SQLBILL you may be my only hope...

[j4v4d0g]

I posted this message as follows on sunday, no response yet:

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I am trying to backup a 90GB drive and have a DLT IV overland library. I assigned a media pool and have 6 cartriges in the media set. Start the backup and it gets done writing the first 33GB to a cartrige, then stops and asks me to put another cartrige in so it can continue. the job is on hold currently waiting for me to 'import' (?) more media. Any ideas. I thought that it would just continue through the library in that media pool and start writing the data to the next tape in the media set. Where do i get it set so that it will continue writing to the tapes in the media set until the entire backup job is done?

thanks in advance

-javadog
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I need some advice on what I am missing. the backup is sitting idle waiting for me to procede.
Thank you for your time

-Andrew

 

[jbud]

What is your 'Media overwrite protection level' set to under: Tools > Options > Media Overwrite tab?

What are the 'Overwrite protection period' and 'Append period' set to on the properties for the media set?

 

[j4v4d0g]

Media Overwrite Protection Level:

(*)Partial - Protect only allocated Media
and the check box below that "Prompt before overwriting imported media" is also checked

below that
"Media Overwrite Options"

(*) Overwrite scratch media before overwriting recyclable media contained in the targeted media set (radio button selected for this to happen)

2nd part of your question:

Overwrite Protection Period: - Infinate do not allow overwrite

Append Period: infinate - allow append

thank you a ton for a response.

this is also, Backup exec 9.1 for win servers, running on win 2k sp4 server.
Overland LibraryXpress LXB 10 cargridge DLT Type IV library, dual DLT drives, robotic arm 10 cart holder.

-javadog

 

[SQLBill]

Look at the other tapes in the media set. I'll bet they are full or don't have any room for the rest of your job.

If you don't EVER allow overwrite, the tapes will eventually get filled and become unusable.

-SQLBill

 

[j4v4d0g]

the full set of tapes in the library currently are all 'new'
new in the respect that this is a fresh new install of veritas, on a new domain/server, so when i put these tapes in, first thing i did was format all the tape and make them useable. none of the tapes have ANY data on them at all, except for the first tape in the media pool that i started this 90GB job process on. as said, backup exec wrote to the first tape in the media pool, filled it up, and then has gone idle prompting me for more media in order to continue. if i have set something wrong, i certainly dont mind deleting this job and starting it all over, i have the time to do that, what i dont understand, is if i define a media pool, put tapes in it, all of which have been formatted and are empty, what did i miss? is it something i missed when i defined the backup job initially?

all help is certainly appreciated. thank you all for your time on this

-javadog

 

[SQLBill]

Go to the Devices tab, expand your slots. Are all the tapes visible there? (did you load them by hand or using the IMPORT command)

Did you inventory them?

-SQLBill

 

[j4v4d0g]

I did load them by hand, and once in, the library did a scan of the barcodes, recognized them all, and then i took them one at a time into a job process of formatting them so they were clean and ready. once the formatting was done, they were all showing fine on the devices tab, when i expanded the 'slots' selection. if i select a tape, and go to properties, they show that they are currently empty, all except for the single tape that is assigned in my media pool for the current idle job. that tape has a full 33gb written to it. so i know its writing correctly, just not spanning to the next tape in the media pool.

Thank you again

-javadog

 

[jbud]

Naturally, I have to agree with SQLBill.

In 8.6, one can run an inventory report to see what the tape usage is like. I am unsure about 9.1.

 

[j4v4d0g]

I am sure i can do the same thing with 9.1, however, since i FORMATTED all the tapes that i put into the library, in essence (and correct me if i am wrong) that free(d) them up to be writable from the get-go.
so im unsure what or why doing an inventory on them would be important. not trying to be a smartass, just trying to focus on where the problem may be.

