Symantec Backup Exec 2014 delivers powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use backup and recovery to protect your entire infrastructure whether built upon virtual, physical, or a combination of both. Using modern technology, Backup Exec backs up local and remote data to virtually any storage device including tape, disk and cloud. Recovery is fast and efficient. With a few simple clicks, you can quickly search and restore granular file or application objects, applications, VMs, and servers directly from backup storage. Additionally, easily protect more data while reducing storage costs through integrated deduplication and archiving technology. • Faster data backup and restore processes than tape • VTL implementation streamlines transition for tape-based infrastructures • Broad VTL device platform support • Backup Exec’s DirectCopy to tape option enables data to be copied from a VTL directly to a physical tape during a duplicate backup • Power and reliability

1. Copyright © 2014 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks of Symantec Corporation. All other brands and products
are trademarks of their respective holder/s.
Symantec Backup and Recovery Technical Brief
Using Virtual Tape Libraries with Symantec Backup Exec 2014
Backup Exec™ 2014 Product Family
Symantec Backup Exec™ 2014 delivers powerful, flexible, and easy-to-use backup and recovery to protect your
entire infrastructure whether built upon virtual, physical, or a combination of both. Using modern technology,
Backup Exec backs up local and remote data to virtually any storage device including tape, disk and cloud.
Recovery is fast and efficient. With a few simple clicks, you can quickly search and restore granular file or
application objects, applications, VMs, and servers directly from backup storage. Additionally, easily protect
more data while reducing storage costs through integrated deduplication and archiving technology.
Backup Exec saves time and money and helps protect and recover your critical information in the event of a
disaster or data loss. Backup Exec™ 2014 Key Features include the following:
• Single solution for virtual and physical environments simplifies backup and reduces cost and complexity
associated with multiple point products.
• Fast virtual machine snapshots through deep integration with Microsoft® Volume Shadow Copy Service
(VSS) and VMware’s vStorage APIs for Data Protection (VADP) minimizes CPU, memory, and I/O load
performance impacts on the virtual host.
• Protect more data while minimizing the disk space required for storing backup files with integrated
deduplication, change block tracking and archiving technology.
• Backup to virtually any storage device including disk, tape and cloud.
• Fast, efficient, and versatile recovery easily restores virtual machines, servers, applications, databases,
file/ folders and granular objects.
• Minimize downtime and disruption with integrated bare-metal, physical to virtual (P2V) and virtual to physical (V2P) recovery.
Introduction and overview
A Virtual Tape Library (VTL) is typically a dedicated appliance, which emulates a physical tape library and tape drives and stores backup images on
disk. The VTL allows existing tape backup software to be used and the paradigm for managing backups remains fairly similar to that of using
physical tape. However, there are some differences and we’ll discuss the implication of thinking the paradigm is identical later in the paper.
• Computer hardware, usually Intel processor-based and powered by the Linux operating system or a close variant;
• Application software, which emulates a tape robot and tape drives; and
• A RAID-based array of disk drives, which ensures no backup data is lost if a hard drive fails.
These components are frequently bundled by a single vendor into an appliance. However, it is possible to purchase the components separately.
The VTL allows a customer to configure virtual tape drives (Backup Exec supports specific drive types) and virtual tape cartridges, and to specify
cartridge capacity. Unlike physical tape libraries, which require additional tape drives be purchased and installed, virtual tape drives can be
configured in a VTL with no additional hardware costs.
When using Backup Exec, new storage units must be configured to use the VTL’s virtual drives. Backup jobs must then be modified to use the new
storage units. The Backup Exec configuration process is identical to that needed for a physical tape library and drives.
Figure 1: VTL in Backup Exec 2014 UI
Key Benefits
• Faster data backup and
restore processes than
tape
• VTL implementation
streamlines transition for
tape-based infrastructures
• Broad VTL device platform
support
• Backup Exec’s DirectCopy
to tape option enables data
to be copied from a VTL
directly to a physical tape
during a duplicate backup
• Power and reliability of
Backup Exec 2014

2. Copyright © 2014 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks of Symantec Corporation. All other brands and products
are trademarks of their respective holder/s.
Symantec Backup and Recovery Technical Brief
Using Virtual Tape Libraries with Symantec Backup Exec 2014
Comparing the VTL and a Standard Tape Library
Problems with physical tape drives and media lead to the failure of a fair number of backup jobs, and these problems can be difficult to diagnose.
