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Relentim's avatar
Relentim
Level 3
13 years ago
Solved

"Drive hardware is offline" errors with Backup Exec, help!

OS: Windows Server 2008 r2 Std SP1
Software: Backup Exec 2010 r3
HBA: LSI SAS 3442E (Flashed as initiator target)
Library: Overland ArcVault 48 with two HP SAS drives

I intermitently get the following error:

 

Type Category Message Time Alert Received Job Name Device Name Server Name Source
Error Device Error The drive hardware is offline. 27/05/2012 18:52:15   HP2 CURIE Device

 

 

The adamm.log gives the following information:
 
[1136] 05/27/12 18:52:10.014 DeviceIo: 02:00:00:00 - Device error 55 on "\\.\Tape0", SCSI cmd 16, 1 total errors
[1136] 05/27/12 18:52:15.015 PvlDrive::DisableAccess() - ReserveDevice failed, offline device
       Drive = 1018 "HP2"
       ERROR = 0x0000001F (ERROR_GEN_FAILURE)
 
[1136] 05/27/12 18:52:15.046 PvlDrive::UpdateOnlineState()
       Drive = 1018 "HP2"
       ERROR = The device is offline!
 
The HBA is recomended by Overland, I have tried replacing the HBA, SAS cable, server and the library!
There are no errors in the sytem event log.
Any help would be much appricated.

 

2010
Backing Up
Backup and Recovery
Backup Exec
Error messages

19 Replies

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  • Kiran_Bandi's avatar
    Kiran_Bandi
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    Is this a RAID card?

    Refer:  http://www.symantec.com/docs/TECH70907

    From the TN: "As documented on the Backup Exec Hardware Compatibility Lists, Host-Bus-Adapters featuring RAID are generally not supported or recommended."

    When i googled for this HBA model i found: LSISAS3442E-R. 3Gb/s SAS Eight-Port Host Bus Adapter with Integrated RAID.

    If you are not sure about this check in OEM documentation or contact your vendor.

    Thanks....

  • Relentim's avatar
    Relentim
    Level 3
    13 years ago

    It can be a RAID card but it is flashed with target firmware so it has no RAID functionality.
    I have used the same card successfully for the past three years and it is the HBA recomended to me by Overland.

  • Kiran_Bandi's avatar
    Kiran_Bandi
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    I have used the same card successfully for the past three years

    successfully with Backup Exec?

    Overland may recommended it, but it always better to go according to Backup Exec compatibility while using BE.

    Do you have any other compatible HBA card to test with?

  • CraigV's avatar
    CraigV
    Moderator
    13 years ago

    Hi Relentim,

     

    Have you tried to uninstall the library completely from both Windows and BE? Try the following:

    1. Uninstall the library from BE, & shut it down. Disconnect the cables from the server.

    2. Uninstall the library from Windows Device Manager, and restart the server.

    3. Allow to boot into Windows, and make sure the library doesn't show up.

    4. Shut the server down, reconnect the library and start it up. Allow to complete the initialization, and then start up the server.

    5. Make sure you're running the latest Symantec DDI package, and then install the Symantec drivers. Make sure the robotics shows up as Unknown Medium Changer.

    If this doesn't work, the next best thing is to log a call with Symantec (assuming you have support in place with them!), and then see what they say. However, they MIGHT point out the RAID controller...

    Thanks!

  • Larry_Fine's avatar
    Larry_Fine
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    [1136] 05/27/12 18:52:15.015 PvlDrive::DisableAccess() - ReserveDevice failed, offline device

    Since this is a SAS environment, there should be no reservation conflicts like could occur in an FC environment.  Therefore I suspect a hardware or communication issue that leads to the Reserve command failing.

  • Relentim's avatar
    Relentim
    Level 3
    13 years ago

    Thanks for your advice, I tried this but expienced the issue again last night.

  • CraigV's avatar
    CraigV
    Moderator
    13 years ago

    ...are you using the Symantec drivers for the device? I don't know Overland, but if there is a robotics changer involved, does it show up as Unknown Medium Changer in Device Manager? If not, update the drivers to this and try again...

  • Relentim's avatar
    Relentim
    Level 3
    13 years ago

    Yes, drivers are Symantec and the library is listed as Unknown Medium Changer in Device Manager.

  • Biker_Dude's avatar
    Biker_Dude
    Level 5
    13 years ago

    If you've been using this HBA successfully for three years (and nothing's changed) then you are probably dealing with a hardware issue.  If you can reproduce the problem with the smallest of backups, then capturing it with tracer.exe would be very helpful.  This is a software based hardware analyzer that ships with BE.

    Here's a Technote that will help guide you to the root of the problem, using tracer.exe:

    http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH49432

    If you get stuck, then post the output of tracer here and we'll take a look at it for you.