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Question

Scheduled Delete/Erase of All Backup Data on Inserted Tape

  • September 28, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 14 views
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Hi everyone,

I have the following environment:

  • Commvault: v11.40.42

  • Tape drive: HPE Ultrium LTO-6 standalone tape drive

I have a specific requirement and would like to know if Commvault supports this.

I do not want to manage tape retention, tape order, or manually track which tape contains which backup.

Instead, I want to configure a scheduled time (for example, every Sunday at 12:00 AM) so that when a tape is inserted into the standalone tape drive, Commvault will automatically delete/expire/erase all backup data on that tape at the scheduled time.

For example:

  • Tape is inserted into the standalone drive.

  • The tape contains backup data from previous backup jobs.

  • At the configured scheduled time, Commvault automatically removes/expires all backup data on that tape.

  • I can then reuse the tape for new backups.

Is this possible with Commvault v11.40.42?

If it is possible, what would be the recommended configuration or workflow for a standalone tape drive?

I'm specifically looking for a solution based on a scheduled time, rather than managing individual tape retention or tape rotation manually.

Thanks in advance for any advice.

1 reply

Vaulter

Hi ​@Thet Paing ,

 

I don’t think there is a native workflow that would clean up tapes automatically on schedule, as this is quite risky 

However, I think you can write a PowerShell script to leverage the qdrive command and schedule it to run when you want, or customize a workflow to do this task, Professional Services team can assist with such customization.

 

Please refer to: qdrive clean, qdrive unload, qdrive reset, qdrive disable, qmedia deletecontents

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