only and are not automatically copied.
Using Instant DR or AutoCopy
Instant DR and AutoCopy features have distinct advantages that may be specific to
individual sites or requirements. In general, Instant DR should be used if files do not change
much from day to day. AutoCopy is best used if files change often throughout the day. Keep
the following in mind when enabling these features:
Instant DR AutoCopy
How often is data copied? In batches Individually, as each virtual
tape is unmounted
When is data transmitted? Synchronized, once or more
per day
As each virtual tape is
unmounted
How is the feature initiated? By policy scheduling or the
Dispatch button on the
Instant DR page in the VTS
web interface
Automatically, virtual tapes
in the pool are monitored
and copied when necessary