ArcServe not Restoring properly 3

[cgsrg]

We're running ArcServe 6.61 on NT4. I've setup to backup the server every night (which works fine). But restoring is the problem. I can restore anything from 'Session 0001' with no problem. But all other sessions (0002 and on) won't restore anything even though there is content on the tape. ArcServe runs the tape looking for the session, then eventually (after a long, long time) the Job Monitor says Done, but writes an Error to the logs stating: "E3841 Unable to find session number" or "E3801 Invalid session header signature", then says "Restore operation incomplete". So of course nothing is ever restored from Session 0002 and on. I find it strange that anything in Session 0001 restores fine, but no other subsequent Sessions restore at all and come up with errors. This happens every time. I've changed tapes, reformatted the tape and started all over again, erased the tape, etc. but it still doesn't restore properly. Did I set something up wrong or install ArcServe incorrectly?

For reference, ArcServe is running on the same server as the backup using the same tape drive and the same tape every day. So I doubt it's the tape drive or tape issue.

Thanks

Grant

 

[Guest_imported]

The following article outlines a procedure which solved this problem for us.

http://support.ca.com/techbases/asnt/NASNT135.html

 

[Guest_imported]

I have two customers with the same problem. (restoring perfect from session 1 but other sessions doesn't work.)

At one of the customers i restored 5 weeks ago severel file from session 3 and it works fine. Now, without any changes, it doesn't work!!!

The only thing that changes is the virusscanner via liveupdate (Norton Antivirus Corperated edition. Both servers are running this.)

What is going on???

thanks

Please send any comments to Gerard@Merzaan.nl

 

[LolaRed]

OK. I guess I need to add to this thread. I have Novell 5.1 sp4 on 5 servers, ARCserve 7 fully patched on one server, with NwAgent 7 on one of my remote servers.

My backups are ok (slow, but seem to be accurate).

The remote server that's using NwAgent 7 has a restore problem. I can't restore anything from the SYS volume (I get the same Invalid Session Header Signature message the rest of you report). I can restore from other volumes of the same server and I can restore from any other server that is NOT using the NwAgent 7 for backups.

I put the NwAgent on one of the other servers and, lo an behold!, I couldn't restore from the SYS volume of the *that* server.

I know the symtoms and the cause, but not the cure.

I can drill down in and see the files in the database. I restore by session, using the Agent to restore the other volumes sucessfully, so I know I'm doing it right.

I want to purchase the NwAgent for all of my servers to speed up the backup, but not if it means I can't restore the SYS volumes of any of my servers. What's the purpose of a backup if you can't restore the files?

I have e-mailed this issue to CA tech support and have received an acknowlegement that it was received. Let's see how long a real response (I can accept broken English) will take and if the issue will ever get resolved - short of switching to Backup Exec.....

 

[ARCserveGuru]

Is this with the new NWAGENT? qo19337.caz?

g

 

[LolaRed]

Hi AsGuru.

Yup, it sure is. As I said, my AS7 & NwAgent 7 AND Novell 5.1 are fully patched.

Today CA tech support (Roger) has asked for my BTI.CFG (or was that .INI - I'm writing this from home) file (btrieve settings) and I have dutifully complied with his request. *sigh* Traveling down the same path....over & over again.

 

[ARCserveGuru]

Hmmmmm, roger yasmine?

g

 

[LolaRed]

There's a Garra06 after his first name. Doesn't look like yasmine to me....

 

[LolaRed]

Here's a copy/paste of the job log when the sys volume fails to restore (for what it's worth): (I don't get the 4th line. I was not attempting to restore anything in the \login\nls folder.)


Job_Log148@FS1
Restore Operation

Jul-17 09:53:30 148 Base directory will not be created
Jul-17 09:53:30 148 On conflict -> overwrite
Jul-17 09:55:25 148 E1056 Invalid file header [] signature=0
Jul-17 09:55:25 148 Recover file LOGIN\NLS\UNI_COL.002
Jul-17 09:55:25 148 E1126 Failed to find interleaving session header.
Jul-17 09:55:25 148 E1055 Failed to read session header - ffffffff
Jul-17 09:56:26 148 E0015 Job 148: Restore Operation Failed

 

[ARCserveGuru]

Hmmm I must say I have never dealt with him then.

Ummm, have you tried a merge of the tape that is having the problems? That usually helps, maybe restore through media view as this will bypass the database. The bti.cfg file appears to be a btrieve configuration file which seems to be related to the fact that your using file interleaving on netware\multiplaxing. Maybe the btrieve settings can't handle this? which may also be why modifying the bti.cfg file would be useful.

let me know how it goes.

g

 

[LolaRed]

Hi g.

The btrieve configuration changes didn't fix the restore problem (didn't appear to hurt anything either). Changes were:

Max clients =150
Cache size=16384
max worker Threads=25
Reboot the Netware server for the changes to take effect.

