Hi,
PROBLEM:
HP Surestore T4i 4/8GB tape drive, Seagate/Arcada Backup for DOS Version 5.1.4 hangs after full backup (3.5GB approx) during compare. Partial Backups (typical 500MB to 1.6GB) run OK. The problem is the software. Tape drive, SCSI card etc operate just nice under test conditions. Please read on. It is NOT a heat problem.
Precedent:
The drive (HP Travan, internal) works perfectly well albeit very slow under Colorado Backup for DOS. When I use Seagate Backup for DOS 5.1.4, very fast, three times the speed of Colorado's, it hangs on most compare operations, that is, the computer responds to 'CapsLock, NumLock and CTRL-ALT-DELETE', but the software just hangs. No error messages, no Error log file, nothing. The data set is identical for both packages.
We designed software to retrieve, store and act on production data from several brand and model SMT machines. (The software 'decides' when to stop a machine based on errors found by optical comparators during the run (parts and PC-board placement, solder paste issues etc)).The software runs on DOS/Novell based clients.
Speed issue. On Windows based software (not written by us) the SMT machines outrun Windows based software (W95 through W2000 running on a Dell 4K series NT4.0 server, TX100, 3Com cards and Hubs) it is much too slow, the SMT machines 'hang' often for minutes waiting for Windows to 'process' and to decide actions based on the data.
The difference by software (exactly same hardware) is about 25 to 35% production lost due to Windows. This is simply too costly for the company in question.
The T4 is sufficient for the data backup (its fully backed up every day, then the server data is erased, so files are only 100MB to 3.7GB).
We tried to attach a Windows 2000 based client for use as a backup only client, but Windows too often 'disconnects' itself or hangs during backup (MS Backup) and, if it finishes at all, it simply takes too long (we can only allocate a 2.5 hour timeframe for backup, time that is used to refurbish the machines and Windows (any version)takes, typical 4 to 5 hours).
We implemented a software copying routine, that copies the software from the server to the W2K backup client, then the backup runs entirely on the client. It is faster, but still takes over 3 hours and we cannot erase the original files until the backup software reports no errors during backup, so even this is not an option.
We have tried several backup software packages for Windows (we can't find any for DOS), and while most operate much more reliable than MS Backup, they are still much too slow and none offer any (automatic) way to identify if the backup was reliable or not.
The Seagate Backup takes about 1:15 (Hrs:Min) including data compare.
We send repeatedly our (we have three T4 drives) drives to service, but all come back each time with no problems found.
We obtained the same problem with a HP Surestore DDS 24i.
All drives are SCSI and are running on an Adaptec AHA-2940UW PCI adapter with proper termination (Tape drive and card). We tried active and passive termination, no change. The hard drive on our backup client was a Seagate Cheeta 36GB SCSI, is now a Western Digital 30GB EIDE ATA 100 drive, no change, the problem remains. We changed tapes, tape drives and SCSI cable, terminators and cards, always the same problem. We changed backup terminal, same problem. We reinstalled everything (software and hardware), same problem.
A manual backup, with different backup software packages, albeit possible, is not an option (to costly to have a techie sitting arround to watch the backup every night and too slow).
Anybody has an idea?
We would appreciate.
Rolph
PROBLEM:
HP Surestore T4i 4/8GB tape drive, Seagate/Arcada Backup for DOS Version 5.1.4 hangs after full backup (3.5GB approx) during compare. Partial Backups (typical 500MB to 1.6GB) run OK. The problem is the software. Tape drive, SCSI card etc operate just nice under test conditions. Please read on. It is NOT a heat problem.
Precedent:
The drive (HP Travan, internal) works perfectly well albeit very slow under Colorado Backup for DOS. When I use Seagate Backup for DOS 5.1.4, very fast, three times the speed of Colorado's, it hangs on most compare operations, that is, the computer responds to 'CapsLock, NumLock and CTRL-ALT-DELETE', but the software just hangs. No error messages, no Error log file, nothing. The data set is identical for both packages.
We designed software to retrieve, store and act on production data from several brand and model SMT machines. (The software 'decides' when to stop a machine based on errors found by optical comparators during the run (parts and PC-board placement, solder paste issues etc)).The software runs on DOS/Novell based clients.
Speed issue. On Windows based software (not written by us) the SMT machines outrun Windows based software (W95 through W2000 running on a Dell 4K series NT4.0 server, TX100, 3Com cards and Hubs) it is much too slow, the SMT machines 'hang' often for minutes waiting for Windows to 'process' and to decide actions based on the data.
The difference by software (exactly same hardware) is about 25 to 35% production lost due to Windows. This is simply too costly for the company in question.
The T4 is sufficient for the data backup (its fully backed up every day, then the server data is erased, so files are only 100MB to 3.7GB).
We tried to attach a Windows 2000 based client for use as a backup only client, but Windows too often 'disconnects' itself or hangs during backup (MS Backup) and, if it finishes at all, it simply takes too long (we can only allocate a 2.5 hour timeframe for backup, time that is used to refurbish the machines and Windows (any version)takes, typical 4 to 5 hours).
We implemented a software copying routine, that copies the software from the server to the W2K backup client, then the backup runs entirely on the client. It is faster, but still takes over 3 hours and we cannot erase the original files until the backup software reports no errors during backup, so even this is not an option.
We have tried several backup software packages for Windows (we can't find any for DOS), and while most operate much more reliable than MS Backup, they are still much too slow and none offer any (automatic) way to identify if the backup was reliable or not.
The Seagate Backup takes about 1:15 (Hrs:Min) including data compare.
We send repeatedly our (we have three T4 drives) drives to service, but all come back each time with no problems found.
We obtained the same problem with a HP Surestore DDS 24i.
All drives are SCSI and are running on an Adaptec AHA-2940UW PCI adapter with proper termination (Tape drive and card). We tried active and passive termination, no change. The hard drive on our backup client was a Seagate Cheeta 36GB SCSI, is now a Western Digital 30GB EIDE ATA 100 drive, no change, the problem remains. We changed tapes, tape drives and SCSI cable, terminators and cards, always the same problem. We changed backup terminal, same problem. We reinstalled everything (software and hardware), same problem.
A manual backup, with different backup software packages, albeit possible, is not an option (to costly to have a techie sitting arround to watch the backup every night and too slow).
Anybody has an idea?
We would appreciate.
Rolph
