The Drive Hardware is offline???

[netadminTO]

I was wondering if someone can help me....

I am using a Dell PowerVault 132T LTO tape library to run backups with Backup Exec 8.6.....there is obviously more than enough space to backup everything we need (which is only 150 GB on a FULL backup). Recently when this backup runs it will stop early on with the alert "the drive hardware is offline - please verify that the drive hardware is powered on and properly cabled."

Now: I have run backups before and know that this machine is on and cabled properly.......what might be causing this?

HELP!


Aaron

 

[Tekmazter]

If you're using Windows 2000, as per VERITAS support, you should disable the REMOVABLE STORAGE service first, shutdown the server, then recycle your PowerVault, and upon it finishing calibrating the drives internal to the PVAULT, reboot the server. See if this makes a difference. For a while, backupExec worked fine for me without getting this error, and then one day it just started out of the blue. After working with Veritas, disabling this service fixed my problem. After rebooting your server, give it a couple of minutes detecting the drive and try to run another job. Try that and post back. Thanks.

 

[netadminTO]

Hi...

Thanks for your help!

I followed these steps and ran a backup again last night......still no dice. Hardware offline again after reaching the halfway point.

Any other suggestions? Greatly appreciated!

 

[SQLBill]

When you set Veritas BE up, which drivers did you use? DELLs or Veritas'?? I had problems with my DELL 136T when I was using DELLs drivers. I changed it to use Veritas' drivers and have Veritas control the 136T. Now I don't have that problem. It seemed to me that at times the two would 'fight' over who had control and Veritas would lose the battle and say 'driver hardware is offline' because DELL was controlling itself and Veritas 'went home crying'. <grin> Once Veritas was in control, it was happy.

-SQLBill

 

[netadminTO]

Thanks SQLBill......

I am completely using Veritas drivers and still having the problem. I have just realized that this is also happening if I backup to disk (not even using hardware)........

 

[ronmm]

I hit this exact problem & it turned out that I was just BARELY overloading the Dell Power Distribution Unit I was using - not enough to make the breaker trip, but the tape drive was not getting enough power during stop /start cycles & would think it was offline. Corrected power & all has been well for several months now.