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bpexpdate command in NBU 5.1

Updated: 21 May 2010 | 4 comments
hstankovic@bost.com's picture
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This issue has been solved. See solution.

Hi,

  I have been using the bpexpdate -ev <mediaid> -d 0 command to expire tapes right away so I can use them for scratch but I see most people on the forum are using bpexpdate -m in the command.  What I'm trying to figure out is what the -ev stands for?  I have googled, searched books and looking in the man pages but nothing have the -ev in it.  And of course my old boss that was having me run the commands no longer works for the company so I can't ask him what it means.  Can anyone help??

Thanks,
Helen

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Alex Vasquez's picture
16
Jul
2009
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Not in the Command Reference Guide.

I don't see that switch in the 5.1 reference guide: seer.entsupport.symantec.com/docs/268116.htm
I think your boss needs to lay off what ever he's got, if he's not willing to, at least, share a little bit with you. 

If it's not in the command reference I would disregard what your boss  is telling you..

"I’m an early bird and a night owl. So I’m wise and I have worms."
- Michael Scott

CRZ's picture
16
Jul
2009
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One for the archives

I went back to some very old documentation (well, not THAT old - the DataCenter 3.4 Sysadmin Guide) to try to figure this out. 

I believe -ev stands for "external volume" and it was derived from EVSN, which stood for "external volume serial number."  I'm also fairly certain it was a holdover from the very early days of Backup*Plus and now expect an old-timer or two to now chime in and let me know I'm totally wrong....or totally correct.  ;-)

"-m" (which I am positive stands for "mediaID!") was introduced as the command line switch of record with DataCenter/BusinesServer 4.5, but "-ev" would still work if you used it (even though it was dropped from most of the documentation - I can still find a stray "-ev" here and there, though!) and I believe it STILL worked in Server/Enterprise Server 5.x.  I think it was finally removed in 6.x.

In short, folks who use "-ev" tend to have been using NetBackup for a long time and old habits die hard.  (Bonus points if they refuse to say "policy," opting instead for "class" ;-) )

Reference:
VERITAS NetBackup DataCenter 3.4, System Administrator's Guide. UNIX. 
 http://support.veritas.com/docs/232348

 

 

hstankovic@bost.com's picture
16
Jul
2009
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CRZ - Thanks for looking this

CRZ - Thanks for looking this up.  That's is totally awesome.  I think we'll start using the -m as we are planning to go to 6.5 sometime eventually.

Alex Vasquez's picture
16
Jul
2009
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Show Off!

Rumble grumble.. >__<

"I’m an early bird and a night owl. So I’m wise and I have worms."
- Michael Scott