Arcserve 7 upgrade issues

[LolaRed]

I upgraded from AS 6.1 to 7 for NetWare 2 weeks ago and have been getting "Incomplete" backup jobs (asking for a second tape) ever since. What has been addressed so far:

1. Moved from .DSK drivers to .HAM (Adaptec SCSI AHA-2940) per encouragement from CA tech support. No change in problem

2. Checked that Tape Config says Hardware Compression is ON

3. Upgraded Arcserve NW Agent on my GroupWise server from version 6.6 to 7 (per CA tech support - said Agent 6.6 would be only randomly correct with AS7). This gives me the ability to stop & start GroupWise agents on that
server during it's 20 minute backup & avoid the open files issue.

4. Replaced tape drive. A second CA tech support said it couldn't be drivers or ArcServe - had to be a hardware problem. (coincidence that it happened same time I upgraded ArcServe?) (HP SureStore DLT 35/70 - HP
support stated that symptoms sounded like hardware failure & replaced it under warranty.) no change in problem

5. Compiled total bytes being backed up from 5 Novell servers (approx. 37GB). I'd hope that even without the full 2:1 compression ratio, I should get at least 50GB out of a 35/70 tape drive. Performed a scan on my last
backup tape. All files appear to be there (except perhaps a few from the last volume). I also noticed, playing around with volume numbers, that "space used" has grown across the volumes (pretty evenly) in the last 2
weeks by 5GB. This is nagging at me a little - could it be work actually getting done by users.?

6. Last night I did a full erase on the tape before backup, thinking that the previous drive may have been marking "bad spots" on the tapes....? Grasping at straws here... The backup finished up (did NOT ask for a 2nd tape), but the compare failed - E1056 could not read file header on tape. Gee, I wonder if I got another bad tape drive?

I noticed the driver that ArcServe is using for the tape drive is Quantum DLT 7000. It's nagging at me that it may not be correct. The AS7 upgrade did ask if I wanted to keep the same drivers & I chose yes. Something else to check on tomorrow...

I thought I'd try turning off Hardware Compression & using Software compression, but I can't find the option in AS7.

One more issue: When I create a Backup Job (can't modify current jobs - to be patched by CA whenever...), I'm not sure what I'm doing in indicating that I'm using an ArcServe NWAgent on my mail server. My job usually ends up with 2 occurances of the mail server and an attempt to backup ROOT of the mailserver fails. All I really want is the volumes and to be able to stop & start GroupWise.

Ok. That's it. I hope someone reads this and gets a little "deja vu" as in "been there, done that" and won't mind passing it on....

Thanks in advance for a chance to use this amazing forum in a less passive way (I browse for tips regularly).

 

[MarkShaw]

LolaRed

Check the tapeserver log file and see if there are any SCSI errors in there.
Backing up using an Agent means drilling down into the agents subtree and right-clicking with the mouse on the relevant type of agent and using "Add Object" then filling in the details. This bit seems to work okay (well at least from my experience with Netware and Windows agents). Once created you can drill down into the server by talking directly to the agent (fast too!!).

Fill in the rest of the details and just submit the job.

Can't vouch for the rest - I have lots of other problems. The manager software is awful. I wish CA had spent more time on testing this in a "real" (ie. bad) network environment rather than whizzbang animated icons.

Regards

Mark@amadis.freeserve.co.uk

 

[LolaRed]

Hi again Mark!

I've already given you lots of details (some repeated) in the other Thread.

You know, using "Add Object" in the Agents and drilling down into the server & volumes works fine until you want to Pre/Post on that server. The option is not there in the Agents subtree when you right click. The option for that function is only in the Netware Servers subtree (after selecting "Use Agent".) I will admit that when I read your suggestion, I got excited - thought that the "order of things" might make a difference. Then I remembered trying it in every order I could think of...

I got all those tape problems fixed (except the "Buffer Begin at Chunk ####) by doing a full erase on every tape after replacing the ??defective?? tape drive.

I haven't checked the tapeserver log file lately. I think I'll do that tomorrow.

Thanks for the nudge...
Lola