arcserve 2000 refusing to restore even though file is in session!

[crveni]

Hello

I am running arcserve 2000 Advanced edition Version 7(Build 1100) with arcserve service pack 4 installed.

The os is windows 2000 with SP4 installed.

The tape drive is a compaq SDLT 110/220.

Note the restore is being done on the same machine(client/server)
The files(word/excel) I wanted to restore was on the session of my tape.
I specified that it will be restored to a different directory.

After a long time trying it comes back with the follwoing errors


E3717 Unable to goto cluster (CLUSTER=4016316, EC=Hardware Error)
E3842 Unable to find file (FILE=\\NIKFILE\D:\Shared\danzas insurance\18B6A000 MEDIA=nikfile tuesday)

Initially I thought it could be a rogue tape. If it was a hardware error on tape why did it let me backup on it? So the drive was cleaned & another tape was used. However still the same result occured.

Next was the backup tapes were merged again & a attempt was madeto restore. The same result occured.

To confuse things even more I restored my home directory data successful to another directory with one of the problem tapes.

Has anyone had this problem before?
Is there anything blatantly wrong with what I am doing?
I did look at the ca website regarding errors but nothing helpful came of it.

Thanks

 

[davidmichel]

In regards to your question on why it can't restore if it could backup. Did the backup do a verify?

Try a restore by backup media. You will have to add an include filter of the file name. Difference here is that if it is a database related problem then it will work.

If not enable the Tape Engine debug log and let's see what that shows on the error.

 

[crveni]

Thanks for the responce, I did not have the verify on the backup. So thats a mistake on my part.

I was going to restore by backup media but I have been warned that it will restore everything into the destination folder & not just the files I want. I am a bit reluctant to do that. When looking into restore by backup media there was no filter option.

Any chance for more info on this?

thanks

 

[crveni]

I used the restore by backup media. It did not restore those particular files. The interesting thing is that the backup result came back with an incomplete status & restored a small fraction of the c: drive but nothing else.

Yet I could restore some files from my home directory.

This is a strange problem which does not make sense!

 

[davidmichel]

I don't have version 2000 installed any more but I know that it does have a filter. It is the icon that looks like a sieve, or from the menue bar Restore/Filter. You add an include filter and it only restores what matches the filter.

Keep in mind this is just to see if it is database related. The source of the problem might be in the data itself.

Another thing you can do it to enable the Tape Engine debug log. That should help to see just what is going on when it fails.

 

[crveni]

Hello

I applied the filter for one of the files I wanted but it still did not restored mt requested file.

The next step I tried was to use the restore wizard for the backup media option. The following error came up

unable to find session 2 please insert relevant tape

they were not exactly the words used by arcserve!

The tape it was asking for was the one in the drive. But it could not find any sessions 2 and beyond!

How do you turn on tape engine debug mode?

Many thanks

 

[davidmichel]

If you try that last attempt again you will probably find that it is asking for a tape with the same name but a sequince # 2. Typically when it can not find what it wants on the tape it asks for the seq. # 2 tape. This happens regardless of if there was a seq. # 2 or not.

How is the Tape Engine Debug log Enabled? faq478-3964

 

[crveni]

I will follow the enable the log instructions.

On arcserve 2000 I used the utlities > scan
Then selected the tape followed by the session & found the file that I need to restore in session 2. In total I have 59 sessions.

So I am confident that the data is there.

What could be causing the inability to allow restore? Database?

 

[davidmichel]

Don't leave the tape log on because it grows fast.

Possibly database could cause it, that is why the Restore By Media test. If that worked then it is a database problem. To do it you would select to restore from session # 2, and the filter for the file.

However to capture the failure with the tape log, do a restore with the database. That way it will be quick and easier to go through the tape log.

By the way from a general perspective make sure the latest Added Device Support update is installed, and make sure the tape device driver is not installed. See faq478-3987 for some of my thoughts on the driver.

 

[crveni]

The debug logs logs had the message in FAQ478-3987

I have made the change as recommended in the FAQ. I have rerun the restore by media test & the restore worked. The file specified worked.

Many thanks you are a lifesaver!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I assume then that the problem is a corrupt database?

How do I go about fixing this?

 

[davidmichel]

Hold on their. That faq is about removing the tape device and media changer drivers. (I keep saying it so many problems with ARCserve and BrightStor are cause by software conflicts. Got to get rid of any other application addressing the tape device).

It might not be a Database problem. The whole problem might have been due to the drivers. Try the restore with the database to see what happens. Also run dbcheck on the databases to see if there are signs of corruption. The utilities should be run once a week to once a month depending on the number of files backed up. See faq478-4386 for details on the utilities and faq478-3983 for details on the different databases.

 

[crveni]

I tried running the dbcheck utility. It prompts me for the following

Raima Server name
Username
Password

I have tried hostname of server followed by arcserve backup id + password.

I get error -2005

Is there a way to find out what are the expected servername/username & password.

Thanks

 

[davidmichel]

There is a DB Utilities doc in the home directory that explains how to use the utilities. Server name is arcserve password secrete. 2005 = wrong server name faq478-3982.

 

[crveni]

Found the document. I get back a error 40 incorrect database name. I have tried it on all the dbd files and get the same error.

However there are a few files with .001 .002 .003

 

[davidmichel]

Database names are asmedia, astpsdat, asobject, ...

 

[crveni]

I have done the database check command for all files. There seems to be no database errors as here is a sample message

DBCHECK status processed item=159836 of file astpsdat.002 in pass=1 found errors=0

this is similar to the others db files run.

I tried to do a restore via session but it would not display the files. The particular session was merged but no files are being displayed. The correct tape is being used.

Is it worth rebuilding the database from scratch or using the fix utilities, when there is nothing to fix?

 

[davidmichel]

The quick fix is to just initilize the database. Question is if there is data in the database you want to keep.

 

[crveni]

There is no data which I require in asobject. Well as I cant access it through a session. Afterwards all in need to do is merge the old backups in.

Which utility should I use, keybuild or dbfix?

 

[davidmichel]

To repair dchain, and then keybuild.
To quick fix Server Admin, Database, Initilize.

 

[crveni]

I did the dchain command but I could not get the keybuild command working. This may sound stupid but what arguments do I provide.

Instead I followed the server admin option.

Upon doing a test restore from the same directory through session it was unable to restore the file.

Is it worth deleting the database from the directory?