HELP!! Arcserve 2K is only backing up 45% and asking for another tape

[nuzzy]

Hi all,

I need some help FAST!!!! I have a super DLT Tape drive that can back up 180GB uncompressed and 360GB compressed. I am using Arcserve 2000. I am trying to do full backups on Friday nights, but the blank tape is only backing up 45% and asking for another tape! The TOTAL amount of data to be backed up is approx. 120GB so I have no idea why it's doing this! HELP!!!

 

[knappagh1]

Did you check that you are overwriting whats already on the tape. I had something similar happen to me where it wasnt overwriting the tape... just adding to it. It turned out it was a simple tick box solve it.

When you open the backup manager, select the backup menu and choose options. If you select the third option "overwrite same media name, or Blank Media First, then Any Media". This should allow a full backup.

 

[nuzzy]

I tried that and it didn't work. It's still asking for another tape and I'm only backing up approx 140GB of data. Any other possible solutions?

 

[davidmichel]

Check the Database Media view for softwrite errors on the tapes.

If you have not done it already try some Quantum or Maxell tapes.

 

[vschumpy]

and be sure the tapes you are using have not already been used/formatted on a SDLT 110/220 drive.

 

[rabowsm1]

You might have a bad tape.

Does the problem occur on only one tape or several?
And what if you make a new job doing the same thing using the same and a different tape? What does that do?

 

[nuzzy]

It happens with every full backup, which is on Fridays. They are different tapes. I checked and there are no media errors. I even went out and upgraded to 11.1 and still the same issue.

 

[davidmichel]

From the Database Media view what is reported for total bytes written for one of these tapes?

 

[nuzzy]

I am looking at the Activity Log. I'm not sure where Database Media View is, but it says 108,499,18MB Written to Media.

 

[vschumpy]

This sounds like the tapes being used are in 110/220 format.

 

[nuzzy]

even with S-DLT tapes?

 

[davidmichel]

Manager, Database, then change the view to Media.

If the tapes are new then the 110/220 thing does not apply.

 

[nuzzy]

OK...I just did a long erase on a tape Friday and it still didn't finish again. The properties say:

Density Code: SDLT-I 110/220 GB

Is this wrong? Can it be changed?

Also:

MB Written: 137,048

It stopped at 79% and is asking for a blank tape or a tape from the scratch set. This is bumming me out!

 

[davidmichel]

If the tapes were used in a 110/220 drive then that format will be maintained even if they are erased. That is erased from within an application. If the tapes are bulk erased then the old format will be wiped out.

Compatibility
Media Recording Format Capacity (native) SDLT 220 SDLT 320
Super DLTtape I SDLT220 110GB 11MB/sec 11MB/sec
Super DLTtape I SDLT320 160GB N/A 16MB/sec

This shows the native capacity of the SDLT 1 tapes in a SDLT 220 drive and a SDLT 320 drive. If the tapes where first used is a 220 the 320 will use them but at the same capacity. Hopefully this clears things up.