Write errors, reported by an operating system, do not indicate whether the media or drive is at fault, leaving backup applications to make an
educated guess — sometimes incorrectly — at the cause. The administrator must then spend time determining whether the media or drive caused
the problem. In addition, restoring from physical tape can involve multiple tape cartridges. If one of these cartridges is unreadable due to improper
storage, lost tape, etc., the restore may be unsuccessful.
Because all VTLs use RAID storage, read and write failures are extremely unlikely so the VTL effectively eliminates drive and media issues from the
backup and recovery process.
Most VTLs are capable of higher throughput. Base VTL throughput can be improved by adding more capacity (disk drives), controllers, and Fibre
Channel (FC) ports. However, with newer tape drives capable of native speeds at over 100MB/sec and over 200 MB/sec with compression, backing
up large amounts of data to physical tape with multiple drives being used may still be faster than a VTL.
Performing restores from the VTL may be faster than using physical tape. This is likely to be the case when recovering specific files, due to the
random access of disk compared to the mount and load times and sequential access of tape. However, if huge amounts of data are being restored,
and multiple tape drives are reading data in parallel, physical tape may be faster than a VTL.
With no cost imposed when configuring additional VTL drives — assuming the maximum allowable number of drives has not been reached —
virtual drives can be allocated specifically for restore operations. This ensures that restores will be initiated quickly. Overall speed of the restore
operation will still depend on available bandwidth and the size of the restore.
Comparing the VTL and Disk Storage
Backups to both VTLs and Disk Storage are written on disk and have similar benefits when compared to tape. Both remove tape drive and media
issues from the primary backup process and sometimes provide higher performance backups and restores than using physical tape. However, there
are important differences between these types of storage units. Backup Exec currently supports six types of disk storage, which include:
Basic B2D – Basic functionality of a device as it relates to being used as a Backup-to-Disk device (Disk Storage) in Backup Exec. Backup Exec's
Granular Restore Technology (GRT) is not included in Basic B2D.
GRT Tested B2D – Granular Restore Technology (GRT) has been validated specifically for these devices. Sometimes staging may be needed at time
of GRT restores. This is typically exhibited with CIFS connectivity.
Backup Exec Deduplication Disk Storage – Only Local disks may be used for deduplication storage. Removable interfaces like USB and FireWire are
also not supported due to the perceived temporary connection method and issues that can arise from a device that is unsafely removed or appears
on a different path. The Backup Exec Deduplication Option is recommended for use on a dedicated / non-removable volume as the location to
store the deduplication disk storage. While possible, the usage of the "Backup Exec Deduplication Option" with USB, FireWire, and remote disks
implies the customer is doing so at their own risk and without official Symantec support.
OpenStorage – OpenStorage Servers are intelligent storage devices that interface to Backup Exec Servers and Remote Agents for Windows (with
Direct Access) via the Symantec OpenStorage (OST) API. The vendor supplying the Storage Server appliance provides a software Plug-in, which is
installed on each Backup Exec Server and Remote Agent for Windows (with Direct Access) that is attached to the OpenStorage Server. OST
functionality is available on supported Windows Backup Exec 2014 Backup Exec Server and Remote Agent for Windows platforms.
NBU50x0 appliance & Pure Disk appliance, also known as Classic Pure Disk – A disk Storage based appliance, which stores data deduplicated by
Backup Exec servers. Replication from one NBU50x0 appliance & Pure Disk appliance to Symantec Backup Exec is managed by Backup Exec.
Virtual Tape Libraries with Drives – Storage system consisting of hard disk drives (HDDs) that looks and acts like a physical tape library.
VTLs do have some limitations compared to using other disk storage with Backup Exec. Because backup images are stored on virtual tape
cartridges, until all images on a virtual tape have expired, the “tape” cannot be reused and thus disk space is not freed up on the VTL. In fact, even
when all images have expired, the media has been unassigned, and the virtual cartridge is returned to the Backup Exec Scratch Pool or the volume
pool to which it was originally assigned, the VTL is not aware of this and does not free up the space. Only when Backup Exec writes from BOT
(beginning of tape) does the VTL become aware the space can be freed up.
