Disaster Recovery reboot problem

[pgoss]

Let's see if I can give all of the correct information for this problem.

The Backup server
Hardware:
Dell Poweredge 6300
2 SCSI Adaptec AHA-2940U2/U2W PCI Cards
Software:
Windows 2000
Arcserve 2000 w/ Tape Library, Disaster Recovery, and Client agents

Tape Libarary
StorageTek 9714 Tape Library (Firmware version 1.9.52)

The system we are testing the Disaster recovery on
Hardware:
Dell Dimension XPSD300
3Com 3c905c-tx network card
Software
Windows 2000 Server
Arcserve 2000 Client agent

Problem
Ok, we are able to backup and restore individual files without a problem. The problem starts after we create the ISO CD boot disk and the Machine specific disk. We put the cd into the Dell box answer the questions, then insert the disk. It loads the temporary os and asks to reboot. We remove the CD and boot disk from the client system and reboot the server. After the reboot it prompts us to insert the Machine specific disk into the client system. It reads off the disk then says it needs to reboot the client system. After this it is in a continually reboot w/out any interaction from us.

We have tried multiple ways changed network cards and nothing is working. Any help would be great!

thanks,
pat

 

[pgoss]

bump


Anyone have any ideas? So far I am very unimpressed with arcserve, it has been a second-class application.

 

[ARCserveGuru]

Do you install the EISA partition with the dell server before performing DR? Also is the full backup you took using computer name resolution for the client agent? Sorry, I don't know my dell servers, or if even the dell dimension is a server, may be a workstation. Anyway, set up the partition info and such as well as the EISA partition, then try the DR.

Goodluck,

g

 

[pgoss]

The dimension is a workstation (just using it for test) and there is no eisa partition. basically all that is on there is a copy of server. I used name resolution for the agent discovery.

 

[ARCserveGuru]

Have you tried it by using the boot disk method at all?

g

 

[pgoss]

Just tried it, same result, just takes longer to get there!

 

[ARCserveGuru]

That is odd.... it's always worked for me barring the odd hiccup.

You have updated to the latest service packs and everything haven't you?

Other than that I can't think of what it could be.

Oh also did you do the full backup with an open file agent? Sounds like something might of been missed.

g

 

[jbarbara11]

I have a similar scenario to the one reported by pgoss. However, I am only using the boot diskette method and I get the message "error initializing module" after the reboot(s) that should be setting up the hard drive configuration (according to the documentation). I opened up an incident with CA but they seem stumped (Applied SP3 and a couple other patches).

My big question is if I did a full backup and I am looking to restore and the hardware is not exactly the same, more specifically the HDD's are not identical (i.e. the original had dynamic mirrored C: and D: on one physical HDD, then E: on another physical HDD and F: on a third physical HDD; the restoring machine has two unpartitioned physical HDD's)...does that matter?

 

[pgoss]

ARCserveGuru: Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but we gave up on the Disaster recovery for now and moved on to finishing the rest up. We opened a call with CA but that is almost worthless so we will continue to plug away at it until we get something concrete. Just a small question for you, what type of environment do you run Arcserve in?

Ours spans 3 networks different networks.

 

[pgoss]

hmm, I should really preview posts before i submit =)

"ours spans 3 different networks"