CA Arcserve R12 + HP 1/8 G2 Autoloader issues

[hambo12]

Hi, New to this Arcserve software, and in need of some serious help!

I am trying to get arcserve to do simple incremental backups once a day on 6 different tapes in the autoloader, yet I have no idea how to do this!

When I go to configure groups, there is only the single tape library, and no options to assign various tapes to different days. I have traweled through the doco, and cant find a thing.

Does anyone have some information that may guide me in the right direction? I would really appreciate it! Thanks

 

[BETuser]

When you set up the backup, on the schedule tab, go to Use Rotation Scheme. Also look up GFS rotation in Arcserve help. This should get you going.

Good luck.

 

[hambo12]

OK I seem to be having some troubles, and will need to explain myself better:

We are using shadow copy to backup ~8 servers. The daily bkf files are dumped onto a SAN (named mon, tues, wed etc), and this backup software will be used to pick up the day's bkf files and copy them to the specific tape in the library.

However, I can seem to find how to get this working. I cant find anywhere within arcserve that tells me it can see all of the tapes in the magazines. How do I tell the software which tape I want it to use if it can only see the tape in the drive, not the magazines?

Do I have to do something with the media pool option??

Thanks again!

 

[hambo12]

Attached is a screenshot, which I think shows a problem. It seems the tape library is not being recognised. Any ideas??

 

[hambo12]

Another screenshot attached. Every time I tick the box to 'enable drive', it looks like it is started, but I come back in a couple of minutes and it is disabled again. Any ideas? Driver issues maybe????

 

[GSC]

You should keep your Windows driver for the SDLT disabled! If they are enabled they will conflict with Arcserve.
Disable the loader in the windows device manager and reboot your server. After the restart you should run a device configuration in arcserve to solve this issue.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,
GSC

 

[hambo12]

Thanks for the info GSC, as you can see, im in the dark here!

OK, so the actual windows driver for the tape drive/library is now disabled.

I have run device configuration, and allowed arcserve to find the library itself, however it finds the drive, but not a library as such.

I then manually try to assign the library in device configuration, and I cant assign the device, as per the screenshot attached. Any more ideas?

 

[hambo12]

Another thing: arcserve will only see what tape is in the drive, it wont look in the magazines for the correct tape. How do I get the software to recognise the magazine?

 

[GSC]

Is the tape library agent installed?
Have you been able to see the Autoloader through the device configuration before?


I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,
GSC

 

[sandyboy]

Check for the latest firmware for the drive and for the latest drivers for the SCSI

Just in case can you enable the drive in the windows device manager and see how it works

-Sandy

 

[hambo12]

Ok, Ive been looking around in device manager and I see that in the "SCSI and RAID controllers" area, there is an entry for "smart array 5i", but there is no SCSI controller installed. Do I need the SCSI controller installed? I called HP support, and they told me that smart array 5i will not detect the tape autoloader, only a SCSI controller. Yet I cant seem to find the SCSI controller, even when I manually install the SCSI controller drivers. Could this be a problem?

The server is a DL380 G2...And Ive connected the SCSI cable to the connection at the back labelled VHDCI...

 

[GSC]

Yes, you need a SCSI controller.
How did you backup this server in the past, or were there no backup at all?

GSC

 

[vschumpy]

HP don't support libraries off the external SCSI port of their SMARTArray/RAID cards, you'll need to invest in a separate SCSI card.

Incidentally - if it's on a SAN, why not connect the library to the SAN via the fibre?

Secondly, ARCserve has built in Shadow Copy Support IIRC - although not sure specifically on r12 - perhaps you can save yourself some duplication of effort here as well.

 

[hambo12]

Thanks for the info, that has answered my question. I will have to move the tape library to another server.

 

[hambo12]

Just thought Id update this post if anyone found this same issue later on. It seems the SCSI connector on the server was incompatible. Moving to another server fixed the problem. Arcserve found both the drive and autoloader autmatically.

 

[tisrob]

Just following on what hambo12 said. HP Non-SAS Autoloaders require an LVD/SE connection, using anything else could cause damage. Separate SCSI cards are required as the internal SCSI controller (5i in this case) can't be used.