Most VTL vendors allow customers to configure tape cartridges of smaller capacity than the physical tape cartridge provides. This helps to increase
the amount of free space because a smaller amount of capacity is tied up when all images on a piece of media have not expired. In addition, most
VTL vendors do not allocate the entire capacity of the cartridge when it’s configured (only a relatively small amount) and only allocate more space
as needed to minimize the free space issue. This does not cause any problem because Backup Exec is not aware of media capacity, but just keeps
writing to the media until it reaches End-of-Tape (EOT).

3. Copyright © 2014 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks of Symantec Corporation. All other brands and products
are trademarks of their respective holder/s.
Symantec Backup and Recovery Technical Brief
Using Virtual Tape Libraries with Symantec Backup Exec 2014
Another way to free up space on a VTL more quickly is to configure virtual tapes with very small capacities. However, this results in more Backup
Exec overhead in managing a larger number of virtual media and for vendors that copy virtual to physical tape, this would result in a huge amount
of wasted space on physical tape cartridges.
With backups to other disk storage types, an administrator can view the free capacity of the disk storage in the Backup Exec UI. With a VTL, it is
very difficult to determine how much free space is available for the next set of backups to be run.
One of the major advantages of using a VTL vs. other disk storage types comes into play when backing up NAS systems using NDMP. Because the
NDMP specification only supports writing from disk to tape, a VTL can be connected directly via FC to a NAS system using NDMP and backup data
does not need to be sent across the LAN. If one wants to use other disk storage types as the target for a NDMP backup of the NAS device, the data
must be sent across the LAN to the Backup Exec server before being sent to the disk storage. For customers with a lot of NAS primary storage, the
implication of having to send all this data across their LAN for backups, especially if it’s not a dedicated backup LAN, can be pretty severe.
How it works
When you install Backup Exec, it automatically recognizes all virtual tape libraries storage that is attached to the Backup Exec server. When you
install Backup Exec, support for every single-drive virtual tape library is included. Support for additional drives is available with the Library
Expansion Option and the Virtual Tape Library Unlimited Drive Option.
Backup Exec accesses all of the media in the VTL and uses the media that belongs to the specified media set. If the backup job exceeds the capacity
of a media, Backup Exec searches all of the media that is contained in the VTL and finds a suitable media to use. If a job exceeds the capacity of one
virtual tape and another overwritable virtual tape is available in the VTL, the job automatically continues on that virtual tape. When Backup Exec
runs out of tapes, it prompts the operator to import overwritable media.
In a VTL, Backup Exec selects the oldest recyclable media in the library to use first. If more than one media that meets the requirements is found,
Backup Exec selects the media in the lowest-numbered slot. For example, Backup Exec selects media in slot 2 before it selects equivalent media in
slot 4.
You can identify virtual tape libraries by the label VTL that displays on a library's properties pages.
Figure 2: VTL Library Properties in Backup Exec 2014
Almost all of VTL has multiple hardware emulation types. Depending on the emulation type, the device reports a SCSI inquiry string to the Backup
Exec. Always remember to configure the virtual device with the unique inquiry string as listed in the Backup Exec hardware compatibility chart.
Emulating other devices is not supported.
The virtual tape libraries do not support all of the storage operations that are available for physical robotic libraries. The following tasks are
available for the virtual tape libraries:
• Import
• Export
• Label Media
• Bar Code Rules
Configuring Backup Exec with VTL
Creating a backup image on a virtual tape is no different than creating a backup image on a physical tape. The backup functionality is unchanged.
During backups, Backup Exec creates a backup image on the virtual tape cartridges. Backup Exec can then use the NDMP host inter-face to
duplicate the image on virtual tape cartridges to physical tape cartridges.
VTL Device Path Considerations
One of the key ways to ensure that SAN-connected physical and virtual tape libraries are detected properly by Backup Exec is serialization.
Serialization provides a unique identifier for each device in a physical or virtual tape library, to automate device association from multiple backup
servers. These identifiers, returned by the VTL devices, are separate from the element address that defines the position of devices in the library.
The element address is used by the library’s robot or medium changer to manage the tape drives.

4. Copyright © 2014 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks of Symantec Corporation. All other brands and products
are trademarks of their respective holder/s.
