Can't merge session - must restore data

[mspope]

I have a monthly backup tape set containing 8 sessions. Sessions 1 - 3 can merge. Session 4 has a bad catalogue, but ARCserve can do a sequential merge. (During the process of merging session 4, I get the error "W3802 Invalid file header signature. (SIG=abbaabba)" and ARCserve then does a sequential merge)

Session 5 is the session I need, but during the merge I get these errors: (And the merge then fails)

E3841 Unable to find session number. (MEDIA=M-NTGFS-FRI- 7/26/02, SESSION=5, EC=000000FE)
W3884 Unable to position media catalogue file.
E3841 Unable to find session number. (MEDIA=M-NTGFS-FRI- 7/26/02, SESSION=5, EC=000000FE)

If I try to merge in just session 5, or just session 6 or any other session after 5, I get this error:

E3841 Unable to find session number. (MEDIA=M-NTGFS-FRI- 7/26/02, SESSION=6, EC=EARLY WARNING)

I performed a scan of the tape sets and the scan was able to find and report all sessions.

During the merge operations, I see no tape read errors. I've deleted all sessions from the database and re-merged with the same results.

My tape heads are fairly new.

Problem is - I absolutely must restore data from this tape - even if I can get only part of it. There must be a method - or third party util that can sequential read the tape and construct files.

What are my options?

 

[DebiJo]

Was the monthend tape created with the same version of Arcserve? I had some similiar problems trying to restore a tape created with Arcserve 6.61 on a server that had Arcserve 2000. I just loaded the old Arcserve on antoher server and did my restore just fine.

Good luck.

 

[mspope]

Hmmm Interesting thought.... It was created with the same version but different service pack. Could it be? Hard to believe - yet I've seen stranger things....

 

[calc27]

You can merge without the catalog files. It involves a registry hack though. Here is the link to CA's documentation of that process.

http://support.ca.com/techbases/asnt/16126.html

Hope it helps

 

[mspope]

Thanks for the link - I found the reghack a few days back - it does the job. Funny thing though I've found two backup sets that give the same error - in the same place! I'm wondering if this is problem similar to the one recently patched -

http://support.ca.com/Download/patches/asitnt/QO29003.html

Even though it's not related, I tried this one aways... no luck...

 

[brendaluv]

those links seem outdated, does anyone know where i can find the registry hack link info? or can someone pls post it?

i am having the same issue, i can merge the first session only, then i get the e 3841 error.

 

[mspope]

This forces a sequential merge:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ComputerAssociates\ARCserveIT\Base\Task\Merge]
"DoNotUseCatalogMerge"=dword:00000001

To use catalog merge again, just change DoNotUseCatalogMerge to a zero.

 

[speshalyst]

HI,

First confirm if arcserve recognizes session 5.
Run a SCAN job from ARCServe and scan session 5. if the scan finds session 5

you can run a restore using "restore from Backup media"

you can use "include filters" if you want specific files..

But if the scan fails..

i think.. that would be end of discussion..

good luck ..


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