Removing bad media from ARCSERVE 2000

[mleggatt]

I currently backup our network nightly using ARCSERVE 2000 on a dedicated Windows NT4 SP6a server. Occasionally I get backups that fail because of faulty media (Tape errors), on investigation these are found to be due to tape media errors. I therefore need to remove this media from the GFS pool, but still keep a record of the tapes. I have looked through the ARCSERVE 2000 administrators manual and google'd for an anwser but cannot find the correct method for removing this media from the GFS pool. I have seen several methods but I am not sure which is the correct one. By correct I mean that ARCSERVE keeps a record of this media as being bad and does not remove it from it's database so that if I do need to restore from this media in the future I can but it will not be used in any further backups. I still want to keep a record of this media as it would be useful to know how many tapes have gone bad and at what point and in the event of a last ditch attempt, even if the media will is not writeable it maybe readable.

The methods I have seen are:
1. Remove the media from the GFS pool
I don't think this is correct as it leaves no record of why the media was removed.

2. Export the media to a location that I have specified i.e. Bad tape location
This is mentioned in the manual but it doesn't say what effect this has?

3. Mark the tape as bad in the media pool properties for that tape?

I think the anwser is either option 2 or 3 or 2 and 3. 2 and 3 would mean that it would be possible to see the media was bad and remove it from the GFS screen.

If anyone know the anwser to this or documentation where I can find the procedure for removing bad media from the GFS scheme while still retaining its records, please let me know.

Thanks in advance
Martin

 

[mohamdr]

Hi
I thihnk the second option will be the right one.

regards,
mohamdr

 

[davidmichel]

I agree # 2 is probably the best choice.

 

[mleggatt]

Thanks for the info but I tried option 2 ie move the tapes to a bad tape location but this does not remove the tapes from being used in future backups in the GFS scheme.

Any ideas? do I also need to mark the tapes as "bad"?

 

[mohamdr]

Hi
There is no way to mark the tape as bad
You have to delete the the tape record from the database
by going to Manager-->Database
if you delet the tape record from database it going to disappear from the media pool(save set or scratch set)

If Arcserve didn't find the required tape it will ask for Blank tape and this will replace the bad tape

regards,
mohamdr

 

[mohamdr]

Hi
Before you delete anything make sure you have copied the database to safe palce or you backing it to tape.

regards,
mohamdr

 

[mleggatt]

Mohamdr,

I was deleting the tapes that were bad, but what if this tape is not writeable but maybe readable in the future? I sometimes get tapes with errors like "no data has been lost but the capacity of the tape is reduced". In this case I do not want to use the tape again i.e. remove it from the scratch set but want to keep the record of the last backup so that if I need to I can read the tape. If I delete these tapes they disspear from the media pool and I cannot restore from the tape in the future. My guess is I would look to restore from the last session on that tape but ARCSERVE would have no record of the session as I had deleted the tape. I am not sure but I think this is what would happen

Martin

 

[mohamdr]

Hi
Even if you delete the tape from the database anytime you can merge the tape to arcserve database and do restore without any problems.

regards,
mohamdr

 

[mleggatt]

Mohamdr,

Thanks for your help and speedy responses. This was a bit of a grey area for me and the manuals etc didn't make it much clearer.

Martin