Check the Vault option datasheet here:

VERITAS NetBackup™ 6.0 Vault Option

http://eval.symantec.com/mktginfo/products/Datasheets/Data_Protection/nbu_6_0_vault_dsht.pdf

And Administrator's Guide here:

NetBackup Vault System Administrator's Guide 
ftp://exftpp.symantec.com/pub/support/products/NetBackup_Enterprise_Server/279298.pdf

Does the Vault Option require additional licensing?

Are there any options or strategies to manage this activity without purchasing Vault option.  Is anyone currently doing this with or without the Vault option?

Frist if you do NOT allow different retention periods to mix on your tapes you do not need different pools
But if you do more then one retention period in a night it will be hard for you to know which is which in case different policies and pools would be easier.

I do retention 2 weeks every week night
On the weekends I do retention 6 months

So on Monday when I take tapes out of the library I know they go off site for 6 months.
I know every week day when I take tapes out they go off site for 2 weeks.

My one exceptions is on Sundays I make a tape that has 7 years retention
This one has its own policy, its own Volume Pool and the tapes have custom barcodes on them that make it easy to spot.

( I don't use barcodes that come the tapes but get mine custom made)
using color or letters at the beginning of the barcode makes it easy for me to spot
So this 7 year tape and my Hot Catalog Backup tape use their own pool and have custom barcodes that makes it very easy for me to spot.  So I can then pick out that one tape on Monday and send it off for 7 years.