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Chaplain_Doug's avatar
Chaplain_Doug
Level 4
13 years ago

How to Add a Tape Drive

I have an older system running Windows Server 2003 Enterprise and Symantec Backup Exec 10d.  The internal tape drive (Dell DLT-VS160) has gone bad.  I have connected an external tape drive (Dell PowerVault 110T) to the SCSI connection on the back of the server.  However, Backup Exec does not yet "see" this new tape drive.  Wht must I do so that the system and Backup Exec see this tape drive and so that Backup Exec can use it?  Thanks for the help.

10.x and Earlier
Backing Up
Backup and Recovery
Backup Exec
Basics
Configuring
Managing Backup Devices
  • Chaplain_Doug's avatar
    Chaplain_Doug
    13 years ago

    I received this help (which worked) in the Dell support forums:

    http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/storage/f/1216/p/19441234/20071675.aspx#20071675 

    What you need to do is to power on the 110T first and wait for it to go idle. Once the unit is at a ready state then you can boot the server. While the server is going through post you will see it scan the SCSI card and should see the drive. Once the server logs into windows then the drive should be present in device manger. Once the drive is seen by windows then you will need to run the tape install wizard for backup exec as it has a tape drive driver that will work for 2008 R2. 

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  • AmolB's avatar
    AmolB
    Moderator
    13 years ago

    Do you see the device in the Windows Device Manager. BE will only detect the device if its detected 

    by the OS. Also have you checked the SCL of BE10d for the compatibility of the device with BE.

  • Wueff-HH's avatar
    Wueff-HH
    Level 3
    13 years ago

    Hi,

     

    please Stop all BE Services, run Tapeinst.exe from the install directory, reboot your server.

    I Think, this should fix your Problem.

    Greets - Wueff 

  • CraigV's avatar
    CraigV
    Moderator
    13 years ago

    Hi Chaplain,

     

    The thing is to connect your drive to a card that supports it. Not many RAID controllers will support a tape drive connected to it, and certainly don't support libraries and autoloaders with multiple SCSI IDs.

    Check the Dell website and look for compatibility between the card you have attached the drive too, and the drive itself. If it isn't listed, you're going to have to purchase a card that does.

    If it becomes a BE support issue, then you'd need to upgrade to a version of BE that does support that drive.


    Thanks!

  • Chaplain_Doug's avatar
    Chaplain_Doug
    Level 4
    13 years ago

    The drive shows up under the Device Manager.  It has the latest (although old) driver.  When I run the device wizard in BE 10d, it shows the new tape unit during the discovery/driver phase.  However, the drive never shows up in the pool.  This drive was being used with a BE 11d system.  Any ideas?

  • Ken_Putnam's avatar
    Ken_Putnam
    Level 6
    13 years ago

    This is kind of Voodoo Tech Support, but try running tapeinst again and delete all devices, but don't add any

    Boot the media server

    Run tapeinst again and let it discover the drive, this time add it

     

    if THAT doesn't work, install the Windows drivers and verify that NTBackup can see and access the drive.  If so run tapeinst one more time and tell it to use existing drivers

     

    From the v10d HCL, the 110T is supported,  with DLT1, DLT4000, DLT7000, LTO, LTO2, LTO3, SDLT220, SDLT320, VS80 and VS160 drives

  • Chaplain_Doug's avatar
    Chaplain_Doug
    Level 4
    13 years ago

    I received this help (which worked) in the Dell support forums:

    http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/storage/f/1216/p/19441234/20071675.aspx#20071675 

    What you need to do is to power on the 110T first and wait for it to go idle. Once the unit is at a ready state then you can boot the server. While the server is going through post you will see it scan the SCSI card and should see the drive. Once the server logs into windows then the drive should be present in device manger. Once the drive is seen by windows then you will need to run the tape install wizard for backup exec as it has a tape drive driver that will work for 2008 R2.