Invalid sig file, unable to find media, unable to find session number

[iainwilson]

I'm running Arcserve v9.01 (build 2050) on a Windows 2000 server with sp4. I *THINK* I've got a hardware problem, but I'm trying to rule out any problems with Arcserve first before ripping out pieces of hardware

Basically, for the past week or so, I'm being plauged with all sorts of media related errors whenever I try to restore (but, curiously, not when I backup). All the backups seem to run smoothly, yet, whenever I try to run a restore I have Arcserve telling me to insert a media that is already in the drive, or else telling me that it had an invalid signature header, that it was unable to open the media, that it got a "client connect to tape failed" or that it had an invalid file signature 0x00000000.

When I try to merge it either asks me to insert the media, or else it says that it failed to find the signature file, or that the media had an invalid signature file.

I've tried reinstalling Arcserve, cleaning the drive, using a fresh DB and applying the updates. None of these seem to help. I've also been on the phone to HP who have shipped me out a new drive to try, but I want to fully exhaust the software possibilities before I start ripping things out.

Anyone got any ideas?

Iain

 

[iainwilson]

Oh, and I meant to add - the errors aren't consistent. One time it may ask me to mount a certain media, the next time it may tell me that the signature isn't valid.

I'm also pretty sure that these media aren't corrupted, as they are backed up to ok and all the information on the backup merged into the DB.

Iain

 

[davidmichel]

Backup uses the Write command.
Compare and Restore use the Read command.
So it realy does not matter if backup goes without a problem, does the verify compare tape to disk work?
What type of tape drive is it?

 

[iainwilson]

Bizzarly, this problem was with the database, rather than the hardware.

Thanks for the help anyway!

Iain

 

[Selke]

Iain, what did you do to fix this? We're having the same issue, but we're trying to restore a session that was backed up with BAB v9 from an upgraded system now running BAB v11.

I should also add that this is a backup job from a NetApp Filer (NAS device)...if anyone reading this has experienced the same issue.


Thanks in advance...

 

[davidmichel]

Asking for a tape that is in the drive can be caused by the asmedia database and the "r" files, telling the Tape Engine the tape in the drive is a different tape.

Invalid sig, can be caused by a database reporting an incorrect position on tape.

But since it was reported that a fresh database was used I did not go down that path. The first problem can only be corrected by cleaning up the database. The second can be worked around by doing a restore by Backup Media, which does not use the database.