Thank you,

-javadog

 

[j4v4d0g]

anyone got any other suggestions? im still at a loss

thank you again for all your help

-javadog

 

[jbud]

Does the media set name have any characters in it that are NOT alphanumerics (eg !@#$%^&*)? I'm not swearing.

I think someone on this forum had an issue with a media set with a name with hyphens or something in it.

 

[j4v4d0g]

No, sir,

all media is labeled with standard ascii characters, no spaces and i actually kept them under 8character dos limitation

-thankyou

-javadog

 

[SQLBill]

I have found that Veritas BE has trouble recognizing tapes in a library/autoloader if they are loaded by hand. Take them out and use the IMPORT function (right click on a slot and select Import, you will then get a message to insert tape into portal). After you import the tapes, inventory them, then go to the Media tab and move them from Scratch to the proper media set.

-SQLBill

(Sorry to take so long, I was in a meeting.)

 

[j4v4d0g]

thank you sir, i too apologize, been in meetings myself...nothing like monday meet.....*smile*

i am going to cancel the current job, take all the tapes out, put them back in, format the one that is full of my partial backup job, import them, inventory them, then add them to th media pool, THEN i will attempt redoing the job and see if they span multiple tapes when it gets done with the first tape in the media pool.

I dont know if there is a way to keep this thread open, but this will take me the rest of the day to do, and i will certainly respond if this solves the problem

thank you all again for your help in this matter, will update as soon as i know if its working

-javadog

 

[j4v4d0g]

Ok, (really trying to do this right the first time)

i went through and did quick erase on all the tapes (had just done a full erase on them oh, last week), after erase, i did a inventory. all tapes are scratch media now (10). two curious things before i move on:

1.) the single tape that was successfully backed up, while under Devices-->slots it says that its scratch media and empty, there is a 'label' (lack of a better term) still in one of my media pools, and it is that tape (or a ghost view of it) showing the tape, and its capacity as full.
should i be concerned about this, and 'move' it to scratch, is it a refresh issue?

2.) i didnt see an option to IMPORT to one of my media pools. do i do the IMPORT to a place, or just run it, and then use the 'MOVE' option to relocate media back into my media pools?

Thank you for your time

-javadog

 

[SQLBill]

1. You take all the tapes out.
2. Go to the Devices tab.
3. All the slots should be empty (if not, do an inventory)
4. Right click on an empty slot, select IMPORT
5. Veritas will tell you to insert a tape into the portal, that's the 'mailbox' (there should be a small door that opens and has tape slots. check your docs if need be)
6. Click ok, Veritas will move the tape from the door to the slot.
7. Right click on the slot with the tape and select inventory.
8. After that completes, go to Media tab, the tape will be in scratch (if you still have tapes listed in the media pools, drag them to retired).
9. Drag the tape from scratch to the media set it belongs in.
10. Repeat for the rest of your tapes.

(You should be able to do several tapes at once, it depends on how many slots you have in your 'mailbox'.)

-SQLBill

 

[j4v4d0g]

excellent,

thank you SO MUCH for the dummy-walkthrough *smile*,, sometimes we all need that, and even though ive worked with backup exec off and on since V7, this library is a NEW thing to me, and so much has changed in these last two versions, i feel like im learning this product all over again.

i will be doing the steps EXACTLY as you showed me, and then i will start this backup tonight to run.

the library is a 10 slot library, ill do them one at a time, and again, thank you a ton

will update with success/failure...

regards,

-javadog

 

[davemckernan]

have you configured the partitions within your autoloader.
Click on devices, right click your autoloader and select configure partitions, then choose however many slots you require to complete a full backup with the size of tapes you have.

 

[j4v4d0g]

QUICK UPDATE:

Thank you all for the help. Got this whole thing rolling. Once i had reinventoried and quick erased the DLT's and put them into scratch media. I ran the backup again, and this time specified the Media Pool to use. Spanned cartridge to cartridge, backed up all 110GB and workd great!!

Thank you again.

-Javadog