I've let Roger know and am waiting for his response.

In the meantime, I created a new job for tonight's backup and switched the order of the volumes of the server running the NwAgent. I'll see how it goes tomorrow. I wonder if I get a good backup of the SYS volume because it's no longer first.....

I also pointed out to Roger that btrieve is also running on the server with the NwAgent and the BTI.CFG file consists of only 3 lines:

[MicroKernel]
MaxFiles=50
CacheSize=1024

He has not responded to that, so I assume it's not an issue.

 

[ARCserveGuru]

Keep us posted on your progress Lola.

g

 

[LolaRed]

Yes. Switching the order of the volumes in the session made a difference. I moved the SYS volume to the end of the session and could restore it with no problem. But, I could not restore the 1st volume of the session.

One other thing. When I create my backup job (been doing that a lot lately, trying different things) and indicate that I'm using the NwAgent, I've noticed that at the end of the job, where you can re-order the sessions, that there is an extra object for that server - like I selected to backup the NDS for that server (which I didn't). I always get an incomplete backup because that one unchosen session always fails since it's not authenticated. It is located just ahead of the volume that I can't restore. (This particular issue was dropped by CA techs a year ago.)

I'm creating a new backup job tonight with the erroneous NDS session at the tail-end of the job. Since no volume will be behind it, perhaps I'll be able to restore all volumes. I might just have a work-a-round. We'll see next week.

 

[ARCserveGuru]

hmmm, maybe then novell client?

Are you at 4.83? there are known issues with this client and requires a patch.

g

 

[LolaRed]

I've been back & forth with the Novell client 4.83 and the patch. Without the patch I can't create folders from the root of any netware volume. With the patch, I can't manage (remove/recreate) print objects. Haven't noticed any relation to ArcServe, but I do know that this immediate restore problem began back when I was still using the 4.81 Novell client. I'll experiment with this.

My workaround worked! By placing the bad server NDS object created by the NWAgent at the end of the job, I was able to restore from any volume this morning. Anything immediately following the bad server object created by the NWAgent is unrestorable. It still makes my backup job end with an Incomplete status, but I can actually restore any files. Yay!

But of course, it's still a glitch that needs to be addressed by CA. I'd like to see it fixed properly.....

 

[writ]

I am having a little problem. My site just upgraded to AS7, previouslu we used AS6. I am trying to retrieve a file with AS7 from a tape that was backed upwhile running AS6. How do i do this?

 

[writ]

I am having a little problem. My site just upgraded to AS7, previouslu we used AS6. I am trying to retrieve a file with AS7 from a tape that was backed upwhile running AS6. How do i do this?

 

[koningbart]

Is anyone still having problems with the Invalid Tape header signature thing?. I've encountered this problem last week. After several attempts to merge a tape session with arcserve freshly installed(no database corruption). One of my colleagues had the brilliant idea to restore this session with Veritas Backup Exec. Veritas ignored the headers and restored the complete tape.

 

[brettmeek]

Here is a fix that I had posted in another thread. This will work almost every time, and, aside from restoring with Backup Exec, is the only way I found that works.

This is a problem with ArcServe 6.5, I'm not sure which builds. I went through this with tech support, but they were of no help. After much trial and error, the only method I found of getting a restore to work is the following:
1. Do a restore by Backup Media.
2. Under Restore, Filter, specify the file you need to restore.
3. On the "Source" tab, start from Session 1, and attempt to restore the file. If it does not find the file in this session, change the session number to 2, and so on, until you find the file you are looking for.

There is apparently a cataloging issue with certain builds of ArcServe and certain hardware. I have spoken with ArcServe about this (and you know they know about it)but they haven't fessed up to it.

After going through all of this, I completely uninstalled AS6.5, and updated to AS2000, where this problem does not seem to exist.

The only problem is that any backups you made with 6.5, to restore you will have to go through the same procedure. Just upgrading the ArcServe version does not eliminate the problem on the previously backed up tapes.

Hope this helps

 

[vmaxin]

I have the same problem with arcserve 2000 av with the last service patches.

I find out that arcserve can not read over the end of a tape! this mean when i say merge all sesions and select tape one then they start there. and merge sesion one they fond sesion two but the end of sesion is not an the first tape then it gives the error message invaled header start sequencel merge of the tapes. but you can fix it when you start the merge with the tape where the end of this tape sesion is. the same is for the restore by sesion!

 

[blueday]

I have also this message recied by restoring a volume on a netware 5.1 Server (200 GB. I tried to restore from different DLT Tapes. Everytime it starts and then at the third or fourth session I get the message "E1056 Invalid file header". I can see the files in the database, but its not possibel to get them restored.
I tried to solve this problem with every activity postet in this forum. Nothing helped.

Is it possible, that arcserve has a problem with the amount of data? Are there any limitations, about how many files can be backed up?

I would be glad , if anybody out there could help me..!

blue