else, does not matter; it always belongs to its pool until it is recycled and exported from the cell.

Several devices can use media from the same pool.

Media pool property examples

Examples of pool properties are:

appendable

This allows Data Protector to append data to the media in this pool when performing subsequent backup sessions.

If this option is not selected, then the media will contain data from a single session only.

append incrementals only

A backup session appends to a medium only if an incremental backup is performed. This allows you to have a complete set of full and incremental backups on the same medium, if there is enough space.

media allocation policy

There are several levels of strictness as to which media can be used for backup. They range from strict, where Data Protector requires a specific medium, to loose, where Data Protector accepts any suitable medium in the pool, including new (blank) media.

Every device is linked to a default pool. This pool can be changed in the backup specification.

For information on other media pool properties, see the online Help index: “media pools, properties of“.

Media pools and dcbf directories

Data Protector allows you to set a target dcbf directory for a media pool. This means that information about all media from the media pool is stored in the specified dcbf directory.

For information on the DCBF part of the IDB and dcbf directories, see IDB architecture” on page 189.

How to use media pools

The usage of pools depends mainly on your preferences. For example, pools can be defined using criteria like:

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Media management and devices