Asked for specific media name. 1

[wrgpaul]

On occasions I am prompted for a specific media name, even though the jobs are set to overwrite media and subsequent jobs set to append to that media. This happens on the second (or subsequent jobs).
This is Arcserve 6.6 running on NT and fully patched to latest releases.
Head/Drive unit completely replace. Did have SCSI errors once, but fully tested and okay.
This is intermittant (as with most issues I experience with Arcserve) and each change I make cannot be verified as successful until later on (i.e. after the first job has run), which is getting a bit tedious dialling in each night and rerunning jobs until the early hours. (So much for automation).
New tapes have been tried (with the same response) and old media has been reformatted.
Anybody else having this problem or able to assist?
There are countless other niggling issues, but this excellent forum has helped on most points.

Thanks in advance for any responses.

Regards

x-)
Paul Wright
Senior IT Consultant
Worthing

 

[jimpames]

Library?
Tape drive?
Patch level? Build number?
ASO, Advanced or workgroup?
Always Inventory a library after manually servicing media.
Post more details and I'll try to help... Jim P. Ames

http://www.jimpames.com

jimpames@hotmail.com

 

[wrgpaul]

Jim,

This is a HP Surestore DLT Library.
No separate tape drive (but we did have a dat running along side until recently, the scsi card is removed but Arcserve still thinks it is there and I am not sure how to tell it it isn't).
Patch Level, build etc,: Version 6.61 Build 834 SP2A
Not sure about the Advance Storage Option setting is, nor am I sure where to look.
I took this beasty over from a colleague and it turns out he took it over too, it would start going wrong when I touch it!! B-(

I have tried to download the PDF zipped file from Computer Associates to read up more, but the link is missing and the file doesn't exist, so I basically have a wafer thin book with which to learn this blasted thing!!
Any help will be appreciated.
B-(

Paul Wright
Senior IT Consultant
Worthing

 

[jimpames]

When you change the layout of the SCSI devices, you need to rerun device configuration for Arcserve.

Backup your hkey_local_machine\software\computerassociates
registry using regedit.

Stop ALL arcserve services using service manager, including Arcserve discovery service and arcserve message engine.

Use the CMD prompt to issue a net share - find the Arcserve$ and make a safe copy of the directory it points to.

Use the Start, programs, arcserve, device configuration OR tape library option setup and re-run setup for the library.

Let me know how it works out...

Jim P. Ames

http://www.jimpames.com

jimpames@hotmail.com

 

[wrgpaul]

Thank you Jim, I will try this on Monday as I need to run a repair and compact at the weekend, which will probably take the best part of the 48 hours no doubt.
I will let you know how I get on and thank you in advance for your suggestion.

Have a good weekend.
Paul Wright
IT Consultant
Logicom IT Ltd

 

[monkeylizard]

Paul, since it's a single drive and not a Library, I'm not sure if this is a valid thing to check but...

In the Destination tab of the Backup Job (i.e, Backup Wizard) make sure that you have selected a Group and not an individual tape. The group Name should appear in the Group field near the top of this tab and the Media name should be '*' (minus the quotes).

If this is not done, the backup job WILL be looking for a particular tape even if it's Options tell ity to append to media.

Good luck...you're gonna need it.
Monkeylizard
-Isaiah 35-

 

[wrgpaul]

Thank you for that last tip, you are correct in the assumption that I have been choosing the destination as the first tape in a sequence of four rather than accepting the default '*'. Alas I was advised this as being the correct method, but the logic seems correct. I think it would be fair to assume that the '*' is the standard wildcard, therefore when it appends (particulalry) it will look for any tape rather than a specific tape.
All of our tapes in our 31 day cycle (excluding additional monthlys) have the same media name, but obviously each takes a unique ID on each write.
I have to say thank you for all the suggestions, I certainly have some work to do and as suggested, will certainly need a degree of luck!

) Paul Wright
IT Consultant
Logicom IT Ltd

 

[wrgpaul]

Whey hey! After the weekend compact/repair (taking from 6pm Friday until 11pm Sunday) and re "pointing" the jobs to a '*' wildcard instead of the first media in a group................it worked.

Thank you to everyone for you patience and help.

What a wonderful forum!!

Regards
B-)

Paul Wright
IT Consultant
Logicom IT Ltd