BE 8.0 Backup complete - loading media 1

[truffles]

Hi All,
I have BE 8.0 on W2000 server platform that has been performing more or less perfectly for a year or so but now I have the following problem. Although the times and backup size etc are correct and everything seems to have backed up OK, the job monitor says 'loading media' or similar. I have to abort the job. On examining the log file everything seems Ok, it ends with
Media mount failed.
User aborted a physical volume library operation.
backup completed date - time etc.
I have checked the backup by performing a dummy restore and files created that day have been backed up. I do a complete backup of everything every day onto an HP DAT40 that is currently backing up about 25GB of data on a 40GB tape. This problem started as intermitant but now happens every day.
Any suggestions?
Regards to all,
Tim.

 

[justin2000]

truffles

you are most probably filling up the first tape and the backup is asking for a second tape.

Instead of aborting the job, pop the first tape out and put in a second one - see if it continues.

 

[truffles]

Thank you for the reply.
This has obviously crossed my mind but the system has backed up larger amounts of data to the same tape on other occasions. The tape capability is 40Gb and am only backing up about 25Gb. All jobs are set to full overwrite. I did however do a 'run now' on a backup job destined for tonight and the same thing happens. The byte count saved to the tape is all that is required 25.6GB so why does it now require another tape? I don't have a 'spare' tape but will try inserting another one when I have one. In the mean time, I will try erasing a tape and using that on a scheduled backup and see what happens.
Once again, thanks for your reply.
Tim.

 

[SQLBill]

It could be that the tape is going 'bad'. Sectors/blocks could be un-useable which would mean less of the tape can be used.

-SQLBill

 

[truffles]

SQLBill
Thanks for the reply.
You may well be correct but if so, why doesn't the silly software flag this up? When I tried to get technical help for what I see is a possible software problem, the call centre would not proceed unless I gave them my plastic details and coughed up 93 euro's. I quite nicely told the young lady how that made me feel and as I recall mentioned something about software and dustbins. Never mind, we learn by our mistooks.
Best Whatsit's,
Tim.

 

[SQLBill]

I don't have BE 8.0 (I'm using 8.6 and 9.0), but you should be able to right click on the tape (in the Media tab), select Properties, and find statistics on the tape.

-SQLBill

 

[truffles]

SQLBill,
I have tried checking tape properties but all seems ok, the only entry in the statistics tab under errors is 4 soft read errors. Even if this is a faulty tape, all the others I use for separate daily backups must all have failed at the same time. Strange, I have just erased one of the offending tapes and currently doing a 'run now'. Will let you know how it goes.
Thanks,
Tim.

 

[truffles]

SQLBill
The backup has just finished, or rather just not finished. At 25.2GB on a 40GB tape job status changes from 'running' to 'loading media', the tape is then ejected and I am requested to 'Please insert overwritable media into the drive'. If I respond with no or cancel and then abort the job all the files appear as they ought to be. I am about to find an old tape and put that in and see how much it writes to the tape to 'finish' off the job. If all this fails, I may take the drive out and thrash it with a large branch ala Faulty Towers. Doesn't do much good but boy will I feel good. Seriously, I may reinstall the software and have another go but I am not able to restart the server without loads of agro getting users out of various files, databases etc. It seems to work fine and do all that it is supposed to but I don't like the red 'aborted' on the screen.
Cheers,
Tim

 

[truffles]

More Info,
After inserting some old media and telling Backup Exec that it could use it and yes it is rewritable and yes get on with it, the backup continued for about another 500MB and then completed. It then asks for the first tape for verify etc etc. Presuming that the fault here really is the tape, I wonder why these 'new' tapes have failed so quickly. They are SONY DGD150P the originals that lasted more than 2 years were HP C5718A. I must admit the SONY tapes were cheaper but were full spec replacements. It's a shame that some feature of this software can't flag up that errors on the tape that mean that it will no longer back up 40GB. I also presume that the errors on the tape have been happening since they were purchased but only come to light when the usable portion is less than the backup data requirements. Sorry about the waffle, once I get going I generally keep going (unless the tea break buzzer goes). I write a fair bit of firmware / software and to me this does seem to be a rather more than just desirable feature.
Cheers,
Tim.

 

[SQLBill]

Some thoughts:

When was the last time the drive was cleaned?

If it's been cleaned regularly, consider having the heads checked for damage or being out of alignment.

Might even try 'vacuuming' out the drive. We haven't had your problem, but we have run a vacuum cleaner to get excess dust and carpet fibers out of our systems.