Symantec Backup and Recovery Technical Brief
Using Virtual Tape Libraries with Symantec Backup Exec 2014
Serialization allows Backup Exec to coordinate tape drive configuration by aligning the device serial number with the device’s element address. This
enables Backup Exec device discovery to align these two addresses, reducing the potential for improper configuration.
Configuring barcode rules for a VTL
If you have barcode support for a VTL that uses different types of drives, you can create a barcode rule. Backup Exec uses the barcode rules to
identify which type of media to use in a drive. When Backup Exec reads the barcode rule, it locates the type of media that corresponds to the prefix
or suffix. Backup Exec then mounts the media into a drive that accepts that type of media.
The barcode rules apply to all of the VTL that you enable for barcode rules. By default, barcode rules are disabled. You can use the Configure Storage
wizard to configure barcode rules, or you can add, edit, and delete barcode rules in the Backup Exec global settings. You can also enable or disable
barcode rules in the VTL's properties.
Handling of Expired Media within Backup Exec Considerations
When a tape is expired by Backup Exec, the event is not directly communicated to a VTL device. The result is that a tape may be displayed as empty
or scratch to the Backup Exec UI, but the same tape will display in the VTL management UI as containing data. This indicates that the data on the
expired tape is still using space on the VTL.
Use the Backup Exec media management option to overwrite recyclable media before you overwrite scratch media. Create media sets with append
and overwrite protection periods that accommodate your needs. When the combined append and overwrite-protection periods expire, the media
are recyclable, and Backup Exec has access to overwritable media.
Using Backup Exec to Copy Data from a VTL to a Physical Tape
Backup Exec's DirectCopy to tape option enables data to be copied from a virtual tape library directly to a physical tape device during a duplicate
backup job. The Backup Exec server coordinates the duplicate job, but it does not copy the data. Instead, the virtual tape library copies the virtual
tape image directly to the physical device. The Backup Exec server records information about the data in the catalog. Because the information about
the copied data is in the catalog, you can restore data from either the virtual tape library or the physical device. The job log for the duplicate backup
job indicates that DirectCopy to tape is enabled.
To use DirectCopy to tape, both the source device and the destination device must be NDMP-enabled. If the devices are not NDMP-enabled, then
Backup Exec performs a regular duplicate backup job.
Both hardware encryption and software encryption are supported with DirectCopy to tape. For software encryption, both the source backup set and
the destination backup set must use software encryption. When moving virtual volumes to physical media it works best if the virtual device has a
volume size that is dynamic. Make sure that the virtual volume is slightly smaller than the physical volume. When you migrate the data to physical
media you will need to ensure that there is enough space on the physical device in order to accommodate the virtual volume size.
Note: If you select disk storage as the destination device for a duplicate job with DirectCopy to tape enabled, Backup Exec performs a
regular duplicate job.
Using the VTL Software to Copy Virtual Media to Physical Tape
Allowing a VTL to copy a tape from the VTL to a physical tape, in a tape library controlled by the VTL, is tempting to do. It frees the Backup Exec
server from performing the task, which relieves I/O bandwidth and processor cycles on the media server and frees up SAN bandwidth.
However, a VTL duplicates media, while Backup Exec duplicates backup images. When a VTL duplicates media, Backup Exec is not aware of these
second copies of the backup images. In addition, because Backup Exec is not responsible for making the physical copy, if the physical tape cannot be
read by Backup Exec, it is the VTL vendor’s issue.
It is highly recommended that Backup Exec move virtual volumes to physical media so that the data can be restored directly from physical media
rather than needing to utilize the virtual device as an intermediary restoration point. If the virtual tape library moves virtual volumes to physical
media Backup Exec is not aware of the physical media and may not be able to recover that data directly from that physical media.

5. Copyright © 2014 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks of Symantec Corporation. All other brands and products
are trademarks of their respective holder/s.
Symantec Backup and Recovery Technical Brief
Using Virtual Tape Libraries with Symantec Backup Exec 2014
System Requirements
To use a VTL, the following requirements must be met:
• VTL support is now installed by default. This option supports additional drives in a Virtual Tape Library (VTL), and Backup Exec includes
support for every single-drive VTL.
• Ensure that the VTL matches at least the minimum virtual tape device software listed in the hardware compatibility chart.
• Configure the virtual device with the unique inquiry string as listed in the hardware compatibility chart. Emulating other devices is not
supported.
