Limit jobs per policy attribute

The Limit jobs per policy attribute limits the number of jobs that NetBackup performs concurrently when the policy is run. By default, the check box is clear, and NetBackup performs an unlimited number of backup jobs concurrently. Other resource settings can limit the number of jobs.

A configuration can contain enough devices so that the number of concurrent backups affects performance. To specify a lower limit, select the check box and specify a value from 1 to 999.

The number of concurrent backup jobs that NetBackup can perform depends on the following:

Limit jobs per policy does not prevent concurrent jobs if the jobs are from different policies.

For example, if three policies limit concurrent jobs to two, NetBackup can start two jobs from each policy. A total of six policies can be running at one time in this situation.
Parent jobs do not count toward the limit.

Only the children jobs count toward the Limit jobs per policy setting. The following jobs produce a parent job and children jobs: multistreamed jobs, catalog backups, Snapshot Client snapshots, or Bare Metal Restore jobs.

See About the Jobs tab.
The number of storage devices available and multiplexing limits.
To process more than one backup job at a time, the configuration must include one of the following:
- Multiple storage units.
- A storage unit with enough drives to perform more than one backup at a time.
- Storage units that are configured to multiplex.
With removable media devices such as tape drives, the number of concurrent jobs depends on the total number of drives in the storage units. With disk storage, the storage device is defined as a file path and the available disk space determines how many paths are possible.
The server speed.

Too many concurrent backups interfere with the performance of the server. The best number depends on the hardware, operating system, and applications that are running.
The network load.

The available bandwidth of the network determines how many backups can occur concurrently. If you encounter loading problems, consider multiple networks for backups. Or, configure the backup policy to use Compression.

See Compression policy attribute.

When the client that is backed up is also a server, it is a special case. In this instance, the network load is not a factor because the network is not used. However, the load on the client and server is still a factor.
Multiplexing. If multiplexing is used, set Limit jobs per policy high enough to support the specified level of multiplexing.

Lower values can limit multiplexing within a policy if jobs from different schedules exist within the policy. For example, Limit jobs per policy is set to two and an incremental backup schedule is due to run for four clients. Only two clients are backed up at one time, regardless of the multiplexing settings.