-SQLBill

 

[valleytech]

First, do not assume you are going to get 40 Gb on a 20/40 tape drive. Then check your compression setting. It should be set for "hardware, then software". Then check your verification setting. If this is set to verify, you will use more tape. My bet is you've exceeded a tape. It's happened to me before. Drove me crazy. Good Luck.

 

[Rols]

vallytech is right if you are using a tape drive with capacity 20/40 you will never get 40gig onto the tape. Exactly what type of tape drive are you using??

 

[truffles]

The drive is an HP Surestore DAT40 C5683A. This is cleaned at least once a week. That's another query, what tells you that the cleaner tape has reached the end? In my drive and under VERITAS backup Exec 8.0, you cannot perform a 'clean job'. When I enquired I was told by the HP people that to clean the drive, just put the cleaning tape in and wait till it ejects (2 mins aprox). It takes about the same time to run and eject even when the tape has reached the end. It uses a section of tape every time it is used and before too long is at it's end. I accept that with the verify option that presumably puts extra checksums etc on tape that this will use more space but I expected to get more than 25GB onto the tape. In fact I have got 30GB on the same tape previously. Backup compression is set for 'hardware, then software' and verify is on. I am currently performing a long erase on a tape to see if that makes any difference and have just ordered 10 of the original HP DAT40 tapes at a reasonable price(100 Squid including VAT).
Thanks for your replies,
Tim.

 

[SQLBill]

Just an aside:

The Cleaning Job only works for autoloaders/libraries.

You must manually insert a cleaning tape in single tape drive systems.

Also, the cleaning statistics automatically reset ONLY for tape autoloaders/libraries. If you are using a single tape drive you must go to the Cleaning tab and manually reset the statistics.

-SQLBill

 

[truffles]

Yep,
I do manually reset the figures in the cleaning tab - if I remember. Most weeks I actually clean about 3 times and in the event of any errors sometimes clean twice.
Tim.

 

[ltemti]

having the same problem-if you look at the overwrite and append when you click under the media tab all media-> -you will probably see overwrite or append with a "none" next to it....
I have yet to figure how to fix this....I tried to delete the media set, quick erase the tape and put the tapeinto the scratch tape folder...and rerun a backup-it still ejects the tape...
it still doesnt work!
going for a reinstall tonight...I will keep you posted.

 

[mholland88]

The HP tape drive you have uses 20/40 gig tapes, same as all the other DDS4 tape drives out there. The 20 gig is the only amount guarantied. Anything over that all depends on your setting and your data, some files actually get bigger when compressed. Here is a an article from backup exec that talks about this

Backups fail to get double the amount of the native capacity recorded to a media, even when hardware compression is being utilized.

http://seer.support.veritas.com/docs/199542.htm

 

[ChoppinBilly]

I am having the exact same problem. I am running Backup Exec 8.5 on a 2000 server with a 33/66GB drive. After over a year of backing up 25 -35 GBs consistently on one tape, it is now asking for a 2nd tape after only 16GBs. That is half the guaranteed 33GBs. The backup is set for hardware compression, then software. We overwrite everything and never append. We clean the drive weekly, tried formatting the old tapes and purchased new ones. Tried limiting the backup to only a 20GB portion. Tried limiting the backup to only one of the server's drives. I cannot find a pattern, on a new tape it stops at 16GB, but backed up 30GB last week. The problem started a month ago, only occurring every once in awhile, not it happens every night. I am going to reload my software next.

 

[truffles]

Try erasing the tapes. I have not had any further problems since I did this. Of course it might not have anything to do with the problem but it's worth a go. Use the 'long erase'? option. I do know that 40GB is not a guarantee but if you can only get 20 GB of data on a 40GB tape why advertise them as 20/40? As soon as another method of backup becomes readily and cheaply available, this lot gets the bin... bout as user friendly as a rattle snake.
Cheers all,
Tim.

 

[ChoppinBilly]

New or erased tapes don't help, plus I am only getting half the guaranteed amount, not half the compressed amount. I uninstalled BE 8.5 and re-installed. The problem is still there. I am backing up two 34GB logical drives (all the data on those drives = 31GB , I am backing up about 25GB of that). But each logical drive is made up of two drives running RAID 1. Since my tape drive is 33/66GB, and my backup is saying a tape is full at 16-17Gb, I am thinking that it may be related to RAID1. If it is backing up data on both drives in the RAID1 array, the data would be doubled and would fill up a 33GB tape if it isn't compressing very much.