UNIX Backup/Restore madness with Arcserve 7 for Netware

[Tat]

Hi

Our setup: Netware 5.1 SP3, Arcserve 7 (fully patched) running with 4 x Dell 120 Autoloaders (latest firmware). 5 x Solaris machines running latest (trial) UNIX client.

Last November I had major problems with the Arcserve database, it wouldn't stay 'uncorrupted' for more than a week. Then on December 15th 2001, I realised I had an even bigger problem. The UNIX backups I had been doing could not be restored from properly, so I contacted CA support.

The problem is, say I select

Server1
/data1
/data2
/data3
Server2
/info1
/info2

It backs everything up but was giving sessions the same number (that part of the problem seems to be over). So when I come to restore I can restore from the first volume selected on each server, here it would be data1 and info1. When I try to restore from any of the others I receive the error E1058 Failed to read from media - No data detected.

Weeks went by and I had no response, even with my daily requests for a prompt response. Finally on the 4/1/02 I received a response. The first line was "It appears the existing database is corrupt". I had waited over 3 weeks for this????? "Please reinitialise the database and then merge tapes". Did they think I hadn't tried this? So off I went and followed the instructions, again, I was also asked to apply the latest patches that I had already done, as stated in my request, and still the same problems.

Their next response was slightly better and included adding a config section to tapesvr.cfg with wshots, rshots, etc…. still not resolving my problem though. When I tried to run the backup after applying those changes it would not recognise any of my tapes and had the write protect set to yes. I had to use new blank tapes. The error in the log was 'Media in device group MORGAN cannot be used for the pool DEFAULT. Please get more information from either Tape Device Management or ARCserve Database'. Now to top it all off, the response I received today said, "Please apply patches…" even though in every email I stated that Arcserve was fully patched. Instead of clutching at straws why can't they just tell me 'look we don't have a clue'. Not ONCE have CA answered ANY of the questions I put to them in this support request saga.

I better mention that Netware/NAS/Other Backups run fine.

OK, sorry for dribbling on, but this is the short version, the other one included lots of F'ing and C'ing! I am hoping that someone out there has had similar problems or knows the answer to the problems I am having. Any help would be much appreciated, and its bound to be more useful than CA's. Thanks in advance.

 

[domburi]

Tat,

I'm not sure if this will make you feel any better, but I have suffered the same EXACT experience as you with a slightly different problem in Arcserve.

I too have Arcserve 7 for Netware 5.1sp3. I too have all the latest patches installed. When I first implemented Arcserve, its seemed to be working fine. However, when I went to 'restore from session' only 10% of the detail files for my session were listed even though the logs report Arcserve as doing a full merge.

I have spent countless hours on the phone with CA and sent countless emails to them. I cannot recall all the silly things they have had me do. Endless configuration changes, as well as deleting the database, etc. Recently they released a consolidated patch for Arcserve 7 and when I applied it, it Abended my server!!!

CA support has been absolutely useless to me and they seem to have no interest in solving my problem.

My conclusion from all of this is that Arcserve 7 is a severely BUGGY product that has countless SERIOUS issues. One look at the CA Arcseve Support Forums will show you many many other people that have serious unresolved problems with Arcserve 7.

Where to go from here though? I don't know... I want Arcserve 6.6 back though.