• For each virtual library only the virtual tape drives that are listed in the hardware compatibility chart are supported. Other virtual tape
drive types are not supported even if the real device is supported with Backup Exec.
• All VTLs shared with the Linux server(s) must be approved for both RMAL and ESO. Zoning or LUN masking are possible methods of
preventing Linux servers from seeing a VTL not approved for RMAL.
• You can find a list of compatible types of storage at the following URL:
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/library/BUSINESS/xCL/TECH214803/be_2014_hcl.html#virtual_tape_libraries_with_drives
Note: The Virtual Tape Library Unlimited Drive Option is installed locally on the Backup Exec server as a separate add-on component
of Backup Exec. No files are copied to the VTL device.
Supported VTL Platforms
Backup Exec software currently supports VTLs for the open systems market from 10 different vendors. The platform support information is listed
below. Refer to the Backup Exec 2014 hardware compatibility chart for minimum software required method of connection, and any other important
notes or information relevant to the hardware and its compatibility.
Figure 3: Supported VTL Platforms
Licensing Considerations
Virtual Tape Libraries (VTL) will need to be licensed in the same manner as a physical tape library or the customer can purchase the Virtual Tape
Library Unlimited Drive Option (VUDO).
The first drive in a tape library or VTL is free when a Backup Exec server is licensed. For additional drives, customers can purchase the Backup Exec
VTL Unlimited Drive Option (VUDO) or one or more Library Expansion Option (LEO) licenses. Multiple drives are required for concurrent operations
such as simultaneous backup and restore.
Designed for Virtual Tape Libraries, the Virtual Tape Library (VTL) Unlimited Drive Option provides simple, cost efficient pricing for VTL devices by
supporting an unlimited number of virtual tape drives and slots without the need to license each tape drive on a Backup Exec Media server

6. Copyright © 2014 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks of Symantec Corporation. All other brands and products
are trademarks of their respective holder/s.
Symantec Backup and Recovery Technical Brief
Using Virtual Tape Libraries with Symantec Backup Exec 2014
separately. When a single VTL is licensed with VUDO, that single license can be used on multiple Backup Exec Servers; however in order to share the
VTL with multiple Backup Exec Servers it likely will require the Central Administration Option which is part of the Enterprise Server Option.
Summary
The combination of Backup Exec™ 2014 and the VTL technology allows customers and partners, even those currently using tape-based backup
infrastructures, to seamlessly transition to disk storage as an effective way to protect their critical IT assets against disaster.
Backup Exec qualifies and supports VTLs from all of the major vendors and has implemented specific features, such as the DirectCopy, to enable a
VTL to duplicate backup images under Backup Exec management. This allows Backup Exec to catalog both copies of the backup image.
Especially when backing up NAS storage using NDMP, VTLs definitely have an advantage in that the backup images can go directly from the NAS
device to the VTL across FC, whereas sending the backups to disk storage requires the data be sent across the LAN to the Backup Exec server before
going to the disk storage. By combining VTL devices with Backup Exec, businesses will have confidence that their critical data is harnessing the gold
standard in Windows data recovery.

7. Copyright © 2014 Symantec Corporation. All rights reserved. Symantec and the Symantec logo are trademarks of Symantec Corporation. All other brands and products
are trademarks of their respective holder/s.
Symantec Backup and Recovery Technical Brief
Using Virtual Tape Libraries with Symantec Backup Exec 2014
For More Information
Link Description
www.backupexec.com BE Home Page
www.backupexec.com/knowledge Backup Exec Knowledge Base
https://partnernet.symantec.com/Partnercontent/Login.jsp PartnerNet
www.symantec.com/business/products/datasheets.jsp?pcid=2244&pvid=57_1 BE Datasheets, Feature Briefs
www.symantec.com/training Backup Exec training courses
www.backupexec.com/compatibility Compatibility Docs
www.backupexec.com/support Backup Exec support website
www.backupexec.com/trybe 60-day trialware for Backup Exec
http://www.starwindsoftware.com/styles-
v2/pdf/technical_papers/Virtual_Tape_Library_VTL_Symantec_Backup_Exec.pdf
StarWind Virtual SAN VTL with Backup
Exec
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About Symantec
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largest global data-intelligence networks, has provided leading security, backup, and availability solutions for where vital information is stored,
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